Welcome
During International Days and major international conferences there is a special opportunity to serve in
the creation of a more unified and compassionate world.
As meditators we can symbolically stand together with all actively working in the spirit of the Charter of Compassion, and hold these events in the light of a Higher Wisdom.
Daily Reminder
Now you can get a daily reminder of these events to hold in the light. Share this daily reminder with others by including the app on your website.
Millennium Goals & Climate Change
These International Days reflect important themes in the mobilization of energies to:
- fulfill the historic promise made by world leaders in 1999 to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, halving extreme poverty
- to respond appropriately to the urgent needs of climate change
- and to engage people of goodwill all over the world in the process of defining new Sustainable Development Goals to replace the Millennium Development Goals that expire in 2015.
2013 United Nations International Years
Silence at the United Nations
The Spiritual Caucus at the United Nations gathers in the vicinity of UN Headquarters in New York (October - June) on the third Thursday every month for 30 minutes of silence followed by 30 minutes of dialogue, sharing insights and exploring ways to use an inner focus in service of the work of the UN. On the 1st Thursday of the month the Caucus invites friends to sit in silence for 30 minutes in the Meditation Room in the public lobby of UN Headquarters in New York.
Please link in from wherever you are. More information at: http://www.spiritualcaucusun.org/
In July the Spiritual Caucus is on a summer break.
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July Please Hold These Events in the Light
July 6
International Day of Cooperatives
2013 theme: Cooperative enterprise remains strong in times of crisis
The cooperative movement encompassing financial organisations, farmers, producers and consumers is playing an incredible role in pioneering new ethics and values in business and economics. This Day, which is observed on the first Saturday of July, marks the formation in 1895 of the International Cooperative Alliance. Today the Alliance includes 267 member organizations (many of which include thousands of cooperatives) from 96 countries, representing one billion individuals worldwide.
We forget how widespread cooperative enterprises are: in Kenya 63% of the population derive their livelihood from cooperatives; in the US 30,000 cooperatives provide over 2 million jobs; in 2007 consumer cooperatives in Denmark held 36.4% of the consumer retail market; 91% of all Japanese farmers are members of cooperatives. More figures here.
The basis of co-operation lies primarily in mutual responsibility. - Agni Yoga, Heart, 559
ica.coop/en/events/international-co-operative-day-2013
www.copac.coop/idc/index.html
social.un.org/index/Cooperatives/InternationalDayofCooperatives.aspx
July 8 - 12
World Congress on Quinoa, Ecuador
This Fourth World Congress on Quinoa is the major event in the International Year of Quinoa.
Faced with the challenge of increasing the production of quality food to feed the world's population in the context of climate change, quinoa offers an alternative for those countries suffering from food insecurity. The Fourth World Congress on Quinoa will increase understanding of the important role the grain can play in eradicating hunger, malnutrition and poverty. Long a staple of Andean diets, quinoa’s popularity has soared globally in recent decades. The grain has two great advantages — it is extremely nutritious and highly adaptable. Quinoa’s tolerance to arid conditions makes it an attractive crop for farmers in all regions. It is rich in protein, amino acids, fibre and minerals and the grain is gluten and cholesterol free. This ‘superfood’ helps reduce the risk of various diseases and promotes good health.
www.fao.org/quinoa-2013/
www.congresomundialquinua.com.ec/
July 11
World Population Day
Achievement of all the Millennium Development Goals will require significant progress in lowering the birth rate in many of the economically poorest countries largely by improving reproductive health services and family planning. A recent report from the UN Population Fund, UNFPA, finds that up to 3.6 million deaths could be avoided each year if midwifery services are upgraded by 2015. Check out the excellent UN Population Fund site exploring the links between the Goals and Population issues: www.unfpa.org/pds/
worldpopulationday.org/
www.un.org/en/events/populationday/
July 14 - 18
World Renewable Energy Conference, Perth, Australia
Theme: Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development and Decarbonisation
This international conference is part of a series of global and regional events organized by WREN, a worldwide network of organizations promoting environmentally safe and economically sustainable renewable energy.
Conference topics include: Carbon Neutral Economy; Biofuels; wind, wave and tidal energy; decarbonising food; energy efficiency.
www.wrenuk.co.uk/congresses.html
July 18
Nelson Mandela International Day
This official United Nations Day has been observed every year on Nelson Mandela's birthday since 2010. Due to Mandela's serious illness there is special poignancy to the Day this year.
The Day honors Mandela's stature as a world leader and his remarkable contribution to freedom, justice and democracy. He is indeed greatly loved by people of goodwill around the world. Nelson Mandela is a living embodiment of the highest values of the United Nations. … He is an exemplary global citizen, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
The overarching objective of Mandela Day is to inspire individuals to take action to help change the world for the better, and in doing so build a global movement for good. Ultimately it seeks to empower communities everywhere. "Take Action; Inspire Change; Make Every Day a Mandela Day."
www.un.org/en/events/mandeladay/
www.mandeladay.com/
July 24 - 27
Nexus Global Youth Summit on Innovative Philanthropy and Social Entrepreneurship, UN Headquarters, New York, USA
This is the third in an annual series of global gatherings bringing together young philanthropists, investors, social entrepreneurs and allies from over 60 countries. The ecent aims to inspire new leadership, greater generosity, and more strategic investing in social and environmental projects.
nexusyouthsummit.org/global2013/>
July 28
World Hepatitis Day
Theme 2013: This is hepatitis. Know it. Confront it
Hepatitis remains largely unknown as a health threat in many regions of the world - yet around 240 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis B and around 150 million people chronically infected with hepatitis C. Many of those who are infected with the disease have no symptoms, often for decades, until they develop chronic liver disease. Approximately a million people die every year as a result of the virus, commonly from cirrhosis and liver cancer.
World Hepatitis day provides an opportunity to hold this silent epidemic in the light, focussing on strengthening prevention, screening and control; increasing Hepatitis B vaccine coverage and coordinating a global response to hepatitis.
www.who.int/campaigns/hepatitis-day/
www.worldhepatitisalliance.org/
July 30
International Day of Friendship
United Nations International Day of Friendship highlights friendship as the fundamental glue uniting people across diverse cultures and backgrounds; an essential requirement in building of Cultures of Peace and fundamental to the work of the United Nations.
The idea of friendship permeates the work and ideals of the United Nations. The Charter proclaims that one of the purposes of the Organization is "to develop friendly relations among nations". These same words appear in the preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. UNESCO’s Constitution speaks of the need for peace based not just on the "political and economic arrangements of governments", but on the "intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind". And the UN Alliance of Civilizations initiative aims to improve cooperation and understanding among nations and peoples across cultures and religions, including to counter the forces that fuel extremism. Ban Ki-moon
www.un.org/en/events/friendshipday/
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