THE CARMELITE NGO -
a project of the
members of the Carmelite Family around the world
The Carmelite NGO, associated with the
Department of Public Information of the United Nations, is
comprised of the men and women from around the world who are
members of the Carmelite religious Order or its affiliated
Congregations and Institutes within the Catholic Church. It is
at the service of the people they serve.
The first story of creation in Genesis says
that God gave humanity the authority to name His creation-- a sign of our
responsibility for the world and all that is in it. This responsibility
appears to have gained new emphasis in the Church and in society recently.
Where are we Carmelites on the issue?
The
UN Development Program’s annual report
warns that poor
sanitation and limited access to clean water are serious problems undermining
human progress in many developing Asian countries. The report said that two of
every three people in South Asia lack basic sanitation, putting that region on
a par with sub-Saharan Africa. In East Asia, almost half the population lacks
access to sanitation.
UN Millennium Goal #1
Hunger in Our World of Plenty
One
of the focuses of the Carmelite NGO is the problem of hunger in our world.
Here we present an article by Carmelite sister Jane Remson of the Carmelite
NGO who has worked in this area for many years. We also present the UN's
program to eliminate hunger and article on the new forces for change in our
world.
The Department of Public Information of the United Nations held the 2007 DPI/NGO Conference
on September 5-7, 2007. The theme, Climate Change: How It Impacts Us All,
promoted discussion on various aspects of this worldwide situation. The conference is held at the
UN Headquarters in New York City.
The Carmelite NGO has been participating in these annual gatherings
since its affiliation to the UN in December 2001.
Due to construction at the UN building over the next several years,
the 2008 DPI/NGO Conference will be held in Europe.
Update on Education
Revolution Ahead for Education of the World’s Children? The $100 Computer
The $100 Laptop is a portable
computer intended
to be distributed to children around the world to provide them with access to
knowledge and modern forms of education.
Then Secretary General of the United Nations,
Kofi Annan,
unveiled a working prototype of the laptop on
November 16,
2005 at the
World Summit on the
Information Society (WSIS) in
Tunis,
Tunisia.
“The $100 laptop holds the promise of major advances in economic and social
development,” the Secretary General said.
This is just one of the many initiatives in education which are
being developed with the hope to impact the educational opportunities
especially in developing countries.
Carmelite NGO Tells UN It Intends to Request ECOSOC Status
The Carmelite NGO submitted a “letter of intent” to apply for membership to
the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations (UN) on
February 14, 2007. In her letter, Sr. Elizabeth Fitzpatrick, President of the
Congregation of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, outlined the participation of
members since becoming an NGO affiliated with the United Nations Department of
Public Information (DPI) in December of 2001.
The exact responsibilities of an NGO with ECOSOC status are
detailed in ECOSOC resolution 1996/31. Such status provides more opportunity
for involvement in discussion of issues and policy within the ECOSOC framework
than is allowed for at the DPI status level.
Papal Message for World Day of Peace
- January 1, 2007 The Human Person, the Heart of
Peace
Peace is an irrepressible yearning
present in the heart of each person, regardless of his or her particular
cultural identity. Consequently, everyone should feel committed to service of
this great good, and should strive to prevent any form of untruth from
poisoning relationships.
Ask where the United
Nations is located and most people will answer "New York." In fact the United
Nations is a system of offices and departments located throughout the world.
The map which is linked below shows the major offices of this huge
organization. Now if they would only develop a listing of all the
abbreviations used in the organization! However, click on any of the
abbreviations and the homepage of that UN organization will open for you.
