Read this online at www.intuition-in-service.org/newsletter/October16.html


Please Hold in the Light
October 2016

Welcome
During International Days and major international conferences there is a special opportunity to serve in the creation of a more unified and compassionate world.
As meditators we can symbolically stand together with all actively working in the spirit of the Charter of Compassion, and invoke the aid of the Forces of Light in support of these events.

Daily Reminder
Check out a daily reminder of these events to hold in the light. Share this daily reminder with others by including the app on your website.

Sustainable Development Goals & Climate Change 
These International Days and events reflect important themes in the mobilization of energies to:
  • End poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030 through practical actions to achieve the new Sustainable Development Goals
  • engaging people of goodwill all over the world in a common movement.
 
2016 United Nations International Year
 
2017 United Nations International Year
 
Silence at the United Nations



The Spiritual Caucus at the United Nations gathers in the vicinity of UN Headquarters in New York (September - June) on the third Thursday every month for 30 minutes of silence followed by 30 minutes of dialogue, sharing insights and exploring ways to use an inner focus in service of the work of the UN. On the 1st Thursday of the month the Caucus invites friends to sit in silence for 30 minutes in the newly renovated Meditation Room at UN Headquarters in New York.
Please link in from wherever you are. More information at: http://www.spiritualcaucusun.org/

In October the Spiritual Caucus will gather for silence in the UN Meditation Room at UN Headquarters, New York on October 6 from 12.45 - 1.15 PM and for silence and discussion at the Conference Room of the NGO Resource Center at UN Headquarters in New York on October 20 from 1.30 - 2.45 PM.
 
 
 

October Please Hold These Events in the Light


September 30 - October 3
International Peace Bureau, World Congress, Berlin, Germany

2016 theme: Disarm! For a Climate of Peace.
The International Peace Bureau (IPB) is the oldest global peace network with over 300 organizations in more than 70 countries. This year's IPB Congress seeks to bring the issue of military spending into broad public debateand to plan an action agenda to further disarmament.
www.ipb2016.berlin

October 1
International Day of Older Persons

Theme 2016: Take a Stand Against Ageism
People are living longer. This is prompting governments and people's organisations all over the world to reflect deeply on how we can plan for future societies in which: every individual, each with rights and responsibilities, has an active role to play.
At every level of society - local communities, regional groups, peoples associations, governments and international coalitions - there is a potent focus on ways in which the wisdom, maturity, skills and heart qualities of older people can be fully incorporated into healthy communities.
www.un.org/en/events/olderpersonsday
www.who.int/ageing/events/

October 2
International Day of Non-Violence

To mark the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, the UN General Assembly decided that October 2nd be observed as an occasion to "disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness". The resolution reaffirms "the universal relevance of the principle of non-violence" and the desire "to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence". more

www.un.org/en/events/nonviolenceday
www.facebook.com/nonviolenceday

October 2 - 16
Seed Freedom Call to Action : People's Assemblies

The two weeks October 2 - 16 span the period from the Day of Non-violence honoring Gandhi's birthday to World Food Day. In recent years the Global Movement for Seed Freedom has focused its global campaigns during these two weeks. This year the movement invites people and communities everywhere to organize People's Assemblies to reclaim our food system – Our bread and Our freedom.
On 14 - 16 October a special Monsanto Action and People's Tribunal will be held in The Hague, Netherlands. seedfreedom.info

October 3
World Habitat Day

2016 theme: Housing at the Center
Celebrated on the first Monday of October every year, the UN World Habitat Day invites us to reflect on the state of our cities and towns and what we want the cities of our future to look like.
www.unhabitat.org
www.habitat.org

October 4
World Animal Day

World Animal Day, observed on the Feast Day of St Francis of Assisi, was first celebrated in 1931. Since then it has become a day for remembering and paying tribute to all animals and the people who love and respect them. Events are held around the world by peoples of diverse faiths and cultures.
www.worldanimalday.org.uk/

