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Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Takes Active Role during International Women’s Commission
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The Department of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is inviting graduate and recent post-graduate students to apply for its fellowships at the United Nations.
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The Permanent Mission of Palau to the UN and the NGO Mining Working Group at the UN push for the realization of the Human Right to Water and Sanitation at the UN CSW 60 on World Water Day 22 March 2016 World Water Day PRESS RELEASE NEW YORK – At the 60th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 60), the Permanent Mission of Palau to the UN – in collaboration with the NGO Mining Working Group, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, and Salesian Missions – advocated for the full implementation of the Human Right to Water and Sanitation called for in the political declaration of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The side-event, entitled Women Water and Wellbeing: The Human Right to Water and Sanitation, on World Water Day, opened with the NGO Mining Working Group honoring H.E. Ambassador Dr. Caleb Otto with their Justice and Human Rights Award for his ongoing commitment to the Human Right to Water and Sanitation. During his remarks, Ambassador Otto reminded the world that “access to water is essential to the empowerment of women.” Other panelists expanded on the concept of women’s empowerment through water justice by emphasizing the relationship between the human right to water and sanitation and other areas of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the eradication of poverty, education for all, and a healthy society, particularly for girls and women. Panelists emphasized the need for intersectional analysis taking into consideration that lack of access to water and sanitation most deeply impacts poor women living in the global south or from racialized and indigenous communities of the global north. Poor women from marginalized communities are also less likely to have decision-making power when it comes to water resource allocation and management. Emem Okon from WoMin, an African gender and extractives alliance, pointed to the impacts of pollution caused by extractive industries on the health, well-being, socio-economic rights and power of women in the Niger Delta. The traditional economic activities of women consist of fishing and farming. However, the pollution of rivers, streams, and lakes – as well as the destruction aquatic life – eliminates access to safe drinking water and destroys the livelihood of women, she argued. Meera Karunananthan of the Blue Planet Project discussed the adverse impacts of the privatization of water and sanitation services on poor women calling on governments to step up and ensure that these vital services are delivered in a manner that serves the public interest rather than private profit. In addressing the vital importance and centrality of access to potable water and sanitation, Mark Gruin of International Orthodox Christian Charities told the audience that when his organization approached their counterparts in Tanzania expecting to put their limited resources towards medical services for the rural Tanzanian communities they served, they were told unequivocally that they needed clean water before anything else was possible. Christiana Peppard, Professor at Fordham University discussed the importance of the Human Right to Water and Sanitation as an important counter-narrative to the commodification of water, as a catalyst for action and a standard of accountability. She stated that “access to water is a right to life issue because it is fundamental to all other human rights.” The event concluded with a recognition of the role that women have played in defending land and water around the world. Recently assassinated Honduran activist Berta Càceres was remembered with a minute of silence. Of her ongoing legacy, participants reflected on the Latin American quote: “They buried us. They did not know we were seeds.” A full video recording of the event can be found http://bit.ly/1N4ZpDC. The speakers at Women, Water, and Wellbeing; The Human Right to Water and Sanitation were: H.E. Dr. Caleb Otto, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Palau to the United Nations; Professor Christiana Z. Peppard, Fordham University; Ms. Emem Okon, WoMin; Mr. Mark Gruin, International Orthodox Christian Charities; and Ms. Meera Karunananthan, The Blue Planet Project. The event was moderated by Sr. Aine O’Connor, RSM, Sisters of Mercy: Mercy International Association: Global Action. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese is accredited through the United Nations Department of Public Information (UN DPI) and has General Consultative Status under the Economic and Social Council of the UN (ECOSOC). The Archdiocese has been actively working at the United Nations for 30 years. Keep up with the work of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America at the United Nations by signing up at un.goarch.org/newsletter. --- Keywords: Greek Orthodox, United Nations, GOA, CSW 60, Human Right to Water and Sanitation, 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Commission on the Status of Women, Water Justice, IOCC, Blue Planet Project, Fordham University, WoMin, Mining Working Group, Palau Share Facebook Twitter Google + Email
