Recap of the day and a gathering of hearts in the vision for #GlobalUnityNow
Poetry Slam for Peace
Rev. Susana Bastarrica will be delivering a Prayer for Peace at 6pm. She is an evolutionary interactivist and the Founder/Organizer of The Vigil for Peace and Ecology. The Vigil was born from the ashes the 9/11 tragedy and inspired by The United Nations Resolutions 36/67 and 55/282 declaring an International Day of Peace and to have the entire World observe a full day of “global ceasefire and nonviolence. Rev. Bastarrica, has been instrumental in expanding the vision of the Central Park Bandshell Vigil for 15 years through cultural interaction and education to raise for Global Peace awareness. Ordained Interfaith Minister of the New Seminary. International multilingual consultant in English, Spanish, French, Rumanian and Italian. She is a teacher and lecturer in the USA, Australia, South America and Europe. Certified Feng Shui Practitioner by the Metropolitan Institute of Interior Design. Founding President of the “United Nations Staff Recreation Council” (UNSRC). SaluS Well-Being Network-and UNSRC-Former President of UNSRC Society of Enlightenment Transformation, Friendship Club, Former UNSRC Assistant Treasurer. Certified Bach Flower Remedy Counselor, Member of the “Flower Essences Society”. Crystal Healing Certification with Katrina Raphaell, Former bilingual volunteer and teacher at HealingWorks, NYC, Wellness center. Aromatherapy teacher and volunteer counselor for the American Red Cross, and the September 11 Recovery Program.
Join others for 15 glorious minutes of Laughter Yoga on the phone as we celebrate 11 Days of Global Unity!
No previous experience, no special clothes or equipment required. CALL: +1-218-339-2460 CODE: 52844# (LAUGH#) We’ll start with SMILE-UPsSM and get the giggles with silly, playful LAUGHTER exercises that help unite us as we decrease stress, anxiety and depression, increase joy, connection, creativity, energy, focus and productivity. Connect to others through LAUGHTER! Different times each day so check the calendar carefully. Times given for Central Standard Time. More information about Sarah and her work on www.SeriousGiggles.com Come together to LAUGH for joy! “Laughter is the shortest distance between 2 people.” – Victor Borge
‘GRANDMOTHERS ON THE MOVE’ Podcast Episodes
Click HERE!
NO START TIME and NO END TIME – LISTEN to past and current podcasts!
Grandmothers To Grandmothers Campaign
The Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign exists to support the indomitable African grandmothers who are caring for the millions of children who have been orphaned by AIDS. Members of the Grandmothers Campaign share three goals. They work to:
- Raise funds to meet the needs of African grandmothers and the children in their care;
- Listen to African grandmothers, respect their expertise and amplify their voices, in order to promote authentic and substantive responses to the epidemic in Africa;
- Build solidarity among African and Canadian grandmothers in order to motivate and sustain the vital work of turning the tide of AIDS in Africa.
Canadian grandmothers groups are tremendously active in their communities. They put on concerts, organize card tournaments, and sell jewellery. They visit countless schools and community organizations. They bake, cook, sew, knit, paint, write, organize cycle tours, walks, and even ride motorcycles – all to raise funds and awareness for grandmothers in sub-Saharan Africa through the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
To learn more about how you can get involved in the Campaign, write to Ilana here.
Articles About The Campaign
What started as a conversation around a kitchen table has grown to become a movement to empower women, especially grandmothers, in Africa.
The Grandmothers Campaign, an initiative of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, is known as Grandmothers 4 Grandmothers in Regina, which was among the very first places in Canada where women took on projects to support families in Africa.
‘We know the power of women’s organizing in Canada and older women have an extraordinary amount of vigour and energy.’– Ilana Landsberg-Lewis
As Ilana Landsberg-Lewis explains, the movement arose in response to the human crisis, observed by her father Stephen Lewis during his time as a special envoy for the United Nations, afflicting the African continent during the HIV and AIDS pandemic.
Millions of children were orphaned by the deaths of their parents. Their grandmothers were left to raise them, with little or no support.
