UN Awareness Days are a good way of focusing telling stories that matter. They may be used to focus efforts, workshops, and storytelling events around as way of connecting with internationally- themed programs, opportunities, and events. There may also be other events in the community that coincide with such days and therefore offers an opportunity to foster new partnerships with other organizations and groups. The UN awareness days may be used to plan your events, or you may choose to focus on local religious and cultural days of the year that are more specific to the communities you are working with. In planning these, you may also think about sharing story examples of your projects by connecting with other themed programs that take place across the world on the same day. There may also be opportunities to adapt projects to encourage live intercultural dialogue with use of online platforms such as Zoom or Google Video.
*UN dates change and vary year to year.
January
January 11th: National Human Trafficking Awareness Day
January 15th: World Religion Day
January 27th: International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust January 31st: Street Children’s Day
February
February 4th: World Cancer Day
February 6th: International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation
February 12th: Red Hand Day - Child Soldier Awareness
February 20th: World Day of Social Justice
February 21st: International Mother Language Day [UNESCO]
March
March 8th: International Women’s Day
March 21st: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
March 21st: World Poetry Day [UNESCO]
March 22nd: World Water Day
March 24th: International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims
March 25th: International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
April
April 1st: Youth Homelessness Matters Day
April 2nd: Autism Awareness Day
April 7th: Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Rwanda Genocide
April 22nd: International Mother Earth Day
April 23rd: World Book and Copyright Day [UNESCO]
April 26th: World Intellectual Property Day [WIPO]
April 29th: International Dance Day
May
May 15th: International Day of Families
May 17th: International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia
May 21st: World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
May 30th: International Rape Awareness day
June
June 6th: Hunger Day
June 19th: Juneteenth (USA)
June 20th: World Refugee Day
June 26th: International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
June 26th: United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
July
First Saturday in July: International Day of Cooperatives
July 18th: Nelson Mandela International Day
July 26th: Disability (ADA) Awareness Day
July 30th: International Day of Friendship
August
August 8th: Emancipation Day (in Tennessee, USA)
August 9th: International Day of the World’s Indigenous People
August 9th: National Women’s Day in South Africa
August 12th: Youth Day
August 23rd: International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition [UNESCO]
September
September 8th: International Literacy Day [UNESCO]
September 10th: World Suicide Prevention Day [WHO]
September 21st: International Day of Peace
October
October 1st: Day of Older Persons
October 2nd: International Day of Non-Violence
October 5th: Poetry Day
October 10th: World Mental Health Day
October 14th: Indigenous People's Day
October 15th: International Day of Rural Women
October 16th: World Food Day
November
November 9th: World Freedom Day
November 14th: World Diabetes Day
November 16th: International Day for Tolerance
November 20th: Universal Children’s Day
November 25th: International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
November 29th: International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
December
December 1st: World AIDS Day
December 3rd: International Day of Persons with Disabilities
December 10th: Human Rights Day
December 18th: International Migrants Day
December 19th: United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation
December 20th: International Human Solidarity Day
*UN dates change and vary year to year.
January
January 11th: National Human Trafficking Awareness Day
January 15th: World Religion Day
January 27th: International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust January 31st: Street Children’s Day
February
February 4th: World Cancer Day
February 6th: International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation
February 12th: Red Hand Day - Child Soldier Awareness
February 20th: World Day of Social Justice
February 21st: International Mother Language Day [UNESCO]
March
March 8th: International Women’s Day
March 21st: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
March 21st: World Poetry Day [UNESCO]
March 22nd: World Water Day
March 24th: International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims
March 25th: International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
April
April 1st: Youth Homelessness Matters Day
April 2nd: Autism Awareness Day
April 7th: Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Rwanda Genocide
April 22nd: International Mother Earth Day
April 23rd: World Book and Copyright Day [UNESCO]
April 26th: World Intellectual Property Day [WIPO]
April 29th: International Dance Day
May
May 15th: International Day of Families
May 17th: International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia
May 21st: World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
May 30th: International Rape Awareness day
June
June 6th: Hunger Day
June 19th: Juneteenth (USA)
June 20th: World Refugee Day
June 26th: International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
June 26th: United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
July
First Saturday in July: International Day of Cooperatives
July 18th: Nelson Mandela International Day
July 26th: Disability (ADA) Awareness Day
July 30th: International Day of Friendship
August
August 8th: Emancipation Day (in Tennessee, USA)
August 9th: International Day of the World’s Indigenous People
August 9th: National Women’s Day in South Africa
August 12th: Youth Day
August 23rd: International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition [UNESCO]
September
September 8th: International Literacy Day [UNESCO]
September 10th: World Suicide Prevention Day [WHO]
September 21st: International Day of Peace
October
October 1st: Day of Older Persons
October 2nd: International Day of Non-Violence
October 5th: Poetry Day
October 10th: World Mental Health Day
October 14th: Indigenous People's Day
October 15th: International Day of Rural Women
October 16th: World Food Day
November
November 9th: World Freedom Day
November 14th: World Diabetes Day
November 16th: International Day for Tolerance
November 20th: Universal Children’s Day
November 25th: International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
November 29th: International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
December
December 1st: World AIDS Day
December 3rd: International Day of Persons with Disabilities
December 10th: Human Rights Day
December 18th: International Migrants Day
December 19th: United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation
December 20th: International Human Solidarity Day