Humanitarian Aid Workers
are serving the world in many ways to help change things for the better.

http://ochaonline.un.org/whd/
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) page.
http://www.unhcr.org/4c6bec862.html
An article explaining the inception of WHD last year in commemoration of the bombing in 2003 in Baghdad which killed 22 people 18 of whom were UN staff members.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaofvlfWDkk&feature=player_embedded
60 second version a film being shown at Times Square as a public service announcement.
http://www.youtube.com/user/ochafilms#p/a/u/0/95lQ-IzEhOc
Longer film version on OCHA You Tube channel as a tribute to World Humanitarian Day.

World Refugee Day 2010

http://www.unhcr.org/pages/4bf4f2616.html

More than 40 million people are displaced around the world and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is especially concerned about the 10 million who are refugees.

“On this, World Refugee Day, I ask you to help
us help refugees find a place to call home.”
-High Commissioner António Guterres

• WRD 2010 Message:  

UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie says don’t forget refugees.

The UNHCR helps to find new homes and new futures for refugees to resettle and sometimes repatriate when it is possible for them to return to their own countries.  The world today with increasing numbers of conflict areas makes it a challenging place to find locations for new homes and new beginnings for so many who need assistance.

World Refugee Day spreads awareness and advocates for the millions of individual human beings who make up the population of refugees around the world.  Contribute what you can to help.  Find out more by checking the links below.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=35066&Cr=refugee&Cr1=

http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home

The NGO DPI briefing on 13 November was held to commemorate the second World Diabetes Day the next day with a focus on spreading awareness for helping children around the world with diabetes.

Pictured:  Werner Obermeyer, Maria-Luisa Chavez, Professor Martin Silink, Dr. Larry Deeb

A couple of children and their parents shared some touching stories about growing up with diabetes and caring for a child with diabetes.  The challenges of having to constantly monitor blood sugar levels a 24/7 job, the maturity of the 12 year old children (both  having been diagnosed at 7 years of age) to help maintain their health and the hope they all have for a cure.  The commitment and support they have from family members, friends and teachers.  Jake and his family help fund raise for diabetes research through a nonprofit organization they founded teambrotherlylove.org.  Both Kayla and Jake appreciate the technology of the pump for diabetes which cuts back on all of the insulin injections they previously had to endure.  Both children live active and productive lives but must always be careful to stay healthy and despite the challenges want to help others as much as possible to manage this disease.

Ms. Sonia Davis and her daughter Kayla Thomas, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Volunteers, Jake Fine and his mother Mrs. Deborah Fine his father Dr. Richard Fine (not pictured was there filming their presentation),   Maria-Luisa Chavez introduced the young speakers and their families.

Speakers:

• Werner Obermeyer; Deputy to the Executive Director and Senior External Relations Officer, World Health Organization (WHO) Office at United Nations, New York gave a presentation showing statistics from WHO on the fact that both types of diabetes 1 and 2 are on the rise.  While the cause of type 1 diabetes is not known, type 2 can be prevented by lifestyle choices.  If diabetes is left unchecked the cost of caring for these individuals medically will continue to increase greatly.  So where they can WHO’s mission is to prevent diabetes and when this is not possible they will lower complication issues and make quality of life better.  One program which compliments WHO’s diabetes program is the WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health which promotes healthy eating and physical exercise on a broad scale.

• Professor Martin Silink, President, International Diabetes Federation (IDF), said that this organization headquartered in Brussels had been associated with WHO for 57 years and that it is also an NGO affiliated with the Department of Public Information.  The 192 Member States all ratified the resolution (which was entered under the agenda item Millennium Development Goals Outcomes, due to it’s impact on development) for World UN Day on 20 December 2006.  And so last year diabetes got an official UN World Day as the first non-communicable disease recognized by the international community as a risk to the whole world.  He showed before and after pictures of people treated with the hormone insulin which was discovered in 1921.  The greatest challenge lies in getting treatment to children around the world because insulin has to be kept cool.  This is due both to accessibility and affordability issues in developing countries.  The focus of the day this year was to spread awareness about children with diabetes and how to help them.

