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“We have to transcend our differences to transform our future. When we achieve human rights and human dignity for all people – they will build a peaceful, sustainable and just world.” 2017 UN Secretary-General António Guterres,
Motivation Mondays: UN Day – Transcend Differences
United Nations Day – Video Message by UN Secretary-General
The world’s problems transcend borders.
We have to transcend our differences to transform our future.
When we achieve human rights and human dignity for all people – they will build a peaceful, sustainable and just world.
On United Nations Day, let us, ‘We the Peoples’, make this vision a reality.
Thank you. Shokran. Xie Xie. Merci. Spasibo. Gracias. Obrigado. Yet António Guterres, Secretary-General‘s Message for 2017
What do you know about United Nations Day? Tomorrow will be the 72nd anniversary of the creation of this international organization. At the end of WW11, on October 24 1945, 51 nations gathered to sign an agreement/charter of cooperation and unity as a way to prevent such armed conflict from happening again. The two world wars had decimated Europe and Japan and member nations were eager to collaborate on a treaty that would uphold the task of promoting global peace. In the decades since that first gathering and vote of confidence, the United Nations Organization‘s (UNO) membership has grown to 193 nations, and made economic and social development, peacekeeping and, most recently, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) the focus of its expanding mission. The SDG agenda addresses key objectives that member nations need to focus on from now till 2030 and was adopted on September 25th 2015. At its core are aspirations to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all. Each goal has specific targets to be achieved over the next 15 years. Of course, the sooner we achieve them the better but, at least, the 193 member nations are being challenged to step up and work towards overhauling their infrastructures and champion change. Is this feasible? YES. Can nations meet these goals? Definitely.
What Global Challenges Does the UN Face today? Even with member nations adding their economic might and voice to the (SDG) effort, we still face many global challenges, that will continue to have enormous impact until we come to grips with our shared humanity and responsibility to the planet. In a message for UN Day 2017, Secretary-General António Guterres, highlighted several areas of concern that must be tackled by member nations: conflicts and inequality, climate/weather changes and ethnic intolerance, Security threats – including nuclear weapons, border and growing immigrant concerns. All of these issues can be handled effectively if we can all rise above our differences and see the value of our shared global community. As he put it in the message, our global problems transcend borders and we must work harder to transcend our differences. I believe that it is NOT enough for us to depend solely on this global organization with 193 countries who contribute their share in sustaining the work of the UN, we must all do our part by connecting with others around the world and working to overcome/transcend our differences. The 17 Goals listed below are suggested ways to consider helping locally. You can participate in creating change by signing up on Global Solutions.Org. and then decide which goal or goals you want to see achieved most in your lifetime.
What would you like to know about the United Nations? The principle arms of the UN are the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice, and the UN Secretariat. All were created in 1945 and serve very important roles in shaping the functions and actions carried out by its membership. The leadership of the UN is headed by the Secretary General and the current leader, António Guterres of Portugal, replaced the beloved Ban Ki-moon of South Korea who stepped down by end of 2016. António Guterres will assume the role of guiding the UN family system which is composed of many specialized groups; affiliated programs, funds, and specialized agencies. We can look to the growth of this organization as we work towards our own personal goals and dreams. Even in the face of a post-war world, the UN focused on creating peace and goodwill around the world. Transcending borders and differences, and accomplishing goals for positive change can take place if we stay motivated.
READ: The Essential UN
About The UNO
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved by 2030: Which are most important to you?
