Resources

June 5 — World Environment Day Celebrated in 100 countries, the United Nations’ (UN) World Environment Day calls all citizens of the world to raise awareness about the care of Earth.  The theme for World Environment Day 2020 is “The Mighty Earth” with a focus on biodiversity.  The 2020 host country for the UN celebrations is Columbia in partnership with Germany.  Having recently celebrated the 5th anniversary of the papal encyclical Laudato Si, Catholics are now more aware than ever of our responsibility to care for our common home.  The encyclical reminds us that we are not only to “care” [...]

May 1—International Worker's Day Also known as May Day, International Workers’ Day honors laborers and workers around the world whose daily work builds and maintains society, economic systems, and supports families and communities.  In this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have all become accutely aware of the dangerous conditions that so many workers face each day.  It is common around the world for workers to lose their jobs if they miss work, even when they are suffering from serious illness.  Many jobs are extremely dangerous, threatening the lives of workers and the wellbeing of their families.  Although Catholic social [...]

April 4—International Day of Landmine Awareness & Assistance in Mine Action The effort to stop the production and use of landmines as weapons of war continues to be an urgent issue around the world.  Thousands of people are maimed or killed by landmines each year, in 84 countries.  In some of these countries armed conflicts have already been resolved, and yet undetected landmines still threaten children at play, farmers attempting to replant dormant fields, women going to collect water, and other innocent victims.  Governments continue to seek out and destroy these buried weapons of war, but the process is painstakingly [...]

March 8 — International Women's Day International Women’s Day (IWD) was first recognized by the United Nations in 1975.  The Theme for IWD 2020 is #EachforEqual—an equal world is an enabled world.  The theme aims at not only calling attention to inequalities faced by women every day, but urges each woman to stand for equality everywhere—in the Church, in the workplace, in society, in the halls of government, in the family etc.  There can be no justice without equality.  “We can actively choose to challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perceptions, improve situations and celebrate women's achievements. Collectively, each one of [...]

February 6—International Dy of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation February 6th is a day to promote the UN’s campaign to raise awareness and educate people about the dangers of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Although often thought of as a traditional practice “of the past”, the UN statistics estimate that today over 200 million girls and women are living with the horrible effects of this practice.   On February 6, 2003, Stella Obasanjo, the then First Lady of Nigeria and spokesperson for the Campaign Against Female Genital Mutilation, made the official declaration on "Zero Tolerance to FGM" in Africa during a [...]

January 1—World Day of Peace The World Day of Peace was inspired by the encyclical Pacem in Terris.  This day call us to an awareness of the links between peace, poverty and the care of creation articulated in Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si.  2020 marks the 53rd annual World Day of Peace.  The theme is PEACE AS A JOURNEY OF HOPE: DIALOGUE, RECONCILIATION AND ECOLOGICAL CONVERSION.   War, violence, and the ecological damage caused by climate change have all contributed to the poverty and injustice that make true peace impossible.  Restoring justice requires restoring balance in our world—respecting and protecting the [...]

December 1—World Aids Day December 1, 2019 marks the 31st global World AIDS Day, to raise awareness about the continued epidemic affecting over 34 million people currently living with HIV worldwide. Since the disease was first recognized in 1981, over 35 million people have died from AIDS. Stigma and discrimination continue to affect those living with HIV/AIDS in many parts of the world.  Although great advances have been made in combating the virus causing AIDS, there is still no cure. This is a day to learn the facts about AIDS and to put those learnings into action.  Let us reach [...]

November 10—World Science Day for Peace and Development The purpose of the World Science Day for Peace and Development is to remember the contributions made by science to peace and sustainable development around the world. This day reminds us how essential scientific research and implementation are to humankind’s ability to successfully meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals set forth by the UN in September 2015. Unfortunately, science can and often has been used to promote violence and war on an ever more devastating scale in the past 100 years. This day is a time to urge nations and governments to [...]