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.
Millennium Goals & Climate Change
These International Days and events 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.
2014 United Nations International Years
2015:
2015 will be observed as International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies & International Year of Soils. more information. It is also marks the conclusion of the Millennium Development Goals and the launch of a new set of goals for the international community, the Sustainable Development Goals.
Silence at the United Nations
The Spiritual Caucus at the United Nations gathers in the vicinity of UN Headquarters in New York (September - 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. Traditionally a gathering has been held in the Meditation Room in the public lobby of UN Headquarters in New York, but during the major redevelopment of the UN building in NY the Meditation Room is closed so on this first Thursday all are invited to hold the Meditation Room in the light and ponder its significance.
Please link in from wherever you are. More information at: http://www.spiritualcaucusun.org/
In March the Spiritual Caucus invites all to link subjectively on Thursday, 6th, 12:45 - 1:15 USA Eastern Daylight Time, holding the Meditation Room at the United Nations in the light during this period when the Room is closed due to rennovation work. Please also link with the full meeting on Thursday, March 20 at 1.15 PM EDT.
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March Please Hold These Events in the Light
March 3
World Wildlife Day
For millennia, people and cultures have relied on nature’s rich diversity of wild plants and animals for food, clothing, medicine and spiritual sustenance. Wildlife remains integral to our future through its essential role in science, technology and recreation, as well as its place in our continued heritage. Ban Ki-moon
www.un.org/en/events/
March 3 - 5
Ninth Session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals, United Nations, New York
One of the main outcomes of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), held in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012, was the agreement by Member States to launch a process to develop a set of sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Rio+20 did not elaborate specific goals but stated that the SDGs should be limited in number, aspirational and easy to communicate. The goals should address in a balanced way all three dimensions of sustainable development and be coherent with and integrated into the UN development agenda beyond 2015. A 30-member Open Working Group (OWG) of the General Assembly is tasked with preparing a proposal on the SDGs. The session will include representatives from civil society.
sustainabledevelopment.un.org
March 6 - 7
High Level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on the Contributions of Women, the Young and Civil Society to the Post-2015 Development Agenda
This High-level event will address the themes of equality, inclusiveness and participation, as they relate
to the overarching goal of poverty eradication, including a number of cross-cutting rights-based issues
relevant to women and the young, and provide an opportunity to address the contribution of civil society to
the shaping and future implementation of the Post-2015 Development Agenda. These are themes of vital importance to the shaping of a new, post-2015 agenda in the international community.
www.un.org/en/ga/
March 7
World Day of Prayer
2014 theme: Streams in the Desert.World Day of Prayer is a global Christian ecumenical movement of 'Informed Prayer and Prayerful Action'. This is a movement initiated and carried out by women in over 170 countries. Throughout the entire day, we collectively pray all over the world, beginning with the first sunrise and ending at the last sunset. Our prayers follow the sun's path around the globe.
Every year a fresh service is prepared by women from a different country. In 2014 the Service has been prepared by women of Egypt.
www.worlddayofprayer.net
March 8
International Women's Day
2014 UN Theme: Equality for women is progress for all.
The Feminine is on the rise in human consciousness and this key festival is widely celebrated around the world. In our time the rights of women, and the rights of children nourished by women, are key issues in every modern society.
The day was first observed in 1911, and is now celebrated with national holidays in a number of countries, including China, Russia, Vietnam and Bulgaria.
In the hands of woman lies the salvation of humanity and of our planet. Woman must realize her significance, the great mission of the Mother of the World; she should be prepared to take responsibility for the destiny of humanity. Mother, the life-giver, has every right to direct the destiny of her children. The voice of woman, the mother, should be heard amongst the leaders of humanity. The mother suggests the first conscious thoughts to her child. She gives direction and quality to all his aspirations and abilities — Helena Roerich
See the UN WomenWatch site for the Day:www.un.org/womenwatch/
and the dedicated site at www.internationalwomensday.com
March 10 - 21
UN Commission on the Status of Women, UN Headquarters, New York, USA
2014 Theme: Challenges and achievements in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals for women and girls
Every year, representatives of Member States gather at United Nations Headquarters in New York to evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and advancement of women worldwide. During these annual gatherings there is a concentration of thinking and energy on issues of gender equality.
