World NGO Day 2023: Theme, History and Significance

WORLD NGO DAY 2023: World NGO Day is celebrated on February 27 to honour the welfare based activities of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) across the globe. NGOs are non-profit entities that help tackle various humanitarian issues affecting people, animals and communities. NGOs provide welfare in sectors such as health, education, and employment. The World NGO Day is celebrated in more than 89 countries and over six continents.

World NGO Day 2023: Theme

A fresh theme is chosen for World NGO Day, each year. The themes highlight the importance of World NGO Day, celebrate the achievements of NGOs globally, ensure cooperation between NGOS, governments and various stakeholders and urge people to donate to these non-profit institutions.

World NGO Day: History

The proposal for establishing World NGO Day was made in 2010 by the Civic Alliance Latvia at the IX Baltic Sea NGO Forum. On April 23-25, 2012, at the Humboldt University of Berlin, World NGO Day got officially adopted into the X Baltic Sea NGO Forum’s Final Statement resolution. Countries such as Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, and Sweden are members of The Baltic Sea NGO Forum.

As mentioned in the websites worldngoday.org , British/Latvian social entrepreneur Marcis Skadmanis founded World NGO Day in 2009. Marcis Skadmanis co-founded the World NGO day Foundation, USA, to celebrate World NGO Day on February 27 each year.

The first World NGO Day inaugural event was held on February 27, 2014, by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland in Helsinki, Finland. Leaders from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Nordic Council, European Union and other international organisations were present as guests.

World NGO Day: Significance

NGOs play a very significant role in our society. They help fill the gap left by governmental agencies in human rights matters, rights of children, social and environmental problems and animal welfare. NGOs also undertake advocacy in these issues and push governments towards the right course of action.

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