Unitarian Universalist Association

Interfaith “Global Prayers for Ukraine”

Interfaith “Global Prayers for Ukraine”

A Special Multi-Faith Service for Peace and Freedom at the UN

People of faith across the world have condemned the escalation of violence from Russia and have declared steadfast support for Ukraine and its people in the defense of their sovereignty and their democracy.

The Parliament of the World’s Religions and The Committee of Religious NGOs at the UN, in partnership with communities of faith, invite people and communities of faith, spirituality, and conscience to join the “Global Prayers for Ukraine: a multi-faith service for peace and freedom in a hurting world”.

The prayer service will feature prayers from diverse faith expressions upholding peace and freedom, share reflections of solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian community around the world, call for a peaceful resolution to this conflict, and listen to messages from our sisters and brothers in Ukraine.

The interfaith service will be hosted on Thursday, March 3rd at 12 noon Eastern Time at the United Nations Church Center Chapel, open to the New York City community in-person and live streamed to participants around the world via Zoom, Facebook, and YouTube.

This event is organized in partnership with:

Get Involved

Is your community supporting those affected by the conflict on the ground? Share the information on how the global interfaith movement can support your efforts at info@parliamentofreligions.org

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Message from the Chaplain of the Church Center for the United Nations

Greetings dear friends,
As a CCUN community, we have certainly kept the people of Ukraine and the many severe armed conflict areas around the world in prayer during our  weekly worship services last week and will continue as this needs a sustained effort of global prayer and petitions for peace. 
However, this Thursday 3 March at 12noon (EDT) the CCUN will host Dr. Scott Stearman, Vice Chair of the Parliament of World Religions, the NGO Committee of Human Rights and several global multifaith leaders in a special prayer service for Ukraine.  I have shared with the PWR leadership that there many ecumenical and interfaith organizations within our CCUN community that have also held respective services, but may also want to partner with us in solidarity for this Thursdays’ service.  This would simply mean having your logo on the promotional materials, on the program and of course if you are able to be either physically present in the Chapel or on line, you are most welcome. 
Below are the draft materials and will be sent out widely today.  If you are interested in being a supporting partner in this prayer service, please reply to this email (which includes Dr. Stearman’s email) with your logo as soon as possible.  The link to the all the media items, promotional materials, etc. is below)  If you are unable to add your organizations’ name at this time, we understand. Please know that we will carry your prayers into the sacred space on Thursday and we will continue to labor together in community around the things that make for peace.  As I’ve said many times before, but it bears repeating in this moment….it is an honor to serve God and humanity alongside each of you. 
Blessings,
-Rev. D
 
Rev. Dionne P. Boissière, MDiv.
Chaplain of the Church Center for the United Nations
777 United Nations Plaza, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10017
(212) 682-3633, ext. 3127

 

An NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security Discussion: Spending to Increase Nuclear Danger

Join the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security as we discuss how in the midst of an economic and public health crisis, the US is set to spend hundreds of billions on new nuclear weapons which could never be used, add nothing to national security, and actually increase the risk of nuclear war. Funding for these extremely dangerous weapons systems will come up soon in Congress. The NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace and Security presents three leaders to clarify the key issues and discuss possible plans of action.

Register here!

Speakers:

Bruce Knotts has directed the Unitarian Universalist Office at the United Nations since 2008. Before that, he served as a diplomat with the U.S. Department of State with notable service during the Nairobi Embassy bombing 1998, Embassy Khartoum, Sudan, Regional Refugee Coordinator for West Africa and Deputy Chief of Mission in The Gambia. His final tour was in the Bureau of International Organization at the Department of State.

Dr. John Burroughs is Senior Analyst for the New York City-based Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy. He has represented LCNP in Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty meetings and negotiations on the Treaty to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons. His articles and op-eds have appeared in publications including Fordham International Law Journal, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Arms Control Today, Newsweek, and Newsday.

Jackie Cabasso has been Executive Director of the Western States Legal Foundation, based in Oakland, California, since 1984. In 1995 she was a “founding mother” of the Abolition 2000 Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons, and she continues to serve on its Coordinating Committee. Since 2007 she has served as an Executive Advisor to Mayors for Peace. In the U.S., she is a National Co-convener of United for Peace and Justice. Jackie was the 2008 recipient of the International Peace Bureau’s Sean MacBride Peace Award.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Peace (Vienna), email its Chair,  Helga Kerschbaum at helga.kerschbaum@aon.at

Our Goal of World Community: The UN at 75

Our Goal of World Community: The UN at 75

This year, the United Nations is celebrating its 75th birthday, and the Unitarian Universalist Association Office at the UN, in collaboration with the Canadian Unitarian Council, will be commemorating that anniversary with a special virtual event co-sponsored by the NGO Committee on Human Rights: “Our Goal of World Community: the United Nations at 75.” In the current moment of simultaneous global political, social, economic, health, and climate crises, continued involvement with and investment in international cooperation could not be more critical. During this event we’ll talk about how Unitarian Universalists can make our mark for global justice.

Featured speakers:

  • Rev. Dr. Susan Frederick-Gray, President, Unitarian Universalist Association
  • Rev. Alicia R. Forde, Director, Unitarian Universalist Association International Office
  • Hawa Diallo, United Nations Department of Global Communications
  • Chris King, United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs
  • Bruce Knotts, Director, Unitarian Universalist Association Office at the United Nations
  • Craig Mokhiber, Director, New York Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
  • Bobbi Nassar, Co-chair, Nongovernmental Organization Committee on Human Rights at the United Nations
  • Vyda Ng, Executive Director, Canadian Unitarian Council
  • Gillian Sorenson, International Rescue Committee, formerly Assistant Secretary General at the UN, then with the UN Foundation

Register for the event here.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bknotts@uua.org or bobbinassar@gmail.com.

Islamophobia & Race: What Are We Afraid Of?

Islamophobia and Race: What Are We Afraid Of?

October 23, 2020 at 10AM EST 

Join the Unitarian Universalist Association at the United Nations (UUA), the NGO Committee on Human Rights, and the Burma Task Force for a global conversation on faith-based discrimination and ethnic genocide. This discussion will explore the experiences of the Muslim community worldwide, while examining the intersectional ways in which Islamophobia and racism interact to perpetuate harmful preconceptions and prejudice. Speakers representing Myanmar, Sudan, Tibet, and the United States will reflect on their unique sociocultural identity and how Islamophobia continues to intricately impact multiple dimensions of their lives. Our esteemed panelists include: Zaw Win Nyunt, Intercommunal Peacemaker in Burma; Mariam Abdalgadir, Sudanese community activist and artist based in Bay Area, California; and Mariam Osmanu, Ghanaian and Nigerian graduate student from NYU Silver School of Social Work based in the Bronx, New York. As we interrogate structural and interpersonal bias against those who practice Islam, we should be asking ourselves: What are we afraid of?

Register in advance for this meeting: https://uua.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYkceuprDIsHNTk4eU8OiubL-GmdvgA_-r3

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bknotts@uua.org and/or bobbinassar@yahoo.com. For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com.

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