Goal 1: No Poverty
Goal 2: Zero Hunger
Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being
Goal 4: Quality Education
Goal 5: Gender Equality
Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities
Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Goal 13: Climate Action
Goal 14: Life Below Water
Goal 15: Life on Land
Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals
The details for Motivation Mondays are below. Join in! The themes for SEPT/OCT 2017 are:
09/04 – 03 National Boyfriend Day, Labor Day, 05 International Day of Charity,
09/10 – Grandparents Day, 11 Patriot Day/Sept 11, 15 National POW/MIA Recognition Day,
09/17 – Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, 20 Navaratri, 21 Rosh Hashana, 22 September equinox
09/24 – Gold Star Mother’s Day
09/30 – Yom Kippur
10/01 – World Communion Sunday, Int’l. Coffee Day, Nigeria Indep. Day, World Vegetarian Day, 02 Child Health Day,
04 Feast of St Francis of Assisi, World Animal Day, 05 First Day of Sukkot, 06 World Smile Day
10/08 – 09 Leif Erikson Day, Columbus Day, Indigenous People’s Day/Native Americans’ Day, 10 World Mental Health,
11 Int’l. Day of the Girl, Come Out Day, Sukkot ends, 12 World Sight Day, 13 Friday the 13th
10/15 – 16 Bosses Day, World Food Day, 19 Diwali, Spirit Day
10/22 – World Mission Sunday, 23 Mole Day, 24 United Nations Day, 28 St Simon/St Jude, Nat’l Chocolate day
10/29 – Nat’l. Cat Day, 31 Halloween
Are You Looking for Ways to Stay Creative in 2017?
– Join the Daily Post Post-a-day or Post-a-week Challenge.
— Join the BlogHer Writing Lab
More Below!
Photo Challenge: GLOW
“There are two kinds of light – the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures.” James Thurber
Photo Challenge: GLOW
Photo Challenge: GLOW
Photo Challenge: GLOW
The more determinedly I exist, as myself, within the conditions of the time, the more clearly I shall hear the language of the past, the nearer I shall feel the glow of its life. Karl Jaspers
It was a rich and gorgeous sunset – an American sunset; and the ruddy glow of the sky was reflected from some extensive pools of water among the shadowy copses in the meadow below. Francis Parkman
For this week’s challenge on the beauty of – Glow – I went with the familiar which is often what I see in nature… and in art. The Chihuly exhibit caught us at sunset and the golden glow of the sky had me thinking of nature and her gifts. The plants on my patio reflect the early morning sun in glorious ways too. There is a glow in everything around us; including us. It radiates when we are fully present in all we do and in our golden hour. I hope you like what you see. Come back for more.
More Below! Read more…
Motivation Mondays: LOYALTY
“The foundation stones for balanced success are honesty, character, integrity, faith, love and loyalty.” Zig Ziglar
Motivation Mondays: LOYALTY
What does LOYALTY mean to you? When I was a child, I looked to my parents and my extended family for succor. Because they were there for me on a regular basis, I knew, implicitly, that all my needs were going to be met. Every day, without fail, I was cared for, fed, clothed, provided with shelter, and sent to school to broaden my mind and learn new things. The trust I held for my family, and this included my siblings, uncles and aunts, was built on a foundation of actions that were consistent and loyal. So when we talk about the development of loyalty between family, friends, co-workers and all sorts of associations we build in our lifetime, we must remember that loyalty is never achieved overnight. It is neither feigned nor forced.
When seemingly solid relationships break down, it is often because of indiscretions, a betrayal of trust or a loss of loyalty and affection for each other. If we are to make our relationships successful, we have to be open to the warts-and-all world of human interaction and stay in communication with each other. Even siblings quibble over slights; what often holds the family bond together is the realization that the relationship has a shared history and that history holds many precious memories of trust, discretion and love. We, in turn, return to those memories and work at rebuilding our family ties. If you are motivated to rebuild/build relationships that matter, you must start from a foundation of consistent loyalty, true friendship and lasting trust. It is not an overnight affair. It takes time and holds tremendous value.
A Story: BigMouth Fox by Pedro Pablo Sacristán
Penguin, Reindeer and Fox were great friends. One day, Penguin and Reindeer found a load of fruit, and decided to keep it a secret. On the way, they met Fox, who seeing them so happy, asked them why. They told him they couldn’t say, because it was a secret, but Fox asked them to trust him, so they told him about the fruit.
When they arrived at the village, Fox forgot about his promise, and told everyone. When Penguin and Reindeer returned to the place where they had found the fruit, the animals of the village had already been there and eaten it all.
