September 21 2021
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF
PEACE | WORLD PEACE DAY
The International Day of Peace is observed
annually on September 21st. Although first
observed in 1981, the United Nations General
Assembly officially declared the International
Day of Peace to be designated a 24-hour
period of non-violence/cease-fire by unanimous
vote in 2001. People are encouraged to
commemorate the day through education and
creating public awareness of global peace
related issues.
The theme of 2021's International Day of Peace
is "Recovering better for a sustainable and
equitable world." This year's theme aims to
encourage creative and collective problemsolving so that
we may, as a global population,
begin to rebuild a more just and equitable
world in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
We can all make a difference when it comes
to making the world a more peaceful place.
The UN recommends standing up against
acts of hate online and offline, and spreading
compassion, kindness, and hope as we recover
from this pandemic as a global population.
September 18 2021
INTERNATIONAL
EQUAL PAY DAY (UN)
On November 15th, 2019, the third Committee
at the 74th Session of the UN General
Assembly adopted resolution (A/C37/74/L.49)
proclaiming September 18th as International
Equal Pay Day. Introducing the resolution to
the committee were Equal Pay International
Coalition (EPIC) members of Iceland with
the support of Australia, Canada, Germany,
Panama, New Zealand, South Africa, and
Switzerland. The resolution was co-sponsored
by a total of 105 member states. As well as
recognizing the contribution of workers' and
employers' organizations and businesses, the
resolution also acknowledged the work and
contribution of EPIC to achieving equal pay.
Across all regions, women are paid less than
men, with the gender pay gap estimated at 23%
globally. Progress on narrowing that gap has
been slow. Achieving equal pay is an important
milestone for human rights and gender equality.
However, it takes the effort of the entire world
community, and more work remains to be done.
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