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UN International Day of Peace

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ATOP Meaningfulworld UN International Day of Peace Education for Peace Zhehan Fan & Dr. Ani Kalayjian September 21, 2013, Bronx Museum of the Arts, New York   “On this International Day of Peace, let us pledge to teach our children the value of tolerance and mutual respect. Let us invest in the schools and teachers that will build a fair and inclusive world that embraces diversity. Let us fight for peace and defend it with all our might.” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Each year the International Day of Peace is celebrated around the world on the 21st of September. This year ATOP Meaningfulworld collaborated with like-minded co-sponsors and dear friends to celebrate peace at the Bronx Museum of the Arts in New York City. Our most appreciated co-sponsors include The Bronx Museum of the Arts, Armenian Constitutional Rights Protective Centre, Armenian American Society for Studies on Stress & Genocide, Voices for Freedom, EOTO World, Original Women, and Lisa Schiller. The program featured the Award Ceremony for Humanitarian and Peacebuilding in the World, an art exhibition of youth inspired by peace, a live world music performance, and homemade healthy fare. The event recognized and promoted UN MDG Goal 8: Establish a global partnership creating a nurturing partnership among NGOs, corporations, academia, and the United Nations affiliates to recognize those individuals, collaborative peace centers, and conflict resolution efforts. After welcoming remarks, the event proceeded with a Meaningfulworld tradition, a moment of silence, followed by singer Nirvana Lucie’s rendition of one of Michael Jackson’s most loved classics, “Man in the Mirror.” Bathed in the people’s warm applause, Dr. Ani Kalayjian, founder and President of ATOP Meaningfulworld, recited a poem before introducing the first honoree, H.E. Bangladesh Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury for Humanitarian and Peacebuilding Work in the World. Ambassador Chowdhury also served as Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States. He has a lifelong passion for global peacebuilding and is also the founder of the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace with his pioneering effort to partner with civil society. The ambassador gave a brief overview of his passion and global work on peace, speaking also of the history of the UN International Day of Peace. The second honoree is H. E. Palestine Ambassador Dr. Riyad Mansour. Dr. Mansour was born to a refugee family that lived in the city of Ramallah in the Occupied West Bank. In 1967, Ambassador Mansour started his college education in the United States. Since his youth, he has always been involved in Palestinian politics and began his career in the Palestinian diplomatic service in 1983 at the Permanent Observer Mission of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to the United Nations (UN). He was appointed Ambassador and Permanent Observer of Palestine to the UN in 2005 and since November 29, 2012, he has been Ambassador and Permanent Observer to the State of Palestine to the UN. H.E. Burundi Ambassador Herménégilde Niyonzima is the third honoree from the United Nations. Ambassador Niyonzima presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on October 20, 2011. Before his appointment, he had served as Burundi’s Ambassador to Libya since October 2009, as well as the Legal Representative and Project Coordinator for the Burundian Refugee Relief Organization, a charity registered in the United Kingdom, from 2001 through 2003. From 1991 to 1993 he taught psychology at the École National de Police (National Police Academy) and was a member of the Confederative Committee of the Union of Workers of Burundi.   In addition to the excellent work and presence of the United Nation Ambassadors, we also had the Paul Robeson Freedom School, with founders Rahmi and Justin receiving an award. Located in a historical church in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Paul Robeson Freedom School (named after African singer and activist Paul Robeson) has an educational goal: The curriculum is designed to build an empowering community of youth and adult leader-educators to nurture and liberate human minds and bodies and the collective spirit.             Professor Maria Volpe was the fourth honoree. She is professor of Sociology and the director of the Dispute Resolution Program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in the City University of New York. As an internationally known scholar, Dr. Volpe’s work focuses largely on the dispute resolution process, particularly in mediation. Then Katherine Kaze, our Meaningfulworld Ambassador, showed a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation with photos and details of peacekeeping operations, peacebuilding humanitarian missions, and educational programs conducted by ATOP Meaningfulworld from 1990 to the present, in more than 45 calamities around the world.   “What does peace mean to me? World peace seems so far away, but the first step is right in our hearts. If we could all take on personal responsibility to follow our hearts and do the right thing, we’d be 7 billion steps closer to peace.” — Katrina Martinez, UN Youth Representative, ATOP Meaningfulworld   Live music provided a wonderful intermission between the speeches and filled the room with glorious energy and enthusiasm. The featured musicians included the Flamenco Team with Michel Mimar (guitar), Sonia Olla (dancer), Samara de la Rosa (vocal), and Ismael de la Rosa (vocal) from Spain, Camille Safiya (vocal), Nirvana Lucie (vocal), and Lindsay Krasna (vocal and guitar). Music is the language connecting people from all races and cultures, and in these wonderful performances we heard the universal call for peace from the heart. Along with the music, the art coordinator of this event, Lisa Schiller, curated an art exhibit: the Art of Peace from young artists in greater New York. After two hours of celebration, the event ended in a Heart-to-Heart-Circle led by Dr. Ani Kalayjian. Close to 100 participants joined this special moment for world peace: the UN ambassadors along with the youth artists, the world-famous scholars all alike held hands and connected in their hearts for world peace. Each one announced the name of the country, and the entire members of the circle chanted together “May peace prevail in [name of

