June 2002

Issue 80

I. EDITORIAL Out of chaos — a new order

2. THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN — UNICEF Report 2002
3. THE UN SPECIAL SESSION ON CHILDREN, New York, May 2002
4. PEACE — Talk by The Honourable Dame Silvia Cartwright
5. WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
6. SUSTAINABILITY AND GLOBALISATION
7. THOUGHTS ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
8. THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
9. WORLD CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM
10. WORLD INVOCATION DAY

I. Out of chaos — a new order

The combined impact of two major trends: globalisation, spearheaded by so-called "economic integration", and the disintegration of our political systems, is irrevocably shattering old concepts of order and security.

Where previously an ironfisted ruler could maintain control over a multi-ethnic population within a sovereign state, long accumulated resentments are now bursting forth, igniting into violent and destructive clashes between peoples of different race and religion. Such clashes are spreading throughout the world like a fire-storm, feeding upon itself, laying waste to society as we have come to know it and spreading fear and mistrust between peoples everywhere.

The rule of forced unity within closed borders has almost come to an end, resulting in temporary chaos, fragmentation and bloodshed. But it has also resulted in a strong drive to trace our roots, our ‘family’ or group, and above all our own individual identity.

Although this urgent quest has led to the creation of militant and fanatical factions within cultures and religions, reverting to the old habitual practice of persecuting and murdering people of other colours or beliefs, it is nevertheless this very search and longing for one’s own identity which holds the hope for a future multi-cultural society of peace and prosperity. Because can we not hope that this overriding desire for roots and identity, although seemingly taking us in different directions and tearing the human family apart, will eventually enable us to establish the kind of unity within which each culture forms an integral and indispensable part?

When the voice and the power of peoples has created a democracy true to its name; when this democracy has ensured that "economic integration" is benefiting all peoples and nations which make up the global whole; and when we, the world’s peoples, know better our place within our culture, our world, and begin to envision more clearly the role humanity might have been designed to play within an even greater scheme of things, - then perhaps we shall build a home in which we can all live, with a house-holding that sustains us all.

The title chosen for this report is ‘LEADERSHIP’. UNICEF Executive Director, Carol Bellamy, stresses that no country has made "the leap into meaningful and sustained development without investing significantly in its children". Governments and Heads of State must see to it that the rights and the well-being of children are put above all other concerns. And those, insists Carol Bellamy, who fail to do so "should be held accountable". The UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, in his Foreword, expresses his agreement with these points, saying that: "We must put the best interests of children at the heart of all political and business-making, and at the centre of our day-to-day behaviour and activities." Therefore, although governments and heads of state must carry the main responsibility for showing leadership in this regard, leadership, commitment, and right action are also the responsibilities of the whole community, from religious leaders, entrepreneurs, artists and scientists, to children and adolescents themselves.

The State of the World’s Children quotes a statement made by the Chilean novelist Isabel Allende which further underscores this sentiment; "Millions of children die of neglect that is cruelly tolerated by society. And we are all part of that society. You and I. Our governments have all ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Let’s demand that it be respected".

The report looks back over the eleven years since the first Summit for Children, held in New York September 1990. It was here an unprecedented number of Heads of State gathered to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child which the year before had been approved unanimously by the UN General Assembly.

The 1990 Summit held up the hope that the world had at last opened its eyes to the plight of the world’s children - that, by governments signing the Declaration which says that "the well-being of children requires political action at the highest level", a specific legal framework together with a time-tied plan of action would indeed transform the lives of children worldwide in the following decade.

The report gives an overview of the Summit’s goals and where they have and have not been met. Clear, comprehensive and easily read "balance sheets" summarise the goals, the gains and the unfinished business of the 1990-2000 decade as included in the Report

of the UN Secretary-General, entitled "We the Children: End-decade review of the follow-up to the World Summit for Children". Also included in the UNICEF report are excerpts from regional high level meetings held in preparation for the Special Session on Children.

Among the goals where improvements can be seen are the overall reduction of infant and under-five mortality rate by 14 per cent (the goal being one third reduction by 2000). However this figure "conceals a massive disparity between regions and nations"; some rich nations did not achieve the goal while some very poor countries, through huge effort and determination, achieved it.

Of goals which were not reached were that of universal access to safe drinking water and sanitary means of excreta disposal by 2000. 1.1 billion people are still without safe water and 2.4 billion people without adequate sanitation.

