International Day of Charity.
The purpose of the Day is to attract public attention to the activities of charitable organizations and individuals in overcoming poverty and acute humanitarian crises, and, of course, encouraging their work and mobilizing people, public organizations and interested parties in the world to participate in volunteer and charity activities.
По мнению ООН, благотворительность, которая помогает искоренению нищеты во всех странах мира, и выражение солидарности с обездоленными способствуют установлению диалога между людьми разных культур, религий и цивилизаций.
The Hungarian government came up with the initiative to establish this Day, and the date is dedicated to the anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997). A well-known missionary and a Catholic nun – for half a century she served the poor, sick and orphans, engaged in charity work, first in India, and then in other countries. Mother Teresa received worldwide recognition for her noble work, and in 1979 she became a laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize “For activities to help a suffering person.”
Even today, in the modern technological and constantly evolving world, poverty, as a result of social, economic and technological disasters, continues to persist in all countries, regardless of their level of economic, social and cultural development.
Charity helps to overcome the consequences of these severe crises, complements the activities of the state in the field of health care, education, housing and public protection. It also promotes the development of culture, science, sports and provides nature conservation.
Charity, in fact, is voluntary and impersonal in nature, focused on socially significant tasks and does not involve profit. Moreover, both financial and material resources, as well as people’s abilities and energy, act as resources. Indeed, charity is aimed not only at helping those in need, but also at helping to restore historical monuments and temples, equipping educational and medical institutions, and much more.
Charity, like volunteering and philanthropy, is one of the important needs of mankind. It unites people, contributes to the creation of an inclusive and more sustainable society, and to the protection of representatives of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged segments of the population. And today, when the need for humanitarian aid is great and when the number of refugees and displaced persons has reached a record high since the end of World War II, charity plays an increasingly important role. So, International Charity Day is called upon to affirm the principle of mercy in society. After all, it is not known to whom and when support will be needed.
Charity organizations of various directions work in the world – some help children, adults, disabled people, the elderly, people who for various reasons find themselves in a difficult situation, others help dogs, domestic cats, Amur tigers, birds and turtles. Still others are monuments of architecture and culture that are threatened by something … These are large and small organizations that work with different resources. There are many options for help – you can donate money, regardless of size, give things or blood, help put out fires, or you can give your time.
The main thing to understand is that helping others is not a heavy duty or burden, but happiness. If we are generous, we are more sympathetic and attentive to people, we understand them. This creates strong bonds between us, helps to value life and feel useful and in demand.
Therefore, on International Charity Day, the UN invites all Member States, organizations of the UN system and other international and regional organizations, as well as civil society, including non-governmental organizations and individuals, to celebrate International Charity Day in an appropriate manner, promoting charity, including through educational and outreach activities.
We’re inviting you to make a difference today by donating to the Chechyna Appeal.
Every dollar, euro and pound you give will help evacuate LGBTI people in the most danger. And to pressure the Chechen authorities to stop this persecution.