About International Day of Friendship
The idea of celebrating Friendship Day started with Dr Ramon Artemio Bracho on July 20th 1958, as he sat down to dinner with his friends in the town of Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay. His group of friends formed the World Friendship Crusade, a foundation to promote friendship and fellowship among humankind, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, or religion.
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.
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.
- Did you know? Did you know? The average American makes a new friend once every five years.
The International Day of Friendship has been celebrated across the globe since 1958. It is also called the World Friendship Day or International Friendship Day. The United Nation observes International Day of Friendship to observe the importance of friendship in promoting peace in many cultures. First proposed by Paraguay in 1958 as International Friendship Day, it was initially promoted by the greetings card industry. While the first World Friendship Day was proposed for July 30 in 1958, by the World Friendship Crusade, on April 27, 2011, the General Assembly of the United Nations declared July 30 as official International Friendship Day. The World Friendship Crusade is a foundation that advances friendship and care among all people paying little respect to their race, religion, and ethnicity.
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