International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is observed annually on August 9. Established by the United Nations in 1994, this day protects Indigenous rights, celebrates unique cultures, and honors contributions to environmental protection. It marks the first 1982 meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.

Indigenous peoples have sought recognition of their identities, way of life, and right to traditional lands, territories, and natural resources for years. Yet, throughout history, their rights have been violated. Indigenous peoples today, are arguably among the most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups of people in the world. The international community now recognizes that special measures are required to protect their rights and maintain their distinct cultures and way of life.

The core goals of World’s Indigenous Peoples Day are to raise awareness by highlighting social, economic, health, and political challenges. Additionally, to protect rights by defending land, language, and self-determination. This day also honors the many significant contributions of the World’s Indigenous Peoples by recognizing their profound traditional, environmental, and ecological knowledge.

The United Nations is working with Member States and Indigenous Peoples to advance rights-based approaches to health. The theme this year for International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is, “Honouring Indigenous Midwives: Safeguarding Life and Well-being.” Honouring Indigenous midwives is an opportunity to recognize their role as knowledge holders and caregivers, reaffirm the enduring value of Indigenous knowledge systems in safeguarding life, and advance culturally appropriate approaches to well-being for future generations. The UN is spotlighting the need for further investment in training for midwives and natal care and also upholding the rights of Indigenous women to make informed decisions about their own bodies and care. Additionally, the UN is challenging governments to gather the missing data that so often leaves Indigenous patients invisible in healthcare systems.

Key Facts:

• Global Population: About 476 million Indigenous peoples live across 90 countries.
• Proportion: Indigenous peoples make up less than 6% of the global population.
• Vulnerability: Indigenous peoples account for at least 15% of the world’s extreme poor.
• Cultural Diversity: Indigenous peoples represent more than 5,000 distinct cultures.

Take Action:

• Learn more about International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples by visiting: https://www.un.org/en/observances/indigenous-day

• Register to attend a special virtual commemoration event taking place on August 10, 2026 from 8:30am to 10:30am EDT and learn more about this event at the following link:

https://social.desa.un.org/issues/indigenous-peoples/events/IDWIP2026

• Consider completing the United Nations Human Rights E-Learning tool on the rights of Indigenous Peoples:

https://www.ohchr.org/en/indigenous-peoples/e-learning-tool-rights-indigenous-peoples

• Explore resources on a variety of topics related to World’s Indigenous Peoples:

https://www.un.org/en/observances/indigenous-day/resources

Women’s Equality Day is celebrated annually on August 26 in the United States to commemorate the 1920 adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which granted women the right to vote. The observance was first established in 1971 through a designation by Congress. It serves a dual purpose: celebrating the historic milestone of women’s suffrage and highlighting the ongoing civil rights movement for full gender equality. Organizations, community centers, and workplaces frequently mark the day by hosting educational events, discussions, and programs.

Women’s Equality Day is especially important in light of the rollback of certain women’s rights in the United States, including access to abortion. August 26 remains a very meaningful day for our American sisters and serves as a reminder that progress cannot be taken for granted – particularly when we are seeing the rise of far-right rhetoric in many parts of the world, including in Canada, and there are renewed challenges to women’s rights and gender equality broadly.

The official 2026 theme for Women’s Equality Day is “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future.” This theme is set by the National Women’s History Alliance, and the theme honors women who are reimagining and rebuilding systems to ensure long-term environmental, economic, educational, and societal equity.

• Learn more about the important work of the National Women’s History Alliance:

Available in English Only: https://nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org/

International Women’s Day, and Gender Equality Week:

In Canada, although International Women’s Day occurs on March 8, a dedicated Gender Equality Week is recognized during the fourth week of September. This provides a localized period to celebrate advancements and reaffirm commitments to closing persistent gender gaps.

• Find out more about International Women’s Day:

Available in English Only: https://www.internationalwomensday.com/

Bilingual: https://www.unwomen.org/en/get-involved/international-womens-day

French: https://ftq.qc.ca/journee-internationale-des-droits-des-femmes-8-mars-2026/

• Learn more about Gender Equality Week by visiting Women and Gender Equality Canada:

Bilingual: https://www.canada.ca/en/women-gender-equality/commemorations-celebrations/gender-equality-week.html

Reflection Activity:

We want to hear what’s meaningful to you when you reflect on Women’s Equality Day.

Here are some additional questions to help guide your reflection:

• How do you highlight the achievements of women?

• What actions or accomplishments speak to you about the ongoing efforts to achieve Women’s equality?

• How do you reflect on the history of the women’s suffrage movement?

