Programme

International Day of Conscience

What is the International Day of Conscience?

The International Day of Conscience is dedicated to "the promotion of a culture of peace with conscience and love", according to the A/73/L.102 resolution adopted by the July 19th, 2019, United Nations General Assembly. With this resolution, the General Assembly emphasized the urgent necessity of a radical shift of mindset if we want to get out of today’s poly-crisis and give substance to the framework of norms enshrined in the United Nations’ core texts governing the life of nations and protecting our human, cultural and socio-economic rights. The 3 great values of the International Day of Conscience underscore the inner dimension of social change with Conscience and Love for Peace. At this point in the long evolution of life on Earth, if humanity wants to survive in dignity, the new cognitive leap is to move from individualism and competition to altruism and solidarity. This is needed to implement the guiding principles of the UN Charter, the Declaration of Human Rights, and the Agenda 2030.

The International Day of Conscience 2025, at the UN Headquarters, Geneva
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‍The International Day of Conscience 2025, IDC 25 calls on the exceptional participation of 5 young Ambassadors from each of the 5 continents, recipients of the Young Leaders LoveForce Awards (YLLFA) conferred to them by Nobel Peace laureates on December 10, 2024, at the Heartfulness Institute near Hyderabad, India https://heartfulness.org/en These 16-24 -year-old actors of change, embody “the One Young Humanity Team” a driving force for societal change, climate action, and racial justice. They have been selected for their compliance with the principle Leave No One Behind (LNOB), which is the ‘game changer’ promise of the 2030 Agenda and its 17 SDGs, in alignment with the core IDC values of Conscience, Love and Peace. The active inclusion of youth in IDC 25 is a response to the call from the UN Secretary-General to deliver a present and future that works for all through the establishment of a youth consultative body and meaningful youth engagement.To shift our mindsets that condition our vision and therefore our action in the world, on April 5, 2025, we will inaugurate an intergenerational Leave No One Behind dialogue with our young LoveForce Ambassadors, and Peace Nobel laureates, UN, UNESCO, and government officials, the mayor of the city of Geneva, the UNESCO Chair for a Culture of an Economy of Peace, scientists, and indigenous leaders, experts in the IDGs and the SDGs, spiritual activists, artists, writers and meditators.  

Walk the talk
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The celebration of the International Day of Conscience on April 5, 2024, is a call to walk the talk and support the commitment of young LoveForce Ambassadors opening new pathways of conscience and love for fairer, happier, and peaceful societies. "Be the change you want to see in the world," the Mahatma Gandhi asserted in the last century. At the dawn of the new millennium, we answer him with Sofia Stril-Rever, "Be the love you want to see in the world." Love is not just a feeling, experienced individually. It is also a transformative and collective force for social change, world peace, and human evolution. History proves that leaders of conscience and love, such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Wangari Maathai, Nelson Mandela, Jacinda Ardern, or Joanna Macy can shape a future of peace, solidarity, and justice. As we witness the escalation of wars and settle into the normality of deadly conflicts between peoples, the trivialization of large-scale massacres of civilian populations and a losing war against nature, we want to reassert that war is not a fatality. Nonkilling societies are possible, as demonstrated by the WHO’s World Violence and Health report. It depends on us, younger and elder members of the Earth family, to make peace a reality in the political, economic, and environmental sectors, under the roadmap of the Agenda 2030, the IDGs framework, and the UN Security Council resolution 1325 on Women and Peace, which reaffirms the key role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace negotiations, and post-conflict reconstruction.