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Africa Press Release

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ATOP Meaningfulworld Humanitarian Healing, Peace-building, and Mind-Body-Eco-Spirit Mission to Africa: Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi Victoria Alexander, Leysa Cerswell, & Dr. Ani Kalayjian 27 June – 15 July Press Release   On June 29th, 2013 the ATOP Meaningfulworld Humanitarian peace building, empowerment and healing team arrived in East Africa for a Mental Health Outreach Program organized in Kenya, Rwanda, and Burundi. Our team of volunteers came together from US, Canada, Rwanda, and Kenya, all trained in the 7-Step Humanitarian Integrative Healing Model through the Association for Trauma Outreach and Prevention (ATOP) Meaningfulworld, an international humanitarian organization affiliated with the United Nations. ATOP has been working in Africa for over 5 years, including in Sierra Leone, Kenya, Rwanda, and DR Congo. This year we have added Burundi. The humanitarian outreach program will continue this work through healing circles, peace building workshops, empowering lectures and training programs, building on similar programs conducted in the past several years. These programs include providing young people with tools and guidance; working with women to transform their trauma; working with older adults and sharing tools for self-healing and encouraging them to find deeper meaning in their last stage of development; and working with the men to help them transform their generational trauma, as well as empowering them to share their feelings and work harmoniously with women. Members of the ATOP Meaningfulworld Team include: Dr. Ani Kalayjian (president and founder of ATOP Meaningfulworld), Victoria Alexander (Intern, ATOP Meaningfulworld), Leysa Cerswell (Secretary, ATOP Meaningfulworld), Haik Kocharian (award winning filmmaker and photographer), and Rita Alexander (Registered Pharmacist at Queens Hospital Center).   June 29th 2013, Kwangware, Kenya The Meaningfulworld team worked at Kwangware, a slum in Nairobi, Kenya that holds over 500,000 people. In the morning, we worked with the Youth Volunteers for Change (YVC) group led by Benjamin Mwenda. Close to 80 people participated ranging in ages 16 to 34. Each one of these young men and women were remarkably insightful, forthcoming, and intelligent. Nearly all of them have either completed some schooling, are currently attending school, or are planning to attend in the future. When asked to comment or give examples on The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz, many of them were eager to join the discussion and shared their experiences and insight. Many were excited to stand up and partake in the chakra balancing exercises. Once we completed the exercises, we joined in heart-to-heart-circle of gratitude and love. During this circle, many of the YVC members shared their comments and expressed their joy and happiness to our team. They were thanking us for traveling to their homes in the slums and working with them, and we thanked them for their everyday strength and courage. When asked to share, one of the participants said “wow, this is amazing.” They continued to add that workshops, such as ours, don’t happen often, and how appreciative they were; while for us, their participation alone was an inspiration. Some of the stressors and challenges that the young people faced were problems with their families, street life as orphans, vehicle accidents, their houses burning down, skirmishes in school, relationship issues, violence due to past political election in 2007, death of loved ones, and many other challenges that they face on a daily basis. Later in the day we had scheduled a workshop with the women in that same area of Kwangware. Over 30 women attended the healing session where their pain and trauma was transformed, not transferred. They shared their stories of health difficulties and being internally displaced (currently living in IDP camps) in 2007, due to post-election political violence. Other women lost their houses due to fire, and some were kidnapped and sent away from their homes. Many of these instances were due to conflicts between Kikuyu and Luo, just two of the over 42 tribes in Kenya. During this session many of these women shared their stories and released a tremendous amount of anger, pain, sadness, fear and frustration. We discussed how children grow up learning that their group “doesn’t interact” with the other group, which creates conflict, distance and often hate between the two groups. Many were reminded that love and forgiveness are instrumental in peace building, beginning with inner peace, and that forgiveness isn’t a gift to someone else, but a gift to oneself. Some women wanted to know how to forget the atrocities they faced, and Dr. Ani reminded them that by forgiving we do not forget. Rather we change the way we remember our suffering by developing a deeper positive meaning. It is important not to forget but to remember all of the positive lessons learned, while we commit to being change agents.   June 30, 2013, Kwangware, Kenya On June 30th, 2013 the team worked again in Kwangware with a group of elders. We worked with the KARIKA group, which stands for Kenyan Aged People Require Information and Knowledge. The members of this group were grandmothers and grandfathers who cared for their orphan grandchildren in the slum, as their children have died of AIDS. A dozen of dedicated women and one man gathered to acquire more knowledge on healing. This group had difficulties with their physical health due to their age and lack of medical services available. One of the women shared, “when you’re a single mother, you suffer a lot, and you don’t even know when you are sick.” They described their physical limitations often leading them to feelings of pain, sadness, then anger and frustration. We discussed how physical pain can lead to emotional pain and sadness, but that this sadness doesn’t relieve the physical pain, it only makes it worse, creating a second problem. Reframing, and changing one’s attitude was described and shared, which was welcomed by the participants. The group described some tools they could use to overcome these challenges. During this part of the day many of the women spoke about the importance of self-love, hope, and ‘to walk by faith and not by sight.’ Following the healing workshop, the