But the area where the least progress has been made is the area of women’s health — reflection, notes the report "of women’s continuing low status in many societies".

The report acknowledges two main blockages to achieving the right of the child: Conflict and HIV/AIDS. It maintains that the world’s wealthiest nations, once the epidemic seemed contained within their own borders, responded with complacency to what was happening around the world. Only in January 2000 did the UN Security Council recognize that the disease presents a threat to international peace and security. UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot is quoted as saying: "It is sad but true: the main decision makers hardly showed any interest until it was brought home to them that productivity and economic growth were being seriously affected".

While the report is unimpressed with the show of leadership by industrialized nations within the area of HIV/AIDS, it also gives examples of countries, companies, universities and individuals who have shown great leadership in the struggle to confine and reduce the spread of this disease. The statistics mentioned in the report clearly show the truth of the claim that this epidemic, as other infectious diseases do, thrives in conditions of poverty, malnutrition and unsafe water: while half of all new cases of HIV occur in young people under 15, 80 per cent of these children are living in Africa. More than 13 million children under the age of 14 or younger have been orphaned by AIDS.

Another, perhaps not so well known statistic, which adds another perspective to the rights of the child is that, according to the latest figures gathered in 1998, one third of all births, i.e. 40 million births every year, are not registered.

Having mapped all the many predicaments and requirements of the world’s children in preparation for the second UN Special Session on Children, the report urges government leaders in developing as well as industrialized countries to work closely together to meet the following targets:

• All countries who have not done so should strive to meet the long-agreed target of 0.7 per cent of GNP for overall development assistance;
• Full financing in order to speed up debt relief, particularly in least developed countries, and cancellation of all official bilateral debts;
• Easier access to exports from the least developed countries, free from duty or quota restrictions;
• Social spending over military expenditure;
• Domestic resources should be used for social development and to reduce disparities at the international and national levels;
• Both aid and government expenditures should be restructured along the lines of the 20/20 Initiative, in line with the Oslo and Hanoi Consensus documents, to achieve universal access to basic social services.

The document entitled "A World Fit for Children" which had been prepared for and was discussed at this special session contained a Declaration and a Plan of Action that aimed clearly to chart a course for a global movement that "would strengthen international action for the promotion of children’s rights in twenty-first century and beyond". On the final day this document was adopted by the UN General Assembly without a vote. The Assembly thus reaffirmed their commitment to complete the unfinished agenda of the 1990 World Summit for Children while also committing themselves to new targets set out in the document within the fields of health, education, against abuse, exploitation and violence.

It was noted by the Assembly’s President, Han Seung-soo, that a record number of side events had taken place at this special session in which Member States and UN agencies could interact with members of civil society and with young people and children. UN

Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, welcomed this development saying that: "In the longstanding debate over the proper place for civil society in the United Nations I think we can all agree that the work for children is one area where the role of NGOs is beyond question." Kofi Annan also applauded the fact that "never before have so many children participated in UN activities or have addressed the General Assembly."

At their discussions regarding young people’s participation in national plans of action, the Youth representatives said that the unprecedented involvement of young people at the 2002 Special Session on Children could lead to new opportunities for action across generations. "The lesson is clear", agreed the participants, "the way forward is with young people and non-governmental organizations — not just for them". The idea was suggested of using "mini-summits" as decentralized democratic models for youth and adults to participate in discussions with each other.

Said Kofi Annan regarding civic society’s role in realizing the targets set in the document "A World Fit for Children": "Just as you have been so active in promoting the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, we will look to you to act as watchdogs and monitor progress in implementing the promises that have been made at this session. Do keep us on our toes."

IV. PEACE

This talk by the Honourable Dame Silvia Cartwright PCNZM, DBE,

was given at the opening of the United Nations Association Conference in Auckland, May 2002

My thanks to you all for inviting me to attend and to open this United Nations Association Conference. It is a pleasure to be here. Last year I spoke to you about the United Nations in the 21^st Century. Today I want to return to a topic that many of you may have heard me speak on — peace. I have chosen this topic because of the palpable importance of the issue in this early part of the new millennium. Reform of the United Nations remains critical, particularly if it is to be a force for good and for the promotion and the protection of human rights internationally. But it is again necessary to return to fundamentals — why do we have a United Nations at all? If it is not there to provide a vehicle that will engage nations in conflict and prevent violence in which innocent people will be caught up then what is the point of its existence?

