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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 ...
.
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 March the Spiritual Caucus invites you to link in with 30 minutes of silence in the UN Meditation Room on March 4, at 12:45 EST and with the full one hour meeting on Thursday, March 18 at 1:15 PM EST.
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March 1 - 12
UN Commission on the Status of Women
2010 Theme: Beijing + 15
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.
This year the Commission will undertake a fifteen-year review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly. Emphasis will be placed on the sharing of experiences and good practices, with a view to overcoming remaining obstacles and new challenges, including those related to the Millennium Development Goals.
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. See the list of parallel events on line.
Imagine what a concentration of thinking and energy the Commission represents - and consider the role it plays in mobilising the will to promote gender equality.
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing15/index.html
March 5
World Day of Prayer
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 2010 the Service has been prepared by women of Cameroon. The women of Cameroon tell us, "In the Cameroonian context people praise God even in and especially during difficult times in their lives. This is because generally we consider life to be God’s greatest gift to us. As long as one has breath, there is hope. So we sing in the hope that things will be better."
http://www.worlddayofprayer.net/
March 8
International Women's Day
2010 Theme: Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: 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
http://www.internationalwomensday.com/
http://www.unifem.org/news_events/event_detail.php?EventID=319
http://endviolence.un.org/
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. It is, in Kofi Annan's words, a day to celebrate the many steps the world has taken to free itself from racial hatred, and a day to reflect on the challenges that remain, and our commitment to overcoming them.
This important international day reminds us of the work that is needed in all societies to build an awareness of human unity, and to render unacceptable, behaviour based on any sense of racial superiority or separation. The challenge of our time is to foster the ethics of human unity.
http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/racial/
2010 Theme: Clean Water for a Healthy World
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.
Water is such a basic element of life and plays such a key role in the myths, symbols and rituals of different faiths and spiritualities that World Water Day calls for our serious attention.
One of the most successful agreements to come out of the Johannesburg Earth Summit was a commitment (with funding for special programmes) to meet the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by half the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and sanitation by 2015. People of goodwill need to be aware of this situation so they can keep up pressure on governments to ensure that the commitments made at Johannesburg are kept.
http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday/flashindex.html
http://www.worldwaterday.org/
March 23
World Meteorological Day
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 recognised 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.ch/wmd/
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. The UN has established a programme of educational outreach mobilizing educational institutions and civil society, among others, on the subject of remembering the transatlantic slave trade and slavery. 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. In 2009 hundreds of millions of people took part in what has become an international event - over 4000 cities in 88 countries officially switched their lights off.
Join the movement: On March 27, at 8:00 PM turn off your lights for an hour.
http://www.earthhour.org/homepage.aspx?o=ignore
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