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Meaningfulworld Humanitarian Mission to Armenia

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Transforming generational trauma, horizontal violence, and trauma of the war in Syria Katherine Kaze and Dr. Ani Kalayjian It was a warm sunny day in October when I first landed in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, to begin our Meaningfulworld outreach work. Our work in Armenia began in 1989 immediately after the disastrous earthquake. As our car sped away from the airport, my eyes were greeted by buildings constructed of smooth pink stone placed alongside a number of new construction sites and modern creations. Older citizens from the countryside sold plump fresh fruit on the roadside amid the younger set of well-dressed businessmen and middle-class women. At first impression the city was quite charming – a vivid juxtaposition of ancient and contemporary culture. This was the characterization that would remain with me as the mission progressed. In 10 days’ time, I was introduced to a spirited, proud, and resilient people whose past provides a rich backdrop for a future that is still in transition. Through traditional meals, 13 training programs, and many new connections, it became clear that though much work remains to be done, the passion to complete it is also present. The team consisted of Dr. Ani Kalayjian and myself, and we were joined by Karen Gargaryan from Yerevan. Our first day was dedicated to reflection and organization, with a visit to Dzizernagapert, the memorial monument for the Armenian Genocide. With a burning flame at the center of 12 stone pillars, visitors are made to feel the sense of pride the Armenian people have for their heritage, and a sense of sorrow for those killed during the genocide carried out by the Ottoman Turks. The first half of the week centered on the training of professionals in Yerevan. The first workshop targeted professors of psychology at Yerevan State University’s Pedagogical Institute Psychological Department, with representatives from The Intra Mental Health Center, the Caucasus Institute of Gestalt and Family Therapy, the Armenia Round Table Foundation, and the State University. The team also traveled to the Civil Society Institute to meet with a group of mothers who had suffered the loss of their sons to snipers in the Azerbaijani conflict. One participant described the anger she felt at not receiving the support she needed. The women felt helpless and angry at the lack of recognition for their sons’ sacrifices, with some having come outside for the first time in a year to participate in our workshop. All participants complained of physical ailments such as high blood pressure and skin disorders of unknown origin after the loss of their sons. The team encouraged the women to empower themselves and share information by engaging in mutual support, make a list of their needs, and make use of the 7-Step Model. It was later established with the Chairman of the Board Artak Kirakosyan that the mothers will be offered free weekly therapy and grief-counseling sessions. In a separate training with youth members of PeaceJam, participants were also encouraged to be part of an “adopt-a-mother” program so the troubled mothers can be connected with a support system. Our team conducted its next workshop through the aid of the Minister of Health as well as the Armenian Red Cross. Close to 50 medical doctors, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and other health care professionals attended, providing lively discussion about the idea of transforming the pain and suffering of the Genocide, the negative impact of the Soviet Regime, the devastating earthquake, the 20-year-long war with neighboring Azerbaijan, and leadership challenges after the nation’s independence. They specifically expressed physical pain, backache, stomach acidity, insomnia, as well as anger outbursts and extreme frustration and sadness. At the Nar Dos School in Yerevan, students aged 7 to 9 were drawn from their respective classes to attend a special workshop. These students were refugees of the Syrian war seeking to rebuild in a new home. The most frequently expressed negative emotions were worry, anxiety, and embarrassment. Some expressed feelings of missing their home in Syria and their friends. In an expressive drawing exercise, approximately one-fifth drew their home in Syria and expressed a yearning to return home. Overall the children seemed happy, and their teachers were giving them a lot of positive attention. Additionally we worked with the teachers and their principal. Plans were solidified to continue to provide the school with much-needed supplies, including gym equipment and chalkboards. We then met with psychology and linguistics professionals and social workers at FAR and World Vision. Here a spirited yet agitated discussion regarding the current leadership and political scene in Armenia revealed feelings of helplessness in the face of corruption and dismay at not having a platform for protest. The team encouraged participants to focus on things that they do have control over, like starting an Armenian psychological association and strengthening that organization across Armenia in order to build leverage as a strong professional organization. Truly, it is only united that we will stand strongest. Reinforcing a commitment to initiate positive change, the team also met with Dr. Bruce Boghosian, president of the American University of Armenia, to discuss incorporating gender studies in a meaningful capacity at the university. Dr. Boghosian shared the view that domestic violence was a salient gender issue and a poignant starting point for such a program. Through his network, Meaningfulworld will begin the dialogue that is essential for generating a program on gender studies at the university in collaboration with Barnard College. Further on in the week the team traveled two hours away to Vanadzor to conduct a workshop with psychologists, social workers, and the community at the Armenian Constitutional Rights Protective Centre (ACRPC). A passionate discussion about the issue of domestic violence arose. Participants commented that domestic violence was more prevalent in urban areas and villages and among less-educated communities. They expressed dissatisfaction that domestic violence was not at the forefront of social issues, and the males who were present reaffirmed that it was instead viewed as a cultural norm in line with gender roles