Together with the policy making deliberations the Commission acts as a focal point for a vast number of gatherings at UN HQ, organised by governments, international agencies and NGO's. It is always a joy to be at UN Headquarters during the CSW sessions when there are so many women present. See the list of official side events and unofficial NGO paralell events.
www.unwomen.org
March 16
Full Moon - Pisces
Since ancient times human beings have honored the full moon as a time when the sacred is most accesible. It is a time of light - the moon reflects the light of the sun onto the face of the earth. In astrology this is a time when the qualities and potentials of the zodiacal sign of the sun are especially available to humanity for use on service.
During the full moon religious and esoteric groups around the world use the opportunities of this time to vizualize light and love and spiritual power flowing into humanity and strengthening all that is being done to help prepare the way for a world of unity, justice and peace; a world in which the Millenium Development Goals and the Sustainable Development Goals will be achieved.
www.lucistrust.org
www.worldservicegroup.com/
March 20
International Day of Happiness
International Day of Happiness honors the work on national happiness by the Kingdom of Bhutan. In resolving to observe the Day the General Assembly highlighted the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals ... and the importance of their recognition in public policy objectives and recognized the need for a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes sustainable development, poverty eradication, happiness and the well-being of all peoples.
www.un.org/en/events/
happathon.com
www.happycounts.org
March 21
International Day of Forests and the Tree
A United Nations Day dedicated to forests and trees affirms the degree to which human beings are struggling to develop a new and more responsible relationship with the natural world.
The Day will celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests. On each International Day of Forests, countries are encouraged to undertake local, national and international efforts to organize activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns.
www.un.org/en/events/
March 21
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
On March 21 1960, police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa, against the apartheid "pass laws". In 1966 it was agreed to observe this day as a reminder of the deep commitment needed to end racial discrimination in all its forms in all parts of the world. The challenge of our time is to foster the ethics of human unity.
The UNESCO sponsored International Coalition of Cities Against Racism is a network of more than 500 cities cooperating in the development of policies to combat racism. A report features more than 50 good practices developed by over 38 cities in the network.
www.un.org/en/events/racialdiscriminationday/
March 21
World Poetry Day
World Poetry Day, sponsored by UNESCO, aims to support linguistic diversity through poetic expression and to offer endangered languages the opportunity to be heard within their communities. Moreover, this Day is meant to support poetry, return to the oral tradition of poetry recitals, promote teaching poetry, restore a dialogue between poetry and the other arts such as theater, dance, music, painting and so on, support small publishers and create an attractive image of poetry in the media so that the art of poetry will no longer be considered an outdated form of art.
www.un.org/en/events/
2014 Theme: Water and Energy
Today there are not millions of people, but billions (2.4 billion people to be exact, or one-sixth of the world's population) who do not have access to clean water. And the same number of people are without access to even a simple latrine.
There are 7 billion people to feed on the planet today and another 2 billion are expected to join by 2050. Statistics say that each of us drinks from 2 to 4 litres of water every day, however most of the water we 'drink' is embedded in the food we eat: producing 1 kilo of beef for example consumes 15,000 litres of water while 1 kilo of wheat 'drinks up' 1,500 litres.
This years theme focuses on water and energy: Energy generation and transmission requires utilization of water resources, particularly for hydroelectric, nuclear, and thermal energy sources. Conversely, about 8% of the global energy generation is used for pumping, treating and transporting water to various consumers.
Explore the work of visionary water advocate Maude Barlow and the Blue Planet Project, a global movement struggling to achieve the Right for Water as a fundamental human right.
www.unwater.org
March 23
World Meteorological Day
2014 Theme: Weather and Climate: Engaging Youth
Climate affects the thinking, and the moods of people - and, many spiritual traditions suggest, the thinking of people en masse affects the climate. For the first time on a global level, it is now recognized that there is a need to alter the way we think and behave in order to offset the serious affects of climate change.
http://www.wmo.int/worldmetday/
March 25
International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
Recognizing how little is known about the 400-year-long transatlantic slave trade and its lasting consequences, March 25 has been designated as an annual day of remembrance of the trade and its victims. The intention is to raise awareness among future generations of the causes, consequences and lessons of the transatlantic slave trade and to communicate the dangers of racism and prejudice.
http://www.un.org/en/slavery/
The Earth Hour Movement began in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million homes and businesses turned their lights off for an hour as a symbol of their stand for the Earth and their willingness to act against climate change.
Hundreds of millions of people from 152 countries took part in the lights off campaign in 2013. Join the movement: On Saturday, March 29, at 8:30 PM local time turn off your lights for an hour.
www.earthhour.org
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