INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP DAY MARKED

INTERNATIONAL DAY 
OF FRIENDSHIP TODAY

www.dailytimes.com.pk - International Day of Friendship is observed today (Tuesday) to promote the role of friendship in promoting peace. International Friendship Day is marked globally as a day for promoting the role that friendship plays in advocating peace in many cultures. Through this day, young children and youth who are future leaders are engaged in different community activities that include celebration of different cultures and promotion of diversity.
In 2011, the United Nations (UN) proclaimed the International Day of Friendship with the idea that friendship between people, countries, and cultures can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.

UN wanted to involve 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, UN encourages governments, international organizations and civil society groups to hold events, activities and initiatives that contribute to the efforts of the international community.

Today July 30 is International Friendship Day. Initially, the date was proposed by the “International Crusade for Friendship”, a movement created in Paraguay in 1958. Today's celebrations are held on diverse dates in different countries of the world. We tend to consider “friend” only to those who think and act as we want or those who meet our needs or desires. However, we must show our friendship for all God's creation. A good friendship with God means acting like good sons and daughters of God. Being a friend of God is treat with love and respect all living beings - our little brothers - and with care and attention to all his creation: our earth and its environment. (Editor's note).

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

“Sakha” in Sanskrit means friend. We can understand the concept of “friend” in two ways ... The first way to understand is: “A friend in need is a friend indeed”, this means that a true friend is always there when needed. The second is “a friend without need is a friend indeed”, this is even deeper and that is to say a friend never expects anything from us, but is always there to help. That is the criterion of a true relationship. ... Our relationship with God is not the most friendly to say, even worse, if we are friends of God, and He has been very friendly with us, why do we give so much trouble and ill-treatment  to our brothers and sisters? ... because if you really want to be friends of God, then we must be friends of His sons and daughters, or do you think that there is another way to be?

Śrīla Bhakti Aloka Paramadvaiti Mahārāja :
Vrinda Sunday Chats
“Who are Your Real Friends?”
Conference from Austria. 21/07/13
http://vrindachats.blogspot.com.ar/
http://vrindachats.blogspot.com.ar/2013/07/who-are-your-real-friends-from-austria.html

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