One earth, One Family, One Future

“We have before us the glorious opportunity to inject a new dimension of love into the veins of civilization.”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

International Day of Conscience                        05 April 2024
Conscience, Love, Peace                          10:00 - 17:00 CEST
                                       
Registrations are now open!
Join us in person or online

An invitation to open new pathways of conscience and love and co-create together non-killing, happier and fairer societies
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‍We would love you to join us on 5 April, 2024, in the presence of Mr Alfonso Gomez, Mayor of the City of Geneva, to celebrate the International Day of Conscience that we dedicate to the youth of the world. This event will be taking place at the Palais des Nations, United Nations in Geneva or can be followed on-line.    
DATE: 5 April 2024, 10:00 – 17:00 CEST
LOCATION: Building A, Room V, United Nations - Palais des Nations, Geneva/Switzerland
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What is the Day of Conscience?
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"Be the change you want to see in the world," the Mahatma Gandhi asserted in the last century. At the dawn of the new millennium, we answer him with Sofia Stril-Rever, "Be the love you want to see in the world."
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Love is not just a feeling, experienced individually. It is also a collective force for social change, world peace, and human evolution. History proves that leaders of conscience and love, such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Wangari Maathai, Nelson Mandela or Malala can shape a future of peace, solidarity, and justice.
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According to the resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 19 July, 2019, the International Day of Conscience is dedicated to “the promotion of a culture of peace with conscience and love”. It calls us to rethink and rearchitect the way we can build a lasting peace based on conscience and love.

Why do we celebrate the International Day of Conscience?
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As we witness the escalation of wars and settle into the normality of deadly conflicts between peoples, the trivialization of large-scale massacres of civilian populations and a losing war against nature, we want to remember that we are part of the indivisible community of the living. Therefore, on the International Day of Conscience, on 5 April, 2024, we will say with Renaud Ruhlmann: "Nature speaks, listen to her!", and we will reassert that the war of humanity against itself and against life is not a fatality.

Non-killing societies and non-violent economies are possible, as demonstrated by the WHO’s World Violence and Health report. It depends on us to make peace a reality, under the roadmap of the Agenda 2030, the IDGs framework and the UN Security Council resolution 1325 on Women and Peace, reaffirming the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace negotiations, and post-conflict reconstruction.

The celebration of the International Day of Conscience on 5 April, 2024 is therefore a call to realize the power of our interconnectedness and take urgent action to open new pathways of conscience and love for fairer, happier, and peaceful societies.

To shift our mindsets that condition our vision and therefore our action in the world, on 5 April, 2024, in the presence of Mr Alfonso Gomez, Mayor of the City of Geneva, and of UN and UNESCO officials, we are bringing together physicists and biologists, representatives of ancestral traditions, experts in sustainability, the IDGs and the 17 SDGs, peace activists, artists, writers and meditators, with the participation of young global actors of change that will give the event a transgenerational dynamic.

‍Download the full concept note
‍

Programme
10:00 - 10:30 WELCOME & KEYNOTE MESSAGESThe speakers will address the 3 themes of the International Day of Conscience: CONSCIENCE, LOVE, PEACE    
- Spokesperson of Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the UN Geneva
- Alfonso Gomez, Mayor of Geneva
- Gerald Pillay, President Initiatives of Change International
followed by:
The Caux Palace - a centre for dialogue and peacebuilding to practice the Inner Development Goals by Ignacio Packer, Executive Director of Caux Initiatives of Change
 
PART 1: CONSCIENCE, A NEW PARADIGM TO TAKE CARE OF ONESELF, OTHERS AND THE PLANET
Moderator: Celina Rocquet (France), molecular biologist, prof. University Paris 1
10:30 - 10:40: Nassim Haramein (USA), physicist, creative leader
10:40 -10:50: Eric Julien (France), spokesperson of the Indian Kogi community, anthropologist & business consultant
10:50-11:00: Renaud Ruhlmann (France), founder of Naturasounds, musician, independant researcher on plants consciousness, author
11:00-11:07: Q&A and Concluding Remarks: Celina Rocquet (France)
11:07-11:10 Music
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PART 2: LOVE, A FORCE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE, PEACE & HUMAN EVOLUTION
Moderator: René Longet (Switzerland), Mayor of Onex 1999-2011, expert in Sustainable Development, author
11:10-11:20: Naresh Singh (India), Executive Dean of Jindal Global University
11:20-11:30: Hajar Bichri (Morocco), Creative Leadership Youth Programme of Caux Initiatives of Change
11:30-11:40: Jonathan Belolo (France), CEO Village People Company, THE PEOPLE, founder
11:40-11:50: Sofia Stril-Rever (France), author, and spiritual activist, BE THE LOVE, founder
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11:50 - 12:00: WALK THE TALK
TAHA, a poem of Palestinian author Taha Muhammad Ali, interpreted by actor Sylvain Machac (France) & short "Be the Love" medit-action guided by Sofia Stril-Rever