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Impact of Syrian War: Reflections of Children Displaced in Armenia

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ATOP Meaningfulworld has taken the first step to assess the needs of a community of children displaced by conflict in Syria. Your ongoing support ensures these children can rebuild a stable life. Katherine Kaze and Dr. Ani Kalayjian SYRIA- In 2011, protests against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime sparked a civil war whose death toll has since risen beyond 100,000. As violence escalated, a succession of third party groups joined the fray, including jihadist groups and neighboring governments. Many of those with the means to do so have since fled to other territories. This includes a large Syrian Armenian population, based mainly in Aleppo, whose roots derive from the migration associated with the Turkish occupation and Genocide of Armenia in the early 20th Century. According to a United Nations estimate, 2 million refugees have since fled the nation, with ¾ of that figure identified to be women and children. Another 4 million remain displaced inside the country as death tolls continue to rise. Seated at the front of a modest classroom of in Yerevan, Armenia, the 23 fresh faces before us contained no trace of the violence of their previous environment. Aged 7 to 9, these students had all arrived at the Nar Dos School in District 14 of the city to continue their studies in Arabic until the conflict seemed as though it would find some resolution. Many had arrived between 6 months to a year before Meaningfulworld’s visit. As the conflict worsened, the children had been divided into existing Armenian classes at the appropriate level to begin integrating into the education system and assume courses taught in the Armenian language – it had become clear that there would be nothing to return to back home. The goal of Meaningfulworld’s outreach at the Nar Dos School was to form a collaborative relationship with staff in order to access and treat the mental health and general status of the displaced children. We arrived at the school with various supplies and gifts for the children, introducing ourselves with a lecture on the negative emotions derived from stress. Applying the 7 Step Model, we engaged the children about their experiences in Armenia and found responses to be enthusiastic and open among all participants. The most frequently expressed negative emotions were worry, anxiety, and embarrassment. Students reported their fears about being late to school, and not doing well in the new school environment. It was evident that several felt uncomfortable with the use of the Eastern Armenian language (as the Western Armenian is used in Syria, as well as the majority of the diaspora), continuing to make their requests to the team in Arabic when words in Armenian did not readily surface to their memory. As conversation progressed, one girl (9 years of age) stated that her brother had begun to physically bully her after their relocation, causing her to seek help from her parents. Several others expressed a longing for home in Syria. Another female student stated “I am sorry that I am sitting here while my friends are still in Syria. I wish they could be here with me”. In general, the children seemed well adjusted. They demonstrated familiarity and comfort among each other, and it appeared they had established a support structure within their small group. To encourage the flow of ideas, paper and crayons were distributed among the children. In lieu of psychological surveys, which are geared toward adult understanding, we utilized their drawings. This method was originally introduced in 1926 by Florence Goodenough, a child psychologist who asked children to draw a picture of a man, of a woman, and of themselves and used the results to evaluate their psychological development. In this case, the students were requested to draw “a place where they feel safe” as a means of identifying the items that they currently associated with security and stability in their new environment. The majority of participants drew their homes in Armenia, or places associated with home or school, such as a football field, a garden by their home, and an amusement park. Approximately 1/5 of the students drew their homes in Syria and expressed a yearning to go back home. In a discussion that followed the presentation of the drawings, teachers elaborated that three out of 23 children displayed fears, jumpy feelings, and hyper-vigilance in the classroom. The team distributed Bach remedies for shock and trauma and grief especially for children donated by Nelson Distributers, followed by a series of yoga and breathing exercises. Examples of the children’s drawings: (Left) An Armenian garden, Center) a home in Syria, (Right) a child at home in Armenia Following our meeting with the children, we held a meeting with the Principal Arusyak Barseghyan to discuss the needs of the students. Arusyak expressed the dearth of supplies within the school, specifically chalkboards, chalk, and gym equipment.. Plans to continue a collaborative relationship in order to facilitate the receipt of these supplies were established, and a new partnership was successfully nurtured. It is clear at the conclusion of our visit that there is much Meaningfulworld can offer in terms of support as these children continue to adjust. The team has begun to coordinate plans to return to Armenia in October 2014 to continue to work with the children, specifically designing more in-depth training for the teachers and educators. In the interim, the team will continue to facilitate the distribution of the most high priority tools, as identified by Director Barseghyan, and welcomes physical and financial donations toward this endeavor. Inquiries regarding continued outreach with Syrian refugees may be directed to Katherine Kaze at kkaze711@gmail.com. ATOP Meaningfulworld began work in Armenia in 1989 immediately after the earthquake bringing mind-body-eco awareness, mindfulness, meditation, energy balancing, peace building, conflict transformation, leadership, and restorative justice.

