“Connections”- International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism
The General Assembly, in its resolution A/RES/72/165, proclaimed 21 August as the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism. In 2021, the International Day will be commemorated this year on Friday, 20 August at 9:00am EST.
The theme for the 2021 International Day is “Connections”, as victims have had to find creative ways to stay connected while being isolated from each other, from their families, friends and communities during the pandemic. It is important for the international community to connect and stand in solidarity with victims, for Member States to connect to learn from each other and share good practices, ensuring that victims needs are met, and their rights upheld.
The importance of human connection
We are profoundly social creatures. A deep sense of love and belonging is an irresistible need of all people. We are biologically, cognitively, physically, and spiritually wired to love, to be loved, and to belong. When those needs are not met, we don’t function as we were meant to. We break. We fall apart. We numb. We ache. We hurt others. We get sick.
Connecting with others is more important than you might think. Social connection can lower anxiety and depression, help us regulate our emotions, lead to higher self-esteem and empathy, and actually improve our immune systems. By neglecting our need to connect, we put our health at risk. Research shows us that a lack of human connection can be more harmful to your health than obesity, smoking and high blood pressure.
The reality is that we are living in a time of true disconnection. COVID forced social distancing, and as much as people are struggling with an economic recession, they are struggling with an emotional recession too, due to loneliness. Loneliness is not just a feeling in one’s head; it is a biological instinct to seek out other human beings, just like hunger is a signal that sends a person to seek out food. In a situation where we have to stay at home, all by ourselves, such as the one caused by this pandemic, this feeling of loneliness might escalate for many, with limited ways of assuaging it.
While technology seems to connect us more than ever, the screens around us disconnect us from nature, from ourselves, and from others. Wi-Fi alone isn’t enough to fulfill our social needs – we need face-to-face interaction to thrive. Technology should be enhancing our connection to others, not replacing it.
Strong social connection leads to a 50% increased chance of longevity. Social connection strengthens our immune system, helps us recover from disease faster, and may even lengthen our life.
People who feel more connected to others have higher self-esteem, are more empathic to others, more trusting and cooperative and, as a consequence, others are more open to trusting and cooperating with them. Social connectedness therefore generates a positive feedback loop of social, emotional and physical well-being. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true for those who lack social connectedness. Low social connection has been generally associated with declines in physical and psychological health as well as a higher propensity to antisocial behavior that leads to further isolation.
Connectedness means social support – The potential of feeling understood and united through human connection is one of the most rewarding elements in life. Social support it is the belief and actuality that a person is cared for, has assistance from other people and is part of a supportive group (family, friends, neigbours, co-workers, and community). With emotional support we offer and receive concern, affection, love, empathy, trust and encouragement.
A sense of connection is internal: Researchers agree that the benefits of connection are actually linked to your subjective sense of connection. In other words, if you feel connected to others on the inside, you reap the benefits thereof!
In a situation where loneliness exacerbates the negative effects of the pandemic, how do we ensure that we connect in a way which is good for us and also reduces the risk of spreading the disease? In our current situation, the need is to reduce physical distances, and boost social or relational connections.
We can foster, nurture and build our internal sense of connection.
We need a connection culture, which is rich in relational connection while maintaining a physical distance between individuals. The best means of surviving psychologically is to interact with people by whatever means possible. But most importantly, we have begun to understand the value of a human connection, a remedy for all mental health issues, that has no other substitute, in its true essence.
Each and every one of us, throughout the course of this pandemic, have felt the importance of a human connection, and it is this realisation in our hearts, which will make us value real connections.
To observe the International Day, the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT)/the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT), in collaboration with the Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism, are pleased to hold an online high-level event entitled ‘Surviving Terrorism: The Power of Connections’ with the participation of the United Nations Secretary-General Mr. António Guterres and will features testimonies from victims of terrorism and closing remarks from Under-Secretary-General Mr. Vladimir Voronkov.
A short film “Surviving Terrorism: The Power of Connections” will be launched, which features testimonies of victims and survivors of terrorism from across the world reciting a collective ode and sharing why connections is important. This will be followed by an interactive discussion featuring victims and victims’ associations to discuss the importance of connections and how to strengthen the rights and needs of victims.
https://www.un.org/victimsofterrorism/en/node/5876
Watch live at: https://media.un.org/en/webtv
Psychological Support to Victims of Terrorism – VIRTUAL EVENT
If provided with the necessary protection, assistance and tools, victims of terrorism have the potential to become messengers for peace and ambassadors of collective memory. As such, we want to honour their strength and resilience in giving their testimonies to support countering terrorist narratives that incite violence.
The focus of the event is on victims’ psychological and psychosocial support, highlighting UNODC’s project on supporting victims of terrorism in Iraq within the criminal justice framework, including through psychological support, in cooperation with the Lebanese Association for Victims of Terrorism (AVT-L), with funding from the Netherlands.
Friday, 20 August 2021, 10:00 -11:30 am CEST.
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