Swords into plowshares
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Swords into Plowshares is the blog of the Peacemaking Program and the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations of the Presbyterian Mission Agency of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Seeking peace. Striving for justice. Together.
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Posts with tag: secretary-general ban ki-moon
March 6, 2013International Women’s Day: March 8, 2013
by Sera Chung
“There is one universal truth, applicable to all countries, cultures and communities: violence against women is never acceptable, never excusable, never tolerable.”
- Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon
A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women.
- UN Theme for International Women's Day 2013
In 1975, during International Women’s Year, the United Nations began celebrating 8 March as International Women's Day. Two years later, in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day of the ...
October 22, 2012
Happy Birthday, United Nations
United Nations Day - October 24 - marks the birthday of the UN.
The UN Charter entered into force on October 24, 1945 - 67 years ago.
How will you celebrate this day? Here are some ideas:
Listen to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's UN Day message.
Participate in #UNDay on Twitter.
Pray for those who work in the United Nations system.
Use a hymn written by the Rev. Carolyn Winfrey-Gillette. The hymn in bulletin format. The hymn with music. Check out a video of the hymn.
Participate in Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF a program started by ...
September 19, 2012
September 25 - Observe an Orange Day - Call for an end to violence against women and girls
On September 25 observe an Orange Day – a day to say no and to work for an end to violence against women and girls. Here are some ways to mark this day:
Pray
- Pray for guidance for all those who work to end violence against women. Pray that all people turn from violence.
Advocate
- Ask your members of congress to pass an inclusive Violence Against Women Act that protects all women.
- Read “Late at Night … Dear House”, a poem in response to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) re-authorization debate in Congress.
Act
- Take part in the Stop Rape ...
August 21, 2012
Orange Days: Say No – End Violence Against Women and Girls
On the 25th of each month – join people around the world in observing an Orange Day to work and witness for an end to violence against women and girls. Read the most recent Orange Day stories.
One of the most widespread violations of human rights, violence against women and girls includes physical, sexual, psychological and economic abuse. It cuts across boundaries of age, race, culture, wealth and geography. It takes place in the home, on the streets, in schools and workplaces, in farm fields and refugee camps, and during conflicts and crises.
Violence against women and girls takes many ...
July 25, 2012
Orange Day says end violence against women
The UNiTE campaign proclaims every 25th of the month as Orange Day, aiming to raise awareness about the issue of violence against women and girls, not only once a year on 25 November (the International Day to End Violence against Women), but every month!
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign aims to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls in all parts of the world.
UNiTE brings together a host of UN agencies and offices to galvanize action across the UN system to prevent and punish violence against women.
Through UNiTE, the ...
June 18, 2012
Choices- World Refugee Day - 20 June 2012
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Message on World Refugee Day
More than 42 million people around the world have been forcibly displaced from their homes and communities. More than a million fled their countries in the last eighteen months alone due to a wave of conflicts, in Cote d’Ivoire, Libya, Mali, Somalia, Sudan and Syria. These numbers represent far more than statistics; they are individuals and families whose lives have been upended, whose communities have been destroyed, and whose future remains uncertain.
World Refugee Day is a moment to remember all those affected, and a time to intensify our support.
Four ...
May 16, 2011
Ban urges restraint after day of deadly clashes across the Middle East
From the United Nations News Centre: 15 May 2011 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has led a chorus of United Nations calls for all sides in the Middle East to exercise maximum restraint after a day of clashes around the region...
March 8, 2011
United Nations observes International Women’s Day
Video Message Transcript Written Message: International Women’s Day 2011: Time to Make the Promise of Equality a Reality Message from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Reports from the 55th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women AllWomen in the...
February 2, 2011
Secretary-General on World Interfaith Harmony Week
THE SECRETARY-GENERAL MESSAGE ON THE OBSERVANCE OF WORLD INTERFAITH HARMONY WEEK New York, 1-7 February 2011 The first World Interfaith Harmony Week is an opportunity to focus global attention on the efforts of religious leaders, interfaith movements and individuals around...
February 2, 2011
Stories from the UN News Centre - February 1, 2011
Sri Lanka: UN, partners launch scheme to rebuild lives of thousands of war victims Top UN humanitarian official urges solutions to climate-created crises in Kenya Launch of website for slavery memorial important step forward, says Ban
January 5, 2011
UN Women Begins Its Work
From the UN Women Web page: The United Nations made history today as UN Women, the UN agency dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, has officially begun its work. This ambitious new organization consolidates and scales up...
December 5, 2010
Two presidents in Côte d'Ivoire?
Hold the people of Côte d'Ivoire in prayer as their country faces a time of deep uncertainty. Presidential elections were recently held in Côte d'Ivoire. A political standoff has followed. Alassane Ouattara was originally certified as the winner of the...
November 24, 2010
Pray for peace on the Korean peninsula
God grant peace to the people of the Korean peninsula. Turn hearts from violence. Preserve calm. Provide strength to refrain from violence. Guide the leaders in paths of peace. Amen. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is among the world leaders calling...
November 11, 2010
Ban Ki-moon: G20 nations must not forget plight of world’s poorest at Seoul summit
From the United Nations News Centre: The world’s richest nations must take into account the needs of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people in their plans for reinforcing the global economic recovery – that was one of the key...
February 3, 2010
Red hands say no child soldiers
Human Rights Watch reports that children currently are used as soldiers fighting in at least 14 countries around the world. They note that “Boys and girls alike are forced into combat, exploited for their labor, and subjected to unspeakable violence.”...
October 19, 2009
Events in Guinea
On September 28, a violent crackdown on unarmed demonstrators in Conakry, the capital of Guinea, led to the deaths of at least 150 people. Many rapes were also reported. The trouble in Guinea goes back to last December, when a...
September 4, 2009
WMD - We Must Disarm
The International Day of Peace, observed each year on 21 September, is a global call for ceasefire and non-violence. This year the Secretary-General is calling on governments and citizens to focus on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. On 13 June 2009,...