Jain Spirit 2003 10 No 16

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 21

NEWS IN BRIEF
OPPORTUNITY FOR GLOBAL ACTION ON PEACE New York, USA The International Day of Peace on 21 September 2003 presents an inspiring opportunity for collective global action on peace. The International Day of Peace was established by the United Nations in 1981. Originally tied to the annual opening of the General Assembly, in 2001 its date was fixed annually to September 21. All across the world, groups and communities are encouraged to mark and celebrate this day, and faith communities in particular are in a strong position to organise collective action. Amongst the many possible ways to participate are: to hold a full day of spiritual observance in the form of an International Day of Peace Vigil and to encourage your city, state, or national government to issue a proclamation declaring September 21 as a day of peace, non-violence, and cease-fire. For further ideas and information see www.internationaldayofpeace.org www.idpvigil.com www.un.org/events/peaceday.
CHALLENGE 2015 New York, USA The publication of the United Nation's annual human development report in July 2003 revealed the stark and widening gulf between the global haves and have-nots. The richest 1% of the world's population (around 60 million) now receives as much income as the poorest 57%, while the income of the richest 25 million Americans is the equivalent of that of almost 2 billion of the world's poorest people. In 1820 western Europe's per capita income was three times that of Africa's; by the 1990s it was more than 13 times as high. The report states that: “The statistics today are shaming: more than 13 million children have died through diarrhoeal disease in the past decade. Each year, over half a million women, one for every minute of the day, die in pregnancy and childbirth. More than 800 million suffer from malnutrition." In light of this, the United Nations is calling for urgent action to meet its millennium development goals for 2015. These include a halving of the number of people living on less than a dollar a day, a two-thirds drop in mortality for the under-fives, universal primary education and a halving of those without access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation. In a challenge to the rich, economically powerful countries to take responsibility, the report continues: "The west needed to tear down trade barriers, dismantle its lavish subsidy regimes, provide deeper debt relief and double aid from $50bn to $100bn a year. This would provide the resources for investment in the building blocks of development - health, education, clean water and rural roads." Without such far-reaching measures, on current trends it would be 2147 before the poorest countries in Africa, the poorest continent, halved poverty and 2165 before child mortality is cut by two-thirds.
AWARDS FOR CRUELTY-FREE SCIENCE PROJECTS Cleveland, USA The American National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS) presented awards to three high school students who competed at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (IISEF) held in Cleveland, Ohio in May 2003 to honour them for submitting projects that did not involve animal suffering. The winners of the Humane Science Awards, given out in July 2003, received cash prizes of $5,000, $2,000 and $1,000, respectively. A spokesperson for NAVS said that the organisation was "very appreciative for the opportunity to reward students who are looking at new technology to accomplish their scientific goals instead of accepting the outdated and ineffective animal model for medical research. The IISEF is the only science fair regularly held in the USA where high school students are permitted to perform invasive, or even fatal, animal experiments. NAVS has been working for many years to persuade the Science Service, administrator of the fair, to change the rules that allow harm to animals.
PRESIDENT LAYS FOUNDATION FOR COMMUNITY ACTION Mumbai, India In July 2003, Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam formally inaugurated the Times Foundation, a non-governmental initiative by The Times Group, which will work towards the creation of a just and equal society. Speaking in front of a packed house, President Kalam stressed the importance of renouncing the ego in order to remove hatred
iolence and to foster peace. Mrs. Indu Jain, Chair of The Times Group, commented that the Foundation was simply walking the roadmap drawn up by the President himself, and that it seemed only fitting that the First Citizen of the country should join hands with other citizens to help realise the goals of the Foundation. The Foundation will develop and implement projects catering to community and individual needs, spiritual and material well-being. These include serving as a platform for the convergence of industry, NGOs and government to bring about policy changes; developing the i-l or individual to Infinity academy, which seeks to help individuals through self-development courses; providing alternative healing systems; helping to catalyse social change through capacity building and media support to NGOS, especially rural ones, and reviving art and the ancient sciences.
DO YOU KNOW OF ANY HIGH-FLIERS IN YOUR JAIN COMMUNITY? People of talent, people who have made outstanding contributions to society? If so, contact us at Jain Spirit and we will write about their achievements in future issues of the magazine. E-mail: news@jainspirit.com
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN YOUR CORNER OF THE WORLD? Have you had any exciting, inspiring, Jainism-related events in your community? Then share them with us and spread the Jain Spirit! Contact us at the Jain Spirit office with your news and photographs.
September - November 2003. Jain Spirit
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Jain Education Interational 2010_03