December Issues
December 18: International Migrants Day
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Conflicts, climate-related disasters and economic pressures continue to drive millions of people from their homes in search of safety or simply opportunity. Alongside the challenges that come with migration, there are also stories of resilience, progress and hope. Migrants play critical roles in labour markets, filling skills gaps, driving innovation and entrepreneurship, and addressing demographic challenges in aging societies. The evidence is overwhelming that when migration is managed safely and strategically, it can be a powerful force for good. Together, one step at a time, we can continue building a world where migration is safe, orderly, and beneficial – for everyone.
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December 11: Human Rights Day
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Human Rights Days commemorates the anniversary of one of the world's most groundbreaking global pledges: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This landmark document enshrines the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being - regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. As a “common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations”, the UDHR is a global blueprint for international, national, and local laws and policies and a bedrock of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development. It is available in 577 languages, from Abkhaz to Zulu, making the UDHR the most translated document in the world.
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We only have to look at the night sky to be reminded of human rights abuse in Greek mythology. Get poor Kallisto's story here.
December 03: International Day of Persons with Disabilities
An estimated 16% of the world’s population, or 1 in 6 of us, experience significant disability. Some persons with disabilities die up to 20 years earlier than those without disabilities. Health inequities arise from unfair conditions, including stigma, discrimination, poverty, exclusion from education and employment, and barriers faced in the health system itself. UNESCO stresses the importance of the global disability rights movement’s slogan “Nothing About Us Without Us”. It connotes the basic requirements of participation, representation and inclusion and calls for persons with disabilities to actively shape the conditions of their lives.