Every year on August 19, World Humanitarian Day is commemorated globally to celebrate people helping people.
The day offers an opportunity to take stock of where the world stands on addressing humanitarian issues and highlight lessons for how to improve in the future.
You can stop sitting on the fence and join the world of helpers.’
Here are five ways we all can commit to driving positive change for the world.
The main objective of being a humanitarian is to help people around the world through efforts ranging from the provision of proper nutrition to malnourished children, to the provision of medical care to the sick and disadvantaged.
Check your motivation:
As simple as it sounds, just wanting to help make the world a better place is not enough to get you started as a humanitarian. It’s important to be aware of your reasons and motivation to get involved, so you can be sure of the exact value you will add to the cause and how you can best do it. The passion and will to become a humanitarian should come first, but you need a strong understanding and reasoning of the situation you are trying to get involved in.
Kind personality and Courage:
Some of the essential skills required for every humanitarian are openness, patience, acceptance, understanding, tolerance and cultural sensitivity. It is also important to be well-aware and be prepared for unpleasant situations quite often since your endurance and persistence will be tested often.
Remember that you don’t have to be born with those qualities– you can learn and succeed in those fields with enough dedication and practice.
Commit to maintaining a liveable planet:
Rapid environmental changes are threatening people’s food sources, water and livelihoods. Climate change is at a crisis level, and we must commit to responding swiftly and effectively.
It is important to stay close to people’s pressing, on-the-ground needs. But to maintain a liveable planet, we must also change how our global economy operates.
Help the most vulnerable:
To remove the threats to people’s livelihoods and lives, the development sector should invest in long-term, durable solutions. Yet we must remain ready to fund short-term needs – disasters will always strike, and the most vulnerable communities will be worst affected.
Build unprecedented collaborations:
One of the biggest opportunities in the humanitarian sector is mobilising collective action. In bringing together well-positioned actors and thought leaders through efficient funding mechanisms, we can create unlikely alliances and partnerships. ‘
If you do not have a structured organisation, join one by giving funds, donating items, sharing knowledge and offering whatever support you are able to.
IBIENE believes in making the world a better place by enjoying and bringing to the fore the simple things of life.
Do you have any question or comment? Do share with us in the comment section.