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CSVGC at the United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland
The Committee on Spirituality, Values & Global Concerns (CSVGC-Geneva) recognises that spirituality, universal values, justice, truth, inclusivity and peace do not belong to any one state, religion or creed but are part of the heritage that belongs to each culture and to every member of the human family. Religions, cultures and traditions around the world use a variety of ways to enter into communion with other levels of beingness or with our indwelling nature and acknowledge humanity's role within an interconnected and interdependent circle of life through silence, contemplation, ritual, prayer, celebrations, reflection and meditation to ensure inner peace, well-being and to uplift individuals, families, communities, nations and all life on earth. Human cultures and their underlying values are what biodiversity is to nature. Secretary General U Thant stated "The war we have to wage today has only one goal and that is to make the world safe for diversity"
The Committee encourages a spiritual and values perspective in all areas of the United Nations agenda and of public policy by contributing written and oral statements for inclusion in UN declarations and programmes of action. The importance of practical solutions and action was emphasised by Dag Hammarskjöld who wrote "in our age, the road to holiness necessarily passes through the world of action".
The Committee acknowledges that an emphasis on spiritual and universal values and ethics is a key factor in providing common solutions to global concerns such as human rights violations, lack of distributive justice, inner and outer poverty, destruction of the planet, injustice through racism, religious intolerance and all forms of discrimination, conflict, violence, terrorism, and war.
CSVGC (Geneva) organises regular events that wish to facilitate dialogue by bringing people together to inspire an increased awareness of individual and common responsibilities that aim to explore the links between these values. The Committee publishes a series of documents on seminars and meetings and by presenting evidence-based knowledge so as to demonstrate the causal effect of the spiritual and value dimensions on personal and global change.
Successive Secretaries-General of the United Nations have emphasised the importance of universal and spiritual values on which the whole edifice of the United Nations has been build and through which it can emerge strengthened to serve the expanding needs of a global world. CSVGC (Geneva) is dedicated to contributing evermore to this so that the finest and highest human qualities are self-realised and the full potential of human life can be expressed and preserved. |
