World NGO Day is celebrated on February 27. It is celebrated as an International Day of Recognition and celebration for NGOs. The idea has been promulgated by the NGO community under the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which recognised “the importance of non-governmental organisations in achieving sustainable development goals, especially with respect to disaster resilience.”

The history of International NGO Day can be traced back to the year 2010 when the UN General Assembly proclaimed the first week of February as the World NGO Week. The first commemoration was celebrated in 2011 under the theme “Together we make a difference”. The celebrations included civic activities like street plays, music, and art-related presentations. There are various organisations who celebrate World NGO Day by supporting an event promoting blood donation and participation in health. NGOs have a significant role in tackling global challenges such as development, health and the environment. They are indispensable in achieving and maintaining the health goals of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Many volunteers work in NGOs because they see them as a chance to improve their communities while contributing to the proper care of the world’s poorest people. The development of the global private sector has led to the growth of NGOs and their role in maintaining and strengthening good governance. Moreover, according to the UN Department of Public Information (UNDPI), NGOs are key partners in achieving development goals as they have a wide array of resources, expertise, and creativity. Lastly, more than half of NGOs work on a local level as they have been addressing community problems such as poverty and inequality. It can be ascertained that celebrating International NGO Day is an effective way of creating awareness about the work of NGOs. Many people are not aware of the work that NGOs do daily, and they could not have been part of so many meritorious efforts. It is also a great opportunity to raise awareness about blood donation and encourage people to sign up as volunteer blood donors in support or countries where blood is badly needed. The idea behind celebrating International NGO Day was that NGOs could contribute more to global development by using innovative approaches, including community-based memberships, public health awareness-raising, and sustainability programs. World NGO Day aims to increase public awareness of all such organisations throughout the world, honour those who labour in this industry, and motivate others to support this deserving cause. There happens to be many supporters and volunteers show their gratitude to those who labour for non-governmental organisations on this day each year. Numerous businesses are honoured and given important awards on this day to encourage them to increase their output.

On World NGO Day, we celebrate the relentless and invaluable role of civil society organisations in protecting and fighting for fundamental human rights, democracy, and sustainable development for all. Their continuous commitment to these fundamental values makes their contributions indispensable to the construction of resilient, inclusive and diverse

societies. World NGO day aims to celebrate the successes of more than ten million NGOs worldwide and to allow many small grassroots organisations to gain the recognition they deserve.

Debasmita Mahajan

Assistant Professor, Department of Management