The Public Issues Calendar collects together observances in the year when Christians and those across wider society might focus their attention on certain movements towards peace and justice. Not all of these occasions are necessarily marked by JPIT or our associated churches: their inclusion is not an indication of endorsement.
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January
4 World Braille Day
11 Human Trafficking Awareness Day
18 World Religion Day
18–25 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
19 Martin Luther King Jr Day
24 International Day of Education
25 World Leprosy Day
27 Holocaust Memorial Day
February
LGBT+ History Month
2-8 Race Equality Week
6 International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM
8 Racial Justice Sunday
20 World Day of Social Justice
28 Rare Disease Day
March
Women’s History Month
1 Zero Discrimination Day
3 World Wildlife Day
5 International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness
6 World Day of Prayer | Scotland | England & Wales
8 International Women’s Day
8 National Day of Reflection for people bereaved by Covid
15 International Day to Combat Islamophobia
21 UN International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
21 World Down Syndrome Day
22 World Water Day
25 UN International Day of Remembrance of Victims of Slavery and Transatlantic Slave Trade
28 Earth Hour (8:30-9:30pm)
30 International Day of Zero Waste
31 International Transgender Day of Visibility
April
2 World Autism Awareness Day
22 Stephen Lawrence Day
22 World Earth Day
25 World Malaria Day
28 International Workers’ Memorial Day
May
10–16 Christian Aid Week
11–17 Mental Health Awareness Week
15 Endangered Species Day
17 Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia
June
Pride Month
5 World Environment Day
6–14 Great Big Green Week
8 World Oceans Day
8 Environment Sunday
12–21 Refugee Festival Scotland
15–21 Learning Disability Week
15–21 Refugee Week
22-26 UN Peacebuilding Week
20 World Refugee Day
21 Sanctuary Sunday
21-28 Fair Tax Week
22 World Rainforest Day
26 International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
28 Tax Justice Sunday
July
Plastic Free July
24 24/7 Samaritans Awareness Day
30 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons
August
9 International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
12 International Youth Day
22 International Day commemorating the victims of acts of violence based on religion or belief
23 International Day for Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition
September
1 Sept–4 Oct Creation Time, Creationtide or Season of Creation
4 National Food Bank Day
10 World Suicide Prevention Day
13 Education Sunday (England & Wales)
20 Peace Sunday
20-26 Sept World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel
20–27 Disability Awareness Week
21 UN International Day of Peace
21 Sept–4 Oct Fairtrade Fortnight
26 International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
27 Disability Awareness Sunday
28 Sept–4 Oct Good Money Week
October
Black History Month
1 International Day of Older Persons
2 International Day of Non-Violence
4 Good Money Sunday
4 Homelessness Sunday
5 World Teachers’ Day
5–11 Challenge Poverty Week (Scotland) TBC
10 World Homeless Day
10 World Mental Health Day
11 Prisons Sunday
11–17 Prisons Week (England & Wales) TBC
12–18 Challenge Poverty Week (England & Wales) TBC
12–19 Week of Prayer for World Peace TBC
17 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
18 Anti-Slavery Day
18 Church Action on Poverty Sunday
18 Freedom Sunday (EU Anti-Trafficking Day)
24 United Nations Day
November
3–9 Living Wage Week (tbc)
7 International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians
8 Remembrance Sunday
8–15 Interfaith Week | England & Wales | Scotland
9 International Day Against Fascism and Antisemitism
15 World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
16–22 Prisoners Week (Scotland) TBC
19 World Toilet Day
20 International Transgender Day of Remembrance (SCM virtual vigil)
20 World Children’s Day
25 International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
29 International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
December
1 World Aids Day
2 International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
9 International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide
10 Human Rights Day
13 Worldwide Candle Lighting Day (for children who have passed away from cancer)
18 International Migrants Day
20 International Human Solidarity Day
Please contact us if you have suggestions of dates that could be added, or good links to helpful resources.
Check out our social media for news of other events and resources.