October 4 - 10
World Space Week

2016 theme: Remote Sensing – Enabling Our Future
Observed with over hundreds of events all over the world, World Space Week celebrates the contribution of space science and technology to the betterment of the human condition. Every year events are held in schools around the world to observe the Week. This years theme celebrates Earth Observation from Space for the betterment of the human race. Space missions that observe the earth provide valuable data in environment and agriculture monitoring, land use mapping and new uses such as location based services.
www.worldspaceweek.org
www.un.org/en/events/spaceweek/

October 5
World Teachers' Day

Theme 2016: Valuing Teachers : Improving Their Status
Think about the role of teachers in the transition into a new era. Who are the teachers? What is required of those who teach the children and young people?
Created by UNESCO, World Teachers Day celebrates teachers worldwide.
www.worldteachersday.org www.unesco.org/

October 10
World Mental Health Day

2016 theme: Psychological First Aid
HEALERS TAKE NOTE: This is a Day to focus on the contribution all can make towards the creation of a healthy mental environment - and on the sensitive healing needed by those who suffer from mental illness in its many forms.
This years theme focuses on the pragmatic support needed by people in crisis situations from all the helping professions.
wfmh.com/world-mental-health-day/
www.who.int/mental_health/

October 11
International Day of the Girl

2016 theme: Girls’ Progress = Goals’ Progress: A Global Girl Data Movement
The international celebration of this Day is yet another sign of the growing concentration on efforts to fulfill the vision of the Declaration of Human Rights and the Declaration of the Rights of the Child as they concern gender rights.
This years theme focuses on how existing gaps in data on girls and young women, lack of systematic analysis, and limited use of existing data significantly constrain our ability to monitor and communicate the wellbeing and progress of nearly half of humanity. www.un.org/en/events/girlchild/
www.unicef.org/gender/

October 11 - 13
International Summit of Cooperatives, Quebec, Canada

2016 theme: Cooperatives: The Power to Act
Over 3,000 participants from 93 countries are expected to attend this major biannual gathering for leaders from the cooperative movement from around the world.
Efforts will be made to highlight the power of cooperatives to act and their significant impact at the local, national and international levels. It will also provide the opportunity to show how much strength cooperatives and mutuals wield when it comes to helping to solve the key global issues identified by the United Nations.
www.sommetinter.coop

October 13
International Day for Disaster Reduction

2016 theme: Live to Tell
Disaster risk reduction is about understanding our personal and environmental risks of a hazard, like an earthquake, flood, hurricane/cyclone, and landslides and finding ways to reduce this risk so that we are not affected by them, or be able to bounce back quickly if they do affect us. In 2014, 19.3 million people were displaced by natural disasters.
This year the day marks the launch of the 'Sendai Seven' campaign, centered on seven targets for disaster preparedness mutually agreed upon by governments.
www.unisdr.org
www.un.org/en/events/

October 15
International Day of Rural Women

First celebrated by the UN in 2008, this Day is yet another sign of the major focus on women and gender issues in global affairs. The Day has been celebrated by civil society around the world since the Beijing Women's Conference in 1995.
Rural women the world over play a major role in ensuring food security and in the development and stability of the rural areas. Yet, with little or no status, they frequently lack the power to secure land rights or to access vital services such as credit, inputs, extension services, training and education. Their vital contribution to society goes largely unnoticed. World Rural Women's Day aims to change this by bringing rural women out of obscurity at least once a year — to remind society how much they owe to rural women and to give value and credit to their work.
www.woman.ch
www.un.org/en/events/ruralwomenday

October 16
World Food Day

2016 theme: Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too
One of the biggest issues related to climate change is food security. The world’s poorest - many of whom are farmers, fishers and pastoralists - are being hit hardest by higher temperatures and an increasing frequency in weather-related disasters. At the same time the population is growing and agriculture will need to adapt to the demand for food in a manner that is sustainable. Growing food in a sustainable way means adopting practices that produce more with less in the same area of land and use natural resources wisely. It also means reducing food losses ...
www.fao.org/

