World Braille Day

World Braille Day is an international day on 4 January and celebrates awareness of the importance of braille as a means of communication in the full realization of the human rights for blind and visually impaired people. (Christine McKenna)

World Religion Day

This year World Religion Day will be celebrated on January 15. On this day, people from all walks of life gather to celebrate and honor the common ground shared by the world's many religions. There are nearly 4,000 recognized faiths around the globe. However, almost 75% of the people follow one of the five main faiths which include Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. One of the most important aspects of the day is to promote religious tolerance. It is important to remember that we all have different beliefs, and it is important for us to respect each other’s’ beliefs. Link to more history. (Laina Reavis)

International Day of Education

In 2018, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed January 24th as International Day of Education to honor the crucial importance of education for worldwide peace and development. Inclusive, equitable quality education is a human right, and is essential to working toward gender equality and to breaking the cycle of poverty that deprives millions of children and adults worldwide from education and opportunity.

Due to a current surge in the world today of violent conflicts, xenophobia, racism, discrimination and hate speech, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) chooses the theme “learning for lasting peace” for this year’s celebration. To learn more, click here. (Lauren Meehan)

World Day for African and Afro-descendant Culture

Held every year on 24 January, World Day for African and Afro-descendant Culture celebrates the many vibrant cultures of the African continent and African Diasporas around the world, reinforcing UNESCO’s mandate to promote respect for cultural diversity and human creativity around the globe. As a rich source of the world’s shared heritage, promoting African and Afro-descendant culture is crucial for sustainable development, mutual respect, dialogue and peace. (Christine McKenna)

JAN 27: International Holocaust Remembrance Day

The International Holocaust Remembrance Day, or the International Day in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, is an international memorial day on 27 January that commemorates the victims of the Holocaust, which resulted in the genocide of one third of the Jewish people, along with countless members of other minorities by Nazi Germany between 1933 and 1945, an attempt to implement its "final solution" to the Jewish question. 27 January was chosen to commemorate the date when the Auschwitz concentration camp was liberated by the Red Army in 1945.

The day remembers the killing of six million Jews, two-thirds of Europe's Jewish population, and millions of others by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. It was designated by United Nations General Assembly resolution 60/7 on 1 November 2005.The resolution came after a special session was held earlier that year on 24 January to mark the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps and the end of the Holocaust. (Christine McKenna)

Introductory Video (2:40)

Christine McKenna, Harbor Care Substance Use and Mental Health Clinician, offers a brief description (video on right) of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.