Ethiopia Spreads a Culture of Peace Through Blood Donation Campaign

Ethiopia, October 23, 2023 – In the Meqaniya region, Addis Ababa, a blood donation event was held by the international peace NGO HWPL under the theme ‘Spreading the Culture of Peace through Blood Donation Campaign in Ethiopia’.

Sixty individuals joined the event from four groups, including the Shincheonji Volunteer Group, O-YES Ethiopian Youth, and the Endurance Youth Association, to share the importance of peace and engage in blood donation.

Blood donation was also planned to heal Ethiopia’s wounds and erase the bloodshed remnants of past conflicts. Celebrating World Blood Donor Day 2023, World Health Organization(WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, left a message saying countries in the African Region continue to face severe shortages of blood and blood products, resulting in many avoidable deaths of people with injuries. In 2022, the Ethiopian Blood and Tissue Bank said its reserve was hit by a blood shortage and appealed for blood donors to step in.

Participants voluntarily shared their life force through blood donation and planned to make this campaign an ongoing cooperation platform. It highlighted the need for more blood reserves in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, to prepare for emergencies.

Since the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace on September 13, 1999, the importance of spreading a culture of peace has been recognized for sustainable peace. As defined by the United Nations” “Culture of Peace” is ” a “set of values, attitudes, modes of behavior and ways of life that reject violence and prevent conflicts by tackling their root causes to solve problems through dialogue and negotiation among individuals groups and nation.”

HWPL, the organizer, expressed its hope that these efforts will continue to bring more hope and peace to the future of Ethiopia, pledging to sustain practical assistance locally.