The United Nations has designated days throughout the year to specific global issues or causes. The purpose of such days is to focus international attention on topics as well as to celebrate and bring official recognition of important issues to the forefront of the global community. These days provide an opportunity to link your awareness-raising activities with the actions of other committed global citizens around the world. Here are five things you can do to take action in support of international awareness days:
- Research the issues and talk to your friends and family about them
- Write an article for your school newspaper
- Create and distribute a brochure
- Make banners or posters to hang in your school or another public place
- Organize a school event or assembly
|
Mark Your Calendar
Please mark your calendar and help us to spread the word about these vital issues affecting our world.
March 8: International Women's Day
March 22: World Water Day
April 3: International Day for Mine Awareness
April 22: Earth Day
June 20: World Refugee Day
September 21: International Day of Peace
October 16: World Food Day
October 17: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
November 16: International Day of Tolerance
November 20: Universal Children’s Day
December 1: World AIDS Day
December 10: Human Rights Day
|
March 8: International Women's Day
International Women’s Day is celebrated around the world on March 8th. This day marks a celebration of how far women have come in their struggle for economic, social, cultural and political equality.
In the past century, many achievements have been made. Women’s access to education and health care has increased, their participation in the paid labor force has grown, and laws have been passed in many countries that promise equal opportunities for women and respect for their human rights. The world also has a growing number of women as political leaders and policy makers.
March 22: World Water Day
Can you imagine walking for 3 hours to get a glass of drinking water?
Probably not. For most of us in the United States, the supply of water seems to be endless – we simply turn on the faucet any time of the day, any day of the year. Yet, over 1 billion people do not have access to clean drinking water– that’s one in every six people.
April 3: International Day for Mine Awareness
Landmines are explosive devices, placed in the ground during conflicts and designed to explode when it comes into contact with a vehicle, person or an animal. According to the United Nations, landmines kill or injure as many as 15,000 people each year. It is estimated that more than 80 million active landmines are scattered in nearly 80 countries worldwide. Landmines do not discriminate, often injuring women and children. Additionally, landmines are extremely difficult to destroy once activated.
April 22: Earth Day
Earth Day is a day to recognize the interconnectedness of all life on the planet. Global poverty often strains the environment and causes natural resources to be depleted. Poor people are also often the most impacted by environmental challenges, such as securing clean water. In the world today, over 1.2 billion people do not have access to clean water.
June 20: World Refugee Day
Can you imagine being forced out of your home to live as a refugee in an unknown place?
Today, the United Nations estimates that there are over 17 million refugees and asylum seekers worldwide. Conflict, war, persecution and natural disaster continue to drive millions of people from their homes to foreign lands. These displaced people often live in dangerous situations with their rights denied. On World Refugee Day, it is important to think about the situation of the millions of refugees worldwide, and to raise awareness and understanding of the reality of being a refugee.
September 21: International Day of Peace
According to the United Nations, 33 million people around the world have fled their homes due to conflict. Conflict and war affect everyone in a society, often having the greatest impact on women and children. On the International Day of Peace, the United Nations asks everyone worldwide to participate in one day of a universal cease-fire.
October 16: World Food Day
The world produces enough food for everyone, yet 852 million people worldwide do not have enough to eat - more than the populations of USA, Canada and the European Union. Six million children under five die each year as a result of malnutrition and hunger-related diseases - that's one child every five seconds. Hunger & malnutrition are the number one risk to global health, killing more people than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.
October 17: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
The gap between the wealthy and the poor widens every day. Currently, one out of every six people on the planet (1.2 billion people) live on less than $1 per day. While nearly one-half of the people on the planet (2.8 billion people) live on less than $2 per day. Eradicating poverty would create a more equitable world.
November 16: International Day of Tolerance
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines tolerance as, “sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own.” In an increasingly diverse world, creating a more tolerant society is essential to building peace.
November 20: Universal Children’s Day
The children of today are the future leaders of tomorrow. Yet, many children in the world do not have the opportunity to be children. Currently, 115 million children are not enrolled in school—more than the total number of children who live in the United States. Additionally, an estimated 250 million children are engaged in child labor.
December 1: World AIDS Day
Since 1982, when the term AIDS was used for the first time, more than 60 million people have been infected with the HIV virus. HIV&AIDS is the fourth most deadly disease worldwide – the disease has taken approximately 28.9 million lives. Today, more than 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV, and half of all new adult HIV infections occur among 15-24 year olds.
December 10: Human Rights Day
Fighting poverty is essential to ensuring that human rights are guaranteed to everyone worldwide. All human beings have the same rights, guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states, “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.”