The year 2000 was the international year for the culture of peace, and last year marked the beginning of the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World. There is inescapable irony in that 2001 also marked the start of the first major war of the new millennium. Until the events of 11 September, we had all hoped, indeed almost expected that worldwide conflict might be a thing of the past — that any new clashes would be regional and containable.

As a world community, guided by the consensus at the United Nations, we believed that we might be able to reduce conflict by focusing on the needs of the youth of the world — for education and better healthcare, for reduction of poverty and hunger, for a fairer distribution of the world’s goods and for an improvement of their human rights generally. That way, we argued, new generations of children would be better equipped to live sustainably and there would be less reason to become involved in armed conflict.

Better-educated people might also mean a lessening of the tribal and religion-based conflict seen in many parts of the globe — in Africa and in the former Yugoslavia, in Asia and most recently, in the Middle East.

We now know that simply because we hope for a peaceful millennium, it will not necessarily occur. But that does not mean that the objectives of the Decade for Peace and Non-violence are now passé.

None of us is as yet able to answer fully the question why did the attack on the USA occur? But we do have clues. The domination of western values, beliefs and way of life has angered many from the east and in developing countries. We in the west are seen as godless, as greedy and as uncaring about the suffering of those in the developing world. And to some degree that is true.

We who are well educated, and have enough to support our families, cannot easily empathise with those who are poorly educated and who see their children and old people routinely succumb to hunger and to disease. We in the West are seldom religiously observant to the degree that our forbears were; we see that as the mark of cultures that lack independence of mind brought about by education, or the province of the credulous or the oppressed.

So just as the oppression of women or the enslavement of children in many societies infuriates me and many others, my godlessness and failure to observe religious custom and tradition enrages the fundamentalist, whether he be a Bible-belt Christian or a Muslim.

Tolerance is valued highly in westernised societies. It is not so widely respected in many others. The rights of the individual are greatly prized in the developed world, but in many other regions they are considered a luxury reserved for the impossibly wealthy.

So what then is the relevance of the Decade for Non-violence? When a year is designated by the United Nations to mark a particular subject or objective, there will always be a sharper focus on the issue than in any other year. The international year for the disabled for example, produced many valuable improvements worldwide for those who are physically or intellectually disabled.

An international year will inspire changes, often at the grassroots, and some of those changes will be of permanent benefit. It is hoped therefore that the momentum achieved during this decade will continue and be strengthened in the future. Although the goal of permanent global peace seems unattainable, there are few who would doubt that we must continue to work towards making this a more peaceful world. And it is my view that we in New Zealand have a particular role to play.

We New Zealanders regard ourselves as a peaceful people. For many years now we have proclaimed this internationally, working to resolve conflict and to prevent new ones. The Government has reaffirmed New Zealand’s commitment to working for a more peaceful world. Our humanitarian efforts, in the form of support for UN peacekeeping missions and foreign aid programmes, and our long-term work for nuclear disarmament, demonstrate our strong commitment to peace and security.

Over 50 years since the Charter of the United Nations was drawn, we now observe a wider range of rights than the fundamental rights to life, to liberty, and security of person. We acknowledge the wisdom of the preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights when it recognized that the "inherent dignity and.. the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world".

We understand, too, that we cannot have peace if we fail to protect the environment. We can survive as a population only if we conserve, develop sustainably, and protect the world’s resources..

In order then to improve our peace and security, we must address a diverse range of issues, including economic development , social justice, and protection of the environment, political equality, disarmament and human rights, and always, we must nurture democracy.

In addressing these issues, we have become acutely aware that the battle for peace is waged at home as well as overseas. Promotion of peace in the family and in the community is as important as peace building internationally.

This decade has been proclaimed the international decade for peace and security for the children of the world. The United Nations has embarked on a series of programmes specifically to address the greatest problems that affect children. We in New Zealand have a responsibility as a nation that professes to love peace, to support these programmes and again to show world leadership in the care of our children. Only then can our concern for the children of strife torn societies ring true.

The United Nations General Assembly has had a leading role in promoting education as the key to the creation of a culture of peace and non-violence. We in New Zealand also believe that democracy is the foundation of a peaceful society. So we must ensure that our children are educated to understand the importance of democratic principles. Teachers and youth leaders need to be trained to value the principles of democracy and the culture of peace, and to teach and model it in the policies and practices of the classroom. And we need to continue to develop methods of peaceful conflict resolution. If we are genuinely committed to promoting a culture of peace, as individuals we must look to our values and ensure that we all exhibit a peace loving life to our nation’s children.

