| Greetings!
This year, the Pax Christi International UN Team is preparing to participate in the observation of the International Day of Peace as we have done for the past several years. This special day was declared by the General Assembly to be observed around the world on September 21, which coincides with the opening of the United Nations each year. It is hoped that this day will be devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.
The International Day of Peace is also a "Day of Ceasefire"--personal and political. Let us take this opportunity to make peace in our own relationships as well as impact conflicts of our time. Imagine what a whole Day of Ceasefire would mean to humanity? After all, every journey begins with the first step.
In the Pray-Study-Act sections below, you'll find resources for participating in the International Day of Peace. Please join us and millions of people all over the world as we observe this day.
We also wanted to take the occasion of the International Day of Peace to share with you the work of the PC International UN Team. Pax Christi International (PCI) has been represented at the United Nations in New York City for over 30 years. As an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization), we have consultative status within the UN. This means that as a team, with the approval of our International Secretariat, we can make verbal comments or prepare statements concerning issues that are on our agenda.
This year we have a full team of 5 delegates: Mary McDonald, Beth Begley, Madeline Labriola, Patrick Ryan and Cheryl Morrissey. Our team attends briefings, committee meetings and special events at the UN whenever possible. The priorities of PCI are numerous, but we focus on the areas of nuclear disarmament and the arms trade, human rights, indigenous issues (especially mining), sustainable development and financing for development.
Throughout July, Beth participated in the Control Arms Coalition during the Arms Trade Treaty negotiations and she has been active on the CoNGO Committee on Disarmament Peace and Security. Last spring, Patrick attended the preliminary meeting for the Rio+20 Summit in Durban, South Africa. Cheryl has been actively writing papers for the NGO Committee on Financing for Development. Mary's long-standing presence at the Indigenous People's Committee has led to a greater understanding of the pressures and problems faced by this special group. Madeline continues her work with the climate crisis subcommittee of the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development. We ban together with other religious organizations on the Committee of Religious NGOs to encourage greater understanding between diverse religions and cultures.
As delegates to the UN we realize the importance of our work even if we rarely see the "fruits of our labor". The UN is a huge institution that moves very slowly and unfortunately is hurt by political ambitions at the expense of human needs by many countries, including the U.S. We represent civil society, especially people who have no voice, and we continue to speak out and encourage gospel principles.
Madeline Labriola & the Pax Christi International
UN Team in New York City
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