Global Dignity Day

Global Dignity Day is an initiative to educate and inspire young people and help them to understand their self-worth and goals, as well as reminding them about the value of inclusion and shared humanity of every single person who lives on the planet. 

With the purpose of instilling a “positive, inclusive and interconnected sense of value among young people”, the hope for Global Dignity Day is to bridge gaps and help guide children, teens and older students as they grow.

History of Global Dignity Day

Global Dignity Day dates back to 2005 when it was first started at the World Economic Forum. The day, and its international non-profit organization called Global Dignity, was founded by three different influential people, including the Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, author and philosopher Professor Pekka Himanen from Finland and American entrepreneur and charity founder/CEO John Bryant.

On Global Dignity Day, a variety of community and educational activities may be planned. In some places, speakers and community leaders might go into schools to share with the students about their own lives and experiences with dignity and all of the aspects that entails: self-respect, ambition, hard work, a feeling of accomplishment.

Speakers on Global Dignity Day can certainly be of any nationality and any profession, from plumbers to CEOs and from soldiers to factory workers. The important factor about the person chosen to speak is less about the profession and more about the attitude of the speaker towards his or her own life.

After giving his or her talk, the speaker might invite the students to think about what dignity means to them and how it affects their lives. After discussing dignity between themselves, the students are then sometimes encouraged to tell their own stories in front of the class.

After this activity helps to crystallize their thoughts, which is empowering in itself, they can even write a letter to themselves listing their aspirations and goals for the future. The letters are collected and stored and returned to the children a year later, on the next Global Dignity Day, so that they can measure how their lives have changed and which goals have been met.

For many students, teachers, professionals and others, Global Dignity Day serves as a benchmark for children to measure their success and as a reminder of what they find truly important in life.

Other schools, universities and companies may choose to celebrate Global Dignity Day with events such as official ceremonies that pay respect and honor to citizens who display the characteristics associated with the day. Various influencers, role models, teachers and ‘change-makers’ are enlisted to act as advocates and activists for the day. Global Dignity Day continues to grow in popularity and is now celebrated in more than 80 different countries all over the world.

How to Celebrate Global Dignity Day

Get on board with Global Dignity Day and celebrate by implementing some of these ideas:

Host a Global Dignity Day Event

Those who are leaders in a community, school or neighborhood might want to collaborate together to set up an event in celebration and honor of Global Dignity Day. The Global Dignity organization offers an online toolkit for those who want assistance in how to host an event, including resources, schedule options, sample workshops and so much more. This type of an event could be a super way for kids who are in groups like scout troops, church youth groups, local libraries, school clubs and so much more.

Create Works of Art about Dignity

One great way to get involved with Global Dignity Day is for parents, grandparents, teachers and other people who have influence over today’s youth to encourage different forms of expression. Whether through poems, spoken word, song writing, essays or visual artwork, dignity is an incredible topic that allows children and adults both to share how they feel and what they dream the world will be like with a future of inclusion and dignity for all!

Visit the Global Dignity Website

Because Global Dignity Day is associated with an international non-profit organization, it could be a good idea to visit the website for Global Dignity to find out more about the day. Learn about the inspiration behind the origination of the day, as well as checking out an interactive map that provides information about how to get better involved in each of the 80 countries around the world that are involved. The website also includes fun resources such as a free printable children’s coloring book (in more than 20 languages) as well as tools for teachers and parents.