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64th Annual UN DPI/NGO Conference, September 3- 5, 2011

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DPI/NGO Relations is pleased to announce that the Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information is in support of the NGO/DPI Executive Committee’s recommendation that Mr. Felix Dodds, Executive Director, Stakeholder Forum for Sustainable Future, be appointed chair of the 64th Annual UN DPI/NGO Conference, which will be held in Bonn, Germany, Saturday, 3 September, to Monday, 5 September, 2011. Mr. Dodds, who possesses an extensive background in sustainability, is appropriately suited to Chair the Conference. As you may already be aware, the theme of the Conference is “Sustainable Societies; Responsive Citizens”. Mr. Dodds has played a critical role in promoting multi-stakeholder dialogue at the UN. From 1997 to 2001 he chaired the NGO Coalition on Sustainable Development at the UN.  He facilitated the setting up of the international NGO Coalition for the UN Commission on Sustainable Development and the UN Habitat II Conference. He has published seven books, the latest, edited with Andrew Higham and Richard Sherman, is called “Climate Change and Energy Insecurity”, and the previous one, with Tim Pipard, “Human and Environmental Security” brought out for the World Summit 2005 and was nominated as best environmental book of 2005. During the months of planning leading to the opening of the 64th Annual UN DPI/NGO Conference, Mr. Dodds will serve as Co-Chair of the Conference Planning Committee along with Maria-Luisa Chávez, Chief of NGO Relations. Although Mr. Dodds’ NGO only has consultative status with ECOSOC, we look forward to getting to know him better and build a fruitful, cooperative relationship with him in the coming year.

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UN HTS from War to Peace Conference 29 Oct 2010

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The Health, Transformation and Spirituality (HTS) Working Group of CSVGC-NY at UN 11  November 2010 New York, NY FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Week of Spirituality at UN Association for Trauma Outreach & Prevention (ATOP) of Meaningfulworld Dr. Ani Kalayjian Phone: 201-941-2266 Email: DrKalayjian@meaningfulworld.com www.meaningfulworld.com What does rapprochement mean to you??. Love, hope, understanding, unity, sharing, compassion, empathy, oneness, and forgiveness. This was the theme of the program organized as part of Week of Spirituality by CSVGC-NY at the UN. Wrapping up the Spirit of the UN Week of Spirituality, Friday October 29 2010, was The Health, Transformation and Spirituality (HTS) -Working Group of CSVGC-NY at UN-program From War To Peace Ancestral Healing Transforming Generational Pain into Meaning-Making. Several insightful examples of healing and forgiveness were discussed: compassionate listening, acknowledgement, validation, and reparation, music, movement, breath, sound and art, the program was able to help the audience heal, transform, and let go of the constricting past and embrace the freedom in the present. Dr. Kalayjian, Founder and Executive Director of Association for Trauma Outreach and Prevention (ATOP) of Meaningfulworld, and the Chair of HTS managed to; once again, inspire an audience of over hundred eager listeners with a panel of knowledgeable experts, experiential meditation, drumming for release and empowerment, and art for the aesthetic beauty and the soul. The invocation by Laurie Schwartz-Friedman opened up the morning of events with drums while Katherine Kaze, HTS Secretary, welcomed the audience and introduced Harvey Newman who opened the event with a peaceful mediation. Jennifer DeMucci, the Main UN Representative for ATOP then read the poem entitled Let Love Transform You, written by Dr. Kalayjian, and then Dr. Kalayjian as the chair of the conference presented the theme for the day: Universal Harmony through Rapprochement, from War to Peace. Dr. Kalayjian reinforced the notion of being in touch with our both Emotional (EQ) and Spiritual Intelligence (SQ). Submitting to our SQ can open up a different way of seeing things and going through