A Discovery Health Film featuring the challenges for children with diabetes in South Africa and the developing world.  Watch film online: Diabetes: A Global Epidemic

lifeforachild.org

• Dr. Larry Deeb, Immediate Past President, American Diabetes Association, presented the idea that no child should die from diabetes.  Children with type 1 diabetes need insulin to live.  A big focus of the International Diabetes Foundation (IDF) this year was especially to prevent diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) a life threatening progression of diabetes, if untreated death follows in about a week.  For the management of diabetes the IDF recommends three levels of care minimal care, standard care, and comprehensive care.  He gave an example of children in Tanzania under minimal care which kept them healthy enough to stay out of the hospital.  A challenge in treating children with diabetes is that it is different treating them in their different stages of life and that all three kinds of care and the technology for them to be available would help to treat them.  He reiterated that it really costs very little to keep a child with diabetes alive.  In his conclusion he shared the work of The Life for a Child Campaign and Rotary International’s leadership role in helping the IDF to get insulin to where it is needed.

In 2007 at UN Headquarters a group dressed in blue to form the logo:

The World Diabetes Day logo is the blue circle - the global symbol for diabetes which was developed as part of the Unite for Diabetes awareness campaign.  The logo was adopted in 2007 to mark the passage of the United Nations World Diabetes Day Resolution.  The significance of the blue circle symbol is overwhelmingly positive.  Across cultures, the circle symbolizes life and health.  The colour blue reflects the sky that unites all nations and is the colour of the United Nations flag.  The blue circle signifies the unity of the global diabetes community in response to the diabetes pandemic.

(significance of the logo taken from website below)

worlddiabetesday.org

 UN Headquarters on 14 November 2008 joined other buildings around the world by lighting up in blue to spread awareness for World Diabetes Day.  The Secretary General’s statement and another photo of UN Headquarters in commemoration of the day can be seen at the following links.

un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3539
unmultimedia.org/photo/detail/206/0206052.html

It is good to raise awareness of how with a bit of organization and cooperation diabetes can be treated around the world and lives can be saved.  Much is being done but until there is a cure for diabetes more can be done to help distribute insulin and get it to those who need it.

Kymberly Fayth

The NGO Committee On Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns at the United Nations, New York a Committee of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CONGO), Spiritual Caucus, Values Caucus, UNSRC Enlightenment Society (SEAT), and United Religions Initiative-UN presented  the 2nd annual Week of Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights for UN week.

The United Nations Meditation Room
The Opening Ceremony began at noon on 20 October in the Meditation room and thus everyday people were encouraged to meditate collectively on Human Rights from 9:00am to 10:00am or to meditate at the same time from home or some other space if not possible to be in the room.

 The workshops, panels, discussion groups and expressive arts for
the week sought to explore the essence of Eleanor Roosevelt’s quote.

To view a full schedule please go to CSVGC-NY website link below.

http://www.csvgc-ny.org/

 Highlights of the week’s events follow…

The Spirit of the UN Award was given just after the opening ceremonies to H.E. Hilario G. Davide, Jr., who is Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the United Nations.  He was also the Keynote speaker and part of the panel on 21 October 1-2:45pm in UNICEF House, Labouisse Hall for the Culture of Peace Working Group on the topic:
Advancing the Culture of Peace: Is Peace a Human Right?

left to right: Ichinori Tsumagari, Rochelle Roca-Hachem, David Adams, Dot Maver, Audrey Kitagawa,
Sharon Hamilton, His Excellency Ambassador Hilario G. Davide, Jr., Anne Creter, & Iris Spellings

Laraagi shared musical sessions interspersed throughout the program and Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury (recipient of the Spirit of the UN award in 2007) gave some peaceful remarks towards the close of the program really expressing that peace is a human right.  Ann Creter’s report can be found at this link:
http://www.peacepartintl.org/content/view/225/135/

Students Unite for the Right to Peace: Activating Campus Peace Centers
21 October 3-4pm UNICEF House, Labouisse Hall

 left to right panel: Dr. Neil Altman, Deborah Moldow and Prof. Hal S. Bertilson, PhD.
(pictured again as the table sized peace pole is blocking his face)

http://www.campuspeacecenters.net/

The audience was full of students many of them international exchange students from a few colleges in the area who introduced themselves and asked questions about peace centers and made comments about what they were doing and what could be done for peace in the future and a lively discussion followed after the panel’s presentation of the topic.

