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.
2015 United Nations International Years
- International Year of Light and Light-Based Technologies
- International Year of Soils
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 in the newly renovated Meditation Room at UN Headquarters in New York.
Please link in from wherever you are. More information at: http://www.spiritualcaucusun.org/
In March the Spiritual Caucus will meet on March 5 for silence in the Meditation Room at UN Headquarters and on March 19 for silence and discussion in the NGO Resource Room at UN Headquarters, NY.
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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/
Facebook
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 6
World Day of Prayer
2015 theme: Radical Love.
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 2015 the Service has been prepared by women of the Bahamas.
www.worlddayofprayer.net
March 6
UN General Assembly High-level Thematic Debate Advancing Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women and Girls for a Transformative Post-2015 Development Agenda
2015 marks twenty years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Through efforts at the national, regional and global level, there has been steady progress in advancing gender equality. However, as Member States and other stakeholders engage in formulating the Post-2015 Development Agenda, gender inequalities still remain deeply entrenched in many societies.
This thematic debate will focus primarily on two aspects of promoting gender equality and empowerment of women that are important for their contribution to sustainable development – women’s economic and political empowerment and their access to quality education.
www.un.org/pga/
March 8
International Women's Day
2015 UN Theme: Empowering Women - Empowering Humanity: Picture It!
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.
Celebrated globally on 8 March, International Women's Day will highlight the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a historic roadmap signed by 189 governments 20 years ago that sets the agenda for realizing women's rights. While there have been many achievements since then, many serious gaps remain. This is the time to uphold women's achievements, recognize challenges, and focus greater attention on women's rights and gender equality to mobilize all people to do their part. The Beijing Platform for Action focuses on 12 critical areas of concern, and envisions a world where each woman and girl can exercise her choices, such as participating in politics, getting an education, having an income, and living in societies free from violence and discrimination.
www.un.org/womenwatch/feature/iwd/
www.internationalwomensday.com
March 9 - 20
UN Commission on the Status of Women, UN Headquarters, New York, USA
2015 Theme: Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action
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. Representatives of civil society groups also gather at the UN for the annual NGO CSW Forum. 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 from every part of the world.
www.unwomen.org
www.ngocsw.org
March 14 - 18
Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, Sendai, Japan
Several thousand people will be gathering in Japan for this important world conference. While the official conference is for governments to review plans and focus on achieving targets to build national and community resilience to disasters, community groups, cities and civil society representatives will also be meeting. The conference will plan disaster risk reduction goals and actions as part of the post-2015 sustainable development agenda.
In 2005 (on the anniversary of the 1995 Kobe earthquake) governments met in Kobe, Japan to decide how to better manage risks following the Indian Ocean tsunami. A Framework of Action was drafted to "reduce the losses in lives and social, economic, and environmental assets of communities and countries." Sendai, where this 2015 world conference will be held, was at the center of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that led to the Fukushima nuclear meltdown.
In the last 44 years, disasters caused by weather, climate, and water-related hazards have led to 3.5 million deaths. Though progress has been made in reducing disaster-related mortality – according to the Center for Research into the Epidemiology of Disasters, the number of disaster-related deaths has not increased significantly in the last decade, despite the uptick in disasters – this figure remains far too high. Margareta Wahlström, Special representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction
www.wcdrr.org/
www.unisdr.org
March 20
International Day of Happiness
International Day of Happiness is a United Nations Day honoring the work on national happiness by the Kingdom of Bhutan. In resolving to observe the Day the UN General Assembly highlighted the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals ... and the importance of their recognition in public policy objectives. The world needs a new economic paradigm that recognizes the parity between the three pillars of sustainable development. Social, economic and environmental well-being are indivisible. Together they define gross global happiness. Ban Ki-moon
www.un.org/en/events/
happathon.com
www.happycounts.org
March 21
International Day of Forests and the Tree
2015 theme: Forests | Climate | Change
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/
www.fao.org/forestry/
March 21
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
2015 Theme: Learning from historical tragedies to combat racial discrimination today
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/
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/
2015 Theme: Water and Sustainable Development
Today there are billions people (2.4 billion, 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.
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
2015 Theme: Climate Knowledge for Climate Action
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 23 - 27
UN Post-2015 Intergovernmental Negotiations
In September the major re-focus of the United Nations Development Agenda will take its final form with a Declaration of a set of transformative Sustainable Development Goals to guide and inspire action for the next 15 years. During this negotiation session governments will focus on the Sustainable Development Goals and Targets.
These negotiations are all of enormous significance as a new vision of the future takes its final shape
sustainabledevelopment.un.org
March 24 - 28
World Social Forum, Tunis, Tunisia
The World Social Forum is an open meeting place where social movements, networks, NGOs and other civil society organizations opposed to neo-liberalism and a world dominated by capital or by any form of imperialism come together to pursue their thinking, to debate ideas democratically, formulate proposals, share their experiences freely and network for effective action.
World Goodwill invites people to work with a visualisation in support of the Social Forum as part of the Cycles of Conferences Initiative - to come shortly.
https://fsm2015.org
March 25
International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
2015 Theme: Women and Slavery
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 162 countries and over 7,000 towns and communities took part in the lights off campaign in 2014. Join the movement: On Saturday, March 28, at 8:30 PM local time turn off your lights for an hour.
www.earthhour.org
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