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.

“Yogic Kheti” is a sustainable technique of agriculture where the farmers employ meditation as one of the key ingredients in every stage of farming. This can be practiced by farmers as they go through their daily chores in the field. When combined with methods of organic farming this resulted in significantly lower cost of inputs and improved productivity with better nutrition content.

Experiences of farmers: http://yogickheti.com/farmer_experience.html

The NGO DPI Executive Committee conducted the annual election for next year’s Committee - the Executive Committee is an 18 member body elected annually - A third of the body serve 2 terms.

There was an opportunity to review the work of the past year and to look at plans for the future.  Eric Falt, Director of the Outreach Division and Officer-in-Charge of News and Media Division of DPI gave an overview of the past year and conducted a conversation with the NGOs on next Annual DPI/NGO Conference (64th). It was generally agreed that the practice of having the conference outside of New York, for the past 3 years, (including this year) was a good thing as it gave NGO’s and civil society in general, opportunities to attend the conference from that area.  It was also thought to be a good idea to have possible rotation by region finishing up in New York in 2015 in time for the MDG’s review.  In 2008 the conference was held in Europe - Paris, France, on the subject of Human Rights, in 2009, it was held in the Americas - Mexico City, Mexico on the subject of disarmament and this year it is being held in Australasia - Melbourne, Australia on the subject of health.  Potential venues were discussed for 2011, and we were told of offers that had already been made to date to host it - a firm offer from Bonn in Germany and an interest to host it from Nigeria, Africa.  There was discussion on the benefits of hosting it in Nigeria, though finances for this was still somewhat unresolved.  The conference themes discussed were Volunteerism, Education, and Food security.

The DPI staff had also organized a short, heart felt and amusing presentation film as a ‘goodbye gift’ to Eric Falt as he was leaving DPI to go to UNESCO in Paris.  Everyone wished him good luck with his new position.

The Brahma Kumaris will be attending the DPI/NGO conference in Melbourne, we have a full delegation, including youth and will be hosting a workshop and holding an exhibition during the three days.  The conference theme is “Advance Global Health: Achieve the MDGs, and the Brahma Kumaris will be exploring the theme of Global Health and Resilient Communities.  We will be writing a daily blog and will keep you updated.

Julia

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

On Day One of the Informal Interactive Hearings between the General Assembly representing countries and the Civil Community representing the worlds peoples, the Secretary General Ban Ki Moon addressed the gathering saying that “The voices of those most affected by MDGs must be heard if we are to achieve our promise. Vision has the power to inspire us to achieve the MDGs. With that vision we can discuss case studies, highlight best practices and suggest action oriented strategies for their achievement.

To receive important input as member states prepare for the MDG Summit in September 2010, it was asked that these informal interactive hearings with NGOs, civil societies and the private sector take place. The resolution in which this was based (A/RES/64/184) encourages Member States to actively participate in the hearings at the ambassadorial level in order to facilitate interaction between Member States, and the representatives of NGOs, civil society organisations and the Private sector. It was unfortunate to see such poor representation by Member States at this event.  The ‘reserved’ seating for NGOs was filled to capacity, the vast majority of the country seats remained empty. I counted maybe 20 out of 192 member states. The presentations and dialogues from these Hearings will be issued as an Assembly document, constituting a formal input into the political process leading to the Summit.

“You have already made a real different by mobilising international support and driving concrete initiatives to expand…. use your advocacy, help others keep their promises, focus on what works, promote leadership, emphasis accountability government and solidarity. I encourage a truly interactive dialogue and active participation.” Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon

The President of the General Assembly, in close consultation with the Task Force and using the recent report of the Secretary-General as guidance, established specific themes for the four sessions. The themes attempt to highlight key aspects of the Millennium Declaration and the MDGs, while also emphasizing the interrelated nature of the MDGs and the international development agenda more broadly. The four Themes were:

Thematic Session 1, Building a better tomorrow: local actions, national strategies and global structures

Thematic Session 2, Equal and inclusive partnerships: accountability in the fight against poverty

