International Friendship Day 2024: Date, History and Significance

The International Day of Friendship is observed on July 30. This day honours friends and their important role in improving our lives. Friends make life so much easier, whether they are going on a trip with us or are just listening to our issues and offering advice. Not only is their presence important during difficult times, but they also make a big difference when they join us in celebrating our victories and sharing our joy. One could say that living in the world without friends would be far more challenging.

History

The day was proclaimed in 2011 by the United Nations General Assembly. They wanted to promote the idea that “friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.” They said on the website, “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.”

The UN encourages governments, international organisations, and civil society organisations to hold events, activities, and initiatives on International Day of Friendship that support global efforts to advance mutual understanding, reconciliation, solidarity, and a dialogue among civilizations.

Significance

According to the UN, we continue to face issues such as poverty, human rights abuses, and others that undermine security, development, social harmony, and peace among the people. By celebrating International Friendship Day, we must aim to establish strong ties of trust with each other to ensure that we together eradicate all those factors that threaten a peaceful future.

This initiative is also significant as it walks on the proposal made by UNESCO. The recommendation defines the culture of peace as a set of values, behaviours and attitudes so that it could reject violence and prevent conflicts by addressing their root causes.