It seems like every day is in honor of something – donuts, cheese, tall people, crazy hats. Rarely do I find myself interested in these days for more than amusement at the silly things we find to focus our attention on. But today was World Humanitarian Day and I think this deserves interest and examination.
August 19th was the day the UN decided to assign as World Humanitarian Day. This is only the 2nd official day honoring Humanitarians. (An interesting history of the day can be found here.) Huge strides have been made in calling attention to the incredible work done by men and women who have dedicated their lives to helping others, but there is a long way to go in protecting, praising, and supporting these people and the people they choose to help.
A humanitarian is defined, by Webster, as one who promotes human welfare and social reform or having the interests of mankind at heart.
There is no special skill set outlined, no college degree required, no certification needed. All that is needed is a heart and a desire to help. With all of the hurt in this world, there is plenty of opportunity to promote human welfare.
This isn’t to say that everyone should go out and find a “cause” and devote their life to changing the wrongs (though there is certainly nothing wrong with that). I believe that any person can be a humanitarian everyday through the choices they make.
What would happen if we chose to buy gifts that support organizations working to right social injustice, poverty, medical issues, etc.? What if we chose to support (financially, physically, emotionally) those who have chosen to devote their entire life’s work to aiding those in need? What would happen? Change.
We each have the opportunity to become a humanitarian. We just need to take the interests of mankind to heart and act on those interests.
This day comes only once a year and serves as a powerful reminder of what people are doing around the world and what we can do on a daily basis to support them and the people they serve.
-Meghan
Further Reading:
U.N. sees increase in humanitarian workers being targeted
Lessons on World Humanitarian Day
World Health Organization Response
Marking World Humanitarian Day
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