Ilana Landsberg-Lewis is co-founder, with her father Stephen Lewis, of the Stephen Lewis Foundation. One of their main campaigns supports grandmothers in Africa. (Lisa MacIntosh/Stephen Lewis Foundation)
“Grandmothers were just in an agony of loss,” Landsberg-Lewis said. “Death was everywhere. They were left with no income and often isolated by the terrible stigma surrounding HIV-AIDS.”
Landsberg-Lewis recalled how requests seeking aid referred to the grandmothers as “caregivers” and when she asked why, she learned there was a strong bias in play.
“Nobody wants to fund them because they’re older women and nobody sees them as a meaningful investment,” she learned.
“We decided if Canadian grandmothers knew what was happening on the [African] continent then it would surely resonate with them and boy did it ever,” Landsberg-Lewis said.
“I wish I could say that I was prescient but it would be overstating it,” she said, talking about how the success of the organization, which quickly grew from a handful of activists brain-storming at a kitchen table (her own) to over 250 chapters across the country.
Since 2006 they have raised about $25 million.
“It was really extraordinary but I can’t say that I’m surprised,” she said. “Older women in our communities, we know the power of women organizing in Canada and older women have an extraordinary amount of vigour and energy.”
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The Campaign currently boasts more than 240 grandmothers groups across the country. Many of the groups have organized into regional and national networks in order to support each other’s efforts in solidarity with African grandmothers and the children in their care.
Resources from the Grandmothers Campaign go to grassroots organizations that support African grandmothers with food, health care, school fees and school uniforms for their grandchildren, income-generating programmes, counselling, social support, essential shelter, and other necessities. Throughout Africa, grassroots organizations run by and for grandmothers are sharing insights, deepening their expertise, collaborating with other local organizations, and building their capacity to turn the tide of AIDS at community level.
The Convergence
Archives Available on VoiceAmerica Empowerment Channel
In a world inevitably going global and multicultural, what becomes of religions and spirituality? What becomes of activism towards real global change? In THE CONVERGENCE, global Interspiritual pioneer and scientist Dr. Kurt Johnson joins interfaith leaders Ben Bowler of Australia and Doug King of America in engaging women and men who are inspiring leaders and change agents around our world. Spiritual and cultural leaders, sacred and secular activists, scientists, artists, writers, economists, politicians and even shamans join in this discussion of a world trying to wake up and grow up. What is at stake and what are the technologies and cosmologies creating a world that can work for everyone? If you are concerned for our world’s future and sincere about your commitments to bold and world-serving ideas, you’ll want to tune in to The Convergence on the VoiceAmerica Empowerment Channel.
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Episode Description
VoiceAmerica presents this Evergreen Special detailing major 2019 and 2020 global events upcoming from UNITY EARTH partners Standing for Peace Campaign, Road to 2020 Events, and Caravan of Unity across America. The five sections of the Special spotlight, now and for months to come: United Nations mandated global holiday events like the International Day of Yoga and the International Day of Peace, the vision and work of Light on Light Magazine and VoiceAmerica in covering all these events, UNITY EARTH and its partners month to month activities and initiatives 2019-2020, and the roles of partner groups like Transformation365, We, the World, URI, UNIFY, EcoPeace and The Evolutionary Leaders. Featured are global leaders from the UN, UNITY EARTH, Light on Light Magazine, Transformation365, We, and The Evolutionary Leaders. Lets share this Special, ongoing, as a resource and PR instrument pointing toward all of these global events and gathering a global constituency for their success!
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Ambassador K. Nagaraj Naidu
His Excellency Ambassador K. Nagaraj Naidu is a career diplomat in the Indian Foreign Service representing the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in New York. He holds a Master’s Degree in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School. His extensive background includes being a fluent Chinese speaker and having previously served in China on four separate postings. More recently, he was the National Coordinator for establishing the International Solar Alliance in India. Significantly, Ambassador Naidu is a long-standing yoga practioner. Reaching back to a tender age, he was exposed to his grandfather rising early to teach yoga classes. As part of the 5th Anniversary of World Yoga Day in June, he moderated a high level panel in New York in the UN Secretariat on the theme of climate change and climate action.
