United Nations Declares the International Day of Human Fraternity
20201227December 21st 2020 will be a milestone for humanity and for interreligious and interculture dialogue: the United Nations (UN) General Assembly unanimously proclaimed that the International Day of Human Fraternity is to be observed on 4 February each year, starting in 2021, to “promote peace, tolerance, inclusion, understanding and solidarity”.
The initiative, led by the Higher Committee for Human Fraternity was inspired by the meeting between His Holiness Pope Francis of the Catholic Church and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, His Eminence Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, in Abu Dhabi, on 4 February 2019, when they signed the historic “Document on Human Fraternity, for World Peace and Living Together”. It comes at a most critical time, when the world is confronted by the unprecendent global crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and as it looks towards 2021 for a better “unity, solidarity and renewed multilateral cooperation”.
“The International Day of Human Fraternity is a celebration of multireligious friendship and collaboration which Religions for Peace uniquely stands for with all religions of the world”, stated Prof. Azza Karam, Secretary General of Religions for Peace International, extending her and Religions for Peace appreciation and gratitude to Judge Mohamed Mahmoud Abdel Salam, General- Secretary of the Higher Committee for Human Fraternity and Co-president of Religions for Peace for leading the initiative together with the distinguish members of the Committee, as well as to all other Catholic Representatives of the Holy See on the World Council of Religions for Peace. Prof. Karam further added, “Every February 4th from now on we can celebrate how multireligious collaboration, models and strengthens our civil society, showing that across our differences, and in spite of our differences, we can work together for peace and harmony in the spirit of ‘human fraternity’”.