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.
Sustainable Development Goals & Climate Change
These International Days and events reflect important themes in the mobilization of energies to:
- End poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030 through practical actions to achieve the new Sustainable Development Goals
- engaging people of goodwill all over the world in a common movement.
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 September the Spiritual Caucus will gather in the UN Meditation Room on September 1st and at the Conference Room of the NGO Resource Center at UN Headquarters in New York on September 17 from 1.30 - 2.45 PM.
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September Please Hold These Events in the Light
September 5
International Day of Charity
Honoring the date of Mother Theresa's death, the United Nations General Assembly has designated September 5th as International Day of Charity.
Affirming the role of charity in furthering the culture of peace the Day seeks to draw attention to the value of charitable organizations. The day is dedicated to commemorate the common desire to help the most disadvantaged members of society and to promote charitable activities around the world. Charity, like the notions of volunteerism and philanthropy, provides real social bonding and contributes to the creation of inclusive and more resilient societies.
www.un.org/en/events/charityday/
www.facebook.com/dayofcharity
September 8
International Literacy Day
This special UNESCO Day celebrates one of the most basic movements in the education and uplift of consciousness: the movement to promote support and teach adult literacy programs. Large numbers of professionals and volunteers work in every country helping adults in their efforts to learn to read and write.
Literacy contributes to peace as it brings people closer to attaining individual freedoms and better understanding the world, as well as preventing or resolving conflict. More
www.unesco.org
September 9
UN High Level Forum on the Culture of Peace, UN Headquarters, New York
Organized by the President of the General Assembly, this fourth High Level Forum provides an opportunity for UN member states, UN agencies, media and civil society to consider ways and means of implementing the UN Programme of Action on the Culture of Peace and its importance to the Sustainable Development Goals. People of goodwill are invited to register to attend this all-day program. Tickets can be ordered up until September 3 from the NGLS. The Forum can be watched live at webtv.un.org
www.un.org/pga/calendar/
September 10
World Suicide Prevention Day
Theme 2015: Preventing Suicide: Reaching Out and Saving Lives
Supported by the World Health Organization, this annual Day promotes worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides. Every year, over 800,000 people die from suicide; this roughly corresponds to one death every 40 seconds. The number of lives lost each year through suicide exceeds the number of deaths due to homicide and war combined.
www.iasp.info
September 10
International Day of Democracy
2015 theme: Space for Civil Society
TThis United Nations Day highlights the state of democracy in the world.
Democracy is as much a process as a goal, and only with the full participation of and support by the international community, national governing bodies, civil society and individuals, can the ideal of democracy be made into a reality to be enjoyed by everyone, everywhere.
www.un.org/en/events/
September 15
United Nations General Assembly 70th Session opens with a Minute of Silence
Every year the annual session of the General Assembly at UN Headquarters in New York opens with a Minute of Silent Prayer or Meditation. The General Assembly is the one place where representatives of all 193 member states of the UN have the opportunity to take part in deliberation and policy making on global issues. The Minute of Silence is an important symbolic moment in UN affairs, when according to the Rules of Procedure, members are invited to stand to observe one minute of meditation or prayer.
Following the ceremonial opening of the session, the General Debate takes place over a number of days (starting September 28) when Heads of State from many of the member countries address the Assembly.The period surrounding the opening of the General Assembly marks a high point in international affairs every year because heads of state from many of the countries of the world are in New York City and a wide variety of other events are held.
Explore the function and purpose of the General Assembly at: www.un.org/ga/
September 16
International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
2015 theme: 30 Years of Healing the Ozone Together.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, an important milestone in the protection of the ozone layer.The Convention and the associated Montreal Protocol on Preservation of the Ozone Layer is one of the great successes of modern international action to protect the environment. Following the Protocol treaty nations and companies acted with determination to replace ozone destroying gases from commercial products such as spray cans.
This is a Day to celebrate humanity’s ability to work together for a common cause and is a model for climate change agreements.
www.un.org/en/events/ozoneday/
montreal-protocol.org/
www.facebook.com/my.ozone.day
September 18 - 20
Earth Dance Global Peace Party — Prayer for Peace
Earthdance coordinates the annual Global Peace Party, a multi-location charity event in alignment with the United Nations International Day of Peace on September 21. All events support local charities. More than an entertainment event, Earthdance is an international network of communities coming together locally and connecting globally to deliver real solutions for peace, sustainability, and social justice.
The highlight of the Earthdance Global Peace Party is a sychronized link-up, when every event around the world plays the Prayer for Peace music track at the same time. The link-up takes place at midnight, 00:00 GMT, on the morning of Sunday September 20.The Prayer for Peace is a moment of deep reflection and connection, and a powerful affirmation that unifies our intentions for peace, on all levels.
www.earthdance.org
September 18 - 20
Clean Up the World Weekend
2015 theme: Our Place. Our Planet. Our Responsibility
Groups, organisations, schools and businesses from communities around the world unite on Clean Up the World Weekend to take action at a local level to address global environmental issues. An estimated 35 million volunteers participate in this annual weekend of activities.
