World Social Justice Day
As declared by the United Nations General Assembly, February 20 is annually celebrated as the World Day of Social Justice. The day is meant to highlight and honor the importance of social justice for all. Significant issues, including serious financial crises, high unemployment rates, poverty, discrimination, and lack of access that prohibit full participation in the global economy for developing countries, are all issues faced today.
In 1995, Copenhagen, Denmark, hosted the World Summit for Social Development where over 100 political leaders took a pledge to alleviate social justice issues and to create stable, safe, and just societies. As a result, in 2005, the U.N. reviewed the Copenhagen Declaration and Social Development plan and agreed to commit to advancing social development.
The U.N. recognized that without social development and social justice, there could never be hope for the achievement and maintenance of peace and security.
Excelsior University and its Center for Social Justice join the observance of World Social Justice Day by asserting our fundamental belief that all people have the right to pursue economic, social, educational, and professional opportunity, that there is a shared responsibility to ensure that nothing stands in the way of that pursuit, and that this work stands on the four principles of equity, access, participation, and human rights. Following through on this belief requires the intentionality and investment of each one of us, so let’s celebrate World Social Justice Day by challenging ourselves to see everyone’s humanity –however different–, to learn about and from them, to leverage our diversity of perspectives and experiences to do better, and to procure the social justice impact of all our interactions, organizations, communities, nations, and globe.
Three ways to observe Social Justice Day:
1. Advocate for a social cause
2. Organize a social justice event to bring awareness to an issue
3. Educate yourself on social justice issues
Resources:
WORLD DAY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE – February 20, 2023 – National Today
World Day of Social Justice – Global Campaign for Peace Education (peace-ed-campaign.org)
