Sharing the human spirit through friendship

Ranjan K Baruah

(With direct inputs from UN/WHO publication and feedback may be sent to bkranjan@gmail.com)

International Day of Friendship

All of us face challenges everyday, and challenges are part and parcel of life, as we cannot stay away from them. From individuals to our societies, there are many challenges around us. Sometimes things have small impacts, and sometimes the impacts are greater. Like you and me, our world faces many challenges, crises, and forces of division—such as poverty, violence, and human rights abuses, among many others—that undermine peace, security, development, and social harmony among the world’s peoples.

There are societies and places where poverty may not be an issue, where rich people are more than the marginalized but the fact is that poverty and social issues are everywhere, and we must find solutions to all our challenges, which otherwise may be called problems. The difference between challenges and problems is the way we think, and it is related to our attitude, as a positive person would call it a challenge and a negative person would call it a problem.

There is no doubt that to confront those crises and challenges, their root causes must be addressed by promoting and defending a shared spirit of human solidarity that takes many forms, the simplest of which is friendship. The power of friendship cannot be measured with any numbers or in any tangible form. I always ask people to meet and communicate with more and more people because knowing a person means reducing our enemies and enhancing friendship.

Through friendship—by accumulating bonds of camaraderie and developing strong ties of trust—we can contribute to the fundamental shifts that are urgently needed to achieve lasting stability, weave a safety net that will protect us all, and generate passion for a better world where all are united for the greater good. Defining friendship is truly challenging, as there may not be any limited definition, but the spirit is higher, and friendship may bring many positive changes. Like many other international events, there is a day specially designated for friendship by the United Nations. The International Day of Friendship was proclaimed in 2011 by the UN General Assembly with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures, and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities. The resolution places emphasis on involving young people, as future leaders, in community activities that include different cultures and promote international understanding and respect for diversity. To mark the International Day of Friendship, the UN encourages governments, international organizations and civil society groups to hold events, activities, and initiatives that contribute to the efforts of the international community towards promoting a dialogue among civilizations, solidarity, mutual understanding, and reconciliation.

The International Day of Friendship is an initiative that follows on the proposal made by UNESCO defining the Culture of Peace as a set of values, attitudes, and behaviours that reject violence and endeavour to prevent conflicts by addressing their root causes with a view to solving problems. It was then adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1997. In our history and traditions, we have seen the importance of friendship and how friends sacrifice for each other. If we look at global perspectives, then we could find that friendship could promote sustainable economic and social development, promote respect for all human rights, ensure equality between women and men, support participatory communication and the free flow of information and knowledge, promote international peace and security, etc.

The UN General Assembly invites all member states, organizations of the United Nations system, and other international and regional organizations, as well as civil society, including non-governmental organizations and individuals, to observe the International Day of Friendship in an appropriate manner, in accordance with the culture and other appropriate circumstances or customs of their local, national, and regional communities, including through education and public awareness-raising activities.

Together, we can celebrate the day with high spirits, as true friends are always important for all of us. They bring happiness and joy amongst us, and through our happiness, we can spread the same amongst others in our society. In a digitally driven society, we may have limited friends, but let us all explore and find time for our friends, remain happy, and spread happiness.