That same day, Penguin and Reindeer found another place full of food, and the same thing happened again with Fox. Angered by these betrayals, they decided to teach Fox a lesson. The next day they told Fox that they had found a lake so full of fish that no effort was needed to catch them. Fox again told everyone in the village about this. The next day, Fox came by, covered in cuts and bruises. After telling all the animals about the lake full of fish, everyone, including even the polar bears, had gone there. But, not finding anything, they felt deceived, and had given Fox a good beating.
Fox learned that keeping people’s trust is very important, and that to get it in the first place you have to earn it with loyalty and always keeping your word.
Penguin and Reindeer devised another trick for Fox but, as he was no longer a bigmouth, he did not betray them, and Penguin and Reindeer regained their faith in Fox, thus forgiving him.
Moral: About Trust, Loyalty and Discretion
“Loyalty to petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul.” Mark Twain
Motivation Mondays: LOYALTY
What aspect of LOYALTY sustains our relationships/friendships? Recently, a dear friend and I were reminiscing over our long and lasting friendship. We talked about the challenging times and the happy, joyful times we have shared over many years. One thing that has stood out for us in our friendship has always been our refusal to listen to gossip about each other. If you’ve lived long enough, you’d know that a fiery end to a friendship can begin with hurtful gossip so, we must be mindful about what we say to others and what we hear in return. You cannot be a true friend if you spend time saying nasty things about your friends behind their backs… If you are troubled by their behavior, have a face to face powwow and find a healthier way to mend those fences. When we are motivated by the right reasons to speak to our close and loved ones, we must be open to hear what we have done wrong too. It’s a two way street. Loyalty is not something we can claim immediately. Overnight won’t cut it. It has to be tested in the fire of life’s challenges and sharpened by the ups and downs of life events. Like Oprah said, you have to be willing to ride the bus with me when the limo varnishes… that is loyalty.
A Story: Where Did The Voices Go? by Pedro Pablo Sacristán
There was once a little boy who told tales about absolutely everything. Whenever anyone asked who had done this, or who had said that, the little boy jumped up and shouted out the guilty person’s name.
At his school the children ended up never speaking to each other; they were tired of the little boy using their words to tell tales. Because they no longer spoke, the children started to lose their voices, until no one could say anything at all.
This made things very boring for the little boy. He was left on his own, feeling lonely, and the others resented him for being the cause of everyone losing their voice…
Wondering what he could do to solve the problem, it occurred to him that he could become the one who asks the questions, and leaves them unanswered. This plan worked, and now that there were so many questions needing an answer, everyone’s voices gradually started working again. Even better, people became friendlier towards him for having cured them.
And so it was that he learned not to tell tales about everything. He realized it was much more fun to let others speak for themselves.
Moral: Loyalty, Friendship, the pain of Gossip
The details for Motivation Mondays are below. Join in! The themes for SEPT/OCT 2017 are:
09/04 – 03 National Boyfriend Day, Labor Day, 05 International Day of Charity,
09/10 – Grandparents Day, 11 Patriot Day/Sept 11, 15 National POW/MIA Recognition Day,
09/17 – Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, 20 Navaratri, 21 Rosh Hashana, 22 September equinox
07/24 – Gold Star Mother’s Day
09/30 – Yom Kippur
10/01 – World Communion Sunday, Int’l. Coffee Day, Nigeria Indep. Day, World Vegetarian Day, 02 Child Health Day,
04 Feast of St Francis of Assisi, World Animal Day, 05 First Day of Sukkot, 06 World Smile Day
10/08 – 09 Leif Erikson Day, Columbus Day, Indigenous People’s Day/Native Americans’ Day, 10 World Mental Health,
11 Int’l. Day of the Girl, Come Out Day, Sukkot ends, 12 World Sight Day, 13 Friday the 13th
10/15 – 16 Bosses Day, World Food Day, 19 Diwali, Spirit Day
10/22 – World Mission Sunday, 23 Mole Day, 24 United Nations Day, 28 St Simon/St Jude, Nat’l Chocolate day
10/29 – Nat’l. Cat Day, 31 Halloween
Are You Looking for Ways to Stay Creative in 2017?
– Join the Daily Post Post-a-day or Post-a-week Challenge.
— Join the BlogHer Writing Lab
More Below! Read more…