Spiritual and Ethical Dimensions of Human Rights Law
22 October 3-5pm UNICEF House, Labouisse Hall

left to right panel:  Audrey Kitagawa, Chair, CSVGC-NY, WFUNA, Widney Brown, Amnesty International, Liberato Bautista, President, CONGO, Rev. Elizabeth Alexander, Gethsemane Church, Genie Kagawa, Universal Peace Federation

 The panel opened with concerns for human rights.  The language used for speaking of our fellow human beings should express respect, and love.  People who have made mistakes deserve to have chances to change their ways.

Then lively discussions took place among small groups in the audience and some of the panelists joined in.

 Silent Meditation
23 October 12-1pm Church Center, Grumman Room 8th Floor

A small group had almost an hour in silence together on a beautiful sunny day overlooking UN Headquarters…this was followed by a brief sharing of experiences and then on to the next session…where the banner needed to travel…

The Way of the Feminine: Making Human Rights Come Alive
1:15-2:45pm UNICEF House, Labouisse Hall

A very creative flow of energy …through artistic expression was created in the room as poetry, music, song, dance and a film presented to give the history of the Declaration of Human Rights filled the space with feelings of  rights and dignity for humanity as all performers joined together in a cooperative spirited production.

many of the presenters join in song at the end of the program

 The Consciousness of Human Rights:  The Transformative Moment
3:30-5:30pm Church Center, 10th Floor

Jaqueline Murekatete - Rwanda, Human Rights Activist, Genocide Prevention Program Director:  Miracle Corners of the World and Gabriel Bol Deng - Sudan, Founder:  HOPE (Helping Offer Primary Education) for Sudan, a non-profit organization, shared their personal survival stories.  Both of them lost so much but each one feels it is necessary to raise awareness so such things will not happen again and also to help those who are left behind in the aftermath.  For Gabriel hope in and respect for others is key, as well as being grateful for working and giving back to the community.  Jacqueline brings to mind a quote from Gandhi anytime things seem a bit much “You must not lose faith in humanity.  Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.” and she is able to go on.

To find out more about Jaqueline’s and Gabriel’s work please see their websites below:

http://miraclecorners.org/

http://www.hopeforariang.org/index.htm

 Audrey Kitagawa, Gabriel Bol Deng, Jaqueline Murekete,
Diane Williams, Sharon Hamilton, and Martha Gallahue

 Closing Gathering & UN Anniversary Cake-cutting
24 October 1:30-2:45pm UNICEF House, Labouisse Hall

A gathering, a closing, a celebration, and a look at the future.  Music, singing and fellowship.

A very lovely week presented in very poignant ways to touch the core issues for looking at the rights of humanity.  Humans have a right to Peace.

Kymberly Schneider

UN Headquarters Staff, NGOs and Permanent Missions gathered on the lawn in front of the Secretariat Building to help eradicate poverty 17 October 11:00am for the Stand Up Take Action for the Millennium Development Goals.

Some video of this and other programs following this event are available at the links below.

Special Event: United Nations staff, permanent missions, non-governmental organizations and students will take part in a “Stand Up, Take Action” event in front of the UN Secretariat building.  The Stand Up event will feature performances from the cast of the Broadway Musical “A Tale of Two Cities”. [Webcast: Archived Video - English: 38 minutes ]

• Statement by H.E. Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, President of the 63rd session of the General Assembly
  [Webcast: Archived Video - 7 minutes ]
• Statement by Ms. Asha-Rose Migiro, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations
  [Webcast: Archived Video - 4 minutes ]

The Day continued with more discussion to end poverty.
Special Event: Observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on the theme “Human rights and dignity of people living in poverty” - Opening ceremony and round table on “Turning rhetoric into action –– Building effective partnerships to combat extreme poverty and exclusion”.
[Webcast: Archived Video : 1 hour and 18 minutes - Part 1 ]
[Webcast: Archived Video : 2 hours and 34 minutes - Part 2 ]

Kymberly Schneider

The NGO DPI section combined a couple of days 15 and 17 October 2008 the first officially celebrated annual UN International Day of Rural Women  and a day for the Eradication of Poverty this briefing was held on 16 October World Food Day.  Thus the briefing highlighted issues such as poverty levels and food production and security and helping Rural Women with ways to empower them economically in various ways according to the needs of the community being helped.