PART 3: CONSCIENCE & LOVE FOR PEACE
Moderator: Sarah Noble (Canada), Peace Activist
12:00-12:10: Women Wage Peace (video clip) and The Sarah & Hajar Accords presented by Guila Clara Kessous (France), Ambassador and Artist of Peace for UNESCO
12:10-12:20: The Prayer of the Mothers, World Premiere (lyrics: Guila Clara Kessous, music: Yael Deckelbaum), interpreted and presented by Yael Deckelbaum
12:20-12:40: In conversation: Sidi Nabil Baraka (Morocco), Sufi spiritual leader & Moses Garelik (Belgium), spiritual conscious leader, UniOne, founder
12:40-12:50: Lisa Yasko (Ukraine), MP, Parliament of Ukraine, Foreign Affairs Committee
12:50-12:57: Q&A with Sarah Noble (Canada), Peace Activist
12:57-13:00: Music
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13:00-14:00 LUNCH BREAK AT UN CAFETERIA

14:00 – 15:00 WORKSHOPS
I. Women for Peace: UN Resolution 1325
Moderator: Sarah Noble, Peace ActivistWith:    Guila Clara Kessous (France), UNESCO Ambassador and Artist for Peace,
   Lisa Yasko (Ukraine), MP, Parliament of Ukraine
   Yael Deckelbaum, singer & peace activist
   Léopoldine Huygues Despointes, global expert and advocate of people with different abilities
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II. Conscious Science
Moderator: Thibault Verbiest, International LawyerWith:    Nassim Haramein, physicist
   Eric Julien, anthropologist
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III. The Outer and Inner Meaning: How the IDGs accelerate the SDGs
Moderator: Louise Le Gat, President of A Purpose-led WorldWith:    Ignacio Packer, Executive Director Caux Initiatives of Change
   René Longet, expert in sustainability
   Pascale Fressoz, President AIODD
   Corentin Biteau, independent researcher Effective Altruism
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IV. Talking Plants and Trees Workshop
Moderator: Yael Guillon, CEO Imfusio  With:    Renaud Ruhlmann (France), founder of Naturasounds, musician, researcher on plants consciousness, author
   Sylvie Rouen, Ph.D. in Microbiology and Aromatology, Agronomist
   Celina Rocquet, cellular biologist, Prof. University Paris 1, France
   Bert Barten, founder of Talking Trees, multi-disciplinairy artist, theater director, entrepreneur, The Netherlands
   Aloe Vera, Vegetal speaker
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V. We Are OneModerator: Jean-Michel Amor, PACI, founder
With:    Jean Fabre, UN interagency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy (UNTFSSE)
   Moses Garelik, UniOne, founder
   Sidi Nabil Baraka, Sufi spiritual leader
   Jonathan Belolo, THE PEOPLE, founder
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15:00 – 17:00 WALK THE TALK
Moderator: Jean Fabre, UN interagency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy (UNTFSSE)
15:00-15:10: Keynote Message by Leopoldine Huyghues Despointes, award-winning actress and producer, global expert and advocate for people with different abilities
15:20-16:00: Public restitution of the workshops  / Presentation of the Manifesto Peace and Sustainability by Pascale Fressoz, AIODD, founder      -     Q&A
16:00-16:10: Conscious Philanthropy, The PACI Foundation / Panel discussion: Thibault Verbiest, PACI, co-founder & Dana Ulrike Glatz, GLOBAL IMPACT ALLIANCE, founder
16:00­-16:20: Song by Yael Deckelbaum, singer & peace activist
16:20-16:30: Keynote Message by Kweku Mandela, Grandson of Nelson Mandela, GLOBAL CITIZENS & AFRICA RISING, founder; tbc
16:30-16:40: Humanity at a Crossroads: Concluding Remarks by René Longet, expert in sustainability & Jean Fabre, UNTFSSE
16:40-16:50: Thank You by the host of the event, Ignacio Packer, and the global convenors, Sarah Noble & Sofia Stril-Rever
16:50-17:00: Gospel "LOVE SHALL OVERCOME", an invitation to sing together in conclusion of the day    
Download the full programme here

