Family is the building block of community, and community is that of society. It teaches essential life skills in childhood that help us survive and thrive throughout our lifespan. That’s why Global Family Day(GFD) is celebrated every year on January 1 to commemorate the familial relationships between people. But before looking at the theme for Global Family Day this year, let us discover how this event began.
Why Is Global Family Day Celebrated?
You will be surprised to learn about the historical origins of this event. GFD traces its roots back to the division of the Soviet Union into many constituent states, the most prominent being modern-day Russia. Said division led to the ending of the cold war and became a significant benchmark in the fight for global peace.
In 1997, the UN General Assembly launched the International Decade for the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of The World. Global Family Day, originally called One Day for Peace, was celebrated first on January 1, 2000, to remember the achievement of world peace. All of these efforts revolved around the belief that we could someday achieve total world peace. As a result, One Day for Peace was celebrated as Global Family Day from January 1, 2001.
Global Family Day Theme 2023
Over the past few years, we have fought various threats and insecurities. In this process, we have lost a lot. However, we can always progress, recover, and heal in the future. That’s why the theme of Global Family Day 2023 is “working toward a better future.”
Read more: How to manage social anxiety during the holiday season?
How To Participate In This Event?
Working toward a better future involves investing in peace among families and communities. To participate in this event, you can take the following steps.
1. Develop a deep connection among your friends, family members, and neighbors through social interactions and bonding. Regular face-to-face conversations with eye contact and engagement can help you do the same.
2. Many not-for-profits promote a sense of harmony between different social classes, races, and genders in society. Teaming up with one of them can help you better understand the lives of underprivileged people and become more empowered to help them. You can also volunteer in an organization working for peace and community building.
3. A study by Zhe Yang and others concludes that family relationships are vital to mental health in adolescents. Research has also found that a significant portion of our personality is formed in childhood, from ages 5 to 7. Therefore, childhood and adolescence are periods that predict the lifetime development of a person. Showing your children appreciation and love through gifts, spending quality time, or appreciating their achievements can aid their growth.
4. You can adopt peace as a personal value and choose non-violent conflict resolution over the use of force whenever possible. You can also promote similar behavior between your peers and loved ones by adopting and practicing these values.
Read more: How mental health affects family relationships?
Conclusion
Global Family Day has been celebrated every year on January 1 since 2000 to evoke a feeling of peace and connection between families, communities, and countries. To participate in this event, you can develop a strongly connected community, volunteer in peace projects, appreciate your children, or adopt peace as a personal value. One way to show appreciation to your family members is by being grateful for them. Refer to this blog post to better understand the practice of gratitude.
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