Download the three most recent papers from our New York office. The Brahma Kumaris Statement for the International Day of Peace, 2007; the Brahma Kumaris Statement for the 60th Annual NGO/DPI Conference, “Climate Change: How It Impacts Us All”; and the 60th Annual NGO/DPI Conference Declaration, “Climate Change Threats - An NGO Framework For Action”.
This year a small group of us from the BKUN office in New York decided to go to Washington to celebrate the International Day of Peace. We drove down to join Alfredo Sfeir-Younis, former economist and Senior Advisor to the managing directors at the World Bank, and long time friend of the Brahma Kumaris (having been the World Bank representative to the UN in New York and also a Call-of-the Time Dialogue participant). Alfredo’s interests and experiences go far beyond the economic and policy realms and on retirement from the World Bank he created “The Zambuling Institute for Human Transformation.
The day after we arrived, we attended an event at the National Press Club. Here Alfredo introduced his ideas on the power of silence and the need for silent meditation across the world. Alfredo was quick to point out this was not a new idea, but one that he felt compelled to draw the worlds attention to as a powerful instrument to bring about world peace, which was much needed in these turbulent times.
Alfredo is a strong advocate of inner peace as a means to reach world peace, and as such organized a Silent Meditation for World Peace at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC on Friday September 21st from 12 to 2PM. This was the second such gathering, the first being in Portugal.
It was a beautiful, clear, and sunny day. The majestic backdrop of the Jefferson Memorial cast a cool shadow across its steps, offering welcome seating for the participants. The steps gradually filled with a flock of around a 1,000 meditators, like doves of peace they settled themselves– all dressed in white apart from a splash of bright orange brought by the Tibetan monks. The BK Washington Center had helped in the design of the event and so had a table set up towards the front where some of us sat, under the coolness of an umbrella.
Alfredo conducted the session with simplicity and grace as he said a few words on the purpose of the day; the power that can be created through the collective silence of the people present and also through those not with us physically, but in spirit, particularly noting those who had recently left their bodies; Dadi Prakashmani and Yogi Bhajan. With some subtle background music we were lead into silence, which we all held for over an hour, some with eyes closed and others looking out over the water, where, the Washington monument stood. The monument was solid, reaching up to the sky, reminding us of the Tower of Peace in Madhuban, Mount Abu, India
As waves of peace permeated the atmosphere, a feeling of unity and clarity emerged. A crisp thought resounded into the world — when all minds and hearts are ready to step into peace then peace in the world will automatically be created. It is a question of understanding, of choice, of love. The purity and power of silence — like we were experiencing — will help to cleanse the inner toxicity caused by negative thoughts and sorrowful feelings replacing them with thoughts of peace, love and power allowing the transformation of the world to take place.
The event was brought to a close by beautiful songs. Then there was time to meet people, and exchange our experiences. Everyone I spoke with had a positive experience and was enthusiastic to continue these meditations across the world – which is also Alfredo’s pure desire. We had also prepared a short message for the International Day of Peace that we shared with those we met.
Julia (New York)
The Brahma Kumaris observe International Peace Day on September 21st along with many across the world. Click here to watch the Peace One Day video which tells some of the remarkable story of how the already established International Day of Peace (November 30, 1981) was established as a fixed day - September 21 - to be observed as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence (in 2001).
The United Nations General Assembly has decided to declare October 2 - the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi—as ‘International Day of Non-Violence’ in recognition of his role in promoting the message of peace around the world.
The move to get the international community to pay tribute to Gandhi’s ideology was a follow-up to the Satyagraha conference organised by the Congress early this year and a subsequent campaign launched by the government. Speaking at the conference, titled ‘Peace, Non-Violence and Empowerment — Gandhian Philosophy in the 21st Century’, Congress president Sonia Gandhi had called for steps to get the Mahatma’s birthday marked as the International Day of Non-Violence.
