February 20th is World Day of Social Justice. I see the concept of Social Justice as a humanizing factor; Causing us to consider and eventually orient our efforts at development, progress, growth, etc to the benefit of all people.

Where this is not achieved; when we have growing poverty, inequality, reduced access and participation in society, we recognize there’s a systemic problem. Improving or resetting the system to correct these flaws is what Social Justice is about.

I did some research and I had my mind set on sharing one main point about Social Justice in our day; taking for granted that we have a common aspiration for social justice.

I learned a few things and I realize that no matter how much we agree on it, it helps to understand the background of Social Justice as we know it today:

Did you know that one of the earliest mentions of the relationship between Social Justice, peace and stability, is found in the ILO Constitution {International Labour Organization) dating back to 1919?

“Universal and lasting peace can be established only if it is based upon Social Justice.”

It was a response to the labour crisis brought on by Industrialization in the late 19th and early 20th century.

The proactive effort of the ILO is the main reason Social Justice is often associated with labour and employment rights. It goes beyond this of course, and even the ILO is quick to point it out. [See ILO document HERE]

The period after the Second World War made ‘Social Justice’ unpopular. It was associated with certain failed polices of the soviet era such as ‘Wealth Redistribution’, etc. Partly as a result, what Social Justice means and how to measure it are still contentious issues today. That said, there are few who deny its relevance in understanding and improving our lives. [Read Foreword of lengthy UN publication for details: HERE]

The UN General Assembly established ‘World Day of Social Justice’ in November 2007. Coming 8 years after the Millenium Development Goals were agreed upon, the purpose was to foster a culture that consolidates on the gains of the MDGs. However, this happened before or during the onset of the Financial Crisis of 2008. It’s not a stretch to argue that the threat posed by this crisis and it’s aftermath, were motivating factors. 6 years later, it’s easy to appreciate their concern [not that we were ever in doubt]. (See UN webpage on Social Justice Day: HERE)

Today, everyone seems to agree that inequality; a Social Injustice, is a great threat. Ideas which would once have been taboo (I imagine) are now being openly considered by NGOs and Think Tanks. [See OXFAM Media Briefing where ‘Extreme Wealth’ is considered as much a problem as ‘Extreme Poverty’. CLICK HERE] Compounding the effects of bad politics, inequality may cost us what little is left of peace in our day.

What is Social Justice?

I found the clearest description of what Social Justice is on the IIPSJ website [Institute for Intellectual Property and Social Justice].

There’s absolutely nothing controversial about it! [See IIPSJ webpage HERE]

We have not heard the last in the push for greater Social Justice. The Occupy Movement, at home and abroad, may be over (some will beg to differ) but the problems that motivated it remain.

I cannot over-emphasize the need to know more about this issue. Corruption and the theft of public funds should be understood as fostering and deepening Social Injustice in Nigeria. At the global level, the Financial Crisis of 2008 has made Social Justice more relevant today than in the last decade. The concern now is how to ensure that the gains made in the recovery are sustainable. [See ILO ‘Voices on Social Justice’ site HERE]

Rest assured, the outcome of the recovery, much like the crisis, will affect us all; directly and Indirectly.

Join the debate. Apply the concept Social Justice to policy debates and assessments. Support the cause for greater Social Justice today!!