Maria-Luisa Chavez, Chief, NGO Relations, Department of Public Information (DPI) moderated the briefing.

• Carolyn Hannan, Director, Division for the Advancement of Women, Department of Economic and Social Affairs; (DESA)
• Belinda Leach, Director of Rural Women Making Change (RWMC) and University Chair in Rural Gender Studies
• Evelyn Encalada Grez, Graduate Research Assistant, Rural Women Making Change and founder of Justicia for Migrant Workers
• Colleen Purdon, Community Collaborator, Rural Women Making Change; Coordinator, Rural Women Take Action on Poverty
• Rachel Nampinga, Programmes Director, Eco-Watch Africa
• Letty Chiwara, Cross Regional Programmes Manager, United Nations Development Fund for Women Headquarters, New York

The issues brought up as problems are poor working conditions and pay for rural women, lack of tools, education and skills.  The panel had expertise for areas in Africa and Canada especially.  Innovative ideas in Canada include getting rural women rights to health care and good working conditions from employers as well as spreading awareness for the needs of rural women and getting different groups who can help together with those who need help.

In Africa one initiative that has been put forward and is still in its trial state is a collective cassava processing plant where many people are working together to get more cassava farmed and more effectively processed so it can be sold and that economic benefits can be reaped in the community.  This is working very well and the model is being prepared to copy in other communities.

Rural women around the world make up more than one quarter of the population of the world.  Still they face gender discrimination, lack of land ownership rights, ease of resource access and many other challenges that groups are bringing to light and finding solutions for.  This in turn will help children, families, communities and countries which also will help the world family as these issues are addressed.

The session was filmed and can be viewed via the link below in Real Player.

Webcast

Kymberly Schneider

In honor of Gandhi’s birthday 2 October was declared The International Day of Nonviolence as of 15 June 2007.  For the second annual commemoration of the day the Values Caucus held a meeting on nonviolence.  Anne Creter, Values Caucus Council Member and Julia Grindon-Welch, Values Caucus Co-Chair introduced the day and Marianne H. Perez as guest speaker who shared her expertise on Peace building.  Marianne is part of the Department of Peace Campaign and also a peace journalist.  Her approach was very interactive and encouraged everyone to reflect on where they ’stood’ in terms of nonviolence and violence.  She had everyone stand up as she labeled one side of the room violent and the other side nonviolent.  She then asked a series of questions, asking if we thought them to be violent or nonviolent, and asked us to stand by our decision, literally!  She told the group there were no right or wrong answers as she called out different laws or even something as simple sounding as purchasing exotic flowers.  We could also mark the ground in between (0-10) grades of violence down to nonviolence, by standing in between the two extremes.  We were then invited to  share why we made the choices.  Very interesting discussions were created as we saw some of the reality of what lay behind our decisions and Marianne further explained that there are direct, cultural and structural elements in place that allow for violence to happen. This really gave us all a lot to think about!  Whether it be gun laws, or vegetarianism choices are made every day to be violent or nonviolent.

Repercussions of violence are widespread in today’s world and peace is a very important part of developing nonviolence.  To make our very thoughts peaceful will go a long way in fostering nonviolence in the world.

