Day of Friendship
International Day of Friendship was designated by the United Nations General Assembly (UN). On July 30, we step back and get thankful for those relationships worldwide, as they promote and encourage peace, happiness, and unity. Why is World Hepatitis Day important
Why is today important?
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.
How to observe Day of Friendship
Friendship Day celebrates how important human connections are. You don’t need to go out to a fancy meal or take a trip or buy your friend a gift or spend any money at all. You can — and should — tell your friend how much you appreciate them. You can say this in three words: I love you! It’s as simple as that.
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Tip:
Friendship Day is a day that is entirely dedicated to celebrating the bond of care, love, affection, trust, loyalty, and much more. 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.
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. 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.
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Resources
Try these ‘friendly’ activities to understand and celebrate the positive effects of friendships.
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- Prepare and give small presents, like biscuits or chocolate, tied in bundles of cellophane with a bright ribbon.
- Make a friendship band.
- Make a special ‘friendship book’ for a good friend, with photos, a drawing, poems or a story about your friendship.
- Read and share stories about friends. Discuss things you may do or feel that are similar.
- Discuss how we can best be good friends. How can we make school/home a happier, friendlier place? How do you feel when someone is kind to you? How do you feel when you are kind to someone?
- Create a poem titled ‘A friend like you, or write an acrostic poem using the word ‘FRIENDS’.
- Write about what a friend means to you. How do you help each other? What do you do? What makes a friendship special?
- In small groups, brainstorm to make a list of what friends do together. Share the lists, combine and create a class list for display.
- Make a class friendship book. On each page, select and write an idea from the group brainstorm. Illustrate each and bind to create a class booklet.
- Write clues to describe a friend. Display. Allow students to guess who they think it is.
Reference Sites
- UN and other international NGO
- Non-Profits website for the observance
