Since the 1940s, many social, educational, and spiritual initiatives have invoked a Day of Compassion. The term "Day of Compassion" first appeared in a call issued in 1942 by the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America to all Christians in the United States. It urged all Christians to pray and show compassion for the persecuted Jews in Europe.[1] More than a half-century later, the idea of a Day of Compassion was used for several other purposes, including a television program HIV/AIDS-awareness, a university psychology course, a day of observance in India, and an international day of celebration.