Costs
Attending the celebration of the International Day of Conscience is free of charge.If you wish to support the values of this day in the service of the common good, you may want to donate to one of the following 3 NGOs we have selected.
You can donate here!    
- Initiatives of Change
- Tchendukua
- Naturasounds
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Host, Global Covenors and Partners    
Host: Initiatives of Change
   Global Convenors: Ignacio Packer, Sarah Noble, Sofia Stril-Rever
   Initiative: Be the Love,
   Partners: UNESCO, The PACI Foundation, The International Space Federation, Tchendukua, Naturasounds, Jindal Global University

Registration
Join us:
    - attend in person to the event: register here
   - wach online: receive the livestream link  

Day of Conscience 2024 filler bannerArt work "Colors 2 Conscience" with the kind permission of: MA2F, prix Lumière de l'UNESCO

5 avril 2023 de 10h à 18h au Palais des Nations, Genève

Avec la jeunesse du monde,
ouvrons en conscience et avec amour
de nouvelles voies d’action pour
des sociétés non-violentes, plus justes et plus heureuses

TIME FOR UNIVERSAL LOVE IS NOW
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, 1989 Nobel Peace Laureate, leader of the Tibetan People in exile
https://youtu.be/j3jT0Euh3-4?si=Ay7Mnt6MFGaHj7Iw

A CALL FOR HUMAN DIGNITY
Dr Denis Mukwege, 2018 Nobel Peace Laureate
https://youtu.be/MfG00ngZzx8?si=iOO0Pu3C1wR19FPZ
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MOMENTS OF CONSCIENCE ARE MOMENTS OF RUPTURE
Dr Bertrand Piccard, Psychiatrist, CEO of Solar Impulse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYlHB5SRKM8
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CALLING FOR A CULTURE OF LOVE
Professor Samdhong Rinpoche, Prime Minister of the Tibetan Government in Exile, 2001-2011
https://youtu.be/r-5puKLc3Dw?si=7njf1pZit_6DimCx
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THE SACREDNESS OF THE LIVING
Cacique Ninawa, leader of the Huni Kui people in the Acre province of Brazil
https://youtu.be/_DWtcKfeuFY?si=dFRRDk_TjpFQszT9

BE THE LOVE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD
Dr Sofia Stril-Rever, award-winning author, public speaker, teacher, and spiritual activist, the French biographer of His Holiness the Dalai Lama
https://youtu.be/PxiQ8erhM2A?si=_gmXS6LQEYqw-R5d

WE ARE CREATURES OF LOVE
Dr Christiana Figueres, chief architect of the Paris Agreement, founder of Global Optimism
https://youtu.be/RHsqdNdLNuQ?si=AMXUTiPJLih2NGdg

ECOLOGY AT THE CORE OF ECONOMY
Dr Bertrand Piccard, Psychiatrist, CEO of Solar Impulse
https://youtu.be/2_rrh-_AtZg
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THE GANDHIAN ETHICS OF CONSCIENCE
Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, President of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations, ICCR, New Delhi
https://youtu.be/tG5jZ9YOKrQ?si=QhJzWncJrTsXlEpX

RELEVANCE OF GANDHI’S CALL TO CONSCIENCE
Dr Miloon Kothari human rights and social policy expert, UN Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.
https://youtu.be/jkDA0TpwXRk?si=7EWSuL34kpnitw-k

GANDHI’S TALISMAN, ALWAYS THINK OF THE POOREST AND THE WEAKEST
Dr Raja Gopal, Founding President of Jai Jagat International, Bhopal, Inida
https://youtu.be/daGLCWHqCPw?si=AAqs7JwA9MdtQKIt