Closing Session
Conference Room 4, one of the larger conference rooms at the UN building, filled with delegates for the closing session. Most of the BK delegation, having all come from the different midday workshops, decided to go to the balcony of the conference room where there was more space and one could watch the colorful scene of representatives from all around the world gather. Youth representatives from the International UN School read the reports that had come out of the roundtables. Most of the participants felt that it had been a successful conference – a living conference where the subject that was being discussed was of vital importance to the survival of our planet and for the first time everyone seemed to be in agreement that action had to be taken, and that it was going to be taken. . . their was hope. It didn’t feel as if we representatives were out on a limb discussing abstract ideas or issues, but that even the general public because of the effect climate change was having on their own lives, in their own backyards, wherever in the world those backyards were, these issues were affecting everyone, and they were affecting everyone now.
The End-Note speaker, Rajendra K Pachauri, Chairman of the Intergovernmental, Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) gave an excellent synopsis of the findings of the IPCC reiterating the fact that with relatively little expense but with a concerted amount of political will and cooperation we could stabilize global climate change, or at least the effect human beings were having. When asked what he felt could be done immediately, and have a great impact, he said from his personal perspective (not necessarily the view of he IPCC) but personally he felt that one of the immediate and one of the most effective measures that could be taken was for human beings to eat less meet; considering the amount of resources that were needed to produce the meat for our tables!
To close Rolland Smith, Award-winning Broadcast Journalist, gave our minds rest and engaged our hearts as he recited beautiful poetry along with a slide show that he had especially written and prepared for the conference.
Julia (New York)
Julia (NY) and Tamasin (NY) listening to final comments during the Closing Session
The science is clear. “The world is warm and it will get warmer.”
So it has been stated at this DPI Climate change conference here in New York City. It has also been reinforced by many voices that the choices we have to deal with in our current situation are mitigation, adaptation, and suffering.
One proposed solution is to think of the Earth, as Earthland, a community of people where we are all global citizens. Thinking in this way, 80 % of the citizens are poor and not creating greenhouse gases. Even with all the personal sacrifices the remaining 20% may do in the way of mitigation and adaptation, and a list of 50 things to do to stop Global Warming was distributed at the conference, there is an undercurrent feeling that there is a lot of suffering ahead. There seem to be many voices but the main two voices here say we must do many things now and the other says there isn’
t much we can do to stop what we have already done.
We all in Earthland will share the same general future. The main issue for the nations, currently unsolved, is how to balance development with sustainability: How to take care of our selves and to take care of the world. With a clear direction of our future and no clear solution in our future, it appears to be a very good time, and a wise choice, to develop a personal system of well-being and spiritual support. Raja Yoga meditation will help.
Cora Weis President, the Hauge Appeal for Peace, indicated that a culture of violence is linked to climate change. It nurtures a culture of greed and a lust for power. We need to cooperate to solve climate change problems and we need to cooperate to stop shooting each other. However, as resources are depleted, the best guess is that there will be wars for the remaining resources.
This conference has highlighted the current situation, our possible future scenarios and various actions we can take. The need for a new level of awareness and the resulting actions is the call of the time.
Erik (New York)
The Trauma of Climate; The Climate of Trauma (Midday Workshop)
The 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report predicts increasingly frequent and destructive storms which result from climate change. This Midday workshop addressed the traumatic effects of past climatic events on mental health. Psychoanalysts working in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrna and in Sri Lanka after the Tsunami spoke about the devastation of the environment and hw it impacted the mental health of children, adults, and families as demonstrated by the dramatic increase in incidence of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress (PTS).Howard Osofsky, Chair, Department of Psychiatry, Louisiana State University: Since Hurricane Katrina, there has been tremendously slow recovery. The hurricane itself was not very destructive. It was the collapse of the poorly constructed levees that caused the major catastrophe. Now there are vast stretches of people still living in trailers in places where schools and health services are still not restored, especially considering that education and mental health are the two most important things for children after a disaster. 90% of the children witnessed destruction and 70% saw major damage to their homes. Children, who need stability, averaged going to two or more schools during this period that adding to their sense of dislocation. The children themselves asked for counselling. Resilience training is being conducted at local parishes with a particular focus on youth, which is being well received. People are continuing to work together very well.
