World Hello Day 2024: Greeting for Peace

World Hello Day 2024 is celebrated on November 21, 2024. This year's theme is "Greeting for Peace." The day focuses on peace through interpersonal communication by making the person greet at least ten people on that particular day. The initiative assumes that greeting people can help resolve conflicts instead of using violence.

History and Significance

World Hello Day was created in 1973 by brothers Brian and Michael McCormack during the Yom Kippur War between Egypt and Israel. The founders wrote over 1,360 letters in different languages to world leaders, asking them to solve conflicts not by the use of force but through dialogue. Since its inception, the day has been observed in 180 countries, emphasizing the importance of personal communication in serving the world's peace.

Celebrations

Encourage participants:

• To greet at least ten people in a day, preferably with strangers.
• To reconnect with whoever they may have lost contact with.
• To hold or conduct discussions and webinars about how communication leads to peace.

Influence

The world reminder of the working power of greetings help in networking and good relations among different cultures is World Hello Day. It enlightens how this minor action can ultimately unite the people and create a more peaceful world by filling the gaps between individuals and communities.

Celebration by Notable Personalities

World Hello Day has been endorsed by several notable personalities such as:

Nobel Peace Prize Laureates: 31 Nobel Peace Prize winners have recognized the importance of World Hello Day as a means to communicate towards achieving peace. This encompasses influential leaders and dialogue activists over those who support the war.

Public figures and celebrities: Several authors, entertainers, and public personalities have endorsed the day, namely:

• Colin Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State, stressed that saying "hello" can lead to greater understanding among peoples and nations.
• Desmond Tutu is the South African Anglican bishop and social rights activist who was known for his actions in the anti-apartheid movement.
• Mother Teresa was a great humanitarian worker who became a devotee of peace.

These endorsements from various people emphasize the global appeal of World Hello Day and its message of establishing peace through simple acts of greeting and communication. Quite significantly, several organizations and community leaders around the globe have endorsed this initiative to instill the message of fostering interpersonal connections as a non-violent means of solving conflicts.

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