• What supports or efforts do you see as vital to overcoming the existing challenges related to equal rights and opportunities?

• What milestones or accomplishments are you most proud of when it comes to Women’s equality in the workplace? Did labour or trade unions play a role in helping to achieve these milestones and accomplishments?

• Are there quotes, music lyrics, films or dialogue, books, sources of inspiration, or anything else that speaks to you about Women’s equality broadly?

Let Us Know:

Share your reflection with us to be entered into a draw to win a gift card!

With education and advocacy in mind, we will look to combine these reflection entries to share with all UVAE members so please let us know if you would like your reflection to be shared or not. For privacy, reflections will remain anonymous when published and sent out to fellow members so please don’t include any identifiable information.

Criteria: None. As you reflect on Women’s equality, please feel invited to submit a reflection of any length from 1 word to 1 page – your choice. A favourite quote, song, book, or anything else you feel our fellow members would benefit from learning about. We look forward to sharing these as part of our collective efforts to celebrate Women’s Equality Day.

Entry deadline is Sunday, August 16, 2026 and can be submitted to: nhra@uvae-seac.ca

Pride Season in Canada spans from June to September. Canadians come together to celebrate 2SLGBTQIA+ communities with parades, festivals, and advocacy events. The events and celebrations draw millions of participants across Canada.

Fierté Canda Pride is one of many different organizations that supports, connects, and advocates for Pride organizations across Canada. They provide mentorship, resources, and solidarity to organizers across the country. They help ensure rural, remote, and under-resourced communities have access to the support they need for their event to thrive. The work of Fierté Canada Pride has helped to create more safer and inclusive events while also combating hate.

Learn more about the work of Fierté Canada Pride: https://www.fiertecanadapride.org

Here is the link to Montréal Pride, as this information is not available on the Fierté Canada Pride calendar:  

https://fiertemontreal.com/en

Find an upcoming Pride event in your community: https://psacunion.ca/find-pride-events-your-region

Additional Resources:

• Interested in learning more about the history and legacy of Pride, check out the Canadian Pride Historical Society: https://www.cphs.ca/

• For statistics related to Pride in Canada, visit Statistics Canada: https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/4192-pride-canada

• To learn more about why Pride is celebrated in different months in Canada, visit the CBC: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canada-pride-2024-1.7231897   (English only)

• Learn more about the military contributions of Canada’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community: https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/people-and-stories/pride-service

• Show your support and solidarity with the Government of Canada Digital Toolkit: https://www.canada.ca/en/women-gender-equality/pride-season/toolkit.html

• Consider joining the Public Service Pride Network: https://publicservicepride.ca/

The digital engagements are now live:

• Online Hub: Share ready posts graphics
• Email Your MP tool: A ready-to-send letter to MPs
• Member content submission form: Share photos, videos, and firsthand stories
• Print-Your-Own templates: Stickers and posters for worksites
• Zoom and Teams backgrounds: Digital solidarity assets

Help amplify the action: 

• Share local intel about worksites facing major commuting, capacity, or logistical issues.  
• Amplify the message by sharing these assets across your channels, meetings, and networks. Let’s make sure workers are seen and heard. 

If you have any inquiries or requests for PSAC, please write to us at information@uvae-seac.ca, and we will share your comments with them.

In solidarity, 

Toufic El-Daher (he/him)

National President

This Canada Day marks 159 years since Confederation in 1867. As we celebrate, we should do more than reflect – we should recognize the extraordinary country we share and the human rights and freedoms that define this remarkable federation of 10 provinces and 3 territories.

Canada’s progress on human rights has not come easily. Freedom of expression, religion, peaceful assembly, and association – alongside democratic, legal, and mobility rights – have been hard fought. Equality protections that prohibit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, sex, age, disability, or sexual orientation are the result of decades of collective effort. Labour movements, too, have secured fair wages, safe working conditions, and essential protections for workers through blood, sweat, tears, and sacrifices.

None of this means Canada is perfect. While Canada has made meaningful progress, there is still important work to do. For example, access to clean and safe drinking water remains unequal, with many Indigenous communities still disproportionately affected by long-standing advisories. These gaps are not a reason to walk away – they are a call to action. Please take a moment to learn how your union, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, is raising awareness about water related injustice in Canada by visiting the web link below.

