| Posted: April 29 2005,16:11 |
If you wrote this report, you will find a button here that you may click
in order to make changes in the report. 
|
PROGRESS: Has your organization seen
progress toward a culture of peace and nonviolence in your domain of
action and in your constituency during the first half of the Decade? |
During
the first half of the Decade the United Nations Days & Years
Meditation Initiative has noted a significant increase in participation
in meditation and prayer programmes designed to strengthen and
cultivate cultures of peace. We have not developed indicators to
measure progress but we can report that within our constituency of
meditation and faith-based prayer groups there has been an increase in
the willingness to support the themes of the United Nations Days, Years
and Decades with prayer and meditation. This is a clear indication of
support for a culture of peace. There has been a popular demand to be
added to our monthly free email list reminding subscribers of
forthcoming events in the UN calendar. Growth in support for the
International Day of Peace Vigil, organised globally by a network of
groups since 2003, has been a clear sign of progress in work for a
culture of peace within this constituency – and global participation in
the Vigil we co-ordinate as part of this effort has also reflected
growing interest and support.
|
OBSTACLES: What are the most important obstacles that have prevented progress?
|
There
are no serious obstacles to the work of promoting support amongst
meditation and prayer groups for cultures of peace. There are numerous
opportunities to build work with mind and heart in support of the
ethics and values which lie at the core of cultures of peace. It is
simply a question of the application of will.
|
ACTIONS: What actions have been
undertaken by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence during the first half of the Decade?
|
The
United Nations Days & Years Meditation Initiative works to
encourage groups and individuals from meditation and faith-based
networks to work with the themes of the International Days, Years and
Decades in the United Nations Calendar in their regular practise of
prayer and meditation. We do this through:
• distribution of printed material;
• circulation of the United Nations calendar;
•
a web site with extensive commentary, links and sample meditation
outlines for each event on the United Nations calendar;
• a free
monthly email reminding subscribers of forthcoming events (“All who
work in meditation and prayer can hold these events in the light,
invoking the lighted, loving energies of divinity with the aim of
inspiring and nourishing all that is being done in the world to create
a culture of peace (right human relations)”)
• a dedicated and
co-ordinated international Focus Group with members from all continents
of the world. Members of the Focus Group work with meditations in
support of the themes of the United Nations calendar every day of the
week. There are sub-groups for each day (a Monday group, Tuesday group,
etc.)
A major part of the work of the United Nations Days &
Years Meditation Initiative is to support International Day of Peace.
Towards this end we have, since 2001, co-ordinated an international
prayer and meditation vigil covering the 24 hours (GMT) of
International Day of Peace. Participants from around the world agree to
work in meditation or prayer in support of a culture of peace for
specific 15 minutes periods during the 24 hours. They register for
these periods and the web site displays a schedule showing all
registrations for each 15 minute slot: see
www.intuition-in-service/main/unitednations/specialdays/idpvigil.html .
Since 2002 this Vigil has been part of the global programme of the
International Day of Peace Vigil network.
|
ADVICE: What advice would you like to
give to the Secretary-General and the General Assembly to promote a
culture of peace and nonviolence during the second half of the Decade? |
|
PARTNERSHIPS: What partnerships and
networks does your organization participate in, thus strengthening the
global movement for a culture of peace? |
Organisations and networks we link closely with include:
Pathways to Peace
International Day of Peace Vigil
Lifebridge Foundation
Lucis Trust / World Goodwill
Spriritual Caucus at the United Nations (New York)
Operation Peace Through Unity
|
PLANS: What new engagements are
planned by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence in the second half of the Decade (2005-2010)? |
|
Postal address of organization
|
United Nations Days & Years Meditation Initiative
PO Box 58
Paekakariki
NEW ZEALAND
|
E-mail address of organization
|
info@UNmeditation.org
|
Website address of organization
|
www.UNmeditation.org
|
Highest priority action domain of a culture of peace
|
Understanding, tolerance, solidarity
|
Second priority action domain of a culture of peace
|
Education for a culture of peace
|
Highest priority country of action (or international)
|
International
|
Second priority country of action (or international)
|
|
| Back to top |
|
