“Through friendship — by accumulating bonds of camaraderie and developing strong ties of trust — we can contribute to the fundamental shifts that are urgently needed to achieve lasting stability, weave a safety net that will protect us all, and generate passion for a better world where all are united for the greater good.”
The UN International Day of Friendship
WE NEED FRIENDSHIP
FOR A BETTER WORLD
In recognition International Day of Friendship, July 30, let’s all remember we are one world I hope it prompts some thinking and acts as an inspiration for 2022. We will need Friendship for a better world. It is so essential that no matter how great the challenge we can only succeed long term if it is founded in Friendship.
Throughout the COVID crisis there have been calls for the need for each other, that we are all in this together, and that we need a better world. These calls are not new, but what is unique about this time is that they are happening concurrently from around the world. And even as divisive language lingers, so does the call for “a better world.” But will it happen? For a millennium, there have been calls for a better world, and if you consider the amount of effort that has gone into creating this better world, one wonders why it hasn’t happened. To begin with, it has happened, and one can draw inspiration from just how far humanity has come. We are progressing in many ways albeit step by step, so why is it that we can’t make this progress in leaps and bounds, and more importantly why can’t all people move together.
What is missing?
MORE TECHNOLOGY?
As we look back at much of the progress over the last few hundred years, we tend to define it in terms of technology and innovation. The breadth and depth of progress from this point of view is impressive and the advancements of late are coming faster and faster. Each “industrial” revolution brought with it advancements that would have been unfathomable generations before, and now with the 4th Industrial Revolution upon us we are almost assured of a better future. Right? Maybe not so, and certainly not for all. When you consider what we have achieved and will achieve in the coming decades it’s a wonder that anyone is suffering at all. And yet, suffering continues, and the world is not getting better for all. Thus, science and technology alone will not get us there.
BETTER LEADERSHIP?
So, we’ll need great leadership, right? No doubt we have had many great leaders in the past who have pushed us forward at some critical junctures, but there were very few that were motivated to truly create a better world for all people. The desire to make one’s own country or business or own self great has been an overriding motivator since society came together, and that clearly continues today. Many people have benefited from this, but many don’t, and so the world community suffers.
Perhaps what caused this was a disconnect amongst and between peoples of the world. A sense of “us vs them” has pervaded mankind’s thinking when in reality we are all “us” and/or we are all “them.” Interestingly, while technology has not solved all the world problems, it is through technology that our connectedness is becoming increasingly realized and experienced. Technology is bringing us together whether we want to or not, and I believe there is more of those that want to, than not. Why? Because we do need each other, and we are in this together.
However, being in this together and needing each other will not make the world a better place unless we begin to consciously acknowledge and harness this tremendous blessing. Sounds complicated and overwhelming? Not really. In fact, the action of needing and caring about each other is one of the first and most basic instincts and needs we all have, and it is what has allowed us to overcome the greatest challenges we have faced. We fight, we argue, we hurt each other, but we overcome, as if there is a quiet force holding us together and moving us through the most difficult of times; a force of friendship that bonds humanity. Imagine, if we began to harness that force.
The deep care for each other that exists can be developed so that we lock arms around the world and move forward, like best friends amid the most trying time.
FRIENSHIP IS THE MISSING PIECE
Each year in July, we celebrate what the United Nations has designated as the International Day of Friendship – a day to recognize the importance of friendship as a significant aspect of our shared humanity and as a force that can contribute to global cooperation, solidarity, and peace. I find it to be one of the most important, yet hardly recognized International Days. The UN General Assembly proclaimed the International Day of Friendship in 2011 to highlight the importance of “inclusion”, “respect for diversity”, and “international understanding” for a better and more peaceful world.
But what does friendship mean in the modern-day world? The notion of friendship has evidently changed with the advent of the internet and social media. The nature of our social interactions are no longer limited to seeing friends in real life but also “friending” people on Facebook. The world has become increasingly interconnected and the potential for friendship to flourish in many forms has never been greater. However, every day we witness the blurring of what is right and wrong, the reduction of human values, and the general diminishing of trust among different communities. This makes me wonder, have we lost the meaning of friendship?
I sat through a presentation some time ago where the speaker spoke of two kinds of pandemics the world was facing. The first, of course, was the COVID pandemic that has impacted the lives of us all. The second, however, is what he referred to as the “pandemic of fake news”.
Let’s consider for a moment the word, “pandemic.” A pandemic is an epidemic that occurs worldwide as a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease. When we put fake news into this category, it becomes exponentially disconcerting. In an actual pandemic like COVID, where information is vital to public health responses, the viral spreading of false stories and deliberately misleading information puts lives at risk. The good news is that we have an antidote for fake news that can be scaled up to eradicate this pandemic – it’s called honesty and integrity.
Much of the discussion on dealing with fake news is left to the listener/receiver to identify the facts, determine if the source is reliable, and help by informing others about mistruth. While these are important, they are mostly response measures, much like the masks we use to avoid getting or passing the infection along. But the real antidote, or fake news vaccine, is creating a culture of truth and honesty by holding leaders, in whatever capacity, accountable in what they say and what they do. It is interesting and important to note, that in looking at a list of what people consider to be the most desirable traits of leaders, honesty and integrity are at the top. If we have more leaders who are trustworthy and show integrity, then we can live in a world where fake news is no longer a pandemic.
So how does this tie into Friendship? Trust is the foundation of true friendship, and if we promote friendship values such as honesty and integrity, we will form relationships that will be open and caring as one human being should be to another. If we lead with friendship, we can build a world that is more inclusive, respectful of diversity, and compassionate. 
As we consider a day set up to honor and raise awareness of the importance of global friendship, we can envision this foundation of friendship, with honesty as its cornerstone as the way to build a peaceful and better world. As the UN website states: “To confront those crises and challenges, their root causes must be addressed by promoting and defending a shared spirit of human solidarity that takes many forms — the simplest of which is friendship.”
If we support leaders who promote honesty and integrity – values that are necessary and non-negotiable in establishing relationships – then harmony and global solidarity will follow. Hence, we need to not only acknowledge the great need for Friendship, but we also need to celebrate it and advocate for it as a critical part of our humanity. COVID is a real pandemic that has devastated the lives of millions and impacted billions. Let’s not allow this other pandemic to deepen the devastation. This is one pandemic we can and must eliminate. We have a vaccine in the form of honesty and integrity, and if we can create a world built on true friendship, we can eliminate even the possibility of a second wave.
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