Jeffrey Taxman, Clinical Faculty, University of Wisconsin, Department of Psychiatry: To understand trauma, it is important to recognise that psychological and cultural heritage and family history affects the way in which severe trauma impacts a group of people. Climate change causes trauma in two ways; through its immediate impact when people don’t have time to respond in the case of an immediate event, and in other cases some changes are so slow that they are witnessed trans-generationally. These long-term changes are equally, although not so obviously, perilous. Further, every group of people adapt and accommodate to different traumas in different ways. Disaster, by definition, typically overwhelms the social structures ability to adapt and in the effort to adapt, communities and people respond so individually. One must consider local beliefs and responses when performing outreach work. For example, in Sri Lanka after the tsunami, a spiritual story contributed to the way in which people responded. There once was a king who had displeased God by killing a monk. In order to redeem himself the king sacrificed his only daughter to the sea. She survived and became one of the most revered queens of southern Sri Lanka. Because of the beliefs embedded in this culturally specific story, many survivors drowned themselves in the ocean. They felt that because they had damaged the coral reefs, this was the return they received and so they sacrificed their lives to the sea in redemption.
In understanding human thinking and behaviour, psychoanalysis enables us to appreciate and analyse human defences, understand dynamics, developmental stages, irrational/ unconscious motives, boundaries, counter-transference, and the significance of metaphor/ symbolic meaning. As carers we must understand and support the cultural, historical and spiritual background of those we are helping. One must give particular regard to local influences such as ideas of honour, face, pride, caste, gender, race, religion, independence, humility and political ideas. Also understand your own vulnerability; your personal experience may mirror what you are there to help others through. The tools of character that we need are incisive flexibility, rigorous focus, maximum empathic sensitivity, a willingness to be self-revealing, and the ability to be what they need you to be.
Joyce Braak, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies: While ‘traumatic stress’ was first classified as a condition in 1980, it has been with us since human beings began harming human beings. Trauma changes the person that experiences it. Trauma is indelible and reactions and responses to it are very individual. Trauma is not a t-shirt that has to fit everyone. Traumas experienced as a result of malicious acts have the most pathogenic power. The closer one identifies with the victimiser and the more personal and horror-filled the trauma is, the more it becomes part of the survivors personal identity. For example, rape is particularly harmful because women are raped because they are women, which is intrinsic to their physical identity. In WWII Jews were tortured and killed because they were Jews. In 911 Americans were killed because they were Americans. These experiences compel us to confront evil and to take a moral stand. Broken trust is a hallmark characteristic of PTS and the helplessness from this can be unbearable creating a loss of agency and will to live. Victims of trauma experience the shattering of assumptions that they live with on a day-to-day level. When one has suffered a trauma, assumptions on which ones life is based are suddenly rendered in valid. They may find it difficult to believe their own situation. As responders we need to offer choices, empower, restore control and agency, and deal with their real needs. Let them tell us what they need. Katrina and 911 have changed how we deal with things. What we know today is what we’ve learned from yesterday’s survivors. What we know tomorrow will be based on what we learn today from survivors.
Survivors most need us to reject rigidity and be proactively flexible. It’s important to always be humble and be willing to question ones own assumptions and ones process. Trauma, memory and politics are important for all of us who want to be benevolent to understand. We cannot sustain and manage conflicts that traumatise people. We need to end them. Trauma is not something to be managed but something to recover from.
In Conclusion
The three speakers of this session captured well the changing dynamics of trauma and the deepening awareness of what is means to be a human being. It is imperative to give credence to local beliefs and needs, whether they be physical mental, emotional or spiritual. They recommended humanitarian outreach workers adopt a flexible and humble nature, calling for increased reflexivity in the way we work in the disaster field.
Tamasin (New York)
Spiritual Responsibility and Environmental Sustainability
The Midday workshop I chose to attend today was held at the Church
Louise Diamond, Peace Educator spoke on the need to shift from the awareness of being “separate” to “we are at one with all that there is”. So we are a family. All the elements are in us, we are made up of matter. We need to look at the natural world and see a mirror, what is happening inside shows up on the outside; look at the natural world as our teacher, our partner, and our sanctuary. We need to reconnect with the elements; we need to practice invitation – inviting the natural world to partner with us and also practice appreciation. Matter shapes itself from our consciousness (e.g. how our thoughts affect water).
