INTERNATIONAL HUMAN SOLIDARITY DAY
Every year on December 20th, International Human
Solidarity Day seeks to celebrate the world’s unity in diversity. It’s also a
day to raise awareness about the importance of solidarity.
Solidarity is defined as an awareness of shared interests and objectives that
create a psychological sense of unity. Solidarity also refers to the ties in a
society that bind people together as one.
According to the United Nations Millennium
Declaration, solidarity is among the fundamental values that are essential to
international relations. The Declaration also states that global challenges
must be managed so that costs and burdens are distributed fairly. This is in
accordance with the basic principles of equity and social justice.
Additionally, those who suffer the least should help those who suffer the most.
The UN is convinced that solidarity creates a
spirit of sharing, which is essential for eradicating poverty.
INTERNATIONAL HUMAN SOLIDARITY DAY HISTORY
On December 20, 2002, the UN General Assembly established the
World Solidarity Fund. The Fund was set up in February 2003 as a trust fund of
the United Nations Development Programme. Its objective is to eradicate
poverty. It’s also to be used to promote human and social development in
developing countries, especially among the poorest segments of their
populations.
On December 22, 2005, the UN General Assembly
identified solidarity as a universal value. This solidarity should underlie
relations between peoples in the twenty-first century. In that regard, the UN
proclaimed December 20th of each year International Human Solidarity Day. The
date commemorates the establishment of the World Solidarity Fund.
