July 1 — International Day of Cooperatives opens in a new tab
Since July of 1923, the annual celebration of the cooperative movement has taken place on the first Saturday of this month. The United Nations together with International Cooperative Alliance, have established themes for the celebration of this special day, to increase awareness and the emphasis that cooperatives are people-centered, not capital-centered and thus community-based. The theme for this year is “Cooperatives: partners for accelerated sustainable development”.
July 4 – In celebration of Independence Day
The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro opens in a new tab by Frederick Douglass
July 7 — 120th Anniversary of the March of the Mill Children opens in a new tab
Mary Harris Jones, also known as Mother Jones, began a three-week march from Philadelphia to New York, to bring public awareness to child labor. The march was organized and joined by striking children and adult textile workers, with the goal to limit a work week to 55 hours and ban night work for children and women. This was the largest strike in Philadelphia history, at that time.
July 16 — Ida B. Wells opens in a new tab born
Ida B. Wells was born in 1862 in Holly Springs, Mississippi. She was an avid activist, journalist, and researcher who battled racism, sexism, and violence during her lifetime.
July 18 — Nelson Mandela International Day opens in a new tab
Please mark July 18 as Nelson Mandela International Day, a day to make a difference in your communities. We all have the ability and responsibility to make changes for the better. Like Anne Frank said, “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world”. Mandela Day is an occasion for us to become proactive and inspire change.
See this month’s Book Recommendations for a way to share Mandela Day with children.
July 30 — International Day of Friendship opens in a new tab
In 2011, the UN General Assembly declared the International Day of Friendship. The idea is that friendships between people, countries, and cultures support peace efforts and can build bridges between communities. The Assembly emphasizes the importance of involving young people in community activities, promoting international understanding for diversity and respect for others (UN Website).
Their website shares the following with us:
Our world faces many challenges, crises and forces of division — such as poverty, violence, and human rights abuses — among many others — that undermine peace, security, development and social harmony among the world’s peoples.
To confront those crises and challenges, their root causes must be addressed by promoting and defending a shared spirit of human solidarity that takes many forms — the simplest of which is friendship.
Through friendship — by accumulating bonds of camaraderie and developing strong ties of trust — we can contribute to the fundamental shifts that are urgently needed to achieve lasting stability, weave a safety net that will protect us all, and generate passion for a better world where all are united for the greater good.
Here are ideas on how you can take action to promote a culture of peace (un.org opens in a new tab):
- foster a culture of peace through education
- promote sustainable economic and social development
- promote respect for all human rights
- ensure equality between women and men
- foster democratic participation
- advance understanding, tolerance and solidarity
- support participatory communication and the free flow of information and knowledge
- promote international peace and security
