Nashville, TN — NBCRightNow.com — International Day of Friendship was created to inspire peace and bridge building. The Way to Happiness Association of Tennessee recently brought together a diverse crowd to dialogue for the occasion.
More than 100 pastors and community leaders were called to participate in an interactive adventure in friendship for the International Day of Friendship celebration in Nashville, Tenn., organized by the Way to Happiness Association of Tennessee (TWTH-TN). Members of the Sikh, Jewish, Methodist, Baptist, Catholic, Muslim and Scientologist communities joined together to learn about one another and forge true friendships by taking part in guided dialogue.
The day, which is an annual observance dignified in by the United Nations in 2011, was created with the idea that “friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities,” according to un.org.
This is the second time TWTH-TN has organized a celebration for the day, with many community leaders coming together to participate. Events like this are vital to combat racism and bigotry in today’s world. “There are so many problems in the world today caused by a basic misunderstanding of each other. If we learn something about other people we might end these problems, disputes and upsets altogether,” says one organizer.
TWTH-TN provides a community betterment program based on the book The Way to Happiness by L. Ron Hubbard. The program is predicated on the fact that one’s survival depends on the survival of others—and that without the survival of others, neither joy nor happiness are attainable. Several concepts in the book promote dialogue and friendship, and were used during the event to assist attendees to dialogue with one another. Among them, “Respect the Religious Beliefs of Others,” “Seek to Live with the Truth,” and “Try to Treat Others As You Would Want them to Treat You.”
For more information about The Way to Happiness, visit www.twthtn.org.