CULTURAL & RACISM AWARENESS
RENS promotes and supports the recognition of national and international observances and initiatives at a local level.
These special days, weeks or months provide a focal point that energises collaborative action. However, we also recognise the importance of continuing related activities throughout the year and ensuring that relevant action and events are ongoing.
All of the activities listed are run entirely by volunteer teams in collaboration with local organisations and we welcome all support for these important initiatives.
JANUARY
Holocaust Memorial Day
Date: 27 January 2023
Theme: Ordinary People (2024 theme to be announced shortly)
HMD encourages remembrance in a world scarred by genocide.
Further information
FEBRUARY
Race Equality Week
Date: 6th to 12th February 2023
Theme: #ItsEveryonesBusiness
Race Equality Week is an annual UK-wide movement uniting thousands of organisations and individuals to address the barriers to race equality in the workplace.
In 2023, RENS promoted three key REW campaigns: #MyNameIs,Virtual badge and 5 Day challenge and ran Watch Together events and discussions at The Other Place.
Further information
MARCH
International Women’s Day
Date: 8th March 2023
Theme: #EmbraceEquity
International Women’s Day is an annual event that celebrates and recognises the achievements of women all over the world.
Get involved
UN International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Date: 21st March 2023
Theme: Combatting racism and racial discrimination, 75 years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on the day the police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid “pass laws” in 1960.
Get involved
MAY
Black Inclusion Week
Date: 8th to 14th May
Theme: Together in Action
Black Inclusion Week is an opportunity to come together to create a society that is fair and inclusive for everyone. It is an opportunity to celebrate, spotlight and amplify Black people across the UK and across all walks of life.
RENS is running Watch Together and discussion events: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/black-inclusion-week-2023-2100389
Further information
JUNE
Gypsy Roma and Traveller History Month
Date: 1st to 30th June 2023
Theme: #ArtActivism
GRTHM was established in Britain in 2008 as a way of raising awareness of these communities and their contributions to society, and to offset negative stereotyping and prejudices.
Get involved
https://travellermovement.org.uk/gypsy-roma-and-traveller-history-month
Refugee Week
Date: 19th to 25th June 2023
Theme: Compassion
Refugee Week is a UK-wide festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. Founded in 1998 and held every year around World Refugee Day, Refugee Week is also a growing global movement.
Get involved
World Refugee Day
Date: 20th June 2023
World Refugee Day is an international day to honour refugees around the globe. It celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution. World Refugee Day is an occasion to build empathy and understanding for their plight and to recognize their resilience in rebuilding their lives.
Get involved
JULY/AUGUST
South Asian Heritage Month
Date: 18th July to 17th August
Theme: Stories to Tell
SAHM first took place in 2020 and seeks to commemorate, mark and celebrate South Asian cultures, histories and communities. It seeks to understand the diverse heritage and cultures of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, The Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka that continue to link the UK with South Asia.
Get involved
SEPTEMBER
East and South East Asian Heritage Month
Date: 1st to 30th September
ESEAHM is a month-long, collaborative programme of events, dedicated to East and South East Asian heritage, culture, history and everything in between. It’s a chance to celebrate, acknowledge and learn about the incredible ways in which our communities from countries such as China, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, have helped to shape the UK.
Get involved
OCTOBER
Black History Month
Date: 1st to 31st October 2023
Theme: Celebrating our Sisters, Saluting our Sisters and Honouring Matriarchs of Movements
Black History Month in the UK is the annual celebration and commemoration of moments in history, achievements and contributions that people of Black heritage and their communities have made to society.
Get involved
National Hate Crime Awareness Week
Date:14th to 21st October 2023
Theme: –
NHCAW exists to encourage Hate Crime Reporting to the police, councils, and independent third-party organisations.
Get involved
Anti-Slavery Day
Date: 18th October
Theme: –
Anti-Slavery Day provides an opportunity to raise awareness of human trafficking and modern slavery, and encourage government, local authorities, companies, charities and individuals to do what they can to address the problem.
Get involved
NOVEMBER
Islamophobia Awareness Month
Date: 1st to 30th November 2023
Theme: –
Islamophobia Awareness Month (IAM) is a campaign founded in 2012 by a group of Muslim organisations to raise awareness of Islamophobia. The campaign aims to showcase the positive contribution of Muslims and raise awareness of Islamophobia in society.
Get involved
UN International Day for Tolerance
Date: 16th November 2023
Theme:
An official day to respect and appreciate the rich variety of our world’s cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human. Tolerance is neither indulgence nor indifference, but recognizes the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms of others. People are naturally diverse; only tolerance can ensure the survival of mixed communities in every region of the globe.
Get involved
DECEMBER
UN International Migrants Day
Date: 18th December 2023
Theme:
International Migrants Day recognises the important contribution of migrants while highlighting the challenges they face.
Get involved
UN International Solidarity Day
Date: 20th December 2023
Theme: –
International Human Solidarity Day is a day to celebrate our unity in diversity; a day to remind governments to respect their commitments to international agreements; a day to raise public awareness of the importance of solidarity; a day to encourage debate on the ways to promote solidarity for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals including poverty eradication; a day of action to encourage new initiatives for poverty eradication.