Gayatri Naraine
Since 1980 Gayatri Naraine has served as the representative of the Brahma Kumaris at the United Nations in New York. She is a spiritual educator, writer, and speaker. She is currently the vice chair of the International Day of Yoga Committee. Gayatri’s focus is on the Sustainable Development Goals. She helped in the development of a concept paper entitled Enhancing Human Flourishing Within the 2030 Development Agenda: The Spirituality of Global Transformation. This was the result of a 3-year dialogue held with UNFPA. As a design team member for the Call-of-the-Time Dialogues, a global leadership dialogue, she has spent the last 20 years exploring “experiments in silence,” the transformational depth of contemplative silence and its impact on the world. She serves on the Board of the Kosmos Journal. Gayatri was born in Guyana and currently lives in New York City, USA. Contact Gayatri.naraine@us.brahmakumaris.org
Ben Bowler & Deborah Moldow
Ben Bowler, Executive Director of UNITY EARTH and Deborah Moldow, UE Creative Consultant discuss the vision of UNITY EARTH and its Road to 2020 and Caravan of Unity across America. Ben and Deborah are leaders of a team projecting inspiring global events from 2019 – 2020 and beyond. The Road to 2020 to date has touched all five continents with major intercultural and musical events. (https://unity.earth/roadto2020/). In 2019 events in India and The Holy Land will join the list. The New York Convergence and UNITY Earth Liftoff Celebration and concert are first steps toward “the Caravan of Unity across America” which, in 2020, will features events across America culminating in major celebrations in New York City for the International Day of Peace (Sept. 21). Ben and Deborah will help anchor a “Coalition for the Road to 2020” organized regionally to create participations in these inspiring events. The Leadership Conference, February. 1 will begin that process (contact adam@unity.earth).
Rick Ulfik
Rick Ulfik is Founder of We, the World, We.net and The 11 Days of Global Unity which for many years has been directing major events around the major international holidays of the United Nations. Rick is a founder/leader of We.net, FIONS and other New York City transformational organizations. He works with leaders of United Nations Committees and fellow members of the Evolutionary Leaders network co-sponsoring New York and UN international event programs. We, the World and their “Eleven Ways to Change the World” are central to the plans for 2019 and 2020 for The Road to 2020 and the Caravan of Unity across America. Rick is also a leader in Marshall Rosenberg Nonviolent Communication initiatives as well as an award-winning composer and musician. Rick co-produces Visual Voices on the Dish Network available in 15 million homes. Producing short films as well, Rick organizes and promotes scores of events and other better world activities, large and small, every year. See www.We.net.
Denise Scotto and Adam Collett
Denise Scotto, Esq., and Adam Collett join us, respectively, as Chairperson of the International Day of Yoga Committee at the United Nations, and as Creative Director for UNITY EARTH. Denise is Guest Editor of Light on Light Magazine’s annual issues on the International Day of Yoga and hosts the IDY discussion on this broadcast. Adam, a strategist, designer, media and event producer dedicated to making a positive impact in the world by combining innovative solutions with a deep knowledge of cultural diversity, joins Ben Bowler and Rick Ulfik in the discussions of these global activities on this broadcast. Denise is an attorney at law and policy advisor who has held leadership roles in professional bar organizations and has organized numerous events at UN fora. Adam, with 20 years of experience in design and technology, event production, not-for-profit management, cultural projects, youth programs and more, implements cutting-edge solutions for NGOs and social enterprises.
