Brahma Kumaris at United Nations

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