The youth is the hope of our future. -Jose Rizal

Youth is the time of life when one is young, but often means the time between childhood and adulthood (maturity). The specific age range that constitutes youth varies from one region to another.

International Youth Day (IYD) is an awareness day selected by the United Nations and observed worldwide on 12th August every year. The purpose of this day is to draw attention to a given set of cultural and legal issues surrounding youth. Youth day is one of the many extensive efforts of the United Nations to help member states reach out to their youth and understand all challenges faced by them. Besides, it aims to promote ways to actively engage youth in making positive contributions to their communities.

IYD is also an annual celebration of the role of young people as the essential partners in change. Along with ensuring their rights, an equally important goal of IYD is to shape the youth not just as a passive beneficiary of development efforts, but as a force for positive social change.

I support the indigenous people anywhere in the planet -Edward James Olmos

Indigenous People are a significant and important portion of humanity. Their heritage, their ways of life, their stewardship of this planet, and their cosmological insights are an invaluable treasure for society. Indigenous live in every region of the world and in all varieties of climates ranging from Arctic cold to Amazon heat. They often claim a deep connection to their lands and natural environments. Thus, many indigenous people value the natural world as a source of food, health, spirituality and identity.

The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is commemorated annually on 9th of August to promote, protect and endorse the rights enshrined in the United Nations Declaration particularly on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP). This day also presents an opportunity to honour diverse indigenous cultures and recognize the achievements and valuable contributions of an estimated 370 million indigenous people all around the world.

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.  - Albert Camus

Friendship is the greatest possession of life. It is a relationship of mutual affection between two or more people and a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an association. It is then unquestionable that one of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood.

Although there are many forms of friendship, certain characteristics are always present and shared. Such characteristics include affection, sympathy, empathy, honesty, altruism, mutual understanding, compassion, trust, the ability to be oneself, express one's feelings, and make mistakes without fear of judgment from the friend. While there is no practical limit on what types of people can form a friendship, friends tend to share common backgrounds, occupations, or interests, and have similar demographics.

The International Day of Friendship is a United Nations (UN) day that promotes the role that friendship plays in promoting peace in many cultures all around the world. It is observed on the 30th of July each year. The day is based on the recognition of friendship not only in the general sense but also both its relevance and importance as a valuable sentiment in the lives of human beings around the world.

The International Day of Friendship has been celebrated in several South American countries for many years, particularly in Paraguay, where the first World Friendship Day was proposed, back in 1958. In 2011, the UN proclaimed the International Day of Friendship with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, and cultures can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities. In this day, the UN urges young people to contribute in community activities that include different cultures and promote international understanding and respect for diversity.

As l walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if l didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison. Nelson Mandela

Mandela was a true representation of selflessness and a blessing to human kind. His legacy lives on from generation to generation. He was a symbol of boundless unity that has no race and shares one common good, a human kind.

In November 2009, the UN General Assembly declared 18thJuly as International Day of Nelson Mandela in recognition of the former South African President’s contribution to the culture of peace and freedom. Nelson Mandela devoted his life to the service of humanity as a human rights lawyer, a prisoner of conscience, an international peacemaker and the first democratically elected president of a free South Africa.

Acknowledging on his great efforts, every year on his birthday, UN joins a call with the Nelson Mandela Foundation to devote 67 minutes of time to helping others as a way of honoring his good deeds throughout the world and encouraging individuals, communities, governments and non-profit organizations to take one small step towards the larger leap of making a positive imprint.

The idea of Mandela Day was inspired by Mandela at his 90th birthday celebrations in London's Hyde Park in 2008, when he said: "It is time for new hands to lift the burdens. It is in your hands now." Understanding that underlying idea, it is obvious that the purpose of this day is not only about doing well; but also about building the cultures that will make a difference in the world.