What can we do as NGOs
We need to think back to our ancestors and think back to when our ancestors left a minimum imprint (footprint) on our planet
Go out and make revolutionary partnerships - they may be with people we may not normally partner, the ones who least get it.
Sat Dhoran Kaur Khalsa, ND, 3HO Foundation looked at the various opposing values; ones that are healthy, and those that are unhealthy for the sustainability of our planet. For example the earth has infinite resources as apposed to the recourses of the earth are finite and we need to share and only take what we need. She also highlighted the fact that at this conference– there has been a lot spoken about technologically based solutions but very little talk on the need to simplify our lives. She asked the question: How would our actions change if we removed the cloak that veils our awareness to the fact that we are killing other species unnecessarily and at great environmental cost for our food.Nancy Roof, Publisher and Editor of Kosmos Journal said that it is so important to meditate, pray, and take care of our selves as well as our planet; recognizing the sacredness of the earth as our provider, nurturer, and source of food and air. We need to recognize that we are in a new story; it is now the time to master ourselves and have a responsibility to service. We have a responsibility to change the institutions that provide the frame work for how people live today. Many institutions reflect only the material consciousness and it is important for us to highlight and include the higher spiritual consciousness in these frameworks.Dr Elizabeth Bowen, Baha’I International Community, who is also a medical doctor, felt that it was important to highlight that this message of climate change is a matter of human survival and this may bring the message home. We need to take care of the basic resources that we all share – air, water and food. For example without oxygen most people would survive 3 minutes, without water most would be able to survive 3 days, and without food the strongest of us would survive for only 3 weeks.She also said that there needs to be a balance in systems to make them work; there are two ‘wings’ that provide balance; for example it is important to have a gender balance in government. A good example of this is
Faith Responses to Climate Change (Midday Workshop)
The focus of this workshop was on the Abrahamic traditions’ (Christian, Jewish and Muslim) evolution in ecological practice and theology. Speakers were from the Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Zoroastrian faiths. The spiritual teachings and personal experiences of the speakers are shared in an effort to highlight the best practices and challenges of climate change. Many people of faith are saying, the health of the world is a religious issue. Environmentalism truly is a form of spiritual practice.
Speakers
Hellen Wangusa, Anglican Communion Observer at the United Nations. Wanguse is a chaplain with a background as a cultural anthropologist and so is very aware of the intrinsic relationship between spiritual understanding and the environmental impact of the way in which we live. This raises the question of the gap that exists between what we know, what we say and what do. The church has become so interlocked with politics that it is often forgotten the reason that the church came into being. An important question emerged at a recent Anglican conference in Australia where climate change was a key issue. What are the basic moral teachings about the environment? Psalm 24 tells us that we don not own the earth however we are imbued with the responsibility to take care of what we have been given. To forsake this responsibility is a moral transgression of the worst kind. The earth is not a thing. The earth is alive. It is a work in progress. Right now our responsibility is to help in the repair of this work. So, what is the role of the church in this? The environmental crisis has magnified this question in some very important ways. The life of the church is an extension of life. Our role is not to impose something foreign in others or on the world, but to guide the earth through a healing process that benefits everyone. This is a fairly radical re-understanding of what the churches purpose is. However I would not necessarily say that it is new. It is sometimes hard to know what we have forgotten and why. Today what we are doing is a lot of remembering.
