NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

      BUENOS AIRES (CWNews.com) - A federation of 83 Argentine humanitarian Non-Governmental Organizations -- most of them of Catholic inspiration -- succeeded this week in officially establishing Mother Teresa of Calcutta's birthday as the national Day of Solidarity.

      The commemoration was approved yesterday by the Department of Culture and will be celebrated for the first time on August 26, Mother Teresa's birthday. In the official document approving the feast, authorities said: "The commemoration should awake among Argentineans the spirit of fraternity and solidarity to create a giving culture and to encourage Argentineans to create new private and collective humanitarian initiatives." The statement also recognized Mother Teresa as "a role model of the virtues our society needs."

      According to a recent Gallup poll, twenty percent of Argentineans volunteered in a humanitarian activity last year, but only two percent are actively involved in volunteering on a steady basis in the some 47,000 humanitarian groups.

      The Day of Solidarity will also include a Man or Woman of the Year chosen from among people who have founded the most creative and effective initiative for social assistance.