World Friendship Crusade

The World Friendship Crusade[1] is an international civil organization that campaigns in favor of Friendship as a way of fostering a Culture of peace. Founded by Dr. Ramón Artemio Bracho in Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay in 1958,[2] the World Friendship Crusade celebrates Friendship Day every 30th July.

World Friendship Crusade in Origin and Mission

The idea of a World Friendship Day was proposed by Dr. Ramón Artemio Bracho during a dinner with friends in the town of Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay; on the July 20 of 1958. On that night, the World Crusade of Friendship was founded, as an activist organization that would promote the idea of July 30 for celebrating Friendship worldwide. The organization lobbied for many years on the United Nations until finally, on July 27 of 2011, the General Assembly of the United Nations assigned this date to celebrate the International Friendship Day[3] sets July 30 as the International Friendship day, requesting all its members to celebrate it during that day.

Friendship's Day Traditions

Based on the Crusades' activism, "Día de la Amistad" is celebrated every 30 July in Paraguay, where it is a popular festivity in which it is custom among Paraguayans to salute and wish each other's happiness throughout the day, while also exchanging presents.

Another classic activity during this celebration, particularly among young students but also among other general groups (coworkers, companies, civil organizations, etc.), is the game of the "invisible friend".[4][5] (a variation of the popular Secret Santa). One week before the celebration, the game invites participants to write their names on a piece of paper and then, after scrambling all these pieces in a basket or container, retrieve one of the names, without revealing it to the others. Participants then become the "invisible friend" of the person on that piece of paper, and during the week before the celebration, they are invited to write anonymous small notes or letters to the person who's name they drafted. On the day of the celebration, invisible friends bring presents to their friends, and one after the other, reveal their identities before giving their presents.

Referencias

  1. ↑ Official Blog of the World Friendship Cruzade
  2. ↑ History of the World Friendship Crusade
  3. ↑ UN Res.A/65/L.72. UN resolution about the International Friendship Day.
  4. ↑ Discovering Paraguay: Friendship Day Traditions
  5. ↑ Local report about Paraguayan customs on Friendship Day

Véase también