URI Executive Director's Letter for February 2005
March 30th, 2005 by sfuqua
In his February "Executive Director's Letter", Charles Gibbs
urges URI Cooperation Circles to join in support for three major United
Nations' observances in 2005: World Environment Day, the 60th Anniversary
of the UN Charter (and 5th for the URI's), adn the International Day of
Peace
Dear Friends of the URI,
Greetings of love and peace.
As URI's global community grows as a force for peace, justice and
healing, we and all of humanity owe a debt of profound gratitude and support
to the visionary founders of the United Nations and to those people who
devote their lives to its success. A strong and effective UN is critical to
humanity's future. The UN inspired the birth of the URI and URI is
formally affiliated with the UN through the Department of Public Information.
There is a URI Cooperation Circle at the UN and many URI CCs around the world
have partnerships with local UN groups. In support of the UN and in the
spirit of global solidarity, I invite you to join your brothers and sisters
all over the world in three major United Nations' observances in 2005,
one of which is also a major observance for URI:
- June 5th, World Environment
Day - June 26th, 60th
Anniversary of UN Charter
and 5th Anniversary of URI Charter - September 21st, International Day of
Peace
World Environment Day: WED was established by the
UN's General Assembly in 1972, on the same day the United Nations
Environmental Program (UNEP) was created, to deepen public awareness of the
need to preserve and enhance the environment. In 1987, Nairobi, Kenya became
the first city to host a global WED observance - Environment and Shelter:
More Than A Roof. In subsequent years, this annual observance has
focused on a wide variety of environmental issues: global warming, clean
water, the oceans, poverty and sustainable development.
This year San Francisco will host WED, the first city in North America to
have this honor. The theme is Green Cities, which the host committee believes
"is timely because the 21st century marks the first time in human
history that the majority of the world's population will live in urban
areas. Today, cities consume 75% of the planet's natural resources. As
urban populations grow, it is increasingly important to balance the needs of
the environment, the economy, and social equity if we are going to achieve a
way of living that can support our planet and our people into future
generations." URI is a partner in this effort. Our purpose calls us
"to create cultures of peace, justice and healing for the Earth and all
living beings." We encourage you to visit the WED website
(www.wed2005.org) for ideas about how
you can share in this global observance.
UN & URI Charters: June 26, 2005 marks the 60th
Anniversary of UN Charter and the global institution it created, which has
inspired and supported countless leaders over the past sixty years to make an
extra effort for peace and justice.
We the peoples of the United Nations determined to save succeeding
generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has
brought untold sorrow to mankind, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental
human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal
rights of men and women and of nations large and small…do hereby
establish an international organization to be known as the United
Nations.
June 25, 2005 is also the 5th Anniversary of URI Charter and the global
community it created, which daily brings people together across faith lines
to build a more peaceful and just world.
We, people of diverse religions, spiritual expressions and indigenous
traditions throughout the world, hereby establish the United Religions
Initiative to promote enduring, daily interfaith cooperation, to end
religiously-motivated violence and to create cultures of peace, justice and
healing for the Earth and all living beings.
In these times when the need for global cooperation among nations and
faiths is made vivid each day, we urge you to find ways to celebrate this
important anniversary.
International Day of Peace: The International Day of
Peace was established by the UN in 1981. Originally tied to the yearly
opening of the General Assembly, in 2001 its date was fixed annually on
September 21. For the past two years, members of the URI community around the
world have joined in celebrating this day with a wide array of activities
that demonstrate the power of shared action for peace. We invite you, again,
to join with your sisters and brothers around the world in helping this day
become a major global celebration.
We will be sharing more about these observances as the year progresses,
but we invite you now to put these dates on your calendar and begin planning
how you and your community will participate. Please let us know what
you're planning by emailing office@uri.org. Together we can build
communities of peace, justice and healing for a better future.
Love,
Charles Gibbs