Left to Right Anne Creter, Julia Grindon-Welch, Marianne H. Perez, Monica Willard and another Workshop Participant

link to another report on the workshop -

http://www.peacepartintl.org/content/view/227/135/

 Kymberly Schneider

As you may know the Brahma Kumaris are Co-Chairs of the Values Caucus of the UN and this week, the Values Caucus is commemorating the International Day of Non-Violence by inviting Marianne H. Perez to come and speak to us on the Value of Non Violence.  She is an educator and Peace-Builder and organizes roundtables and writes position papers on the Effective Violence Prevention and Conflict Transformation Techniques.  For more information visit our website at www.valuescaucus.org

15 May 2008
In honor of the United Nation’s International Day of the Family a very important topic was taken for the NGO DPI briefing. “Fathers and Families: Responsibilities and Challenges”

The role the father plays in the family was put in perspective by a film shown at the start of the briefing. Parents Action founded by Rob Reiner had their movie “To Be a Father” presented it was hosted by Ray Romano, who said according to scientific studies, “by being involved fathers can have a profound impact on their kids.” The key is for mom and dad to parent together, a mother’s way of picking up the child is predictable she gets the child and holds the baby close and 9 times out of 10 a dad’s way of picking up the child is unpredictable, wanting the child to be active and is playful in his way of holding the child. A dad encourages the child to take risks…to swim in the deep end moms’ and dads’ styles can compliment one another. Even when it is difficult to stay in contact due to divorce or incarceration it is important for the father to do what is best for the children. Jails offer classes for fathers to learn about nurturing their children. This film showed the very significant positive influences a father can have on the lives of children if he plays an active role from pregnancy through life and it ended with the underlying message for fathers ….be there, be there, be there….
A couple of websites with parenting information are:
parentsaction.org
nationalpartnership.org

Mrs. Joyce C. Kafambo, Minister Plenipotentiary, Permanent Mission of the United Republic of Tanzania to the United Nations, pointed out that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states in Article16 (3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.”In the African society family is very important, our lives revolve around the family. Decisions affecting our lives have to involve the family. A family like any other organization has a leader, in our culture that leader is the father.” A father is the leader of the family and the chief decision maker…the family unit in Africa is not just the nuclear family but includes aunties and uncles and grandparents. The role of fatherhood is set by different cultural influences. Things are starting to change in Africa but traditionally the role of the father with the child and the family is of the provider. From a young age boys are socialized to be the providers, leaders and the decision makers while girls are socialized to be the wives, the mothers and the caregivers. The family structure there utilizes extended family of females who are responsible for the nurturing of little children along with the mother. Fathers play more of a role in the children’s’ lives when the children are of school age and beyond.
In the families that have been able to cope with the changes they do well especially the education of the girls in the family.” The central message that I want to say concerning the fatherhood in Africa is that first of all the fathers are denied there the opportunity to be fathers because of the cultures and traditions. It is not only that the men are not willing but the society as a whole is not yet ready to encompass this new thinking.” Involve men in the promotion of equality within the household to teach the boys and not perpetuate the tradition. Fathers do play a unique role and change is necessary but will have to work out something that can work with the society as women have been accepted in more leadership positions.

Ms. Nurpur Ulkuer, Senior Adviser and Chief, Early Childhood Development Unit, UNICEF gave a slide show presentation of studies done around the world of the importance of a positive father figure in the family unit. She pointed out that boys and girls receive different gender socialization messages. And fathers and mothers help children with gender socialization from early babyhood. Some questions being asked are…Absent fathers where are they and how can we bring them back? Are fathers involved? Do we know enough? UNICEF is studying the family structure around the world and putting together a database to address global family issues. Some countries have positive father and grandfather posters to promote the concept of positive masculinity and the good example that can be set from within the family structure. Many challenges remain in the world for the family unit and for parents to be actively and positively involved in the children’s lives. Families are the duty bearers and claim holders.

Prof. Anderson J. Franklin, Department of Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Boston College, he has a specialty in dealing with African American males. His research focuses on developing his theory of the invisibility syndrome in black males and studying the resiliency and wellbeing in black Americans. He was honored to have the opportunity to present role of fathers and families. He said always fathers have played and important role it is often overshadowed by the significant contributions of mothers. It is necessary to look at how fathers are valued in the family. See how we are working with men, young men, middle aged men -elder- trying to engage men in doing things differently in the family unit as a man and as a father. To understand fathers and families manhood we must understand men’s model of manhood. In order for restructured goals to be met in the family structure and roles of men in families. Three points Professor Anderson believes are related to the topic of fathers and families. Frames a way for us as NGO’s to look at the roles of fathers and men in the work that we do.