In the end, peace is achieved by tiny actions in our everyday lives. As Eleanor Roosevelt is reported to have said in the 1950s:

So the quest for peace begins in the home, in the school and in the workplace. Until we have delivered an environment that is conflict-free there we cannot preach or achieve peace internationally. But we do have a role to play on the world stage. We may be a tiny country, but we can lead by example in encouraging education as a means of achieving peace and supporting democracy. We have our own challenges to meet in reducing violent crime, but there are also areas, such as protection of the environment, peace keeping and peace building, where we can, and do demonstrate leadership.

And here in New Zealand let us reflect on the symbolism of the tatau pounamu — the door of greenstone — the expression for an enduring peace, one which is often cemented by the exchange of greenstone heirlooms.

As Ngati Kahungunu Chief, Nga Rangi-mata-ea said:

Johannesburg, 26 August — 4 September 2002

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Perhaps one of the best definitions on sustainable development was given by Dr. Attila Molinar, member of the Board of Management of Bayer AG. He says: "Sustainable development means bringing human housekeeping activities into harmony with those of nature". Must we not all hope that the sentiment of this definition will find its way into the hearts and minds of all those people who will be deliberating at the Summit on behalf of the rest of the world’s population, acting as a litmus test on whether or not they are arriving at decisions in harmony with nature.

This definition also points to the inclusiveness of the phrase, indicating that for sustainable development to work it needs to embrace all the ways we interact with and relate to each other and our environment. Assessing the progress made since the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development (Rio Summit), with its specific plan of action, the so-called Agenda 21, there seems to be universal agreement that we have not done well. The World Wildlife Fund’s "Living Planet" report 2000 says that we, the human race, are making demands on the natural ecosystem which are 30 per cent higher than what is actually available.

Nitin Desai, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and Secretary-General, World Summit for Sustainable Development, says that "all developments, good or bad, involves human intervention in natural ecosystems". An ecosystem approach to development is needed. He sees "the institutional dimension" as one of the most difficult challenges to be faced at global, national and community levels; people who are separated by the boundaries of ministries, organizations, disciplines etc, must be brought together for sustainable development to succeed, he maintains. "Only bold institutional innovations can make this possible. Nitin Desai speaks of three "p’s" which will be required: political will, practical steps, and partnership.

In preparation for the Summit, the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, issued a 63-page report, in which he assesses the progress made during the past 10 years in implementing Agenda 21. The report also looks at the changes in the world since then, mentioning in particular such recent trends as globalisation, the information and communication revolution and the spread of HIV/AIDS.

To strengthen the implementation processes of Agenda 21 the report suggests that they be connected with the commitments made at other UN Conferences. To focus efforts on achievable results the report suggests a ten-point plan of action:

• Making globalisation work for sustainable development. The report calls for the elimination of trade-distorting subsidies and improved access of products and services from developing countries to the markets of developed countries, particularly in the areas of agriculture and textiles.
• Eradicating poverty and improving livelihoods in rural and urban areas. Efforts must be made, the report says, to improve the conditions and the opportunities for the poor, through actions such as land tenure, sustainable livelihoods, credits, education, agricultural improvements, and efforts to minimize waste and encourage recycling.
• Changing unsustainable patterns of production and consumption, including by increasing energy efficiency four-fold over the next two to three decades, enhancing corporate responsibility, and providing incentives for cleaner production.
• Improving health through safe and affordable access to freshwater, a reduction in lead in gasoline, and improved indoor air quality.
• Providing access to energy and improving energy efficiency by developing and using more renewable and energy efficient technologies and changing unsustainable energy consumption patterns.
• Managing ecosystems and biodiversity on a sustainable basis, addressing the problems of over-fishing, unsustainable forestry practices, and land-based marine pollution.
• Improving freshwater supply management and arranging more equitable distribution of water resources.
• Providing financial resources, through increases to official development assistance and private investment, and by the transfer and sharing of environmentally sound technologies.
• Supporting sustainable development in Africa through new and extensive programmes in order to build institutions, and systems that address hunger, health and environmental protection and resource management.
• Strengthening international governance for sustainable development to promote an integrated global approach rather than the present compartmentalized approach.