Karuna and Kurt Johnson
Karuna is founder of www.lightonkundalini.com and a leader in the international Yoga and spiritual practice communities. She is also Host Editor of Light on Light Magazine and a host of The Convergence Series on VoiceAmerica. Dr. Kurt Johnson is the Series Host for The Convergence on VoiceAmerica and Contributions Editor for Light on Light Magazine. Light on Light has produced two annual special issues on The International Day of Yoga with the IDY Committee at the United Nations also featured in this broadcast and will publish a special issue in August 2019 reflecting this VoiceAmerica Special,see https://www.facebook.com/ lightonlightmagazine Karuna and Kurt are co-developing Light on Light with Managing Editor Shannon Winters (below) and also preparing a lifestyle book, manual and lifestyle Teacher Training program with Karuna for 2019. Light on Light magazine and Kurt’s Interspiritual Network are both partners of UNITY EARTH. See www.unity.earth.
Rev. Diane Berke and Jeff Genung
Part of Tranformation365, Rev. Diane Berke is the founder of The One Spirit Learning Alliance and One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in New York City. Jeff Genung is co-founder and President of Contemplative Life.org and, with Rev. Berke, a leader in the interspiritual movement. One Spirit and Contemplative Life have both co-sponsored various events with UNITY EARTH and Contemplative Life is a UNITY EARTH Partner. An author and international speaker, Diane is a recipient of the Houston Smith Interfaith Educator Award and numerous other recognitions. Contemplative Life and Transformation365 create a digital hub that connects people and communities with transformative practices. Contemplative Life.org’s prodigious website hosts hundreds of spiritual teachers and practice traditions, as do the famed interfaith education programs at One Spirit Interfaith.org. Recently Jeff has also partnered with Prosocial.world along with Dr. Kurt Johnson of the Interspiritual Network and UNITY EARTH.
Kate Sheehan Roach and Sr. Mary Friedland
Sr. Mary Friedland and Kate Sheehan Roach join us from Transformation365. Mary Friedland is Coordinator of the Brahma Kumaris activities in Chicago and the Midwest. A Raja Yogi of more than 30 years, she teaches courses in meditation and everyday spirituality. She enjoys applying spiritual principles to life’s knotty problems and sharing what she has learned with others. Kate Sheehan Roach served as founding editor of Contemplative Journal, and as managing editor of the Spirituality Channel at Patheos.com. She is now Director of Content for ContemplativeLife.org and as a founding member of the Transformation365.org core team. Kate works alongside some of today’s great spiritual and religious teachers as editor/agent, podcast host, moderator, and program director. She is a certified Centering Prayer facilitator and serves on the North America Leadership Council for the United Religions Initiative. She lives on the edge of Philadelphia. Contact: katesheehanroach@gmail.com.
Shannon Winters and Yanni Maniates
Shannon Winters in the Managing Editor of Light on Light Magazine and Yanni Maniates is Global Projects Director for UNITY EARTH. Light on Light is dedicated to spiritual practice and inspired lifestyle and Yanni has been working with Contemplative Life.org and other leaders in the UNITY EARTH Network creating spiritual practice programs to accompany UNITY EARTH’s events. The program developed by Yanni, Jeff Genung of Contemplative Life and Rev. Diane Berke of America’s largest interfaith seminary, One Spirit in New York City is called “Transformation 365” and its programs can be found at http://www.tranfomation365.org. Shannon has also been Managing Editor of UNITY EARTH’s Convergence Magazine which, along with Light on Light, publishes special issues on the amazing activities across the networks featured in this broadcast. Shannon has also just completed a spiritual autobiography, The Gospel of Wisdom, documenting her journey from religious fundamentalism to interspirituality.
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VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network is the leading producer, distributor, and online broadcaster of original live and on demand talk radio programming worldwide. We deliver hundreds of original programs weekly through eight branded channels: VoiceAmerica Variety, VoiceAmerica Empowerment, VoiceAmerica Health & Wellness, VoiceAmerica Business, VoiceAmerica Sports, VoiceAmerica INFLUENCERS , VoiceAmerica Kids, and VoiceAmerica Women.
VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network is a true online broadcast network reaching a rapidly expanding domestic and international audience of millions of listeners every month in more than 140 countries worldwide.
VoiceAmerica has been a pioneer in original live talk radio programming for the past 20 years. We continue to produce exceptional radio content that emotionally connects and creates lasting impact in the lives of our global listening audience.
