19 February 2012 | General, ISCH
World Day of Social Justice
In 2007, 20 February was proclaimed World Day of Social Justice by the United Nations General Assembly. This day was chosen as a date to remind and encourage all Member States to promote national activities and enhance social justice. Several COST Actions in the scientific domain of Individuals, Societies and Health (ISCH), as well as initiatives set out by COST, underpin social justice and cohesion across Europe.
World Day of Social Justice should support efforts of the international community in poverty eradication, the promotion of full employment and decent work, gender equity, access to social well-being and justice for all. It is a call for all countries to take concrete actions, which give meaning to the universal values of human dignity and opportunity for all. This day underpins the UN General Assembly’s recognition that social development and social justice are indispensable for the achievement and maintenance of peace and security within and among nations. Above all, economic growth should promote equality and social justice based on social justice and respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms.
We actively promote social justice when we remove barriers that people face because of gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture or disability.
COST Action IS0603 ‘Health and Social Care for Migrants and Ethnic Minorities in Europe’ (HOME) focused its efforts on the state of health of undocumented migrants (UDM), and the adaptation of care services to their needs. This COST Action brought together an international group of experts to consolidate and review available knowledge, identify blind spots and persistent problems, and recommend ways forward.
Moreover, COST HOME gained a cross-national perspective, yielding new insights into the causes of ill health and furthering the exchange of good practices.
Building upon the important work of COST HOME, COST Action IS1103 ‘Adapting European health systems to diversity’ (ADAPT) aims to promote the adoption and implementation of policies specific to the increased diversity of European society, which will positively affect all cultures and ethnicities across Europe.
The current global financial crisis, and the awareness that social services are a major vehicle of social and territorial cohesion, have brought social services high on the EU agenda. COST Action IS1102 ‘Social Services, Welfare State and Places: The restructuring of social services in Europe and its impacts on social and territorial cohesion and governance’ is a reaction to this. This COST Action aims to provide input for a European social policy platform.
COST, as a networking programme for scientists and researchers, boasts a 35 % female participation in COST Actions, making it a frontrunner in the European Research Area (ERA). COST has initiated concrete steps to improving a gender-balanced and family-friendly approach for the European scientific community, namely the dedicated family-friendly policy integrated in COST's Early Stage Researchers (ESR) strategy.
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Message for the World Day of Social Justice 20 February 2011
Equal opportunity, solidarity and respect for human rights - these are essential to unlocking the full productive potential of nations and peoples.