VI.

Sustainability and Globalisation

The challenge to sustainability in a globalising world is that it needs to become all-embracing. Sustainability can no longer ignore any impact on human activity, whether on individual or corporate levels.

The three new trends, mentioned in Kofi Annan’s report, which have since the Rio Summit increasingly affected the lives of people everywhere: globalisation, information/communication technologies and HIV/AIDS, have — each in their own way — added to the urgency of not merely reaching agreement on a "plan of action", but on action itself.

Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women, says in an interview (Choices, March 2002) : "I think that if there’s one lesson to learn from Afghanistan it’s the consequences of exclusion and not investing in the right kinds of development, especially in the context of globalisation where actions in remote areas can have devastating impacts even in the most secure places." She also finds it disturbing that the nature of economy and economic growth has changed in the last 10-15 years and that she now increasingly finds herself "dealing with breakdowns, wars, criminality and issues of violence". We need a more inclusive future, says Noeleen Heyzer.

Delegates attending the first meeting of the International Forum for Social Development (IFSD), New York February 2002, expressed thoughts of a similar kind as they sought to generate a dialogue and ideas that would promote social development by "reorienting the globalisation process towards and inclusive and equitable society." The point was made that competition, success and efficiency measured in material terms, seemed more highly valued by the "dominant culture " of globalisation than such values as compassion and generosity. A more wholistic mindset aiming to serve the global good seems to be called for by many of those who will be attending the Johannesburg Summit and who have been watching with dismay the effect of globalisation on the world community where power and wealth are so unequally shared.

So maybe delegates attending the World Summit on Sustainable Development might also be discussing, alongside the text of the plan of action, a set of values which would ensure that right action will be taken.

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"One thing we have learnt over the years is that neither doom-and-gloom scenarios nor destructive criticism will inspire people and governments to act. What is needed is a positive vision, a clear road map for getting from here to there, and a clear responsibility assigned to each of the many actors in the system.

From UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s lecture presented on 25 February 2002

at the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK

VII. Thoughts on Sustainable Development

A most thought-provoking article in the UNDIPLOMATIC TIMES 2002-1 "From the Editor", outlines the background and development of what now goes under the term globalisation.

The first corporation was created in 1600 by Queen Elisabeth I of England when a group of investors in the East India Company was recognized as one body corporate, with monopoly of trade with the East Indies. Slowly from then on, the power of corporations, which began as agents of states, grew and with laws increasingly protecting corporate interests, the roles eventually became reversed, the state becoming an agent.

When the United States Supreme Court in 1886 ruled — in the case of the Southern Pacific Railroad versus Santa Clara county — that corporations were protected by the 14^th Amendment to the Constitution, corporations were awarded the same rights as a person. As corporations were now under the protective cloak of the 14^th Amendment which states "..noR shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law", it became very difficult for local communities to prevent these new powerful entities from engaging in activities detrimental to their citizens’ health and well-being.

These "super-persons" developed and evolved during the 20^th century from largely family entities to "multi-sectoral conglomerates run by technocrats….The result was rapid economic growth, but at ever more serious costs to nature and society". The power struggle to be in control of world resources has ever since been at the root of corruption, intimidation , violent clashes, pollution and so much suffering.

These huge corporations "operating outside a framework of democratic control", were nevertheless created by society, past and present, and allowed to grow through the decisions that were made throughout the years.

But although the article in UNDiplomatic Times confronts the reader with a stark picture of the result of human desire for profit, the writer ends on a positive and optimistic note, indicating that whatever monster we might have created we can also un-create and replace with something better.

Although the United Nations proposal for a "Code of Conduct for Transnational Corporations" did not succeed, the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, hopes that his recently proposed "Global Compact" will fare better, and that corporations will voluntarily come to observe a set of human rights and environmental standards. A public framework of expectations could "harden into a system of accountability".

Although a future dominated by giant corporations may be unavoidable, history is full of "sudden and unexpected turns". Small businesses and companies, based in local communities, coming together in larger groups whether of 10 or 300, can gain the benefits of big corporations and change the way we use resources. We may well, concludes the article, "be entering a period when small is not just beautiful but profitable"

THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

When in Rome, July 1998, 120 UN Member States adopted the treaty to establish a permanent international criminal court, no one expected that this treaty would be ratified by a sufficient number of countries for it to come into force in the foreseeable future. However, after more than 60 States had ratified the treaty by April 2002, the Rome Statute will now enter into force on 1 July. The first conference of the States Parties will subsequently be held in September this year and the Court itself, to be based in The Hague, is expected to be established in 2003.An appropriate site has been selected and an international architectural competition initiated for the design of the Court building, which it is hoped will be completed by 2007.