our daily lives with potentially less conflict both externally and internally. Each audience member was given an index card and was asked to write down what rapprochement meant to them. Each audience member shared their responses which included (among many others): love, hope, understanding, unity, sharing, compassion, empathy, oneness, humility, and forgiveness. The first speaker was Yael Petretti, a Compassionate Listening trainer and facilitator. Yael offered a definition for Compassionate Listening (CL) that can be found on the website “a process rather than a product… [Compassionate Listening] engages the participants in processes that have each seeing the humanity of the other, even when they disagree.” Yael has recently done some work with Compassionate Listening (CL) in Israel and Palestine. A lot of the work she does involves teaching the participants to listen non-judgmentally. She also highlights the importance of being “fully present to the speaker.” The objective is for people to not only be present for the speaker but for themselves and how they are processing the information and how they feel or react to it. Yael wants us to identify issues within ourselves “such as prejudices, rank, fear etc…and raise our awareness of projection and ‘shadow sides’ of our personalities.” So it is important to acknowledge our feelings so that we can work on them rather than negatively displaying them onto ourselves or projecting them onto others. Takeshi Tak Furmoto shared his experience as a third generation Japanese American who was interned and released at the Tule Lake Segregation Center in the 1940s and moved back to Japan shortly after the Hiroshima atomic bombing. Having lost U.S. citizenship after moving to Japan, and later, suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder on his return from serving in the U.S. military in Viet Nam, only added to his distress and trauma.  He strongly believes in healing through forgiveness and he made an example of his own life experiences. “For me Vietnam War was a duty and obligation, and I volunteered so I don’t feel resentment toward the US government.” Often times forgiveness begins with forgiving the perpetrator even before they offer there apology. He began that process for himself and not long after was finally given an apology both in 1987 along with the $20,000 restitution, following a letter from President Bill Clinton in 1993. He discussed how the governments’ remorse for what he went through helped the continuation of his healing process, in addition to the unconditional love and support of his wife. While Tak believes in forgiveness as a key part of healing from trauma, he acknowledged that there are still many Japanese people who were not ready to open up and relive the experiences, and to therefore begin the healing and forgiveness process. Acknowledgement and remorse are important in getting over traumatic experiences especially among people who have shared the trauma & humiliation. Tak has attended pilgrimages at Tule Lake Segregation camp where survivors and their descendants can come together and discuss how they are feeling regarding traumatic experiences from 1940s. This helps him tremendously by providing him a safe space where he can release his emotions. An Art Exhibition ‘Namaste Art,’ by healing artist, Joni Rose, was presented next in a slide show. “Inspired by my frequent trips to India, my spiritual practice has given me insight into two key ingredients of creativity: being present in the moment and the cultivation of quietude which allows the inner voice to speak…” She said little and wanted the audience to experience the transformation through experiencing her paintings. Allowing her beautiful, even sometimes considered medicinal, paintings speak for themselves, and she displayed a slide show of her work created on a recent volunteer mission to India to educate the children through the arts. Among the images were photographs of an orphanage she visited in India where she organized a painting workshop. She remarked how touched and inspired she was when she and the children were engaged in the artistic release and at the conclusion of the workshop, instead of keeping their work