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We strive to inform, shape and change the way you live, offering content that inspires, entertains and enlightens. Our goal is to create content that impacts you, any time any place and on any Device. Period!
THINK KINDNESS, WE CHARITY, COUNT ME IN CHAMPION KINDNESS WORLD WIDE
There’s a growing crisis among young people today. One-in-five students report being bullied, cyberbullying is on the rise, and teen suicide is at a record high. As these problems continue to worsen, many adults may be left scratching their heads. How do we stop this crisis and help our youth?
There are a lot of possible answers, but there’s one that I’d like to pose today that I think is too often overlooked: kindness.
Yes, the simple act of kindness – not just witnessing it, but participating in it – has the ability to change people’s lives for the better. To make our world safer and happier for our children, we need to be teaching them how to be kind at home, at school, and in their communities.
This may seem overly simple, but science backs it up. According to research from places like Harvard and UC Berkeley, among others, acts of kindness release chemicals in the brain, such as serotonin and oxytocin, which reduce depression and anger and boost overall happiness.
Being kind isn’t something we should just mention to our kids in passing – it should be an integral part of their daily activities.
As the founder of Think Kindness, I am blessed to have an incredible job. I go into schools all across the country and help kids tap into their inner kindness potential. In my ten years here, I’ve seen some amazing results. For instance, after my very first speech, a student who struggled with suicidal thoughts wrote me to tell me how getting involved in helping others radically changed his life for the better.
Luckily, Think Kindness isn’t the only organization that makes kindness its mission.
There’s a group called Count Me In, founded and led by youth, which helps to connect young people with volunteer opportunities in their communities and around the world. To date, the organization has inspired over 100 million volunteer hours. In addition, Count Me In has an annual leadership summit which serves as a bootcamp training kids how to be volunteers and do good in the world. I am also blessed to sit on the advisory board for such a powerful and meaningful organization.
Similarly, there’s an organization in Canada called the WE Charity which does incredible work to connect kids to acts of kindness. For instance, WE offers volunteer trips to impoverished communities around the world, giving young people a powerful chance to make a real difference for people in need.
They also host what they call We Days, which draw hundreds of thousands of children into stadiums across the world to hear nspirational messages about doing good around the world.
Organizations like these and others are essential to turning the tide of anger, depression, and sadness among our youth today.
But they need backup, because according to one study, youth volunteering has gone down over the last fifteen years. All of us – parents, teachers, community leaders – need to promote kindness to young people.
We can do it in two ways: first and foremost, by showing kindness ourselves; second, by connecting our kids to groups which can give them the tools they need to be conduits of kindness everywhere they go.
Let’s get to it – it just might change the world.
With Kindness,
Brian Williams
President & Founder, Think Kindness
#BeKindTogether
ECOLISE
The European Network for Community-led Initiatives on Climate Change and Sustainability, is the initiator and main organiser of the European Day of Sustainable Communities. We have 46 member networks and organisations across Europe
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A celebration of local communities taking action for a zero-carbon, regenerative and inclusive Europe.
This is an ECOLISE flagship event. #EDSC19 #SustainableCommunity
Become a co-creator of the day! For details see https://www.sustainable-communities.net/
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ShaRon Rea
The Whole Family Coaching
480-420-9551
ShaRon@TheWholeFamilyCoaching.
www.thewholefamilycoaching.com
How can we be vessels of hope in a time such as this? We have the opportunity to embrace actions that can be taken to make a difference for ourselves and those around us. When we take these steps together there is a collective mounting of GOOD that impacts humanity and our world.
Please consider joining us for the offerings laid out below. Together we are creating a powerful vision for a healthy and flourishing future. We hope you can join us in these worthy endeavors!
May 23-31
WOMEN’S CIRCLES
We are opening Humanity Rising with ten days of listening to voices of women from around the world to emphasize the imperative that women be empowered to lead in shaping the post pandemic world.
June 1-7
NEXTGEN YOUTH LEADERSHIP CIRCLES
After the women speak, we want to listen to the voices of the young for seven days to emphasize the importance of youth leadership in the new world.