Clean Up activities include tree planting, cleaning parks or beaches, conserving water or running environmental awareness-raising and education initiatives.
www.cleanuptheworld.org
September 21
International Day of Peace
2015 theme: Partnerships for Peace — Dignity for All
UN Peace Day has come to be widely observed around the world with citizens undertaking a huge variety of local actions for peace including interfaith prayers, meditations and minutes of silence. At UN Headquarters, an annual ceremony is held during which the Secretary General ceremonially rings the Peace Bell and calls on the people of the world to observe a minute of silence at 12 noon. The day is celebrated by the UN as a day of non-violence and cease fire, inviting all nations and people to honour a cessation of hostilities during the Day, and to otherwise commemorate the Day through education and public awareness on issues related to peace.
Events organized around the world on the day include festivals, concerts, a global Peace Wave with moments of silence at noon in every time zone and countless local activities. Special talks by leading peace builders from around the world are available now from the Summer of Peace 2015 initiative.
Meditation Vigils and inter faith events are being organized around the world for Peace Day. A network of groups including the Gaiafield Project (linking subtle activists for collective healing and social change), Pathways to Peace, Peace OneDay, HeartMath, Center for Visionary Leadership and Summer for Peace is coordinating Be the Peace, a global synchronized meditation and prayer for peace at 12 midnight GMT on Saturday September 19. Last year meditations were held in in over 1,100 cities around the world. A global 24 hour Vigil will again be organized by Intuition in Service, using the Great Invocation or another world prayer every 15 minutes. To find out more and register for the Vigil visit: http://www.meditationvigil.org. Registration will be available shortly.
www.internationaldayofpeace.org
www.un.org/en/events/peaceday/
www.peaceoneday.org
September 21 - 24
Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting
2015 theme: The Future of Impact
Established in 2005 by former US President Bill Clinton, CGI convenes a community of global leaders to forge solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. CGI Annual Meetings have brought together more than 150 heads of state, 20 Nobel Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations and NGOs, major philanthropists, and members of the media. The meeting takes advantage of the number of world leaders gathered in New York for the General Debate of the UN General Assembly
www.clintonglobalinitiative.org
September 25 - 27
UN Sustainable Development Summit, UN Headquarters, New York
This historic UN Summit,attended by Heads of State, will mark the adoption of the Post 2015 Development Agenda, including the Sustainable Development Goals. The meeting will include an address by His Holiness Pope francis on September 25th.
sustainabledevelopment.un.org/
September 26 - October 2
Project Everyone including Global Citizens Festival, New York, USA
The goal of Project Everyone is to share the UN's newly declared global goals to end extreme poverty and tackle climate change for everyone by 2030 with 7 billion people in 7 days. If the goals are met, they ensure the health, safety and future of the planet for everyone on it. And their best chance of being met is if everyone on the planet is aware of them. ... Our mission is to get a short, dynamic and snappy explanation of the global goals onto every website, TV station, cinema, school, radio station, newspaper, magazine, billboard, newsletter, noticeboard, pinboard, milk carton and mobile phone.
The week of focused media events will include a Globalo Citizens festival in central Park New York to be televised globally on September 26th.
www.project-everyone.org
www.globalcitizen.org
www.youtube.com
September 26
United Nations Private Sector Forum 2015, UN Headquarters, New York
Hosted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations Private Sector Forum 2015 will focus on the role of the private sector in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Convened in the context of the UN summit for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda, the interactive Forum is designed to increase understanding of efforts underway by the private sector and civil society, and provide a platform for the private sector to announce long-term goals and partnerships that will make an important contribution towards achieving sustainable development for all.
www.unglobalcompact.org
September 27 - 28
Social Good Summit, New York, USA
The Social Good Summit is a two-day conference examining the impact of technology and new media on social good initiatives around the world. Held in New York, while heads of state and others are gathered for the opening of the UN General Assembly,the Summit unites a dynamic community of global leaders and grassroots activists to discuss solutions for the greatest challenges of our time. Our theme, #2030NOW, asks the question, “What type of world do I want to live in by the year 2030?” During the Social Good Summit, global citizens around the world unite to unlock the potential of technology to make the world a better place.
September 27
Solutions Summit, UN Headquarters, New York
The Solutions Summit is a catalytic gathering taking place on September 27th, 2015 at UN Headquarters.
It marks the beginning of a longer-term grassroots effort to lift-up exceptional innovators – technologists, engineers, scientists, who are developing solutions that address one or more of the
17 sustainable development goals.
www.solutions-summit.org/
September 27
World Rivers Day
Every year since 2005, when the UN Water for Life Decade was launched, millions of people around the world have observed the last Sunday of September as World Rivers Day.
World Rivers Day highlights the many values of our rivers, strives to increase public awareness, and encorages the improved stewardship of all rivers around the world. Activities include stream cleanups, habitat enhancement projects, educational outings, and community riverside celebrations. In previous years several million people across more than 60 countries have participated in the Day.
worldriversday.com
September 28
Full Moon — Libra
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 in 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/
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