Thematic Session 3, Sustaining development and withstanding crises

Thematic Session 4, From voice to policy: 1660 days left

Reiterated in all the sessions, was the systemic problem of gender bias that NGOs civil societies and the private sector argued is a key problem to achieving the MDGs. Small communities, typically agrarian, and the majority of whom of women, are still consistently ignored by governments and donors. This reality was brought to light by a remarkable and beguiling speech from peasant farmer Constance Okollet from the Osukuru United Womens Network: “Climate change is destroying our villages. Now we have abnormal rain. It never used to rain in these months. Now the water takes the village away. Children are dying. Where are the next generation of strong women? I am a strong woman, so why do you give me corn flour? Why do you not help us to mobilise our own activities? We can do it. But we cannot do it alone.” Others following her said that governments and donors do listen, but if there is any criticism of policy, governments often backtrack, putting in place cumbersome bureaucratic systems making it impossible to move forward.  Nurgul Djanaeva from Forum of Womens NGOs of Kyrgyzstan said “In my country we just saw the destruction of an important institutional mechanism in less than a year. The National Gender Equality entity was moved from the Presidents Office to the Office of Immigration where it now has no state budget allocation. Gender equality entities are key to implementing the MDGs, if we are serious about it.” Countries where women are given the opportunity to open business or engage in economic activities, and where there is a high degree of female participation in politics have less poverty across the board. Reports from those representing global societies though, says that as people find strength and voice then the governments back down. This statistic that is repeatedly shown to affirm the need to involve women at all levels of project design, management, application and decision making if the MDGs are to be realised.

The Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University had three representatives attend the event. The Brahma Kumaris support the need to properly include the voices of all peoples, if the MDGs are to be realised. The systemic issues of gender (discrimination) and access (to health, education and food) were highlighted during the sessions. And the process of analysing and attempting to resolve complex issues, is likely to reveal systemic problems. We suggest that a powerful element of the structural difficulties hindering the MDGs is an awareness based solely on a physical paradigm of difference. The heart of any change, whether at the level of personal life, family relationships or government policy, is that of awareness. Our awareness of others as being part of global family brings the problems to light, and an awareness of others as different, therefore Other and therefore of inherently less importance, blocks the resolution of the problems. If we treat the worlds peoples as if they are our family members, our approach becomes collective, inclusive and productive. It is unfortunate that often this is still seen as the ’soft approach’ despite the failure of other approaches to solve the worlds greatest problems, and despite the increasing body of scientific research, particularly in the field of health, that identifies and affirms the impact of attitudes and behaviour on patient outcomes, therefore impact directly on cost. If it works in health, it must apply to other spheres of fundamental human existence.

Presenters over the two days, from all forms of NGOs and sectors of civil society and the private sphere conch that there must be a greater voice for civil society in order to achieve the MDGs. That the reason we are here at the UN is to remind policy makers of the core tenets of human rights - remove discrimination. A gender balance is crucial to implementation of MDGs. Any attempt to alleviate poverty and achieve sustainability must focus on the underlying problem of gender issues.”

Conventional wisdom does not constitute conventional policy… and we have yet to see adequate investment in MDGs that would deliver this conventional wisdom.” Charlotte Bunch

Tamasin

http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2010/sgsm12954.doc.htm

www.unep.org/wed/2010/english/

According to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, ‘biodiversity’ is the term given for “the variability among living organisms from all sources including, another other things, terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part.” The Brahma Kumaris understand similarly, that “nature is an endless combination and repetition of a very few laws” (extract from the Timeless Calendar, available from www.bkpublications.com).

