Days of Awareness: January
🎉 Happy new year!
Partners in Project Green shares Days of Awareness each month to spread awareness and start conversations. These days may have a social, historical, or sustainable significance worthy of our attention. These are just a small sampling of important days to acknowledge or remember. If we missed any days of importance that should be included, please share them with us. Â
Blue Monday – Jan 19
Celebrated every third monday of January, Blue Monday addresses one of the most challenging days of the year for mental health due to a mix of post-holiday stress, cold weather, and unmet New Year’s resolutions.
This day provides an opportunity to talk openly about mental health and well-being — encouraging workplaces and communities to support one another, share resources, and check in with colleagues, friends, and family who may be struggling.
Ways to Get Involved:
- Blue Monday Survival Guide — CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health) guide to navigating the day: https://camh.ca/en/camh-news-and-stories/blue-monday-survival-guide
- Explore tips and strategies for supporting yourself and others through winter blues from the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA): https://ottawa.cmha.ca/blue-monday-2025
International Day of Education – Jan 24
The International Day of Education celebrates the vital role education plays in fostering peace, equality, and sustainable development worldwide. Education is a fundamental human right and the foundation for progress across societies.
Ways to Get Involved:
- Explore tools, reports, and events from UNESCO: https://www.unesco.org/en/days/education
International Day of Clean Energy – Jan 26
The International Day of Clean Energy was declared by the General Assembly (resolution A/77/327) as a call to raise awareness and mobilize action for a just and inclusive transition to clean energy for the benefit of people and the planet.
In a world grappling with climate change, clean energy plays a vital role in reducing emissions, and can also benefit communities lacking access to reliable power sources. The connection between clean energy, socio-economic development, and environmental sustainability is crucial in addressing issues faced by vulnerable communities worldwide.
Ways to Get Involved:
- Ideas for action on clean energy: https://365give.ca/celebrate-international-day-of-clean-energy-with-these-simple-ideas/
- Why renewable energy? https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/raising-ambition/renewable-energy
International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust (Holocaust Remembrance Day) – Jan 27
The International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust was officially established in 2005 to remember the Holocaust that affected many people of Jewish origin during World War II. It also commemorates when the Soviet troops liberated the Nazi concentration and death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland on January 27, 1945.
“Remembrance of the Holocaust obliges us to address the scars of the past; at the same time, it also obliges us to respect human rights and to respect an international order built on the fundamental principle that there is dignity in every human life” – Audrey Azoulay, the Director-General of UNESCO
Ways to Get Involved:
- Learn more about the Holocaust Remembrance: https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n05/487/96/pdf/n0548796.pdf