1. Fathers are men and therefore are confronted by the challenges men create and face in the world which has a consequence for the family.
2. Fathers as men contribute to family upheaval by the challenges to our conventional notions of family roles.
3. Fathers as men continue to value, power, privilege and domination which influences how we think about and enact fatherhood.

“Now when I say that fathers are men…I am directly acknowledging in this country what we talk about the masculinity ideology and how it supersedes and prescribes how men act and think about being a father.” In working with men primarily focus on what is the concept of being a man and how does that translate into being a father. Men’s participation in being a father is governed by the brotherhood of other men as well as society determines the role of father the notion of father in our heads and how it fits into being a man. This notion of being a man determines how a man embraces paternal responsibilities. See what men did in the past, and present as well as taking a look at expectations in the future. One thought that comes in with a man is that we have to control the world. In rescuing families after hurricane Katrina it seemed that it almost exclusively meant mothers and children. Fathers were out of the loop when it came to aid and often an afterthought in inclusiveness of the family structure. How do we include man in the family even in situations of trauma? Men in the experience of Katrina this often felt more the suspects for looting and mayhem and not family caretakers. This creates a message to men and it begins to underscore existing assumptions and expectations of us as we try to transition into new roles.

Commenting on the second point men are frustrated with changing roles and adaptations. More involved helpful fathers, play with the children…careful not to step on toes of thought of manhood. Traditional role of providing income house feed and clothe the family that’s my job it’s done as well as protecting, men work with this script of being a father. This meets resistance from the brotherhood of men…to preserve traditional roles of men.

The third point being that men stature in the family and the community is paramount for man. Being able to control the surroundings and provide for the welfare of the family as well as the community which provides the insulation. As men we often focus more on systems and institutions external to the family responsibilities. If we take care of the socio economical institutions the family will also be taken care of. And thus the responsibilities of care have been assigned to the woman and the mother because the men have other priorities. Men translate their masculinity into the ability to be dominant over these institutions. What is going on in Myanmar is an example of male privilege gone wrong as they are caught up with the institution of the community and not the family. Child development is increasingly structured outside of conventional family unit. What you do at home is a model for what your children will later do in their home.

The panel was moderated by Maria-Louisa Chavez.

Kymberly Schneider

Gandhi’s Message of Non-Violence Needed Now More Than Ever by Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary General New York, Oct 2 2007 12:00PM

The message of Mahatma Gandhi, whose peaceful struggle helped birth an independent India and inspired countless people around the world, is needed now more than ever amid rising global tensions, intolerance and conflict, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.

Addressing the General Assembly’s first-ever observance of the International Day of Non-violence, Mr. Ban said that communities around the globe were “increasingly mired in rising intolerance and cross-cultural tensions. We see extremist dogma and violent ideologies gaining ground, as moderate forces retreat. “And we have witnessed lethal force being used against unarmed and non-violent marchers who exemplified the very spirit of the Mahatma’s teachings,” he added, referring to the recent wave of peaceful protests witnessed in Myanmar. Calling the man who inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world a “personal hero,” Mr. Ban said that “by incorporating non-violence into everyday life, the Mahatma inspired countless individuals to lead better, more meaningful lives.” He added, “The Mahatma’s inspiration is needed now more than ever.”

The Secretary-General said he hoped the Day, which will be observed annually on 2 October, Gandhi’s birthday, will help to advance true tolerance and non-violence at every level, from individuals all the way up to Governments. “May this Day help spread Mahatma Gandhi’s message to an ever wider audience, and hasten a time when every day is a day without violence,” he said.

Also addressing the observance, General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim highlighted the need to spread the message that “non-violence, tolerance, respect for human rights, democracy, development, and diversity, are interlinked and mutually reinforcing.” It was Gandhi’s belief, Mr. Kerim said, that intolerance was the worst form of violence, and that without genuine tolerance, no dialogue can have a lasting impact. “This message underlines the importance of having various initiatives within this Organization to promote dialogue among cultures, religions and faiths as well as to strengthen mutual understanding,” he added.

The Assembly is set to convene a high-level dialogue on interreligious and intercultural cooperation later this week.