Although the need for a criminal court has been discussed at the UN for some time and the public opinion on this subject has been gaining momentum, it is perhaps the increasing ferocity of the atrocities of the past decades in so many parts of the world that has been giving impetus to the creation of a permanent criminal court. It is envisaged that perpetrators of crimes, such as genocide, ethnic cleansing and sexual slavery and other crimes against humanity, will finally be brought to justice. At future review conferences the crime of terrorism and of drug trafficking could, if the States Parties so decide, be added to the Court’s jurisdiction.

The Court will consist of 18 international judges elected for a nine-year term, together with a team of prosecutors and investigators. It will be accountable to the countries that ratify the Statute and funded by States Parties, voluntary contributions from international organizations, corporations and others.

It is the hope that this Court will deter future war criminals and, to quote UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan: "bring nearer the day when no ruler, no State, no junta and no army anywhere will be able to abuse human rights with impunity."

Geneva, 14-19 July 2002

Much interest has already been shown in this forthcoming event and delegates representing more than a thousand organisations from 110 countries have registered. Most United Nations agencies have also confirmed their participation. The organisers hope that by July not only all geographical regions but also the many different areas of civil society will be represented at the Forum, adding impetus to the discussions and weight and importance to the resulting documents.

The objectives of the Forum have been defined as:

• Facilitate cooperation between organisations of civil society and the United Nations system, including its specialized agencies and other international organisations.
• Promote cooperation among civil society organisations from different geographical regions and diverse domains of activity, especially with developing countries and indigenous peoples.
• Create a space for dialogue on the relation between the different stakeholders of the international scene, such as civil society organisations, international organisations, governments and the private sector.
• Consider the constitution of a permanent forum that would reinforce the cooperation between civil society and international organisations.

Through several thematic working groups deliberations will take place on subjects such as: civil society cooperation with the UN and other international organisations; environment, trade and sustainable development; peace and disarmament; indigenous peoples, women and development; human rights and humanitarian law and others. The Forum aims to contribute directly to the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, 26 August-4 September).

From 10-13 July a Youth Forum will discuss the role of youth and youth organisations in international cooperation, and between 15-20 July information booths, food from around the world,, concerts, films and different cultural activities will take place. More information can be obtained from:

The project of the World Civil Society Forum was launched in May 2000, at the time of the Millennium Forum in New York, which recalled the will of the United Nations to associate with and work more closely with civil society.

The World Civil Society Forum will seek to facilitate and strengthen cooperation among civil society organisations as well as with the United Nations and other international organisations It will cover the different fields of international activity.

A World Day of Prayer, Invocation and Meditation

World Invocation Day is a world day of prayer when men and women of every spiritual path join in a universal appeal to divinity and use the Great Invocation. Together they focus the invocative demand of humanity for the light, the love and the spiritual direction needed to build a world of justice, unity and peace.

Today millions of people share the conviction of an inner spiritual unity within humanity which transcends any outer differences of race, nation and creed. As men and women of goodwill the world over give expression to this conviction in their lives, a process of planetary transformation is taking place. A new civilization is emerging which embraces all peoples and is founded upon the recognition of our common humanity and right human relations.

The world’s problems are of humanity’s making and they are for humanity to solve. But the essence of the spiritual life lies in knowing that we are not alone. The energies of divinity are abundantly available and, on World Invocation Day, an appeal is made for the release of the energies which will enable humanity to create the new civilization.

Each year since 1952, people everywhere have celebrated World Invocation Day, joining in the affirmation of the oneness of humanity, the livingness of our relationship to God and the responsibility of humanity for the working out of the divine Plan on Earth.

The Great Invocation belong to all humanity and not to any one religion or group. It is a world prayer, translated into over 70 languages and dialects.

The above text are excerpts taking from a pamphlet published by World Goodwill, which is an international movement founded in 1932 to help in the establishment of right human relations through the use of the power of goodwill. The work of World Goodwill is essentially educational. World Goodwill is an accredited non-governmental organization with the Office of Public Information of the United Nations.