International Day of Charity

The International Day of Charity is celebrated annually on 5 September and its objective is to sensitise and mobilise people, NGOs, and stakeholders all around the world to help others through volunteer and philanthropic activities. This day was declared officially by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 and it is also a great opportunity to raise awareness and provide a platform for charity events to take place on a global scale.

This day commemorates the anniversary of the passing away of Saint Teresa, who worked tirelessly to overcome poverty, distress, and suffering of the poorest in the world. She showed us that charity can alleviate the worst effects of humanitarian crises, supplement public services in health care, education, housing, and child protection. Poverty continues to affect millions of people, regardless of their social and cultural situations, and is a barrier to true prosperity and equality.

Moreover, the International Day of Charity serves to enhance and increase social responsibility amongst us all, solidarity and to increase the public’s support for charitable causes. Poverty exists in every country around the globe, from powerful industrial nations to developing countries. Hence, the theme for this year’s International Day of Charity is ‘Global Solidarity to Eradicate Poverty’ and it provides real social bonding and contributes to the creation of inclusive and more resilient societies. In the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) the United Nations recognises that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, are the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development.

We, at the World Assembly of Youth (WAY), deem that while many good things have been accomplished and great effort is being achieved, a better deed can still be done to help the needy in our society. We stand with young people and believe that the responsibility of charity should be seen as one of the major tools in determining the ideal personality of the future generation who ought to be full of compassion and embrace the beauty of humanity. On this International Day of Charity, we call upon young people everywhere to volunteer and act generously in the senses of kindness, solidarity, and love. Without love and togetherness, the charity will be a meaningless effort and an unsung anthem. We need to continue to promote the rights of the marginalised and underprivileged and to spread the message of humanity in conflict situations.

Today, we turn to youth and task them with the honourable duty of bringing more awareness to humanity amongst both the young and the old. Together, we have the potential to transform our lives and our planet by providing the framework needed for philanthropic institutions to enable all people to contribute to the betterment of our world.