World Values Day

Although some people may not often have conversations about them, or they may not even know exactly how to articulate them, everyone has values! In fact, what a person values has a significant impact on their personal identity – the choices they make, the way they treat other people and the impact they have on the world. 

Values are a vital part of individuals, families and society at large. World Values Day seeks to encourage people to unite over their common values, especially in this world that has felt more and more divided.

History of World Values Day

The background of World Values Day can be traced back to 2016 when it was founded in the United Kingdom by an organization of the same name. This annual campaign is dedicated to improving public awareness about and increasing the practice of values by people all around the globe.

Each year, the folks at World Values Day provide a theme that helps to target the direction of the conversation. Past themes for these events have included:

• Bringing Values to Life (2024)
• Values Bring Us Together (2023)
• Values for Community (2022)
• Values in Action (2020)

How to Celebrate World Values Day

Looking for a way to build into family, workplace, community and the world? World Values Day provides an excellent opportunity to bring up topics of conversation and engage with others in a meaningful, authentic way. Check out some of these ideas at the World Values Day website or consider these ways to get involved with the day: 

Join (or Create) a Conversation About Values

An important activity that is encouraged by World Values Day is to join with others, perhaps people who think slightly differently than you do, with the simple purpose of having a conversation about values. Get involved with a conversation that is already happening in the local community, or start one with colleagues or neighbors. For those who want to explore values on their own first, perhaps it could start with journaling with answers to some of these questions:

• What is most important to me?
• What family roles and background stories have influenced my perspective of values?
• How do I live out what my values are in practical, tangible ways?
• How do I relate to other people based on my values? How do I relate to people who don’t value the same things I do?

Host a World Values Day Event

This time offers a great opportunity to gather a few people together to encourage conversation about values. From a small dinner party at home with a few friends to larger events like a conference or seminar that includes round table discussions, World Values Day sets the stage for people to get more serious about naming what they value and living it out in their families, at work, in their local communities and in the world at large. Bring in guest speakers, arrange for educational opportunities, leave room for think tanks and much more!