GANDHI AND THE LAW OF LOVE
Dr Vikrant Singh Tomar, Global Convenor of United Consciousness, Ujjain, India.
https://youtu.be/UKzaShcytH4
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WHEN THE “WE” IS ONE
Louis Derungs
https://youtu.be/KzQyIPlfE9w

THE SCIENCE OF CONSCIOUSNESS
Dr Bernard Anselem
https://youtu.be/zHQ3fEGwbIs

TACKLE THE CLIMATE CRISIS WITH YOUR HEART
Abigael Kima, young energy expert and climate activist from Kenya, producer and host of the new Hali-Hewa podcast
https://youtu.be/i9MvqXZAERg?si=mAcvk8b1nokJOCmP

LOVEFORCE AWARDS
Khoa Nguyen, Founding President of Better We Better World & SDG Champions
https://youtu.be/WOMCVkNP4Jg?si=eYBwuac9lBh_IU3p

Historique de la Journée Internationale de la Conscience‍

‍71 ans après la Déclaration universelle des droits humains le 10 décembre 1948, la Journée Internationale de la Conscience a été adoptée en juillet 2019 par l’ONU pour servir la Paix, en Conscience et avec Amour. Cette initiative fait suite à plusieurs tentatives du système onusien visant à l’avènement d’un monde sans guerre, ni pauvreté, ni malnutrition, dans le respect des droits fondamentaux de la personne humaine, avec l’adoption de textes de référence, fondateurs de la vie des nations :
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• la Déclaration Universelle de 1948, affirmant que tous les êtres humains naissent libres et égaux en dignité et en droit, dotés de conscience, et appelés à agir les uns envers les autres dans un esprit de fraternité ;
• la résolution de l’AG 1999, invitant tous les gouvernements à promouvoir une « culture de la paix et de la non-violence au profit des enfants du monde » pendant la première décennie du 21ème siècle
• l’Agenda 2030, adopté à l’unanimité en 2015, qui engage les gouvernements, pour la première fois dans l’Histoire, à éradiquer la pauvreté et la faim, sans laisser personne au bord du chemin.  

Appel à ancrer la Paix dans les cœurs et les consciences

‍De même que l’ONU invoquait la non-violence en 1999, en 2019 elle appelait à faire advenir une paix mondiale basée sur la conscience et l’amour. Ces mots, essentiels et très forts, sont inhabituels dans la diplomatie internationale. Ils sont vecteurs de valeurs universelles, aussi vieilles que l’humanité. Mais ce qui est nouveau et extraordinaire, est que ces valeurs sont désormais portées par des chefs d’Etat et de gouvernements. Le 5 avril de chaque année, le leadership mondial appelle tous les êtres humains à grandir en humanité, et donc à vivre en solidarité.
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La résolution de juillet 2019 souligne explicitement l’interdépendance entre la Paix, la sécurité, les droits de la personne humaine et le développement durable, qui inclut les 17 ODD de l’Agenda 2030. Le rôle particulier dévolu à l’UNESCO, de promouvoir une culture de la paix et de la non-violence, engage la responsabilité des diverses agences, fonds et programmes onusiens à bâtir une culture, donc un vécu, de paix et de non-violence, plongeant ses racines dans l’amour et la conscience.

Conscience Amour Paix, C A P vers le futur

‍Inspirés par ces valeurs nouvelles inscrites désormais dans la vie des nations avec la Journée Internationale de la Conscience, mettons le C A P
Conscience
Amour
Paix
vers des sociétés non-violentes, plus justes et plus heureuses.
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La célébration de cette Journée mondiale nous concerne tous, société civile, comme fonctionnaires et consultants des institutions onusiennes. Les messages de 3 prix Nobel de la Paix, Sa Sainteté le Dalaï-lama, Wangari Maathai, le Dr Denis Mukwege, ainsi que de Christiana Figueres, architecte de l’Accord de Paris, le discours de Bertrand Piccard, CEO de Solar Impulse, la perspective des neurosciences sur la conscience par Bernard Anselem, les sessions Des Paroles aux actes avec Jean Fabre, Directeur adjoint du PNUD, et une médit-action Be the Love guidée par Sofia Stril-Rever, fondatrice de Be the Love, nous inviteront à prendre du temps le 5 avril pour réfléchir à ce qui nous motive.
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Comment inclure de la conscience dans notre travail tout au long de l’année ? Comment cultiver l’amour qui ne peut être qu’une pratique quotidienne, sous peine d’être vidé de son sens ?
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Comment faire grandir amour et conscience dans le monde entier, pour une humanité réconciliée avec elle-même et avec le vivant, sur une nouvelle Terre d’amour et de paix ?

