FOLLOW US
International Friendship Day Celebrated in Argentina
Written by Lic. Miguel Werner, UPF - Argentina
Friday, August 5, 2011
Buenos Aires, Argentina - Under the motto “Life is the Art of Meeting,” UPF-Argentina celebrated International Friendship Day, established this year by UN General Assembly Resolution A/65/L.72, with a program at the Peace Embassy in Buenos Aires on August 5. It was a propitious occasion to strengthen bonds and fortify the “extended family.”
The gathering started with a reading of the message for the day by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, stating that one of the intentions of the United Nations is "to develop friendly relations between the nations." Poet Donato Perrone read the thoughts and phrases submitted on July 30 by Ambassadors for Peace to promote this fundamental value in the establishment of a culture of peace because, as the late Argentine singer and songwriter Facundo Cabral said, “Life is the art of meeting. We confirm that humanity is a single family and that we inhabit a country called Earth."
The central moment was the recognition of Professor Susana Bührer, a teacher with an extended trajectory and educator in values in different countries of the Americas. As president of Rotary Club #11 in Buenos Aires, she promotes the annual celebration of Friendship Day, a special day in Argentina that continues the legacy of Dr. Enrique Febbraro, who expanded the celebration worldwide inspired by the arrival of people on the moon in 1969. She received a diploma from the hands of Lic. Luis D’Angelo, a member of the Global Peace Council of UPF International. He commended her "vocation of promoting values, particularly friendship, as bases for teamwork, cooperation between organizations, social integration, civic life, and the establishment of a universal culture of peace.”
The meeting included refreshments and a toast offered by Alejandro D’Alessandro, leading to pleasant interchanges between the participants, who expressed their thoughts spontaneously and publicly on the topic of the meeting, conscious of the UN's declaration when establishing this date that “friendship among towns, countries, cultures, and people can inspire peace initiatives and present opportunities for building bridges among the communities, honoring the cultural diversity.”
UPF-Argentina compiled a series of phrases and thoughts on friendship by Ambassadors for Peace to promote this fundamental value in the establishment of a peace culture. Because “The life is the art of the meeting. We affirm that humanity is a single family and that we inhabit one country called Earth.” (Facundo Cabral)
“Friendship: The greatest treasure in life, like the air I breathe and the sun itself shining upon the earth.” Herminia Aretuo
“A loyal friend is a guardian angel whom God put in our life to show us the gaps that we encounter in our road of life and help us jump over them, and to fill with his understanding those gaps that we could not or did not know how to jump across.” Aníbal Gotelli
“A friend is that one who is on your side, without asking about your defects but looking at your virtues.” Jose Luis Domínguez
“Words of friendship, words of peace… How much our world needs to hear these emerge from the depths of our being… And to be able to give our neighbor the look of love that is so needed.” Santiago Villarreal
“Friendship is like a garden that needs to be cultivated, there is neither space nor distance that separates us.” Hugo Cattoni
I think about universal friendship and I see an earth without borders, the union between peoples, the voluntary and selfless work for peace and a better world, and all people as friends united by the love of God.” Leticia Castorina
“A friend is somebody who needs you and somebody who has something you need.” Norma Suárez Palomo
“Friendship is one soul that lives in two bodies and one heart that lives in two souls. In consequence of this alchemy, when a friend is present he is honored; when he is absent he is remembered; when he is in need he is helped. Everything is possible by virtue of the substantial internal force operating in the one who possesses it while he is alive, thanks to God Almighty.” Azucena Molla
“Now, returning to that which you wanted to know, let me tell you that the colors of those elements chosen by God also were reflected in their skin. For that reason, some men were born with skin white like the snow, others with skin yellow like a grain of wheat, others with skin red like the fire or dark like the soil. But they must remember that these differences are external, and people are friends based not on the similarity of their skin but the coincidence of feelings that nest in their soul. For that reason, you, although so different externally, are friends because you are united by love and by the goood feelings each of you has.” Mabel Fontau, from the story “Forever Friends”
“True friendship is to find in the other the spirit of God and to share that sensation.” Ana Maria Molinari Espeche
“Friendship is a soul that is my companion on the journey and which is sampled like wine: if it is good, every time it will be better.” Bernardo Del Guercio
“The hours of men are fragile and ethereal like daisies of the field, but friendship is the breeze that keeps your heart beating more strongly and helps you to live with love and tranquility of spirit.” Tamara Revythis
Among the antecedent organizations and people who promoted the worldwide friendship crusade were Dr. Ramon Bracho (of Paraguay), who in 1958 conceived of a celebration of Friendship Day, and Dr. Enrique Febbraro (of Argentina), who expanded it to a worldwide level, inspired by the arrival of men on the moon in 1969.
Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General, in his message on InternationalFriendship Day2011, reminds us that this value is present in the work and the ideals of the United Nations, whose intention is to “promote the development of friendly relations between nations." Also he emphasizes that these words appear in the introduction to the UniversalDeclarationofHuman Rights and that the Constitution of UNESCO indicates that peace is not based exclusively on “political and economic arrangements of governments” but on the “intellectual and moral solidarity of humanity.”
If you find this page helpful and informative please consider making donation. Your donation will help Universal Peace Federation (UPF) provide new and improved reports, analysis and publications to you and everyone around the world.
UPF is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization and all donations are tax deductible in the United States. Receipts are automatically provided for donations of or above $250.00.
|
Donate to the Universal Peace Federation: Your donation to support the general programs of UPF. |
Donate to the Religious Youth Service (RYS): Your donation will be used for service projects around the world. |
Donate to UPF's Africa Projects: Your donation will be used for projects in Africa. |