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World Social Justice Day is observed on February 20th and was designated by the United Nations in 2007. The General Assembly recognized the global unified need to create more inclusive and equitable societies in order to achieve peace and economic growth. This day serves as a reminder for individuals and institutions to take collective action to advocate for policies and practices that combat systemic social issues such as insecurity, exclusion, poverty and inequality. [1]

Social justice is a word that is commonly used in the world of philanthropy and the definition may vary depending on the organization that is defining it. However, the overall idea is that that every individual, regardless of background or identity should be treated equally and have access to equal rights and opportunities. This encompasses a variety of issues including, elimination of discriminatory practices, access to healthcare, and ensuring that everyone can live in a healthy environment. [2]

In a similar regard, transportation justice involves ensuring that safe, affordable and reliable transit systems are accessible to all demographics. [3] This could be done by involving the community in planning and decision-making, ensuring that funding is directed towards projects that benefit disadvantaged communities, and implementing training programs that aim to have transportation justice built in the foundational knowledge of professionals working within the industry. [4] The effort to build equitable transit systems is apparent in local agencies such as MassDOT that is working on initiating the Beyond Mobility plan, a plan that will guide future decision making and investments based on outreach to a variety of communities and will “maximize(s) the equity and resiliency of the transportation system”. [5] 

There are many ways to observe World Social Justice Day:

1. Educate yourself on social issues. This may be concerns experienced within your local community or something you've heard/read about recently that caught your attention.

2.  If you feel like taking a step further, research into local organizations or activist groups that raise awareness on a social issue that you're knowledgeable in and volunteer!

3. Advocate for a cause by raising awareness on your social media, organizing a social justice event at work or starting a conversation within your community. This could inspire others to do the same and create a ripple effect!

It's important to note that World Social Justice Day serves as a reminder and that we can always act and stay proactive regardless of the time of year. It provides an opportunity to highlight any causes that we've been supporting and to get together as a community to advocate for policies and practices that prioritize justice and equality for all.

[1] https://www.un.org/en/observances/social-justice-day

[2] https://www.sdfoundation.org/news-events/sdf-news/what-is-social-justic…

[3] https://transportation.libguides.com/Transportation-Equity/What-Is-Equi…

[4] https://www.preventioninstitute.org/equitable-transportation-and-land-u…;

[5] https://beyond-mobility-massdot.hub.arcgis.com/

[6] https://nationaltoday.com/world-day-of-social-justice/

[7] https://live.ilo.org/group/world-day-social-justice-2025-2025-02