Friendship plays critical roles in our lives from childhood to adulthood. As children our friends were a bigger part of our lives, playing together, making wonderful memories and sometimes aiding with our tasks.

Growing up, friends still play a major role in our lives, they are there to share the good and bad times, be a shoulder to cry on and a warm embrace when we need it. True friends have been our major towers, fighting for us and being the first to stand up when we are treated unfairly. In most ways, our lives become much more bearable ad pleasant because of good friendship.

Just as friendship makes our individual lives better, it is one of the strongest ways to heal the world and make it a better place for everyone. A place where everyone feels at peace, safe and protected because we can all count on friendships to provide this kind of stability.

‘The world faces many challenges, crises and forces of division — such as poverty, violence, and human rights abuses — among many others — that undermine peace, security, development and social harmony among the world's people.’

A shared spirit of promoting and defending human solidarity that is deeply rooted in friendships is needed to confront the root cause of these challenges and crisis.

The bonds created through friendship, solidarity and developing strong ties of trust can be a major paradigm shift needed to achieve lasting stability and weave a safety net that will protect us all, and generate passion for a better world where all are united for the greater good.

As today marks the international day of friendship, we are called to take a deeper reflection of how friendship between people, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.

IFM-SEI believes that friendships and solidarity are great ways to solve the inequalities of the world and come up with solutions that would help all to live in harmony with each other and live to their full potential. This is why our motto is to span the world with friendship – with friendship we can heal the pains of every heart, think and act for the collective good of all humanity instead of individual interest and push out capitalism and the great injustices it brings to all.

For IFM-SEI everyday is friendship day, a day to follow the steps outlined by UNESCO to promote a culture of peace as a set of values, attitudes, and behaviors that reject violence and endeavor to prevent conflicts by addressing their root causes with a view to solving problems ;

• foster a culture of peace through education;
• promote sustainable economic and social development;
• promote respect for all human rights;
• ensure equality between all the genders;
• foster democratic participation;
• advance understanding, tolerance and solidarity;
• support participatory communication and the free flow of information and knowledge;
• promote international peace and security

Today and everyday, let’s remember that compassion, empathy and concern for others is the driving force of true friendships and the only way to save the world; that in order to value and celebrate friendships, we need to take up a more selfless and grateful approach to life. Happy International day of friendship, let’s span the world with friendships!