World Friendship Crusade
Since 2011 the United Nations recognizes July 30 as International Day of Friendship.
The idea of a World Friendship Day was first proposed on 20 July 1958 by Dr. Artemio Bracho during a dinner with friends in Puerto Pinasco, a town on the River Paraguay about 200 miles north of Asuncion, Paraguay.
Out of this humble meeting of friends, the World Friendship Crusade was born. The World Friendship Crusade is a foundation that promotes friendship and fellowship among all human beings, regardless of race, colour or religion. Since then, July 30th has been faithfully celebrated as Friendship Day in Paraguay every year and has also been adopted by several other countries.
The World Friendship Crusade has lobbied the United Nations for many years to recognise July 30th as World Friendship Day and finally on 27th July 2011 the General Assembly of the United Nations decided to designate July 30th as the International Day of Friendship; and to invite all Member States to observe the International Day of Friendship in accordance with the culture and customs of their local, national and regional communities, including through education and public awareness-raising activities.
Read more about this topic: International Friendship Day
Famous quotes containing the words world, friendship and/or crusade:
“Every child begins the world again, to some extent, and loves to stay outdoors, even in wet and cold. It plays house, as well as horse, having an instinct for it.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“One friend in a lifetime is much; two are many; three are hardly possible. Friendship needs a certain parallelism of life, a community of thought, a rivalry of aim.”
—Henry Brooks Adams (1838–1918)
“The crusade against Communism was even more imaginary than the spectre of Communism.”
—A.J.P. (Alan John Percivale)