February 20th marks World Day of Social Justice, a day dedicated to remembering the importance of social justice in our world. Social justice is the idea that everyone deserves to be treated fairly and equally, regardless of their race, gender, religion, social status, and more—even vaccination status. Fair treatment is an important ideal that we should all strive for and is necessary for an equitable future.
What is World Day of Social Justice and why should we celebrate it?
Social justice is about fairness and equity. It includes the basic needs and opportunities of all people. Closely related to human rights, social justice is about equality for all. Every year on February 20, people from all around the world mark the World Day of Social Justice by raising awareness about the critical role of fostering social justice by tackling issues like poverty, marginalization, gender inequality, unemployment, human rights, and more.
While social justice issues may look different from country to country, they truly affect each of us in one way or another. We have also seen all too well over the last couple of years how new matters of inequality and human rights struggles can appear where there were none before and in places that we didn’t expect.
How can we get involved in celebrating World Day of Social Justice?
Though it is not an official holiday, people all around the world recognize the World Day of Social Justice as a global day of observance. However, this shouldn’t mean that we only consider matters of social justice once per year. There are many ways to get involved in our own communities and globally each and every day.
There are many ways to promote social justice in our world and our communities. You can start by learning more about the issues that affect people near you and by standing against discrimination and inequality whenever you see it. You can also support organizations that work to improve social justice around the world. Volunteering or donating to these organizations is a great way to make a difference.
If you’re not already aware of what is happening in your community, spend time doing an online search. Find an issue that interests you or that you have a connection to and then get involved. Getting involved can mean anything from directly serving those in your community to participating in the local political process or setting up and supporting parallel networks that serve others.
We all have a role to play in creating a more just world. World Day of Social Justice is a reminder that we should all be working towards this goal. Let’s celebrate social justice and work together to make our world a fairer place for everyone, today and every day.
