Promoting the value of friendship as a power for good.
The roots of the International Day of Friendship go right back to 1919 when the USA began celebrating an unofficial ‘Friendship day’. Paraguay was the next country to acknowledge the power of friendship in July 1958. It wasn’t until 2011 that the United Nations used its reach to make the friendship day an international celebration – and in today’s troubled times, its aims are more important than ever.
UN International Day of Friendship ratification
The UN’s General Assembly set out that the day should:
[Recognise] the relevance and importance of friendship as a noble and valuable sentiment in the lives of human beings around the world.
[Bear] in mind that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and presents an opportunity to build bridges between communities, honouring cultural diversity.
[Affirm] that friendship can contribute to the efforts of the international community, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, towards the promotion of dialogue among civilizations, solidarity, mutual understanding and reconciliation.
Additionally, it acknowledges that it’s important to involve, “youth and future leaders” in any activity to build “respect between different cultures, while promoting international understanding, respect for diversity and culture of peace…”.
What does friendship mean for us?
Regardless of age, friendships bring meaning and substance to our lives. The National Today quotes a few statistics about having friends that should make us all think, including:
- 22% of people live longer if they have a close friendship network.
- An average adult has just two best friends.
- If we work alongside a close friend, we’re likely to be seven times more productive!
Whichever way you look at it, friendships lead to collaboration, conversation, support, motivation, joy, shared experiences, and more, that all benefit our wellbeing.
So if you realise that you’ve been neglecting some of your friendships lately (as we all do when we are busy), today’s a great day to start putting things right – and provide everyone with a wellbeing boost at the same time!
Read more about the UN International Friendship Day here
