“Kim Jong Un doesn’t like me at all,” says 21-year-old defector from North Korea Yeonmi Park captivated the audience with her remarkable story of survival trekking through the Gobi Desert “Kim Jong Un doesn’t like me at all,” said Yeonmi Park, a 21-year-old North Korean defector turned activist. Talk about an understatement. But this was just one lighthearted line during a moving, tearful discussion on the second night of the Women in the World Summit featuring the dynamic Park, LiNK … [Read more...]
International Day of Happiness, MAR 20
March 20, 2015 by
In 2012, the United Nations (UN) declared March 20 to be observed as the International Day of Happiness. March 20 will be celebrated as the International Day of Happiness every year. After years of happiness research, one thing has proved fundamental - the importance of our connections with other people. But modern societies are built as if the opposite was true. We are surrounded by people, yet we feel genuinely connected to almost none of them. The effects are devastating. Social … [Read more...]
MDG momentum – Post 2015
October 2, 2014 by
Providing key information for MDG momentum UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for an end to the unfinished business of the Millennium Development Goals while speaking at a high-level event convened by the MDG Advocacy Group on 25 September. Organized by UN DESA in collaboration with a number of partners, the event featured the launch of a new publication as well as a data tool visualizing 14 years’ worth of MDG data from UN DESA’s Statistics Division. Gathering 300 global leaders, … [Read more...]
Jane Goodhall speaks out loud, World Peace Day 2014
September 6, 2014 by
As a UN Messenger of Peace, Dr. Goodall makes it a priority each and every year to observe and celebrate the annual International Day of Peace on September 21. Dr. Goodall always helps us see how important it is that we strive to create a more peaceful world for all people, as well as the natural world which we share. With this year's theme, "Right of People's to Peace," Dr. Goodall wrote the following message. A Celebration of Women™, in Toronto, Canada is celebrating live on … [Read more...]
“The Right of Peoples to Peace,” September 21
August 3, 2014 by
The International Day of Peace, sometimes unofficially known as World Peace Day, is observed annually on 21 September. It is dedicated to world peace, and specifically the absence of war and violence, such as might be occasioned by a temporary ceasefire in a combat zone for humanitarian aid access. The day was first celebrated in 1982, and is kept by many nations, political groups, military groups, and peoples. In 2013, for the first time, the Day was dedicated by the Secretary-General of the … [Read more...]
PTSD, The plight of FGM in The Gambia, Africa
July 26, 2014 by
Slowly changing, but unmoving: The plight of FGM in The Gambia, Africa A Stop FGM – Female Genital Mutilation sign in Bakau New Town, Gambia gives a phone number to reach for those women who want talk with someone about FGM. Image: Nichol Brummer/Flickr London, UNITED KINGDOM, WESTERN EUROPE: Rainy season in upcountry rural Gambia, is green. It is a warm, inviting blend of a thousand greens; a mixture of beautiful, calm, peaceful mingling greens. As I look around and soak in the reality … [Read more...]
Heeding lessons of Rwanda, 20 years later – Ban
April 10, 2014 by
Commemorating “one of the darkest chapters in human history,” United Nations officials paid tribute this morning to the 800,000 men, women and children – overwhelmingly Tutsi, moderate Hutu and Twa – that were systematically killed 20 years ago in Rwanda, and urged the international community to work together and remain vigilant to prevent such atrocities from ever happening again. “The blood spilled for 100 days. Twenty years later, the tears still flow,” said Ban Ki-Moon, in an address … [Read more...]
MDG 5 – HIGH LEVEL FORUM [Sept 23]
September 20, 2013 by
Follow the conversation on Twitter & Facebook #MDG5 With less than 900 days remaining to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), the Forum brings together a High-Level Panel to discuss what needs to be done to rapidly accelerate the achievement ofMDG5 (improve maternal health). Although progress has been made, MDG5 falls far short of agreed targets. Reaching MDG5 requires focusing on proven interventions to reduce maternal death and achieve universal access to reproductive … [Read more...]
UN Public Service Awards 2013 – celebrated WINNERS
July 2, 2013 by
United Nations Public Service Awards 2013 The United Nations Public Service Awards is the most prestigious international recognition of excellence in public service. It rewards the creative achievements and contributions of public service institutions that lead to a more effective and responsive public administration in countries worldwide. Through an annual competition, the UN Public Service Awards promotes the role, professionalism and visibility of public service. The UN has … [Read more...]
Mary D. Moore is Taking Action for World Peace!
June 22, 2013 by
Throughout human history, war and violence defined whether territorial boundaries would expand or constrict. The Rule of Law seldom became the standard of societal life; too often, it was might over right. But evolution and the refinement of human morals and ethics have moved mankind, from the mid-20th century, to rise above the pattern of war and violence towards the higher invitation of sustainable peace and the rule of law. For that purpose, the United Nations was … [Read more...]
ECOSOC EVENT “… solutions for sustainable development” – 24 April 2013
April 20, 2013 by
The Partnerships Forum is one of the preparatory events for the 2013 Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) on “Science, technology and innovation, and the potential of culture, for promoting sustainable development and achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)”, and is organized by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA); in collaboration with WIPO, ITU, UNESCO, UNICEF, the United nations Office for Partnerships, the UN Global Compact and the … [Read more...]