This month marks a milestone in the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity: the world celebrated the annual International Day for Biodiversity on 22 May and will commemorate World Environment Day on 5 June. Additionally, the International Year of Biodiversity is meant to celebrate as well as raise awareness of the importance of biodiversity. In a message on the International Day of for Biological Diversity, 22 May, 2010 the UN Secretary General has said, “Communities everywhere will reap the negative consequences, but the poorest people and the most vulnerable countries will suffer most. Seventy percent of the world’s poor live in rural areas and depend directly on biodiversity for their daily sustenance and income.”

 www.cbd.int/2010/welcome/

Dr. Nandhini Krishna, Liaison Office, United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity/ United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification: We work closely with other conventions so we can align our work with each other. We all need to align with each other and our common work for the common goal and keep selfish issues at bay. The conservation of biodiversity is wedded to the way we live and relates to climate change. Each and every one of us is an ambassador for life.  We need to closely document the linkages between adaptation and mitigation. All environmental groups have the same problems and are looking for the same solutions. Why not work together. Success stories can be found in sustainable use Costa Rica is a good example.  It is important to have discussions and raise awareness and look at spirituality, use workshops and training sessions to share and get the word out there.

Mark W. Moffet, PhD, Research Associate at the Smithsonian Institution (and ecologist, explorer and storyteller): We’re living in an age of accelerated extinction. Smaller animals, amphibians and insects who are critical for the world’s ecological balance are becoming extinct. Frogs  are especially at risk. See what’s on this planet so you know what we need to protect we don’t have an overall inventory of the planet’s biodiversity. Get out of the city and see what’s in this remarkable world.  He is immensely interested in the power of story in human lives.  And he wishes to create many more stories of love and affection for nature.

 Presentation of the photo that became the front cover of National Geographic

Kuwait Wildlife Campaign (1991)

Pictured on the cover of National Geographic (August 1991), Michael Bailey
and Rick Thorpe of Earthtrust assessing environmental damage
in the oil fields of Kuwait shortly after the end of the Gulf War in 1991.

Michael Bailey, Producer and Director of PlanetViews said… there’s something magic on this world. We are so lucky to be alive on this planet. It is a privilege to be here, yet we feel we are consumers, and we are consuming the planet.  Everything that’s happening is based on how we act and behave. We must change of our activity and behaviour if we are to really change the world and heal the environment. Each of us can change today. If we don’t this will be the age of extinction. We will be the proverbial meteor that hit and destroyed the earth. Imagine. Imagine if we could get together, put aside selfish commercial interests and have a unified spiritual approach; grow our own vegetables, live happy lives. If we could change our cultures and be happy with less… we’re always thinking we have to go out and buy something to be happy. We can be happy with less. We can change. We must change. One of the programs he highlighted was the Equator Initiative.

Started in 2002 The Equator Initiative is a partnership that brings together the United Nations, governments, civil society, businesses, and grassroots organisations to build the capacity and raise the profile of local efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. He also suggests to  educate the girls of the world to save the planet.

The Equator Initiative presentation Al Gore with an Indigenous group,

an Equator Prize winner from 2006 www.savingcranes.org 

Phu My Lepironia Wetland Conservation Project - Vietnam

list of Partners

This is your planet, your home. Nourish and protect it as the elements nourish and protect you.

For an example of sustainable living by the Brahma Kumaris, visit http://glenelginsanctuary.com

To learn more about alternative energy used by the Brahma Kumaris, visit http://bkwsu.org/whatwedo/globalinitiatives/environment.htm

Visit the Brahma Kumaris Environmental Initiative blog at http://environment.brahmakumaris.org/

Meditation for World Environment Day is taking place at local centres around the world.

Tamasin

End of Decade Report for the Culture of Peace 2010

For over 70 years the Brahma Kumaris has been working for a culture of peace through its many varied activities around the world. See below some excerpts from our Civil Society Report of the Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001-2010)

Brahma Kumaris’ priority and most important culture of peace activity is Education for a Culture of Peace. However, the organization’s domains of work regarding culture of peace activities include

•    Education for a Culture of Peace

•    Human rights

•    Equality between women and man

•    Understanding, tolerance, solidarity

•    Participatory communication and free flow of information and knowledge International peace and security 

The partnerships and networks the Brahma Kumaris, thus strengthening the global movement for a culture of peace include. 