October 16
Full Moon — Libra

Since ancient times human beings have honored the full moon as a time when the sacred is most accesible. It is a time of light - the moon reflects the light of the sun onto the face of the earth. In astrology this is a time when the qualities and potentials of the zodiacal sign of the sun are especially available to humanity for use in service.
During the full moon religious and esoteric groups around the world use the opportunities of this time to vizualize light and love and spiritual power flowing into humanity and strengthening all that is being done to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
www.lucistrust.org
www.worldservicegroup.com/

October 17
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

2016 theme: Moving from humiliation and exclusion to participation: Ending poverty in all its forms
October 17th presents an opportunity to acknowledge the effort and struggle of people living in poverty, a chance for them to make their concerns heard, and a moment to recognize that poor people are the first ones to fight against poverty. Participation of the poor themselves has been at the center of the Day's celebration since its very beginning. The commemoration of October 17th also reflects the willingness of people living in poverty to use their expertise to contribute to the eradication of poverty. www.un.org/development/
overcomingpoverty.org
www.un.org/en/events/povertyday/

October 17 - 20
Habitat III, Conference, Quito, Ecuador

Habitat III is the third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development. The goal is to secure renewed political commitment for sustainable urban development, assess accomplishments to date, address poverty and identify and address new and emerging challenges.
In the words of Conference Secretary-General The Conference is a unique opportunity for rethinking the Urban Agenda in which governments can respond by promoting a new model of urban development able to integrate all facets of sustainable development to promote equity, welfare and shared prosperity
habitat3.org



October 24
United Nations Day

This year's UN Day marks the organisation's 71st birthday.
Hold the United Nations in the light especially on this Day marking the coming into force of the UN Charter. Visualise the General Assembly being overshadowed with higher energies of Synthesis and of the active principle of Peace. Please also hold the Meditation Room at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in the light - you will find a photograph of the room and a copy of Dag Hammarskjold's inspiring paper on the room here. Read about the Chagall Window of Peace outside the Meditation Room here.
www.un.org/en/events/unday

October 24
Global Oneness Day

Humanity's Team and Association for Global New Thought invite groups around the world to celebrate UN Day, October 24, as Global Oneness Day. In May 2010, a global petition was presented to the UN, calling on this Day to be observed by the United Nations and in the same year the first Oneness Day was observed by groups from around the world. It is a day intended to inspire awareness, appreciation and celebration of life's underlying Oneness in the same way that Earth Day is intended to inspire awareness, appreciation and celebration of the earth's natural environment. A virtual event will be held on line with visionary speakers. Sign the Declaration of Oneness.
www.global-oneness-day.org

October 24 - 28
Week of Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns, UN Headquarters, New York

Organised by the NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns - NY, this annual week of events honors the anniversary of the founding of the UN. It seeks to foster the growth of a culture of peace in which "we, the peoples of the world", can address together our common challenges in a holistic, positive and transformative way. This year the 10th annual Spirit of the United Nations Awards will be presented on October 24.
www.csvgc-ny.org/

October 24 - 30
World Disarmament Week

Disarmament Week has been observed by the United Nations since 1978. Member States are invited to highlight the dangers of the arms race, promote recognition of the need to stop the arms race, and increase public understanding of the urgent tasks of disarmament. NGOs organize a range of events seeking to raise public opinion and pressurize governments to act on disarmament. www.un.org/en/events/disarmamentweek

October 28 - 29
World Goodwill Seminar

2016 theme: From Intellect to Intuition
This annual event will be held on Saturday October 29 in three cities: London, New York and Geneva. And for the first time a special session of the World Goodwill Seminar will be held at UN Headquarters in Geneva where the topic will be: From Intellect to Intuition - The Ethical Responsibility of the Sustainable Development Goals
www.worldgoodwill.org/seminar
www.worldgoodwill.org/seminar_UN

October 31
World Cities Day

2016 theme: Designed to live together
In 2013 the UN General Assembly proclaimed October 31st as World Cities Day.
The Day is expected to promote the international community’s interest in global urbanisation, encourage cooperation among countries in meeting opportunities and addressing challenges in urbanization towards sustainable urban development.
urbanoctober.org