ENDING UNKIND ATTITUDES AMONG MANKIND AS THE WORLD MARKS THE 2016 INT’L DAY OF CHARITY ON MONDAY SEPTEMBER 5
Today
Monday September 5, the global community is commemorating the 2016
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. Suffice it to say that this year’s commemoration
marks the fourth edition of the remarkable and laudable event. 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.
The idea of the day was proposed
by the Hungarian civil society initiative supported by Hungarian Parliament and
Government 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.
It is widely acknowledged that
‘God loves a cheerful giver’. This significantly implies that one who gives
freely and cheerfully would definitely receive his/her reward from God, in
abundance. In other words, the wellbeing of a freewill donor remains God’s
concern.
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 regardless of their respective affiliations. Hence,
it is the duty of all and sundry 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 and mutual
understanding.
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.’
Indeed, the day is a day to remember those who are less advantaged, and
to take appropriate actions to help them. The UN set aside September 5 each
year as that day, so that, we all would act collectively or individually in
order to alleviate the suffering and pains of the less-privileged around us in
our various jurisdictions. Bear in mind that many people are doing charitable
work on a daily basis; needless to state that every day is a golden opportunity
to assist those in needs.
Devoting our time or money, as the case may be, would help to end these
lingering unkind attitudes found among mankind. No amount of charity is too
small; what matters most is the state of your heart while giving. In view of
this assertion, we are encouraged not to discard any household material in
haste, with a view that, that which you tagged as waste could be very helpful
to that your closest neighbour. So, we are urged to continually reach out to
our colleagues, associates, relatives, and what have you, towards bringing
succour to any of them that yearns for it.
However, it’s noteworthy that charity isn’t only deserved by
less-advantaged individuals, thus anyone irrespective of status could be in
need of charity at a given circumstance. To this end, we must always be
conscious of the fact that that person whom we see as our boss might be deeply
in need of a kind gesture from his/her teeming subjects. Therefore, charity
ought to be seen as an interwoven gesture at all times.
So, as Nigeria joins the rest of
the world to mark the fourth commemoration of the annual International Day of
Charity as well as the anniversary of Late Mother Teresa, I candidly enjoin
every individual and organization in the country at large to use this
opportunity to promote their own projects and encourage charitable activities
in their respective communities or societies, bearing in mind that this is the
only way we can boast of a meaningful development in our various societies. Think
about it!
Comr Fred Doc
Nwaozor
(TheMediaAmbassador)-Public Affairs analyst & Civil Rights activist-
Chief Executive Director, Centre for Counselling, Research
& Career Development - Owerri
_____________________________________
frednwaozor@gmail.com
Twitter: @mediambassador 
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