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A cutting Edge Conference at the UN on Health, Consciousness and Spirituality

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 1, 2010  New York, NY Association for Trauma Outreach & Prevention of Meaningfulworld Dr. Ani Kalayjian Phone: 201 – 941-2266 Email: DrKalayjian@meaningfulworld.com www.meaningfulworld.com. A cutting Edge Conference at the UN on Health, Consciousness and Spirituality Health, Consciousness and Spirituality are integrally related to one another, and well-being depends on all three. This was the theme of the recent conference “Health, Consciousness and Spirituality” held on Saturday 26 June 2010, at the United Nations Church Center in New York. A morning panel of experts, a film about the Association for Trauma Outreach and Prevention’s international humanitarian relief activities, meditation, and an afternoon workshop by celebrated author Andrew Harvey on “Finding Hope in Sacred Activism” completed  the inspiring program. In addition, seven trainees graduated from Meaningfulworld’s Humanitarian Outreach training program. Dr. Ani Kalayjian, Founder and Executive Director of organizing agencies Meaningfulworld and the Association for Trauma Outreach and Prevention (ATOP), led the day’s events, facilitated the panel discussion, and provided her own expert contributions.  The conference opened with an interfaith prayer and a shamanic drumming session by Peter Maniscalco with  a yoga movement exhibition by Candace Morano.  Dr Kalayjian’s opening remarks were derived from her acceptance speech  from her ANA Honorary Human Rights Award, challenging people to embrace SQ Spiritual Intelligence, which is a universal tenet, just as the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. “Disease is separation from one’s own nature, and one’s nature is part of a larger whole,” stated panelist Dr. Majid Ali. “So, one cannot talk about individual health without talking about community.” Dr. Ali, an accomplished surgeon and pathologist, presented on the morning panel a speech on “Healing through Consciousness Raising”. According to Dr. Ali, health is the result of awareness of, connection to, and living in accordance with, one’s own nature, on every level of being, from the physiological to the spiritual. Joining Dr. Ali on the morning panel were the Queen Mother of Harlem Dr. Blakely and Appreciative Inquiry organizational consultant Denise Lalonde.  According to Queen Mother Dr. Blakely, “When we speak of health and consciousness, we must speak of sacredness. Life is sacred, life is holy.” “From the beginning to the end of all life, it’s just a journey. How do we respect that journey, interpret that journey, and experience that journey? This journey is a conscious, emotional, human, and spiritual journey.” She urged audience members to “Stay on the sacred journey of life”. Denise Lalonde gave listeners a taste of Appreciative Inquiry, encouraging them to connect to a time they felt most alive, inspired and proud, and to notice their energy level rising in response to these thoughts. Appreciative Inquiry, according to Lalonde, focuses on increasing what is working, raising energy levels and creating positive momentum for individuals and organizations. She urged audience members to pay attention to their daily thoughts, and to the questions they ask themselves, and to notice whether they are ‘energy zappers’ or thoughts that lift them up and invigorate their lives. Later in the day, an afternoon keynote speech and workshop, “Finding Hope in Sacred Activism and Heart Yoga”, was presented by author, teacher, and activist Andrew Harvey.  Harvey’s presentation drew from his books, including Sacred Activism and Heart Yoga. According to Harvey, sacred activism is born from the fusion of two of the most passionate impulses of human beings – the fire of the mystic’s passion for God, and the fire of the activist’s passion for justice.  “When you feel that passion, let it through,” urged Harvey, sweat running down his face in the heat of the urgency of his message. “All are messages from the One to start waking up to why you are here, to live this glorious existence.” According to Harvey, this passion is “a passion for the transformation of the world, on all levels of the world. It is through and with this passion that we are going to birth a new world.” He believes we are now going through a global dark night of the soul, but one that is part of what he calls “the mystical mystery of evolution”, and is “designed to galvanize at a deep level”.  He urges audience members to delve into discovering and fulfilling their individual and collective life missions. “The clue to discovering your mission is to discover your heartbreak,” he said. “Discover your heartbreak, get together with others, and start doing something.” The Institute for Sacred Activism, founded by Harvey, is creating a global Network of Grace, through which people with common concerns and missions can join together for action. “We are dealing with a terminal situation,” stated Harvey. “We have to get going.” Yoga poses were selected to empower, release, and connect with mother earth, as Dr Kalayjian summarized the conference insights as: Commit for a practice involving your body, which is your temple (exercise), commit for a practice on the spiritual level (pray, meditate, engage in sacred activism), and commit to a practice on the emotional level (journal, release, talk with friends or healers).  Dr Kalayjian invited the audience to end in a circle of heart-to-heart connection while words of gratitude were expressed from participants. Participants left the day’s events with new insights and inspiration, freshly recommitted to the intersection of health, consciousness and spirituality, and activism. The conference, “Health, Consciousness and Spirituality” was organized and hosted by Meaningfulworld, the Association for Trauma Outreach and Prevention (ATOP), UN CONGO Committee on Spirituality, Values, and Global Concerns-NY, as well as its working group Health, Transformation and Spirituality, Global Health Institute, Association for Spirituality and Psychotherapy, and WBAI. Other supporters were: Flower Power, CandaceMorano.com, Spirituality and Health magazine, Health Harvest, Yoga Sutra, Dr Chan Acupuncture, Siva Rose, Laura Aversano, Hagitte Gal-Ed, Myrna Noble and Harvey Newman. The Association for Trauma Outreach & Prevention (ATOP) of Meaningfulworld, founded by Dr. Ani Kalayjian, is a global nonprofit organization with consultative status as a nongovernmental organization at the United Nations DPI (Department of Public Information). Meaningfulworld.com is dedicated to fostering a meaningful, peaceful,

