BHUBANESWAR, India, May 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Art of Giving (AOG) is a life philosophy that inspires millions around the globe to practice kindness, compassion, and community engagement. It was conceptualised and led by Prof. Achyuta Samanta, educationist and social reformer. It has become a civic movement dedicated to fostering peace and happiness through selfless giving. The movement is based on a simple yet powerful truth: that human beings, in their essence, are wired to give. Happiness and peace, which are the most natural human aspirations, often get buried under material pursuits. Art of Giving calls people back to that natural instinct of sharing, helping, and loving without expectation or reward.
The seeds of AOG were sown long before it had a name. Prof. Achyuta Samanta, having grown up in abject poverty and adversity, began practicing the art of giving as early as the age of five—when he himself had little to give. This lifelong commitment to selfless giving transformed into a mission, and on 17th May 2013, he formally launched the philosophy of Art of Giving as a global movement. Since then, 17th May has been celebrated every year as the International Day of Art of Giving, with each year focusing on a specific theme.
Every year, Art of Giving selects a new theme that aligns with contemporary needs and emotional resonances. It started in 2014 with themes around Society, Spirituality, and Humanity. In 2015, the theme was Kompassion: The Garment Bank, which urged people to donate old clothes to those in need.
During the challenging pandemic period of 2020, the theme was AOG Fights Corona, focusing on supporting frontline workers and affected families. In 2021, My Mother My Hero became a deeply emotional campaign where participants wrote letters of gratitude to their mothers. In 2024, the theme Let's AOG broadened the idea of universal participation. And now in 2025, as AOG in its 12th edition compassion, the theme is Neighbour Good – Bringing Good to the Neighbourhood.
This year's theme focuses on taking kindness to the most immediate circle, our neighbours and local community. From 2nd to 16th May, people around the world observed the Fortnight of Happiness, by engaging in small, meaningful gestures—sharing snacks or tea, visiting elderly neighbours, organising apartment meetups, or participating in neighbourhood events. On 17th May, grand celebrations will take place globally.
Art of Giving has grown exponentially in the last decade. Today, the AOG family includes over 2.5 million active members. Additionally, the philosophy now finds representation in over 220 national federations of the FIVB (Fédération Internationale de Volleyball), extending its values through sports and youth movements worldwide.
Though AOG was formally launched in 2013, its values are timeless. Charity, or 'daan,' has always been central to Indian culture. Every major religion—Islam's zakat, Christianity's charity, Buddhism's acts of compassion, Jainism's saving lives and spreading knowledge, Judaism's tzedakah, and Zoroastrianism's call to fight poverty as a moral duty upholds giving as sacred. What Prof. Samanta has done through AOG is to modernise this wisdom, remove religious and geographical filters, and build a global, inclusive, and joyful movement rooted in humanity.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Art of Giving: A Global Initiative for Peace and Happiness
Limited-time collaboration quests and events inspired by Universal Pictures and DreamWorks
Animation's live-action reimagining of How to Train Your Dragon (in theaters now), is now available in Ragnarok Online.
Exclusive in-game items and costumes offered as rewards for completing quests
BUENA PARK, Calif., July 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Global gaming company Gravity, has collaborated with Universal Products & Experiences to launch a limited time event in its PC MMORPG Ragnarok Online. The event coincides with the theatrical release of Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation's live-action reimagining of How to Train Your Dragon, now playing in theaters worldwide.
The limited-time event, which runs until August 5, is available to players with Base Level 90 and above. During the collaboration event, the Abyss Lake in Ragnarok Online will be visited by Vikings and dragons from Berk. Players can embark on a story-driven quest to help young Viking Hiccup, his Night Fury dragon Toothless and their friends return to Berk.
Upon completing the main quest, players will unlock five related daily quests in sequence. Additional event quests are also available during the event. The main quest, The Strange Occurrence at Abyss Lake, can be initiated by engaging with the quest NPC Benjamin in Hugel. The daily quests can be accessed via five quest NPCs located in the event area, Serene Abyss Lake.
Each time a player completes a daily quest, they will receive a Viking Token, which can be exchanged for various in-game items, including the consumable Sharing Fish and exclusive costumes, including a Toothless costume, among others. Players can also look forward to limited-time costumes such as the Toothless Doll Helmet, Toothless Wings, Mini Toothless, and Toothless Hood.
