Today is International Day of Friendship, a United Nations-designated day to recognise 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.
The UN states: "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."
How very much this is needed today, in this modern 21st-century world that is fraught with challenges, crises and forces of division, which threaten peace, security, development and social harmony among the world's peoples.
More than ever now, during this pandemic-riddled world when we have been subjected to months of lockdown, quarantine and self-isolation, we need friendship to sustain our sense of being and mind.
So many lives were lost, some families were wiped out, a brother, a sister, a friend — all departed in the blink of an eye. The phrase "here today, gone tomorrow" has never been so apt. Such are the travails of 2021 and the year still has another five months to go.
The world is still no closer to finding a cure despite the mounds of research and studies by the world's top scientists, doctors, virologists and epidemiologists.
And the devastating fact is that the Covid-19 virus, along with its variants of concern like Alpha, Beta, Delta, Gamma and the lesser known Epsilon, Eta, Iota, Kappa and Lambda, will be with us for a long time to come. Reportedly, the first three variants account for the majority of Covid-19 cases.
International Friendship Day this year has to mean more than just friendship among people. It should stand for friendship and camaraderie among countries, where the strong help the weak, and the rich aid the poor.
Countries and governments should band together to confront the crises and challenges; they must address the root causes of disparity, racism, colonialism and such.
The alleged hoarding of vaccines by the rich countries, lack of vaccine accessibility, or denying poor countries aid or medication — all these should not be happening.
By promoting friendship, countries can have mutual respect for one another, develop trust and build bridges which can save humankind. Friendship is the simplest form of human solidarity. And so it is.
Rich countries, developed countries — be magnanimous, lend a helping hand to those in need. In the spirit of the International Day of Friendship, all countries, rich and poor, let's embrace the principles of friendship, affection, love and trust.
And most importantly, mutual respect for one another and uniting for the greater good. The world needs friendship to achieve lasting stability and to come out stronger post-pandemic. This Leader wishes all a Happy International Friendship Day.