June 8-19
STRATEGIES FOR CHANGE
How do we become more effective in implementing solutions? What strategies can we implement that can make a real difference?
The world has been stopped. Most of us have been in some form of lockdown, and over the next several months countries and individuals will find their own paths through the crisis. It is clear that this virus is not going to suddenly go away. So what can we do? How can we be part of the solution?
Allow us to introduce you to Humanity Rising, a growing movement of people and organizations coming together to take counsel on how we can leverage the crisis of the coronavirus pandemic into an opportunity for human renewal and increased resilience to future challenges. It is designed to generate radical collaboration between individuals and organizations dedicated to building a better world.
You’re invited to be a part of this international coalition of over 200 leaders from diverse backgrounds and 100 partner organizations representing over 10 million individuals from around the world for the launch of the Humanity Rising Global Solutions Summit on May 22, 2020.
June 20-27
UNITY WEEK, UNITED NATIONS 75TH ANNIVERSARY
Week of celebration of the UN and international efforts to implement the UN Sustainable Development Goals
June 28 – July 8
NEW MINDSETS FOR A NEW WORLD
What new ideas and new modes of thinking are required for a sustainable and more resilient post pandemic world? How do we develop a new story for humanity?
If you can’t join the live conversations, all sessions will be recorded and you can access the complete video library.
The Summit will continue for as long as the pandemic lasts. This is important because world events are changing every day and it is imperative that we interact with events as they unfold. The world will shapeshift many times over the next months. We must be in a position to continue to adapt and evolve as the global situation does.
The essential imperative is that we all come together in dialogue and action to ensure that the world community seizes the opportunity to rebuild beyond the pandemic in more abundant, resilient and sustainable ways, as framed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Humanity Rising is powered by Ubiquity.
July 9 – July 20
SOLUTIONS MAKING A DIFFERENCE
What are people and organizations doing on the ground that are actually making a difference in people’s lives and in building sustainability?
July 21-31
STRATEGIES FOR CHANGE II
What have we learned? How can we be more effective? How do we build more powerful coalitions?
Each day, the Summit, an initiative of Ubiquity University, will convene for two hours from 8:00 – 10:00AM (PDT) | 5:00-7:00PM (CET) to engage in presentations, group dialogues and working groups, and will continue for as long as the pandemic lasts. It will feature daily TED Talks-style presentations from influential figures such as Jane Goodall, Charles Eisenstein and Vandana Shive as well interactive sessions with leaders from international organizations such as Synergos, Impact HUBS, World Economic Forum, Gaia Education, Humanity’s Team, Ideanco, Masterpeace, Age Nation, Pachamama Alliance, Global Ecovillage Network, Crowdsourcing Week, Heart Ambassadors, Davos Blockbase, and many more.
Our goal is to have hundreds of organizations participating and collaborating. Ubiquity President and Founder Dr. Jim Garrison explains, “The Humanity Rising Summit is an extraordinary opportunity to come together with like-minded people from around the world to consider how we can use this crisis to create a world that is more sustainable and resilient. We believe that nothing less than proactive radical collaboration is sufficient to create a truly new world beyond the pandemic.”
August 1-10
NEW MINDSETS FOR A NEW WORLD II
More ideas for change, more reframing of what we need to envision for a positive future.
August 11-20
SOLUTIONS MAKING A DIFFERENCE II
More examples of what people and organizations are doing on the ground that are actually making a difference in people’s lives and in building sustainability.
September onwards
We will evaluate and shape-shift as the circumstances warrant.
The 8th Annual Children’s Global Wave Of Love
June 21 at 1:11 pm in your heart and time zone.
We collectively come together to cultivate and
send forth our mission
“Children Across the Planet in Love, Care, and Respect.”
Since everyday is children’s day, we create a year-long, free, activity platform for children, families, communities, schools, organizations and YOU to empower
heart space and help transform the world!
Our Mission Statement: Our mission is to provide complete and total support to all children with an entire month of activities that enhance all aspects of a child’s life.
