News

Adventists Attend Annual Event at U.N.

New York, NY… Over 2,000 people attended the 57th Annual Department of Public Information/Non-Governmental Organization Conference at the United Nations, September 8-10, 2004. The Conference theme, the Millennium Development Goals, is a list of eight milestones to be reached by the year 2015.

Addressing the delegates via video conference, Secretary-General Kofi Annan expressed that “there is no time to lose in ending extreme poverty and putting the world on a more humane and just path.”

“People everywhere wanted a fair chance for themselves and their children, and if the Goals were not met, we all will be poorer. Non-governmental organizations could be proud of their contributions. They had put pressure on governments to deliver on their commitments and had brought real change into people’s lives.”

Stressing that without civil society there would be no Millennium Development Goals in the first place, the Secretary-General’s Executive Coordinator for the Millennium Development Goals Campaign, Eveline Herfkens, said that “civil society had insisted on a rights-based approach, demanding government action and claiming participation.”

Attending on behalf of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Rachel Bostic and Christopher Banks, U.N. liaison volunteer assistants, attended meetings on topics ranging from the ethical and spiritual dimensions of the MDGs to how to bring the MDG campaign to the grassroots level and get people excited about them. The purpose of their attendance was to expose the attendees and participants of the event to the nature and mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and its affiliating organizations, such as the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), children’s health in various countries, economic relief, and women’s issues.

“Adventists have consistently worked for the betterment of society, here and now, says Dr. Jonathan Gallagher, UN liaison director for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. “We’re committed to direct involvement and are happy to promote positive issues that are of benefit to all.”

Organizations like the Femmes Africa Solidarité (a women’s monetary aid and health organization), PlaNet Finance (organization allocating money towards the world’s poor), and others were pleased to hear of the Adventist Church and its global action.

Speakers at the conference included Sir Emyr Jones Perry, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the U.K. to the United Nations, and Julian Hunte, President of the Fifty-Eight Session of the U.N. General Assembly.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church has held consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations for a number of years and is consulted on a wide range of different subjects including religious freedom, human rights, health, women’s issues, and education. For more information about our work at the United Nations, visit http://un.adventist.org.

Goals of the MDGs are:
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women.
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.
7. Ensure environmental stability
8. Develop a global partnership for development.

Adventists Attend Youth Summit on Human Rights

New York, NY, USA… August 22-24, 2004 brought young people from 25 countries such as France, Germany, Israel, Palestine, Poland, Sweden and others to the Youth for Human Rights International Summit at the United Nations. Attending on behalf of the Seventh-day Adventist Church were Rachel Bostic (U.N. Volunteer Intern) and Alain Sanon (from the Adventist Risk Management Office).

Commenting that the U.N. has not yet achieved its goal of international peace, Mr. Criag Mokhiber, Deputy Director of the U.S. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, challenged the future leaders to create better conditions in the world

Delegates spoke of such human rights violations as suppression of the freedom of speech, thought, or privacy, foreign discrimination, homelessness, AIDS, intolerance, child labor and discrimination against the disabled.

Shushanga Singa (delegate from Bangladesh) pointed to the importance of educating individual citizens as well as those in power. “Human rights violations are carried out by the general public against each other, not just the government and police,” Singa said.

Another delegate, Zelina Ahmad from Palestine, commented that “If we treat each other as humans, we will respect human rights.”

The youth delegates also met representatives from the U.N. permanent missions who support the efforts of these young people to raise awareness for human rights. “Leaders are not born, they are made,” said Hector Ortego, representative from the Permanent Mission of Mexico.

“It is important that we demonstrate in a very practical way how young people are a vital part of what we do as a church,” says Dr. Jonathan Gallagher, U.N. Liaison director for the Adventist Church. “Actual involvement is more important than making statements,” he added.

The organizer, Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI), was established by Mary Shuttleworth, a school principal and children’s advocate from Los Angeles. YHRI teaches youth around the globe about human rights, helping them to become valuable advocates for the promotion of tolerance and peace.

For more information of the church’s involvement at the U.N., visit http://un.adventist.org.