It is widely noted that ‘God loves a cheerful
giver’, which simply implies that one who gives freely and cheerfully will
definitely receive his/her reward from God, in abundance.
Charity, in a concise term, is a kind or generous attitude towards other
people. In the same vein, it can be defined as money, gift, or time given to
poor or less-privileged people. Some typical examples of charity include:
v
Raising
funds for the benefit of a certain person or cause.
v
Contributing
manual labour to help build a house for a low-income family.
v
Setting
aside half of your coffee money per month and granting that money to an
organization that helps the needy.
v
Donating
food, clothes, and other basic requirements to the motherless-babies homes,
from time to time.
v
Asking
friends and family to donate money to a specific charity organization rather
than getting you gifts for birthdays and other anniversaries.
No
doubt, charity contributes to the promotion of dialogue, solidarity and mutual
understanding among people. Thus, it is the duty of everyone to live toward its
uplift since it helps to foster a society filled with peace and harmony. And,
it is worth noting that no meaningful development can take place in a society
that lacks peace.
Saturday September 5, the world
over commemorated the 2015 International Day of Charity. In recognition of
charity’s key role in alleviating humanitarian crises and human suffering, in
2012, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly designated September 5 of every
year as the International Day of Charity.
The date was chosen in respect to the anniversary of the death of Mother
Teresa whose life and good works for some of the poorest of the poor and the
downtrodden while on earth inspired several people across the world. In other
words, the adoption of the day for the commemoration of the International Day
of Charity was in honour of the Late Mother Teresa, because the deceased Amazon
dedicated her life to the poor and other disadvantaged people around the globe.
The idea of the International Day of Charity was proposed by Hungary
with the aim of creating a universal platform to raise awareness on the
importance of benevolent giving. Upon the initiative of Hungary, the UN General
Assembly adopted a resolution by consensus to designate 5th of September
- the anniversary of the passing away of Mother Teresa, as the International
Day of Charity.
The resolution was co-sponsored by the forty-four (44) Member states
representing all the five regions of the United Nations. The cross-regional
support of the initiative reflects the universal recognition of charity and the
apparent relevance of selfless giving or services in today’s world.
In his introductory speech, the Permanent Representative of Hungary to
the UN – Mr. Csaba Korosi, highlighted that charity as a way of thinking,
provides real social bonding and contributes immensely to the creation of
inclusive and more resilient societies. According to him, ‘Charity can
alleviate the worst effects of humanitarian crises, supplement public services
in health care delivery, education, housing, and child protection. It assists
the advancement of culture, science, sports, and natural heritage. It also
promotes the rights of the marginalized and the underprivileged, as well as
spreads the message of humanity in conflict situations.’
The first commemoration of the Day was held in the year 2013 at the UN Headquarters in New York, U.S.A; the event featured various panel discussions on the role of charity in poverty alleviation and in promoting access to clean water and sanitation in general, with distinguished guest speakers from the philanthropic community including the United Nations Foundation.
Therefore, the International Day of Charity is a day to remember those
who are less advantaged, and to take appropriate actions to help them. The UN
set aside September 5 of every year as that day, so that, we all would act
collectively in order to alleviate the suffering and pains of the
less-privileged around us.
However, bear in mind that many people are doing charitable work every
day, either individually or collectively. Needless to state unequivocally that,
everyday is a golden opportunity to assist those in need; devoting our time
coupled with money, would help to end these lingering unkind attitudes found among
mankind.
As Nigeria joins the rest of
the world to mark the third commemoration of the annual International Day of
Charity as well as the anniversary of Late Mother Teresa, I candidly urge every
individual and organization worldwide to use this opportunity to promote their
own projects and encourage charitable activities in their respective
communities or societies. Obviously, this is the only way we can boast of a
meaningful development in our various societies. Think about it!
COMR FRED DOC NWAOZOR
(The Media Ambassador)Executive Director, Centre for Counselling, Research
& Career Development - Owerri
_____________________________________
frednwaozor@gmail.com+2348028608056
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