This July 1, as we gather to celebrate, let’s recognize that the rights and freedoms we enjoy today have been hard won and earned through perseverance, sacrifice, and unity. Valiantly defended by the Veterans we serve as employees of VAC. They cannot be taken for granted. Let’s choose to listen to one another, address inequities, strengthen the inclusive and diverse society we share, and support the linguistic and cultural diversity that makes Canada stronger. Finally, let’s also reflect on the values behind our anthem when we proclaim, “The True North Strong and Free.” Because strengthening Canada, not fragmenting it, is how we advance justice. Therefore, let’s do our part to ensure that Canada remains, in every sense, strong, free – and united.

Happy Canada Day!

Gurm Bhangoo
National Human Rights Advisor
Union of Veterans Affairs Employees

Learn More: Public Service Alliance of Canda – Still Thirsty for Justice Campaign

The Public Service Alliance of Canada’s Still Thirsty for Justice campaign initiative [https://stillthirstyforjustice.ca/] highlights ongoing challenges and reinforce that water is a human right to be protected. In fact, in 2010, the United Nations General Assembly along with the United Nations Human Rights Council recognized that everyone is entitled to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible, and affordable water for personal and domestic use. Take a moment to read about this important campaign and how you can take action.

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Get Involved: Passionate about Human Rights related topics? Want to highlight Human Rights concerns? Consider writing on a topic of interest that we can share with fellow union members. To submit your idea or writing, or share your feedback: nhra@uvae-seac.ca.

Canada is characterised as being very diverse and multicultural. Until the 1960s, Canada saw itself in terms of English or French. It was at this time that Canada started to place emphasis on equality and inclusiveness for all people.   

We became the first country to adopt multiculturalism as an official state policy. In 1971, Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau declared multiculturalism as an official government policy and in 1988, the Canadian Multiculturalism Act was passed by Parliament. It is also embedded in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom (Section 27).

Over its first 30 years, the principal challenges confronting multiculturalism involved reconciling support for ethnic diversity, the preservation of the French language and the promotion of Canadian identity.   

There are conflicting views about multiculturalism. Some feel that it promotes excessive accommodation of cultural and religious diversity at the expense of social cohesion and common values. Others see it as discouraging newcomers from adopting Canadian values which, in turn, makes them less likely to participate in the mainstream culture and society and encourages the creation of ethnic ghettos.

In recent years, there has been a greater acknowledgement and acceptance of mixed and multiple identities in Canada. While most Canadians appear favourable to the ideal of multiculturalism, research has shown that support for the accommodation of religious diversity is more divided.

The most immediate and tangible signs of Canadian diversity exist in its physical spaces and calendar events. Major metropolitan centers and designated historical celebrations provide citizens with active touchpoints for cultural expression.

Cities such as Toronto, Vancouver and Montréal feature clearly defined ethnic districts such as Toronto’s Chinatown and Little Italy, as well as Vancouver’s Punjabi Market.

The federal government formally honours the history of various communities by dedicating specific months to their achievements. Notable examples include Black History Month in February and Asian Heritage Month in May.

Observed annually on June 27, Canadian Multiculturalism Day is designed to honour the diverse ethnic, racial, and religious groups that drive the country’s social fabric.

For multiculturalism to succeed, public infrastructure and national leadership must reflect the population they serve. Canada achieves this by adapting institutional dress codes and promoting diverse governance. Public service entities, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Canadian Armed Forces, adapt official dress codes to accommodate religious requirements, such as permitting the wearing of turbans and hijabs while on duty. [1]

The appointment of leaders from diverse immigrant backgrounds highlights Canada’s cultural mosaic. A notable example is Michaëlle Jean, who was born in Haiti and served as Canada’s 27^th Governor General and Mary Simons, the first Indigenous person to hold this office. [1]

The infrastructure of Canadian diversity relies heavily on statutory legal protections and a flexible approach to regional differences. [1]

The Canadian Multiculturalism Act: Passed in 1988, this landmark legislative act firmly embeds cultural preservation into federal law. It guarantees all citizens the right to protect and enhance their heritage while mandating equal opportunity across society.

To ease the settlement process for new arrivals, municipal and provincial entities regularly translate critical public safety, educational, and healthcare documentation into prevalent community languages like Punjabi, Tagalog, and Mandarin. In contrast to the federal multicultural framework, the province of Quebec practices a distinct policy known as interculturalism. This model celebrates diverse incoming cultures but strictly positions French as the shared, primary language of public life to safeguard the province’s distinct linguistic heritage.

Canada’s multicultural framework succeeds because it treats diversity as an asset rather than a logistical hurdle. By reinforcing cultural freedom through formal legislative acts, local integration programs, and institutional flexibility, the nation ensures that preserving one’s heritage remains entirely compatible with full civic participation.

Happy Multiculturalism Day!

Union of Veterans Affairs Employees
National Human Rights Committee