UN International Days for community activities

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 last newsletter we featured three International Days that could provide opportunities for partnership activities within our communities: World Environment Day on June 5, UN World Refugee Day on June 20 and World Day for International Justice on July 17, 2010.

We feature two more International Days in this issue.

 August 12     International Youth Day

Young people deserve our full commitment – full access to education, adequate healthcare, employment opportunities, financial services and full participation in public life. On International Youth Day, we can renew our pledge to support young people in their development.

The World Program of Action for Youth works in ten main fields – starvation, poverty, education, employment, health, drug exploitation, childhood felony, recreation events, young women and children, and environment.

You can get involved in many ways:

• Team up with key groups in your locality to focus on what has been done to further the World Program of Action for Youth.
• Organise forums, public discussions and information campaigns in support of young people focusing on youth issues and how they can be addressed.
• Celebrate the achievements of young people in your community, highlighting their rich and varied skills, interests and aspirations.
• Plan practical action to further encourage the empowerment and participation of youth in the processes and decisions that affect their lives.

For more ideas and information go to: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/iyouthday.htm

September 21   International Day of Peace

The International Day of Peace (Peace Day) provides an opportunity for individuals, organisations and nations to create practical acts of peace on a shared date. It was established by a United Nations resolution in 1981 to coincide with the opening of the General Assembly and was launched with these words:

Peace Day should be devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples… This day will serve as a reminder to all peoples that our organisation, with all its limitations, is a living instrument in the service of peace and should serve all of us as a constantly pealing bell reminding us that our permanent commitment, above all interests or differences of any kind, is to peace.

Anyone, anywhere can celebrate Peace Day. It can be as simple as lighting a candle at noon, or just sitting in silent meditation. Or it can involve getting your TOS group engaged in a larger event, either on its own or in partnership with other organisations. The impact of millions of people in all parts of the world, coming together for one day of peace, is immense.

International Day of Peace is also a Day of Ceasefire – personal or political. Take this opportunity to make peace in your own relationships as well as focusing on the larger conflicts of our time.

For more ideas, go to:    http://www.internationaldayofpeace.org