INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FRIENDSHIP

30 JULY FRIENDSHIP DAY
LET’S CELEBRATE TOGETHER!

http://ibnlive.in.com - July 30 is International Friendship Day, time to recognise your friends and their contribution to your life. Friendship helps to bring peace and positivity to the globe - a great reason to celebrate! Friendship Day celebrations are held on different dates in different countries of the world. The first World Friendship Day was proposed on 30 July 1958 in Paraguay. On 27 April, 2011, the General Assembly of the United Nations declared 30 July as official International Friendship Day. However, in India, Friendship Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of August. 
Friendship Day was originally proposed by Joyce Hall, the founder of Hallmark cards in 1919, intended to be the first Sunday of August and a day when people celebrated their friendships by sending cards. The first Sunday in August was chosen as the centre of the largest lull between holiday celebrations but it faced consumer resistance, given that it was rather too obviously a commercial gimmick to promote greetings cards.

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. The resolution (A/RES/65/275) places particular emphasis on involving young people, as future leaders, in community activities that include different cultures and promote international understanding and respect for diversity. 
The Day is also intended to support the goals and objectives of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace and the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001-2010). 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.

Today marks the second International Day of Friendship. It was traditionally celebrated on the first Sunday of August each year, but in 2011 the United Nations declared July 30 to be the new International Day of Friendship, a day to strengthen understanding between peoples and cultures. Initially, the date was proposed by the "International Crusade for Friendship", a movement created in Paraguay in 1958. To celebrate, we invite you to remember the pastimes and sing the glories of the best friend of the world: God.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

The only friend is Krishna. One should try to raise the consciousness of the conditioned soul to the platform of understanding that Krishna is his actual friend. If one makes friendship with Krishna, one will never be cheated, and he will get all help needed. Arousing this consciousness of the conditioned soul is the greatest service, not posing oneself as a great friend of another living entity. 
The power of friendship is limited. Although one claims to be a friend, he cannot be a friend unlimitedly. There are an unlimited number of living entities, and our resources are limited; therefore we cannot be of any real benefit to the people in general. The best service to the people in general is to awaken them to Krishna consciousness so that they may know that the supreme enjoyer, the supreme proprietor and the supreme friend is Krishna.

Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda :
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (Bhāgavata Purāṇa)
Canto 3: The Status Quo
Chapter 27: "Understanding Material Nature"
Verse 4 - http://vedabase.com/en/sb/3/27/4

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/