October 2012
World Habitat Day: Changing Cities, Building Opportunities
Worldwide, 1 October 2012
Host / Sponsor: United Nations
In Resolution 40/202 of 17 December 1985, the UN General Assembly designated the first Monday of October of every year as World Habitat Day. In 2012, World Habitat Day is commemorated on 1 October. This year's theme is "Changing Cities, Building Opportunities".
> Read more
International Day of the Girl Child
Worldwide, 11 October 2012
Host / Sponsor: United Nations
The United Nations General Assembly on 19 December 2011 voted to designate 11 October as the 'International Day of the Girl Child' following a two-year campaign spearheaded by Plan International with the support of the Canadian government and supported by a coalition of partners.
The day will promote girls' human rights, highlight gender inequalities that remain between girls and boys and address the various forms of discrimination and abuse suffered by girls around the globe.
> Read more on the main UN website
> GA Resolution on International Day of the Girl Child
> Statement from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
> UNICEF, UNFPA, UN Women Joint Statement: International Day of the Girl Child 2012
> ILO says discrimination against young girls must end
> UNFPA Announces $20 Million Commitment to Reach Most Marginalised Adolescent Girls at Risk of Child Marriage
> UNICEF focuses on ending child marriage on the International Day of the Girl Child
> Exhibit on Child Marriage Opens at United Nations 11 October
> Ending Child Marriage: Focus of the First International Day of the Girl Child (UN Press Release)
> In Focus: International Day of the Girl Child—My Life, My Right, End Child Marriage (UN Women)
> UNFPA Publication Launch - Marrying too Young: End Child Marriage
International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR): Women and Girls - the [in]Visible Force of Resilience"
Worldwide, 13 October 2012
Host / Sponsor: United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR)
On 13 October, the International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) will be an occasion to pay tribute to millions of girls and women around the world who are on the frontline making their communities and societies resilient to the impacts of disasters and the effects of climate change. Driven by the theme Women and Girls: the [in]Visible Force of Resilience, IDDR 2012 draws attention to the fact that their efforts to protect and rebuild their communities before, and after, disasters are often unrecognized. The UN General Assembly designated 13 October as the date to celebrate IDDR (resolution 64/200, 21 December 2009).
The theme for IDDR 2012 does not imply that women and girls are invisible.
- It is about drawing attention to the fact that their efforts to protect and rebuild their communities before and after disasters are often unrecognized and that 'invisibility' is a socio-cultural construct.
- It is about highlighting that their ability to contribute is hindered by lack of inclusion and poor understanding of gender inequality.
- It is about celebrating the contribution women and girls are making before, during and after a disaster.
- It is about moving beyond the tendency to view and portray women and girls as victims. And even though women and girls feature disproportionately among the casualties of disasters they are 'active victims'.
- It is about stories of action and initiative by women and girls, and it also seeks to shed light on the obstacles that prevent them from participating in Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation.
> Read more
> IDDR 2012 - Putting women and girls on the map
International Day of Rural Women
Worldwide, 15 October 2012
Host / Sponsor: United Nations
The first International Day of Rural Women was observed on 15 October 2008. This new international day, established by the General Assembly in its resolution 62/136 of 18 December 2007, recognizes "the critical role and contribution of rural women, including indigenous women, in enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security and eradicating rural poverty."
> Read more
> Launch of the joint programme on "Accelerating Progress towards the Economic Empowerment of Rural Women" (Side Event on the occasion of the 39th Session of the Committee on World Food Security)
World Food Day
Worldwide, 16 October 2012
Host / Sponsor: United Nations, FAO
World Food Day was proclaimed in 1979 by the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). It marks the date of the founding of FAO in 1945. The aim of the Day is to heighten public awareness of the world food problem and strengthen solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty. In 1980, the General Assembly endorsed observance of the Day in consideration of the fact that "food is a requisite for human survival and well-being and a fundamental human necessity" (resolution 35/70 of 5 December 1980).
> Read more
> FAO web section on World Food Day
> Women and Hunger: 10 Facts (WFP)
> This World Food Day, Meet Molly! (WFP)
> International World Food Day Poster Contest 2012 (Launched by FAO and the United Nation's Women's Guild in Italy). Submission Deadline: 30 September 2012.
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
Worldwide, 17 October 2012
Host / Sponsor: United Nations
The observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty can be traced back to 17 October 1987. On that day, over a hundred thousand people gathered at the Trocadéro in Paris, where the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed in 1948, to honour the victims of extreme poverty, violence and hunger. They proclaimed that poverty is a violation of human rights and affirmed the need to come together to ensure that these rights are respected. These convictions are inscribed in a commemorative stone unveiled on this day. Since then, people of all backgrounds, beliefs and social origins have gathered every year on October 17 th to renew their commitment and show their solidarity with the poor. Replicas of the commemorative stone have been unveiled around the world and serve as a gathering place to celebrate the Day. One such replica is located in the garden of United Nations Headquarters and is the site of the annual commemoration organized by the United Nations Secretariat in New York.
> Read more
> UN social media campaign to end poverty
United Nations Security Council Open Debate on UNCSR 1325
United Nations, New York, 29 October 2012
(postponed due to Hurricane Sandy. New date to be announced)
Host / Sponsor: United Nations
On 29 October 2012, the United Nations Security Council will hold an Open Debate to mark the 12th anniversary of the UN Security Council resolution 1325, with a focus on "the Role of Women's Civil Society Organizations in Contributing to the Prevention and Resolution of Armed Conflict and Peacebuilding." The debate will be webcast live from 10:00 a.m. (New York time).
> Women's Role in Peace and Security
> Report of the UN Secretary-General on women and peace and security
Create UNAOC 2012 Challenge: An international competition for app and game developers
Worldwide, 27 July-30 November 2012
Host / Sponsor: United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), the MIT Education Arcade, and Learning Games Network
As part of the international competition Create UNAOC 2012, The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, the MIT Education Arcade, and Learning Games Network is seeking app and game developers to produce apps and mobile games that enable new avenues for intercultural dialogue.
The aim of the project is to identify opportunities through innovative tools that promote intercultural dialogue, drawing on unique cultural resources and experiences of developers around the world. Five finalist apps and games will be selected by an international jury, awarded funds for producers to refine their creations and played by delegates of the 5th Annual UNAOC Forum in Vienna, Austria, 27-28 February 2013. The global competition will accept submissions through the end of November 2012.
The UNAOC and its organizing partners want to encourage developers to think of ways that new apps and games can be used to support such pursuits as gender equality, youth development, migrant integration, religious pluralism, better understanding among individuals of different cultural and religious backgrounds, biased media representation of cultures and religions, and education.
Developers may register to participate in the competition between 27 July and 30 November 2012 at http://www.CreateUNAOC.org.
> Read more
|