L’inspiration du Mahatma Gandhi

‍Il est heureux que l’héritage du Mahatma Gandhi, leader universel de conscience et d’amour, soit mis en valelur par les messages du Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, Président of l’International Council of Cultural Relations à New Delhi, et du Dr Raja Gopal, fondateur de Jai Jagat International, en rprésence du Dr Vikrant Singh Tomar, fondateur de United Consciousness, et de Miloon Kothari, membre de la Commission d'Enquête sur les Territoires occupés de Palestine. Leurs discours mettront en lumière la pertinence des valeurs gandhiennes pour cette Journée mondiale de la Conscience, encette année 2023 où l'Inde porte les valeurs One Earth One Family One Future avec la présidence du G20/C20.
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Be the change you want to see in the world, disait le Mahatma au siècle dernier. Nous lui répondons aujourd’hui, avec Sofia Stril-Rever, Be the love you want to see in the world. L’amour n’est pas seulement un sentiment qu’on expérimente au plan individuel. C’est aussi une force d’évolution collective à l’échelle de l’humanité. Associé à une éthique de la responsabilité et de l’action juste, cet état transcendant de l’amour embrassant toutes les formes de vie, a le pouvoir de réinventer l’avenir et de régénérer l’écosystème Terre.
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Le 5 avril 2023 au Palais des Nations sera une journée d’intelligence collective, nous engageant à élever en conscience au niveau du leadership mondial, la force d’aimer ou Loveforce (restitution moderne de satyagraha d’après l’interprétation par Martin L. King de la pensée de Gandhi). C’est le premier pas vers la création d’un Comité de la Conscience aux sièges de l’ONU, à Genève et à New York, pour faire avancer l’humanité vers plus de justice et de solidarité au service de la paix.

Un événement sous la bannière G20/C20.
Initiative et conception, Sofia Stril-Rever, Be the Love,
avec Jean Fabre et le Dr Vikrant Singh Tomar, United Consciousness.
Coordination, Lisa Silvestre & Emmanuelle Le Du, Mouvement de la Paix.
Presse, Benjamin Joyeux, Jai Jagat.
Evénement soutenu par la Fondation Mukwege et la Lunt Foundation

The International Day of Conscience is now posted on the UN Geneva website. You are welcome to register here:
https://indico.un.org/event/1003987/

‍71 ans après la Déclaration universelle des droits humains le 10 décembre 1948, la Journée Internationale de la Conscience a été adoptée en juillet 2019 par l’ONU pour servir la Paix, en Conscience et avec Amour. Cette initiative fait suite à plusieurs tentatives du système onusien visant à l’avènement d’un monde sans guerre, ni pauvreté, ni malnutrition, dans le respect des droits fondamentaux de la personne humaine, avec l’adoption de textes de référence, fondateurs de la vie des nations :
‍
• la Déclaration Universelle de 1948, affirmant que tous les êtres humains naissent libres et égaux en dignité et en droit, dotés de conscience, et appelés à agir les uns envers les autres dans un esprit de fraternité ;
• la résolution de l’AG 1999, invitant tous les gouvernements à promouvoir une « culture de la paix et de la non-violence au profit des enfants du monde » pendant la première décennie du 21ème siècle
• l’Agenda 2030, adopté à l’unanimité en 2015, qui engage les gouvernements, pour la première fois dans l’Histoire, à éradiquer la pauvreté et la faim, sans laisser personne au bord du chemin.