Events

November is Woman Abuse Prevention Month, a time to educate, organize and advocate for ending violence, poverty, homelessness and the oppression of women and children. https://www.nellies.org

December 1st, World AIDS Day, is dedicated to increasing awareness of HIV/AIDS issues worldwide as we support the UNAIDS visionary goal to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. www.cdnaids.ca/events/world-aids-day/

December 2nd, International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, dedicated to the fight against human trafficking, sexual exploitation, child labour, forced marriage, and the forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict. https://www.un.org/en/observances/slavery-abolition-day

December 3rd, International Day of People with Disability, aims to increase public awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability and celebrate their achievements and contributions. https://idpwd.org

December 6th, National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, the anniversary of the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre of fourteen women by a male student. https://cfc-swc.gc.ca/commemoration/vaw-vff/remembrance-commemoration-en.html

December 10th, Human Rights Day, the day the UN adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights declaring rights everyone is entitled to as a human regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political opinion, national origin. www.un.org  

January is Tamil Heritage Month, a time to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of Tamil people and communities in Ontario. The Tamil Harvest Festival, Thai Pongal, as well as other Tamil artistic and cultural events, take place in January. https://www.canadiantamilcongress.ca

January 21st, Lincoln Alexander Day, recognizes Lincoln MacCauley Alexander, a Canadian lawyer who became the first black Member of Parliament in the House of Commons, and the 24th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1985 to 1991. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Alexander

January 27th, Holocaust Remembrance Day, is dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust. The date marks the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi Extermination Camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau by Soviet troops on 27 January 1945. https://en.unesco.org/commemorations/holocaustremembranceday

February is Black History Month, a time to recognize the valuable contributions that Black people have made to Ontario and Canada's economic, social, political and cultural fabric. https://blackhistorysociety.ca/