As March is trying to decide whether it is coming in like a lion or a lamb, there is a decision that we have to make as well. Do we choose to honor the little known observance that could affect the whole human family known as Universal Human Beings Week?

The International Society of Friendship and Good Will sponsors this obscure observance during the first week of March each year, in hopes of inspiring men and women to break free from the shackles of their traditional groups, and reach out to the rest of the world in an attempt to form a global village.

The groups ideals are simple, and yet, terribly complex in the context of our world. They strive to encourage international understanding, education, and relations, to honor law and humanity, to put humans and ethical behavior above material wealth, and to support organizations that actively work for peace, friendship and good will. They also tout the use of Esperanto, as a necessity for international communication.

It seems like common sense, but these very basic principles generally get lost somewhere in the daily grind. During difficult economic times, there are two trains of thought: eat or be eaten, or all for one and one for all.

The choice is yours – do you sacrifice your fellow human beings to make out ok on the other end of the crisis, or do you reach out to those around you in hopes that the difference you make in their life will come back to enrich your own?

The ISFGW sponsors other observances throughout the year to help advance their ideology such as Peace, Friendship, and Good Will Week in October, Tolerance Week in December, and “Simplify your Life” Week in August. They have also dubbed September as Self-Improvement Month, just in case you need an excuse to execute your own personal goals.

Whether or not you’re ready to sign up for the International Society of Friendship and Good Will, it seems like reaching beyond our comfort zone for a week could greatly benefit the general public. But, before we can go breaking international boundaries, we need to start closer to home. Too many of us don’t know our neighbors, we don’t know who works down the hall in our building, and we have never taken the opportunity to say good morning to the people we see in the coffee shop each week. We are stuck in our own sovereign realms, and we never bother to venture beyond its borders.

So, start your quest to join our global village this week, and then make a commitment to continue your quest for a universal bond each day after.

For more information, visit the ISFGW’s website here.

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