Lawrence Troster, Director, GreenFaith Fellowship Program and Rabbinic Fellow at COEJL (Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life). After being in a religious environment movement for over fifty years I have come to the understanding that this crisis of climate change has an intellectual and spiritual element to it. In Canada some of my deepest spiritual experiences come from the reservoir of experience with environment. Even fifty years ago, the earth was seen to be a crisis. From the textual Hebrew tradition the universe is a creation of God. ‘Creation’ is not a neutral term. Creation is a good and positive term because it denotes relationship. When we take creation as an authentic concept, we have to take the notion of relationship seriously. If God is Creator then He has absolute ownership. Pslam 24 says that creation is good. The universe is structured and ordered in a harmonious way so that it can serve God. None of Gods creatures lie outside of creation. Everyone is included. The word Adam comes come adma meaning ‘of the earth’. We have this duality. On one hand we are of the earth, on the other we are created in Gods image: we have God-like capacities and potential for virtue. We are Gods agents here on earth and we are meant to be the stewards of creation. The Garden of Eden was a time when the world was in perfect balance. There was justice rightness, equity and order. Human beings have disrupted this order which we must now work to put right. Deuteronomy is a compilation of laws that to bring human beings back on track and enable them to live well. The fixing of the world is an activity that must be done by humans in tandem with God. We must redress the imbalances we have brought into the world. This is a responsibility and moral imperative that must be upheld. There is a common underlying spiritual foundation that bridges all faiths that we each express in our own particular ways. This brings out our foundational unity. When we work together we are stronger. There are many issues that divide faiths, however this is a universal crisis that can bring us together in a way that no other issue can. We have the opportunity to each work with congregations on a grass roots level. There are programs to incorporate principles of environmental care with rich spiritual traditions. It was once religion that told us that we are all sinners. It is now the ecology of the planet that is calling us that. Religion threatened us with the idea of ‘the last days’. It is now our earth making this call. It is the outcry of mute things themselves.
Bayram Mulic, Islamic Community and Cultural Center, PG NY, Department of Islamic Education. I’m so glad that people have finally realised that our earth is not a matter of politicians and policy makers, but of ordinary people. We are brothers and sisters and we are one family. Apart from Allah, we have another mother which is the earth and we should take care of her. In the Koran, mother earth is mentioned 485 times. This planet is two thirds water. Water is divine because in the holy Koran God says ‘we create everything from the water’. When NASA goes out into space they search for water as assign of life. In climate change we are witnessing a problem with water. We should treat water with divinity. One of the prayers of the prophet says ‘Oh God give water to your people and animals, spread your mercy and give water to your dead land – the earth.’ God created this earth on His command with the word but it is us that He put in charge of this planet. We are agents of the earth for God and agents of God on the earth yet it is human that are causing climate change. In Romans verse 41, God says that corruption and mischief have appeared on land and sea because of the evil performed by the hands of men. A modern interpretation means this corruption is against Mother Nature, against the climate. The verse continues to explain that this corruption has taken place and the balance has been disturbed so that we can be made aware that we are on the wrong path and make our return. There are both physical and metaphysical reasons for climate change and global warming. In the Koran we find that God creates everything in balance. If this balance is disturbed there are problems. If people are involved in gutlessness and sin climate change will take place. If involve ourselves in behaviour that goes against truth and oppresses our souls, then our environment will change. There will be calamities, earthquakes and so on and so forth. So we are one of the causes of this. Can we do anything about it? I think yes. Islam does not have organizations that are doing this environmental work but Islam is a way of life. Lifestyle changes have to take place. We have to change our patterns of consumption. Islam teaches that you take only what you need. Take a little and this will carry you. Any extra you will have to carry. In the Koran it advises to use one bucket of water, do not waste food, do not cut trees and do not waste the resources of nature. There is a short story in Islam that illustrates this. Our planet is like a two deck boat. The prophet told the people how to sail their boat and so the people started to sail their boat. There they were, with their two decks, out in the middle of the ocean. The people on the lower deck became thirsty and needed water, but the people on the upper deck were not ready to share their water with. As those from the lower deck became thirstier, they had to drill holes to get water in order to survive. But of course, by drilling the holes, the entire boat sank and everyone drowned. If we don’t work together our boat of the earth will sink. We all share moral responsibility for it.
