Every year, we look forward to days when we can express feelings, celebrate cultures and receive presents. We celebrate our birthdays between family and close friends, and national holidays within our countries. At Syracuse University, we even celebrate National Orange Day (March 24) with festivities.
Tuesday marked World Suicide Prevention Day, one of many international observance days.
As members of the worldwide community, it is important to recognize these global movements.
Unlike celebrations, international observance days — established by the United Nations — call attention to issues that concern the global community.

These days range from Human Rights Day, International Women’s Day and International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict.

These days are valuable because they commemorate a year’s worth of progress and establish another set of goals. They draw attention to different facets of larger issues. And while there are many reasons to recognize these days and the issues they address, that is not their intrinsic value.

These observances days force communities and societies to contemplate issues, and how they relate to them — hopefully with a changed outlook about our place in the world.

For example, SU, despite its bad weather, is a genuinely happy place with a passion for a specific observance. Every October, the campus comes together for an entire week through a series of events to remember the tragedy of the Pan Am Flight 103 bombings over Lockerbie, Scotland.

Every year, there is a different theme, such as last year’s “Look Back. Act Forward.” There are events that pay tribute to those who lost their loved ones. There are events that discuss the causes and consequences of global terrorism from an academic lens. And those events that raise awareness so similar tragic events are not repeated.

Another great example of an observance period is October’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Donations to cancer institutes multiply, and almost everyone proudly wears a pink ribbon. Both the White House and the Hall of Languages use pink lighting as a tribute to the illness. And while cancer continues to affect families’ all yearlong, the honor throughout October is always greatly appreciated and effective.

There are 11 U.N.-sponsored events during the month of September. And while all are extremely important, none of them garner as much attention as Sept. 21, International Peace Day.

Without peace, it is impossible to progress in any other field. This year’s theme, especially relevant to SU, is “Education For Peace.” This raises several questions: To what extent does the university propagate peace? What role does education have in general? And what can the stakeholders, such as students and professors, do to have a peaceful effect on the world?

Students at SU have taken it upon themselves to answer these very questions.

For example, junior Ana Siberio and other students have planned a panel that will take place on campus in late September. The event hopes to partner with the Syracuse Peace Council, the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration at Maxwell and Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign.

Now it is up to the rest of the student body to take part in recognizing other international observance days.

Ignacio Nava Auza is a junior international relations major. His column appears weekly. He can be reached at ninavaau@syr.edu.

Published on September 11, 2013 at 12:19 am