World Day of Social Justice to be observed tomorrow

Like other parts of the world, the United Nations’ (UN) World Day of Social Justice will be observed tomorrow (Monday) in Pakistan to encourage people to look at how social justice affects poverty eradication. It also focuses on the goal of achieving full employment and support for social integration.
In federal capital, a number of organisations including the UN and the International Labour Office will arrange seminars, talks, and various programmes to highlight the importance of social justice for people. Many organisations also present plans for greater social justice by tackling poverty, social and economic exclusion and unemployment. Schools, colleges and universities may prepare special activities for the day or plan a week of events around a theme relating to poverty, social and economic exclusion or unemployment. Different media organisations and Internet sites may also focus on all issues relating to World Day of Social Justice.
It is hoped that particular coverage will be given to the links between the illicit trade in diamonds and armed conflicts, particularly in Africa, and the importance of the International Criminal Court. This is an independent court that conducts trials of people accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Many communities and groups are engaged in such struggles throughout Asia – the Kurds in Iran and Turkey, the Kashmiris and Maoists in India, the Baloch in Pakistan, and the Tibetans in China. In many countries, including our own, we see discrimination against migrants or indigenous populations, denying them a fair share of opportunity which keeps them underdeveloped. This not only impacts the overall development of societies, it has in many cases led to conflicts and even insurgencies. Separatist struggles or demands for regime change are the result of social injustice that people of a particular area, ethnicity, culture or religious affiliation face.
The world summit for social development was held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1995 and resulted in the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action. At this summit, more than 100 political leaders pledged to make the conquest of poverty and full employment, as well as stable, safe and just societies, and their overriding objectives. They also agreed on the need to put people at the center of development plans.
Nearly 10 years later, the UN member states reviewed the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action when they gathered at a session of the Commission for Social Development in New York in February 2005. They also agreed to commit to advance social development. On November 26, 2007, the UN General Assembly named February 20 as the annual World Day of Social Justice. The day was scheduled to be first observed in 2009. The year’s theme “Social Justice and a Decent Life for All” underscores the importance of social justice as an ethical imperative that should guide all the works of nations in attaining a decent life for all citizens.
Social justice has been at the center of the collective safety expansion of communities for more than a century. Social security systems secure people against the dangers of life.
Social justice distinguishes that nations and peoples must be supported by a structure with a high regard for human rights and the essential freedoms and the right to defend it for all.
Global stability and prosperity depends on ensuring that people enjoy up to standard levels of well being and equality of opportunity. This includes promoting gender equality or the rights of indigenous peoples and migrants and by removing barriers that people face because of age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, or disability.
As recognised by the World Summit for Social Development, social development focuses among others, on social justice and unity, features that are essential morals of any society, and vital to the formation of structures that encourage fairness and impartiality and a chance for all to live in peaceful and prosperous co-existence.
Governments have also pledged to promote the equitable distribution of income and grater access through resources and recognise that economic growth should encourage a “society for all” build on social justice and respect for all human rights and the fundamental freedoms.
The wave of regime change unleashed in several countries in the Middle East was sparked by the suicide of a youth who was being denied the right to a decent livelihood by a repressive regime. Governments are expected to take measures to alleviate poverty, unemployment and strengthen social security networks for all sections of the population. In socially unjust societies, this cannot be achieved without political engagement and dialogue with alienated sections.
In today’s world, where advances in communication technology have obviated the need for traditional and risky methods of mass mobilisation and facilitated organisation by private citizens, failure to recognise the need for social justice by unjust societies will sooner or later result in popular revolt.