The very fact that it is raining on the United Nations’ 75th anniversary shows why the international body is necessary, the senior staff member at the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations says.
Cameroon has been in turmoil since 2016, as a result of the Anglophone crisis. This discord followed complaints by English-speaking Cameroonians of their marginalization within the Republic of Cameroon.
United Nations Day 2018 marks the 73rd anniversary of the U.N. charter that has been the foundation of the U.N.’s work since 1945. Originally created to promote world peace in the aftermath of World War II, the U.N.’s role has since grown to encompass protecting human rights, promoting social and economic development, and providing aid and comfort to countries and people around the world afflicted by famine, disaster and war. Oct. 24 has been celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948.
Faith is not just personal; it’s political. Our leaders pass laws about how we treat one another, laws about money and finances, laws about how our resources are allocated and more. The Bible addresses these issues as well in Scriptures like the Ten Commandments, the parable of the sheep and the goats, Sabbath rules and Jesus’ advice to the rich young ruler to sell his possessions and give to the poor. To say the Bible and Jesus are not political is to deny their influence and relevance to our lives in the 21st century.
While many voices vied for the attention of Kofi Annan, the former UN secretary general consistently listened to people seeking peace from the vantage point of faith, according to a Presbyterian mission leader.
The Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations has played host this week to a group of doctoral students from Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. The ten students and faculty have been taking a week-long seminar course entitled ‘The Church in a World of Displaced Persons.’
The Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations is hoping the U.S. will reconsider its decision to withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made the decision on Tuesday after the U.N. human rights chief leveled criticism at President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
The 62nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women is in the history books and a group of Presbyterian participants have returned home. The commission, which is the principal global intergovernmental body working toward gender equality and the empowerment of women, concluded its annual meeting in New York on Friday.
The participants at the 62nd Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the United Nations come from all over the world and their interests are as varied as their geography. Bulletin boards boast a wide variety of event invitations. From advocating for LGBTQI rights to exploring feminism and Korean TV to genital mutilation in Africa, chances are if the issue affects women, it’s being addressed by a UN agency or by one of the many Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that sponsor lectures and discussions.
Marvella Lambright didn’t realize that some women use dried cow dung to absorb their monthly flow of blood until she attended her first Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) session at the United Nations several years ago. There she learned that women in some countries don’t have access to the sanitary products that are available in the United States and other parts of the world. This surprised her and helped her realize that the best way to find out what is really happening in the world is to talk with people from other countries.
