The United Nations was built on spiritual principles and universal values such as peace, human rights, human dignity and worth, justice, respect, good neighbourliness, freedom, respect for nature and shared responsibility.

In our first six electronic newsletters we listed a large number of International Days and Weeks that could provide opportunities for partnership activities within our communities. These continue to be relevant in late 2009 and 2010.

As we start a new cycle of newsletters, we intend featuring just a few International Days in each issue and providing more detailed information and ideas for activities in which TOS groups could engage.

We feature three International Days in this issue.    

January 2       World March for Peace and Non-Violence

The first ever World March for peace and non-violence has started and will culminate in a series of local activities at the beginning of January 2010. This 90-day march is travelling the world asking for the end of wars, the dismantling of nuclear weapons and for an end to all forms of violence (physical, economic, racial, religious, cultural, sexual and psychological). It encompasses Oceania and East Asia, Continental Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas, covering 160,000 kilometres.

You can follow the progress of the march on its website at http://www.theworldmarch.org/ 
It is expected that 1 million participants will join the march, with 10 million virtual participants via the website.

Look out for information about what is happening in your local community. If there are no activities to join, your TOS group might be interested in initiating an event to draw together the many people who want a world characterised by peace and non-violence. A candle-lit vigil for peace, a meditation for world peace, an informal event with craft workshops promoting peace or a peace picnic are possibilities. The website -
http://internationaldayofpeace.org/your_peace_day.html
has many ideas from which to draw.

February 20   World Day of Social Justice

What are the social justice issues in your community? Are there other groups with which you could join to promote awareness of the issues and to explore options for addressing them? 

World Day of Social Justice was celebrated for the first time in 2009. It provides an opportunity for all of us to say that a safer, more secure and ultimately more prosperous world is possible, if emphasis is placed on social justice – poverty eradication, promotion of full employment and decent work, gender equity and access to social well-being and justice for all.

March 8          International Women’s Day

International Women's Day is a day of global celebration – an opportunity to recognise the many different contributions that women make to our communities and the progress that has been made in many countries to give women equal rights and opportunities as citizens. There is no room for complacency, however, as women continue to face inequity on many fronts.

The International Women’s Day website at http://www.internationalwomensday.com/ has information on events around the world, articles, statistics and ideas about equity issues you could promote within your own community.