•    United Nations: BKWSU has general consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), is in consultative status with The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and is affiliated to the Department of Public Information (DPI)

•    The Visions of a Better World Foundation 

•    United Religions Initiative

•    The UN University of Peace, Costa Rica

•    The Culture of Peace Foundation

•    The Council for The Parliament Of the World’s Religions

•    World Congress of Faiths 

•    Rights and Humanity

•    The Global Peace Initiative of Women

•    The Fetzer Institute

•    The Elijah Interfaith Institute 

•    Commonwealth Youth Forum International

•    Association of Sufism

•    Images and Voices of Hope, a conversation 

Please read the report by clicking on the above link, for activities undertaken by The Brahma Kumaris to promote a culture of peace and nonviolence during the first decade of the 21st century.

 Tamasin

USUN PRESS RELEASE # 99 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 19, 2010

Good morning everyone. Thank you, Mr. Secretary-General. Thank you especially for your leadership here at the United Nations, including on the very important issue of distracted driving.  Secretary LaHood, thank you so much for joining us in New York and for the outstanding work you are doing to raise awareness on this deadly problem across the country and around the world.

Jennifer Smith, we thank you so much for your presence here and for your leadership on the issue. And I also want to thank my very good friend and colleague Ambassador Churkin for being here today. He and the Russian Federation have been leaders on this issue, including by sponsoring the March 2 General Assembly Resolution entitled, “Improving Road Safety”; which the United States was proud to be able to co-sponsor.  This resolution, among other things, specifically discouraged texting while driving. It passed by consensus, which is a tribute to Russia’s important leadership.

We’re here today to shine a spotlight on a problem that affects us all.  Texting while driving isn’t a harmless habit. It’s a killer. The suffering it causes is direct and immediate—lives lost for no reason, futures shattered in an instant. But its toll is truly global. It’s a problem, as the Secretary-General just said, that needs global attention and action—and that’s why we all stand here today.

In the United States, nearly 6,000 people died in 2008 in distracted driving crashes, and more than a half a million more were injured, many of them seriously. And these numbers don’t even tell the whole story because we often can’t identify what factors precisely may have led to a crash. What we do know is this: drivers who use hand-held devices are four times more likely to get into crashes causing serious injuries, than those who are focused on the road.  Studies by researchers at the University of Utah show that using a cell phone while driving delays a driver’s reactions as much as having alcohol in your blood up to the legal limit of .08 percent.

I applaud the Secretary-General for recognizing that distracted driving is a very serious matter—and for prohibiting the United Nations’ 40,000 employees from texting while operating vehicles on UN business. President Obama issued a similar order, an Executive Order, last year.  And we hope other world leaders will follow suit.

Already, there are some encouraging signs. Thirty-two countries have passed laws to restrict the use of handheld devices by drivers. Early next year, the World Health Organization will team up with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to provide an information resource kit to help other countries develop and implement their own distracted-driving programs.

For the sake of my loved ones and all of yours, let’s make distracted driving a problem of the past.

Thank you all for joining us today.

Tamasin

Yesterday, Tamasin, Kymberly and I went to a wonderful concert held in the UN General Assembly which was a celebration of the 65th Anniversary of the End of World War II.  It was sponsored by the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the UN on behalf of the participants to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).  The concert consisted of the inspiring and excellent performances of the CIS Youth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Spivakov, with solos by Denis Matsuev (piano) and Alevtina Yarovaya (soprano).  The Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon opened the evening followed by the Under-Secretary General of DPI and then the Ambassador of the Russian Federation.

The young people were absolutely wonderful, each one excellent and playing his/her part in the whole.  The orchestra seemed to dance and sway, surge and settle, soar and swoop, and the amazing conductor lead the dance as his ‘children’ followed his every move.  I finally understood why these conductors are called Maestros!  After a rousing and joyous finale where the audience were inspired to stand and applaud, with bows and flowers all round, an old soldier covered with medals got up on stage and bowed and blew kisses to the audience with tears running down his face.

The UN was founded, after the Second World War, with aim to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war . . . to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors and to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security . . . this evening was a reminder our our collective aim, and how we have to keep perusing our goal.

Julia