The International Day of Charity will be observed in the country today to strengthen further the cooperation between individuals and charitable organisations among countries under the United Nations’ umbrella.
In recognition of the role of charity in alleviating humanitarian crises and human suffering within and among nations, as well as of the efforts of charitable organizations and individuals, including the work of Mother Teresa, the General Assembly of the United Nations in a resolution designated the 5th of September, the anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa, as the International Day of Charity.
On this Day, the UN invites all member states and all international and regional organizations, as well as civil society, including non-governmental organizations and individuals, to commemorate the Day in an appropriate manner, by encouraging charity, including through education and public awareness-raising activities.
Mother Teresa, the renowned nun and missionary, was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in 1910 in Skopje, Macedonia. In 1928, she went to India, where she devoted herself to helping the destitute. In 1948, she became an Indian citizen and founded the order of Missionaries of Charity in Kolkota in 1950, which became noted for its work among the poor and the dying in that city. The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize died on September 5, 1997.
Every year, the International Day of Charity serves as a call to every person to act with solidarity and compassion in the face of human suffering.
This year the day will be observed with a new focus for volunteering and giving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a press release by the UN Information Centre said here on Monday.
Quoting the statement of the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon issued on the eve of the Day, the release said the new universal framework, with 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at its core, is the most comprehensive and ambitious anti-poverty, pro-planet action plan ever adopted by world leaders.
The UN Secretary-General called for ‘unleashing the full force of the human spirit’ to help make the SDGs a reality for all.
