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Millennium Goals & Climate Change
These International Days reflect important
themes in the mobilisation of energies to achieve the Millennium Development
Goals by 2015, halving extreme poverty in the world; and respond to the
urgent needs of climate change ...
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2010 International Years
Silence at the United Nations
The Spiritual Caucus at the United Nations gathers within 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.
Wherever you live on the planet, please consider contributing to the work of the Spiritual Caucus of the UN by sharing in this work with silence on the first and third Thursday of the month. Times, dates and further information at: http://www.spiritualcaucusun.org/
In February the Spiritual Caucus invites you to link in with 30 minutes of silence in the UN Meditation Room on February 4, at 12:45 EST and with the full one hour meeting on Thursday, February 18 at 1:15 PM EST.
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January 15 - February 23
A Winter Feast for the Soul
Celebrating the Northern Hemisphere winter individuals from all faiths around the world are invited to make a commitment to daily spiritual practice for 40 days. A life grounded in daily practice is one that knows inner peace. It is that peace which translates into peace throughout our lives and ultimately to peace and healing for our planet. Participants are supported with newsletters, quotations and suggested meditations for a variety of traditions. In 2009 nearly 10,000 people from at least 29 countries participated in the first Winter Feast for the Soul.
http://winterfeastforthesoul.com
January 30 - April 4
Gandhi-King-Chavez Season for Non-Violence
A Season for Nonviolence, January 30 - April 4, is a 64-day educational, media, and grassroots campaign conducted by a wide variety of groups in the USA dedicated to demonstrating that nonviolence is a powerful way to heal, transform, and empower our lives and our communities. Inspired by the anniversaries of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., this national season of events honours their vision, along with the vision of Cesar Chavez, for an empowered, nonviolent world. (Normally we do not list programs confined to a particular nation in this newsletter - our focus is on events of a global or at least regional significance - but this Season is now widely observed in the USA and may spread to become global in the future.)
http://www.agnt.org/snv02.htm
February 2
World Wetlands Day
On February 2,1971 an intergovernmental treaty was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar, on the shores of the Caspian Sea Iran. The Treaty, known as the Ramsar Convention, commits member countries to maintain the ecological character of their Wetlands of International Importance and to plan for the "wise use", or sustainable use, of all of the wetlands in their territories. World Wetlands Day has been observed on February 2, every year since 1977. Government agencies, NGO's, and people of concern mark the day with activities to raise awareness of the value of wetlands and their need for protection.
http://www.ramsar.org/cda/ramsar/display/main/main.jsp?zn=ramsar&cp=1-63-78_4000_0__#
February 4
World Cancer Day
The lives of so many who read this Newsletter will have been touched in some way by cancer - either their own encounter with the disease or the experience a loved one. Cancer is the generic term for a large group of diseases in which cells grow out of control and can spread to other parts of the body. Cancer involves a series of mutations or changes in the genetic make up of a cell, causing it to look and function differently from normal cells. Thus, cancer is actually a disease of the cell. It is estimated by the UN's World Health organisation that between 2005 and 2015, 84 million people will die of cancer without intervention.
On this Day groups around the world shine a light on the global impact of cancer and efforts to raise the quality of care for cancer patients. The 2010 theme is 'Cancer can be prevented too'. The risk of developing cancer can significantly be reduced through simple measures related to tobacco use, alcohol consumption, sun exposure, healthy weight and protection against cancer-causing infections.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/annual/world_cancer_day/en/index.html
http://www.uicc.org/
February 20
World Day of Social Justice
The United Nations World Day of Social Justice celebrates the international agreements reached at the World Summit on Social Development in Copenhagen, 1995.
On this Day governments are called upon to undertake concrete activities towards the goals of poverty eradication, full employment and social integration.
The World Summit in 1995 recognised that social development aims at social justice, solidarity, harmony and equality within and among countries and social justice, equality and equity constitute the fundamental values of all societies. To achieve "a society for all" governments made a commitment to the creation of a framework for action to promote social justice at national, regional and international levels. They also pledged to promote the equitable distribution of income and greater access to resources through equity and equality and opportunity for all. The governments recognized as well that economic growth should promote equity and social justice and that "a society for all" must be based on social justice and respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms.
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/social/intldays/IntlJustice/2010/index.html
February 21
International Mother Language Day
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