For more information on the limited-time event, please visit the official Ragnarok Online website at https://renewal.playragnarok.com/news/eventdetail.aspx?id=1894&p=1.
About Ragnarok Online
First launched in 2002, Ragnarok Online has established itself as one of gaming's most resilient MMORPGs, blending 2D character sprites with 3D environments in a world inspired by Norse mythology. The game offers players unparalleled freedom to explore, battle, socialize, and craft their unique identities across a vast, interconnected world.
About Gravity Interactive, Inc.
Gravity Interactive, Inc., founded in California in 2003, has been at the forefront of bringing Gravity games to North American audiences and players worldwide. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gravity Co., Ltd., the company continues to support and expand the Ragnarok Online experience across multiple territories.
Major Titles
Gravity Interactive, Inc. has published and/or developed a variety of games, including Ragnarok Online (Launched in 2003 for North America), Requiem: Desiderium Mortis, Dragon Saga, Ragnarok Online 2, Midgard Heroes: Ragnarok Idle, Ragnarok Begins, and Ragnarok M: Eternal Love.
About the Live-Action How to Train Your Dragon
From three-time Oscar® nominee and Golden Globe winner Dean DeBlois, the creative visionary behind DreamWorks Animation's acclaimed How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, comes a stunning live-action reimagining of the film that launched the beloved franchise.
On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup (Mason Thames; The Black Phone, For All Mankind) stands apart. The inventive yet overlooked son of Chief Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler, reprising his voice role from the animated franchise), Hiccup defies centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society.
With the fierce and ambitious Astrid (BAFTA nominee Nico Parker; Dumbo, The Last of Us) and the village's quirky blacksmith Gobber (Nick Frost; Snow White and the Huntsman, Shaun of the Dead) by his side, Hiccup confronts a world torn by fear and misunderstanding.
As an ancient threat emerges, endangering both Vikings and dragons, Hiccup's friendship with Toothless becomes the key to forging a new future. Together, they must navigate the delicate path toward peace, soaring beyond the boundaries of their worlds and redefining what it means to be a hero and a leader.
The film also stars Julian Dennison (Deadpool 2), Gabriel Howell (Bodies), Bronwyn James (Wicked), Harry Trevaldwyn (Smothered), Ruth Codd (The Midnight Club), BAFTA nominee Peter Serafinowicz (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Murray McArthur (Game of Thrones).
How to Train Your Dragon is written, produced and directed by DeBlois. It is also produced by four-time Oscar® nominee Marc Platt (Wicked, La La Land) and Emmy winner Adam Siegel (Drive, 2 Guns). How To Train Your Dragon is part of the Filmed For IMAX® Program, which offers filmmakers IMAX® technology to help them deliver the most immersive movie experience to audiences around the world.
Inspired by Cressida Cowell's New York Times bestselling book series, DreamWorks Animation's How to Train Your Dragon franchise has captivated global audiences, earning four Academy Award® nominations and grossing more than $1.6 billion at the global box-office. Now, through cutting-edge visual effects, DeBlois transforms his beloved animated saga into a breathtaking live-action spectacle, bringing the epic adventures of Hiccup and Toothless to life with jaw-dropping realism as they discover the true meaning of friendship, courage and destiny.
About Universal Products & Experiences
Universal Products & Experiences (UP&E) globally drives the expansion and elevation of NBCUniversal's iconic collection of brands, intellectual properties, characters, and stories based on the company's extensive portfolio of properties created by Universal Pictures, Illumination, DreamWorks Animation and NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. The division executes this through innovative physical and digital products, as well as engaging retail and product experiences across our expansive global theme park destinations (for both owned and third-party IP), location-based venues, e-commerce product platforms, and retailers around the world. Along with global brand strategy and creative, UP&E's lines of business include Consumer Products and Games, along with Theme Parks Products & Retail. UP&E is a division of Universal Destinations & Experiences, part of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. More information is available at universalproductsexperiences.com.
How to Train Your Dragon © 2025 Universal City Studios LLC & DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Gravity Launches How to Train Your Dragon Collaboration for Ragnarok Online