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Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Sponsors UN Event on ISIL and Human Trafficking 21 March 2016 PRESS RELEASE NEW YORK – During the 60th UN Commission on the Status of Women, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, together with the World Council of Churches and the Lutheran World Federation, co-sponsored an event entitled, Forced Migration, Human Trafficking, and Child Soldiers: How ISIL is Exploiting the Conflict in the Middle East. A robust dialogue among policy, legal, and academic specialists explored ISIL’s exploitation of the current political and humanitarian crisis in the Middle East, with careful attention given to ISIL’s impact on the spread of forced migration, human trafficking, and child soldiers. A recording of the event can be found at http://bit.ly/225Nso4. Panelists included: Ms. Li Fung, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict; Mr. Edward J. Flynn, Senior Human Rights Officer for the UN Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate; Ms. Shafferan Sonneveld, Global Advocacy Director, Muslims for Progressive Values; and Rev. Dr. Emeka Xris Obiezu, Main Representative of Augustinians International to the UN and Vice Chair of the UN NGO Committee on Migration. Emphasizing the need to empower all members of society to combat the ISIL threat, Edward Flynn reminded the audience that, “Member States have been called upon to empower civil society groups, community leaders, religious leaders, women, youth, families, to bring them into the struggle against such organizations. Engagement and empowerment is a critical element to confronting the ISIL threat.” Following the event, Archimandrite Nathanael Symeonides, Director of the Department of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical, and Interfaith Relations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, noted the need to supplement with prayer efforts to combat the exploitation of human beings: “While nations, civil society organizations, and individuals labor to end the exploitation of human beings, we must remember that prayer is a necessary tool in our search for reconciliation, peace, and the reconstitution of human dignity in the lives of those who have been exploited and harmed.” The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese is accredited through the United Nations Department of Public Information (UN DPI) and has General Consultative Status under the Economic and Social Council of the UN (ECOSOC). The Archdiocese has been actively working at the United Nations for 30 years. For more information about the work of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America at the United Nations, sign up at un.goarch.org/newsletter. --- Keywords: Greek Orthodox, United Nations, GOA, WCC, The Lutheran World Federation, CSW, Commission on the Status of Women, Gender Equality, Daesh, ISIL, ISIS, Human Trafficking, Forced Migration, Child Soldiers Share Facebook Twitter Google + Email
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Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Fellowship to Work at the United Nations 11 December 2015 PRESS RELEASE NEW YORK—The Department of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America announces the continuation of its Faith-based Diplomacy & Advocacy Initiative. The Initiative established a total of four (2 for 2015-2016 and 2 for 2016-2017) yearlong Archdiocesan fellowships at the United Nations. All Orthodox Christian graduate and post-graduate students are invited to apply for this stipend fellowship. The Faith-based Diplomacy and Advocacy Initiative is made possible by a generous grant awarded by The Archbishop Iakovos Leadership 100 Endowment Fund, and is meant to help develop future professionals, diplomats, policy-makers, and advocates by providing them the a framework upon which to exercise their academic training. Fellows will focus their work at the United Nations in five main areas: 1) Human Rights & Religious Freedom 2) Environment/Ecology 3) Peace, Security, & Humanitarianism 4) Equality (inter alia, Gender, Race, Economic) and 5) Health Advocacy Among other activities, fellows will have the opportunity to join and participate in the work of NGO Committees at the United Nations; assist in formulating oral and written Archdiocesan statements and interventions; help plan and host events during ECOSOC Functional Commissions; and participate in panel discussions at future Biennial National Clergy-Laity Congresses. To apply for the fellowship please visit un.goarch.org/fellowship. The deadline for submitting an application for the 2016-2017 fellowship is April 30, 2016. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese is accredited through the United Nations Department of Public Information (UN DPI) and has General Consultative Status under the Economic and Social Council of the UN (ECOSOC). The Archdiocese has been actively working at the United Nations for 30 years. Keep up with the work of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America at the United Nations by signing up at un.goarch.org/newsletter. Share Facebook Twitter Google + Email
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Human Right to Water and Sanitation Named and Reaffirmed in Post-2015 Development Agenda
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Presentation of the Papal Encyclical to the United Nations Community by Peter Cardianal Turkson and Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis 30 June 2015 PRESS RELEASE NEW YORK – At the invitation of Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See Mission to the United Nations, the Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis, Advisor to the Ecumenical Patriarch on Environmental Issues and Theological Advisor to the Ecumenical Office of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, responded to Cardinal Peter Turkson’s remarks at a high level discussion marking the publication of His Holiness Pope Francis’ encyclical entitled “Laudato Si’: On the Care of our Common Home.” The event took place the evening of June 30 in the ECOSOC Chamber at the United Nations Headquarters. Mirroring the Vatican press conference of June 18, this high level discussion is yet another example of positive developments between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches. Christina Figueres, the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), delivered opening remarks. Peter Cardinal Turkson walked the room through the drafting and finalization process of the encyclical. Rev. Dr. Chryssavgis responded by describing the historical and ecumenical context of the document. Finally, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Brooklyn, and Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America briefly commented at the end. Archbishop Auza moderated. His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, having earned the informal title “Green Patriarch,” has for more than two decades championed issues related to the environment and care for our planet. The Orthodox Christian Community, through the Department of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical, and Interfaith Relations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, welcomes this opportunity to highlight and advance the work of both Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Pope Francis. