How did International Friendship Day come into existence?

Among the most significant aspects of life is friendship. Trust, love, and support are the foundations of a relationship as through good times and bad, friends are there for us, enriching and completing our lives.

It is customary to honour the value of friendship on International Friendship Day when we should consider how important our friends are and express our gratitude to them.

Additionally, today is a day to make new friends and engage with strangers.

This day, which has been designated by the UN, honours friendship, one of the most cherished bonds in the world.

The UN General Assembly established the International Day of Friendship in 2011 with the belief that friendship among peoples, nations, cultures, and individuals can motivate peace initiatives and forge ties between social groups.

The world will commemorate this day on July 30. This day is, however, observed on the first Sunday in August in a few nations, including India.

The World Friendship Crusade, a global organisation founded in Paraguay, reportedly proposed the idea of designating a day to honour friendships in 1958, which is when this special day got its start, according to media reports.

In 2011, the United Nations General Assembly formally established July 30 as International Friendship Day. This was done in recognition of how friendship can promote peace between groups of people, cultures, and countries.

In the UN resolution, it is emphasised that young people should participate in local activities that celebrate diverse cultures, foster intercultural understanding, and uphold diversity in order to develop their leadership skills.

The UN encourages governments, international organisations, and members of civil society to host events, activities, and initiatives to commemorate this special day that support the efforts of the global community to foster cooperation, mutual understanding, and reconciliation.

According to information on the UN website, the International Day of Friendship is a project that adopts the UNESCO proposal that defines the Culture of Peace as a set of values, attitudes, and behaviors that reject violence and attempt to prevent conflicts by addressing their root causes in order to solve problems.

In 1997, the UN General Assembly finally decided to adopt it. It is unknown what this year's International Day of Friendship will be about.

The theme for the previous year was "Sharing the human spirit through friendship."