Friendship rises beyond race or religion

One of history’s best known boxers Muhammad Ali, besides achieving the fame of flying like a butterfly and stinging like a bee, is also a sort of a philosopher. For instance, he has said friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain - it’s not something we learn in school - but if we haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, we really haven’t learned much. American Statesman George Washington has said true friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity, before it is entitled to the appellation. One of India’s greatest philosophers Rabindranath Tagore has reminded us, in a short and deep way, that the depth of friendship does not depend on length of acquaintance.   

These and other reflections come to mind as we join the United Nations in celebrating the International Day of Friendship on July 30. The UN says 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.   

This international day is an initiative that follows on the proposal made by UNESCO and taken up by the UN General Assembly in 1997.  It defined the Culture of Peace as a set of values, attitudes and behaviours that reject violence and endeavour to prevent conflicts by addressing their root causes with a view to solving problems. In a 1998 resolution, proclaiming the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World, the General Assembly recognized that enormous harm and suffering are caused to children through different forms of violence. It emphasized that the promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence should be instilled in children through education. If children learn to live together in peace and harmony that will contribute to the strengthening of international peace and cooperation.   

The Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace adopted in 1999 set 8 areas of action for nations, organizations and individuals to undertake for a culture of peace to prevail: foster a culture of peace through education; promote sustainable economic and social development; promote respect for all human rights; ensure equality between women and men; foster democratic participation; advance understanding, tolerance and solidarity; support participatory communication and the free flow of information and knowledge; promote international peace and security.   

According to the UN, the International Day of Friendship is also based on the recognition of the relevance and importance of friendship as a noble and valuable sentiment in the lives of human beings around the world. The day was first proclaimed by the General Assembly in 2011 with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.   

Friendship is not something we show to others or to the world. Real friendship has no religious, racial or social status barriers. If I am a real friend of a person, I will be there for him or her in good times and in bad, in sickness or in health. Superficial friends are generally known as fair-weather friends who generally want to get something rather than give. 

Singer Don Williams in his famous song ‘You are my best friend’ gives us an important lesson for life. He considered his wife to be his best friend, so he wrote ‘you placed gold on my finger, you brought love like I’ve never known, you gave life to our children, and to me a reason to go on; you’re my bread when I’m hungry, you’re my shelter from troubled winds, you’re my anchor in life’s ocean, but most of all you’re my best friend.’