There once was a very wise man who knew everything about the eternal laws. Another man who was jealous of the wise man tried to trick him. He brought the wise man a bird in his hand and said ‘wise man, tell me if this bird is alive or dead’. This man was wicked because he knew that he could, depending on the wise man’s response, either release the bird or kill it. The wise man said ‘the fate of this bird is in your hands’. Surely it is the same with us and the earth
Homi Gandhi, Main NGO Representative to the UN, Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America, (FEZANA). There is a song that we sing, ‘Of what faith are the waters, of what faith the trees, of what faith the mountainous Mother Earth, of that faith and of that law, worshipper there I am. He created the universe and laid down the path of sun and stars. Who taught the moon to wax and wane and the tides to come and go’. There are certain bountiful immortals. Each of them is related to part of. They include fire, a good mind, the animal kingdom, holy devotion, earth, divine strength and power, sky and metals, a state of complete wellbeing, water, immortal bliss, the plant kingdom, love and devotion, truth and righteousness. At the end only perfection and completion will prevail. This is not a comment to make us feel better or just to please our hearts, but to make us aware of our moral responsibility. There is heaven, earth, water, and plants. What is their current status? We are talking about doomsday here. The time has come for all of us to decide what we have to do. There was recently an essay competition in India. Five and a half thousand essays were received and the topics were overwhelmingly about the environment and the need to fix it. This is the most important thing because it concerns us all. Every religion believes in passing on a better world to our children. But what are we doing?
Mary Peter Bruce. My mother would never go to school until she said goodbye to all the plants and flowers. When I was a child she told me that the pansy flower has a little prince inside it. Both she and my father taught me how to be very respectful, of plants, of animals and of each and every person that we met. My father told me to become like an ant so I could learn about and appreciate them. When I was 18 I joined the convent and became a first grade teacher. I learned many things from the little children. Then I went to Bolivia. I noticed that people never even drank anything until they had given thanks to Mother Earth. In the Loretta community we have a tradition of being pioneers. Our order was founded in the US without any bonds with Europe. One of our traditions is that Mother Earth is really to be respected and to be loved. The world is such a gift and so how are we to respond to it. Our spirituality has to be one of risk and change if we are to respond to embrace ecological spirituality. In 2000 our community made a commitment to respect creation by honouring and nurturing our planet and to start reversing environmental degradation. Some of the efforts we make are small. For example, we do not drink bottled water. We have also committed ourselves to social change by living simply. Indigenous people are an important part of nature. Their rituals act to heal the rupture in our relationship of nature. While some consider it an offence to practice indigenous religions, it is one of healing and grace. We have to globalise the relationship of sisters and brothers and the release of faith. We must personalise our relationship with nature.
Tamasin (New York)
Madhavi at the session
Youth, Education and Climate Change This workshop addressed the role of education and youth and the ability of this alliance to foster awareness and behavioral changes necessitated by the global climate crisis. Speakers shared some of their experiences.David Chase, Jr., Roots and Shoots New England Youth Leadership Council, Jane Goodall Institute: Eight years ago I was ten years old and in the sixth grade. My science teacher was impressed with my answers to questions that she posed and so she and invited me to join the environment club which also included seventh and eighth grade students. She went on to explain about climate and its changing patterns. The club members did simple things like picking up trash from the environment. In the beginning I did not understand the importance but participated in their activities. Then I began to realize that every person’s role matters and makes a difference. If you pick up the trash it makes a difference. We know what to do about climate change, but how do we bring about the change? The greatest change can be brought through the youth. So encourage them to protect the climate. We must also educate the uneducated, so that they will be inspired to be a helping hand in climate change. No one can change the world alone, but together we make a change. Especially youth.Jana Chase, Earthwatch Teacher Fellow, Earthwatch Institute: Jane discussed ‘rethinking schools’. She asked her students what they thought about climate change. They were like stones, did not say a word. However when the teacher said that things are going wrong and asked how many think that nothing can be done about it, all the children raised their hands. So it is important to educate the children and youth, and encourage them in ways that they can bring a change. ‘I can, we can, they can make a change!’Julianne Schrader, Education Manager, Rainforest Alliance: Julianne is working with students to make teach them about the ‘rainforest’. The purpose of rainforest is two-fold; to raise awareness about the important role that the world’s forest play in controlling climate change, and empower people to make changes in their day-to-day lives which will protect the world’s remaining forests and combat global warming. She also said that climate change must be a part of the academic curriculum. Climate change is a fear, feel that fear and find a way to get rid of it. Madhavi (New York)