International Albinism Awareness Day (IAAD) is celebrated annually on June 13 to celebrate the human rights of persons with albinism worldwide.
Around the mid-2000s, reports made public a rising number of violent attacks on and murders of persons with albinism in Tanzania. [1] Many reports have accused perpetrators of attributing magical powers to the bodies of persons with albinism, and thus being motivated to use them for lucky charms and occult rituals. [2] [3] Until 2015, perpetrators killed more than 70 victims and harmed many more. [4] In response, the Tanzania Albinism Society (TAS) and other NGOs began campaigning for the human rights of persons with albinism. [5] TAS celebrated the first Albino Day on May 4, 2006. [6] It became National Albino Day from 2009 onwards and was eventually called National Albinism Day.[ citation needed ]
On an international level, the Canadian NGO Under the Same Sun (UTSS) joined late Ambassador of the Mission of Somalia to the United Nations (UN), Yusuf Mohamed Ismail Bari-Bari, in his effort to pass a resolution promoting and protecting the rights of persons with albinism. [7] [3] Such a resolution came about when the Human Rights Council on June 13, 2013, adopted the first resolution ever on albinism. [8] Later on, in its resolution 26/10 of June 26, 2014, the Human Rights Council recommended June 13 to be proclaimed as International Albinism Awareness Day by the United Nations' General Assembly. [9] The UN's General Assembly, then, adopted on December 18, 2014, resolution 69/170 to proclaim, with effect from 2015, June 13 as International Albinism Awareness Day. [10] [11] [3] The chosen date is reminiscent of the UN's first ever resolution which was passed on June 13 a year before. [12] Today, IAAD is celebrated around the world from Tanzania, [13] to Argentina, [14] to Senegal, [15] to Fiji, [16] France, [17] the United Kingdom [18] and Namibia. [19]
Each year a theme is chosen to set the tone for the days celebrations. So far, they have been the following:
| Year | Theme |
|---|---|
| 2016 | Celebrate diversity; promote inclusion; protect our rights [18] |
| 2017 | Advancing with renewed hope [20] |
| 2018 | Shining our light to the world [21] |
| 2019 | Still standing strong [22] |
| 2020 | Made to shine [23] |
| 2021 | Strength beyond all odds [24] |
| 2022 | United in making our voice heard |
| 2023 | Inclusion is strength |
On 18 December 2014, the United Nation General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming, with effect from 2015, 13 June as International Albinism Awareness Day.