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2009 Week of Spirituality

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Dear Program Creators, Working Group Chairs, Speakers, Sponsors and Performers for the 2009 Week of Spirituality; 26-30 October 2009 ……..The greatest gift of the week was to be able to attend all 9 programs and to experience the depth, wisdom and authenticity of our shared commitment to integrate mindful spirituality into the UN Agenda.   Each program had its particular strength of focus and each provided poignant expression of our common purpose and theme Global Peace through Reconciliation. The Award Ceremony has become such an important kickoff.   Our awardees embodied that which we seek to nourish at the UN.  Special gratitude to Ichinori Tsmugari and Diane Williams representing the Nominating Award Task force and providing the beautiful crystaline awards to those honored.   The program following gave much food for thought and clarity of principle with regard to which spiritual principles can make a difference with respect to reconciliation.     The eco-spirituality program drew over 70 participants who listened to Michelle Kim’s elegant portrayal about the meaning of eco-spirituality; the Women Rising WG developed an eco-spirituality ritual while Tom Downes of the History of Spirituality and Deborah Moldow moderated a breadth of spiritual traditions who shared their perspectives on ancient sources for eco-spirituality.   The melodic singing by vocalist Ariaa Kathryn Jaegar and Indian Dance Invocation by Vaishali Chaudhuri and Radha Devi Dasi was amazing….three hours whizzed by!  Follow this ceremony and beginning the week Sharon Hamilton-Getz and the Spirituality of Values and Business and Sacred & Transcendental Arts working group flowed through with Reconciliation A manifestation of the Science of Consciousness in Everyday Life. Spiritual Caucus, facilitated by Frances Edwards of Findhorn,  provided refreshment for the busy week and the Campus Peace Center program held at Pace was most moving as students from Brandeis, Wisconsin, Pace, Vassar, Palestine, etc.,  affirmed that the peace movement is alive and well on Campus only it is truly non-violent and strategic in its process and therefore, if it weren’t for such groups as the Campus Student Peace Center Working Group,  we might not  appreciate its variety and organizational savvy.   Time and time again participants reminded us that reconciliation is a cornerstone for peace as so many students have been victims of violence themselves.    Courageous persons who are daily challenged to practice forgiveness were present and the musician was right on target for the program. The Spiritual Council Working Group offered a heartfelt dialogue about bringing reconciliation to the UN and  a good number of participants signed on to continue the dialogue into the future.  Universal Ethics Working Group lead by Martha Gallague broke new ground by holding its program at the Nigerian Mission where Minister Lawrence Obisakin joined with storyteller Laura Simms, Sheku Monastery of Sierra Leone and Celtic harpist Julie Haines to present a Story Bowl Concert.   In Genie Kagawa’s words the UE held an empathy program that launched an initiative to raise funds to feed the hungry.    On Friday,   The Health, Transformation and Spirituality Working Group lead by Dr Ani Kalayjian and co chaired from the heart, Georgina Galanis brought together powerful and integrated resources uniting science and spirituality to demonstrate the healing effects of inner peace, forgiveness and non-violence upon the body-mind-spirit; featuring Karen Trueheart and Duke Duscherer of MK Ghandi Institute, Anne Mincey of the HeartMath Institute, the Dialogue Project and Raccoon conflict resolution groups.   And finally, in the afternoon our closing featured Brahma on the exotic sitar and an amazing children’s dancing troupe Starlite Kids, NJ trained by director Julie Lira.    Audrey Kitagawa brought the week to a close with an ancient powerful invocation that was deeply appreciated and moved those present. The Culture of Peace Working Group distributed over 400 questionnaires with several groups promising to distribute them more widely in their circles. The Spirit of the UN 2009 celebrates that more participants came to the programs on a daily basis.   We had more co-sponsors from UN Agencies and NGO coalitions than ever before, and cumulatively gathered nearly 400 in attendance including those who were returning for more events. The promotional materials, flyers and programs and volunteers reflected a professional level while donations including the awards, flowers and cake illustrated the wide contributions of ever greater numbers of people who seek to be part of this event.   Everyday, there were music, dancing, videos, storytelling that provided holistic portrayals of Global Peace through Reconciliation.    We are especially grateful to Dr. Monica Sharma for inspiring a more coherent series built upon the norms of compassion, equanimity, forgiveness and empathy as the shared tools we would demonstrate during our programs.    She encouraged a greater degree of collaboration among the working groups with programs that would inspire follow-up from year to year.    Each group succeeded at developing such initiatives. And always, we will be grateful for the record that Danilo and Adriana Parmegiani with the Legion of Good Will provide through their pictures and edited copy. This year’s video promises to be stunning if they could only capture one-tenth of the thoughtful determined programming.    We extend our gratitude to the Church Center of the United Nations and Open Center NYC staff for their peace filled space and attentive service.  Colleagues and friends, I am humbled to be part of this all.   Together we are truly blessed.    Together, we will bring our Spirit of the UN to the official calendar as one day the General Assembly proclaims it so. In deep appreciation, brava, through this initiative, the Committee embodies the practice and actuality becoming one  in the context of our beautiful diversity, Martha Gallague cscvgc-ny

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The Secretary-General’s comments on the meeting of the High Level Task Force on Global Food Security

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New York,  27 June 2012 This morning the Secretary-General chaired a meeting of the High Level Task Force on Global Food Security. The Secretary-General welcomes the strong outcome from Rio+20 on food and nutrition security.  Following the launch of the Zero Hunger Challenge last week, the High Level Task Force will be reoriented to focus on the Challenge’s five objectives as a guide for a coherent UN system approach to food and nutrition security. The Secretary-General noted that since it was established in 2008, the Task Force had made progress in devising a common comprehensive framework for action for the UN system in food and nutrition security, particularly during recent food crises.  It helped forge united positions among its member agencies in Rio and at the G8 and G20 summits.  The High Level Task Force also supports the Committee on World Food Security as the primary governance body for food and nutrition. But with close to 1 billion people still experiencing chronic hunger, he urged agencies, governments, businesses, civil society organizations and the scientific community to eliminate hunger in our lifetimes. Yours Sincerely, NGO Relations, DPI United Nations www.un.org/dpi/ngosection

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