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese is accredited through the United Nations Department of Public Information (UN DPI) and has General Consultative Status under the Economic and Social Council of the UN (ECOSOC). The Archdiocese has been actively working at the United Nations for 30 years. Keep up with the work of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America at the United Nations by signing up at un.goarch.org/newsletter. Share Facebook Twitter Google + Email
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The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Co-Sponsors Event at the United Nations 59th Commission on the Status of Women 23 March 2015 PRESS RELEASE NEW YORK–A panel discussion titled, Trafficking & Migration, Girls & Women: Human Rights Have No Borders, took place March 9, 2015, at the United Nations and brought together migration and trafficking experts. The Event was co-sponsored by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and the Salesians of Don Bosco. The panelists included Ashley Feasley, Esq., Immigration Policy Advisor for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops; Diane Paul, Independent Consultant on Human Rights; Katherine Rehberg, Child Protection Specialist for Church World Service Resettlement Support Center in Nairobi; and Monica Regabo, Executive Director of Yolia. The panel was moderated by Rev. Thomas Brennan, SDB. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and the Salesians of Don Bosco have submitted a Statement to the Fifty-ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. This Statement was received by the Secretary-General, Member States, and all participants as an official document of the Commission. The Statement is available at: http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=E/CN.6/2015/NGO/94 The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese is accredited through the United Nations Department of Public Information (UN DPI) and has General Consultative Status under the Economic and Social Council of the UN (ECOSOC). The Archdiocese has been actively working at the United Nations for 30 years. Keep up with the work of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America at the United Nations by signing up at un.goarch.org/newsletter. Share Facebook Twitter Google + Email
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United Nations Body Recommends Consultative Status for Archdiocesan Council 14 January 2012 PRESS RELEASE With the support of United Nations Delegations from the United States, USSR, Cyprus, France, Libya, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Chile and Rwanda, the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations meeting at the United Nations from March 4 to March 22, 1985 recommended by consensus that the Economic and Social Council grant the request of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Council of North and South America for Category I Consultative Status. This is the highest category in consultative status at the United Nations. To date, the Muslim League is the only other religious organization that has Category I Status. The Archdiocesan Council can now submit papers, be granted hearings and propose agenda items for consideration by the Economic and Social Council and its subsidiaries (The Human Rights Commission, UNESCO, etc.). Mrs. Lila Prounis, with the approval of His Eminence, Archbishop Iakovos and the encouragement of Fr. Karloutsos, Fr. Droumouras, and Fr. Efthimious applied for consultative status in 1982 and prepared a nine page report which she presented to the NGO Committee. On March 15, 1985, testifying before the committee composed of delegations from 19 countries, Mrs. Lila Prounis stated that the Archdiocesan Council is an international organization dedicated to supporting programs in developing countries. Its principal aims are to administer the religious, cultural and academic needs of 579 Greek Orthodox communities throughout North and South America. It is a humanitarian, family-oriented body concerned with the well-being of the person, and the improvement of the social and living conditions of all people. It is concerned with education, the welfare of children throughout the world, human rights, youth, the status of women, the aging, disabled persons and the elimination of hunger. It had raised funds for the famine in Ethiopia, and also provided assistance in cases of natural disasters. Mrs. Prounis further pointed out that the Archdiocesan Council can provide expertise in Education, Child Care, Youth, Aged, Religious Liberty and Welfare to the United Nations. In recommending that the Economic and Social Council grant Category I Status to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Council of North and South America, the NGO Committee members agreed that its activities were relevant to a wide range of the Economic and SOcial Council as well as of other United Nations organs. For the past eight years, the Archdiocese has been accredited as an NGO to the Department of Public Affairs which provides weekly briefings on UN matters. This information can be disseminated to local constituencies. Share Facebook Twitter Google + Email
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SCOBA and SCOOCH Hierarchs Celebrate 8th Annual Prayer Service for the United Nations
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