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As explained in our Mission Statement: TRIUNE members seek to discover not only the root causes of the suffering, pain and injustices which continue to plague the world, but also the reasons for humanity’s seeming inability to end these problems. We work to abolish suffering, while educating others about ways to help advance the human race in its spiritual development, bringing it into an age of Light.
On this page you will find concrete ways to take actions that benefit humanity, our animal brethren, the environment and more. Here we will feature free, simple actions in which you can participate to help bring about positive change. If you have a suggestion for an action which you would like us to post, please feel free to e-mail us the information.
Religious tolerance is more important than ever. Please read the following beautiful entry by one of our TRIUNE members and then feel free to duplicate and distribute the religious tolerance cards below. Pledge today to support and promote religious tolerance.
As Many Paths...So Many Faiths
by Heathclyff St. James Deville
"The Truth shall set you free" can only be found in the Temple of God, and we are that "Temple" and the "Kingdom of God" is within each of us. All life-forms share a common denominator. Many folk find their Truth in the more established religions and faiths. Some go to hear the sweet nectar of Truth pour from the lips of a priest or minister. Others sit upon the earth, catching pearls of wisdom as they emanate from the Holy Men or Gurus in front of them. Yet others "go within" to catch the whispers of the small voice within their hearts, gaining inspiration there. Many are the ways available for each Soul to glimpse Truth. Do not fall prey to thinking that another's way is invalid when differing from that which you believe. Just because another does not seek to emulate your way does not make it wrong.
I challenge all to open the door of their hearts and minds, to reflect that we all are One Life, interrelated, each a spark striving to rejoin the Universal Fire. We must learn to develop tolerance. Allow others to worship as each is moved. As long as each individual Soul strives toward at-one-ment with Deity and treats others as he would be treated, then we begin to grow as a real Humanity. From the humble unicellular protozoa to that of man, all is an aspect of Deity. When this is grasped, there can be no room for shunning others on the basis of species, race, color, gender or creed. We are all of the One and the One presides in all.
Download a printable PDF version of the cards.
Please download and sign our declaration of unity and synthesis, and feel free to distribute blank copies to others.
Declaration of Unity and Synthesis
(download a printable PDF version of this declaration)
(Spanish version of the declaration)
unity (n.) oneness; agreement
synthesis (n.) the putting together of parts to form a whole
I, ________________________________ , citizen of Earth, believe
( your name here )
that all Life on this planet exists as one interdependent whole. Understanding this, I declare that it is both my right and my desire to live in peace, unity and synthesis with all other living Beings.
To this end:
- I will accept and respect all people as my brothers and sisters, equal and loved as children of the Divine Creator and having
- unique talents and gifts to enrich the world.
- I will treat Mother Earth and all her creatures with love, respect, gratitude and reverence.
- I will be a vessel for the energies of peace, unity and synthesis and will extend love to all I meet.
- I will use my talents in some concrete way to work for the betterment of the entire human race and this living planet which I call my home.
(If you have any additions or conditions to this declaration, you may add them here.)
Women Peacebuilding for the New Syria
By René Wadlow, Association of World Citizens
The flight of the Syrian dictator Bachar al-Assad on 7 December 2024 from Damascus to Moscow has opened a radically new period for Syrian politics. There are many different armed militias, ethnic and religious factions working to gain influence in the post-Assad situation. There are also outside powers - Iran, Russia, Turkey, and the USA which have been playing a role for some time and are not likely to fade from the scene overnight.
Women played only a minor direct role in the al-Assad administration and only minor roles in the groups opposing the Assad government, especially once the opposition became militarized mid 2011. Now, we must strive so that women can play a positive and active role in developing the new structures for a new Syria. Excluding women from peacebuilding neglects a rich source of skills, insights and energy. It is important to recognize that women are not a homogenous group: education, class, ethnic group identity condition how individuals are affected by conflict.
We have seen with the Taliban administration in Afghanistan what can happen when women are not actively structured to play a role before there is a change in government. While not as vocal as the Afghan Taliban, there are most likely men in Syria in Jiahadist factions who wish to keep women secluded and powerless.
Thus, women activists need to promote a vision that goes beyond the negotiaton table. Negotiations to structure the new government are likely to begin in the next few days. There had been earlier negotiations among Syrian factions held at the United Nations in Geneva in 2014 with few or no women involved. Women face major challenges to engage in formal peace negotiations. Exclusion is often the norm. Thus women need to organize quickly now to spearhead Syrian civil society and reconciliation activities.
In the period after mid 2011 when opposition to the al-Assad government became an armed uprising, many Syrians left Syria for neighboring countries such as Lebanon and Turkey but also more widely to other countries in Western Europe. Some of these refugees were whole famlies with men present. In many cases, it was women with their children. Women had to learn skills in order to earn a living. They also started organizing in mutual help organizations. These skills can be used today as the refugees return to Syria
With the departure of al-Assad, the prisons have been opened. Men, often activists and intellectuals, have been liberated. They will want to play a role to help develop new structures. However they are related to different opposition factions and may have different view of what should be a future Syria. There were also women in the prisons who are now liberated.
We on the outside and who are not Syrians can try to support Syrian women i volved in peacebuilding initiatives that are inclusive of both women and men. There is a need for relevant and timely support. We must see what avenues are open and how local conditions evolve.
TAKING ACTION THROUGH MEDITATION
By: Wolfgang von Reinersdorff
www.lebendige-ethik-schule.de
mail@lebendige-ethik-schule.de
The most urgent task of our time is surely to end violence and war. The Dalai Lama has a recipe for this: If every 8-year-old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation.
How can we understand this? Peace on earth will only come about if we eradicate the readiness for violence in every single human being. This is like fighting plague and cholera, measles and mumps: The healing of the earth, of humanity as a whole, depends on our curing the individual people, at least the vast majority of them.
Meditation silences selfishness and desires which are the causes of violence and war. It makes us peaceful. And once man is peaceful, peace on earth will come about by itself. How can we practice this?
In Agni Yoga meditation, the meditator connects with the Hierarchy, generally with the Mahatmas of the Brotherhood of Shambhala, but preferably with a specific person: his teacher. The meditator steps in spirit before his Spiritual Father and remains at his feet for a moment. The atmosphere of peace and quietness, of serenity and solemnity in his Eternal Home, the closeness of a higher being elevate him – even though the visit is only a virtual one to a non-incarnated person.
This type of meditation is not contemplation of the tip of the nose, but a creative act! It cleanses and transforms our being. It raises our vibration. It puts us in a Fiery State of purity, wisdom, power, joy of being, light and love.
In the presence of a master, no unworthy thoughts, feelings, words or deeds arise. The lower self is mastered. At this moment, the disciple does not think of himself and how he can rob others by force. He merely strives to selflessly serve the Hierarchy, the Higher Will, the Plan of Evolution and the Common Good.
If during the day our vibration drops under the pressure of earthly life, we can close our eyes for a second and do a short “emergency meditation” – anger, irritation, depression and aggression will disappear immediately!
The more people put themselves in a peaceful state of mind in this way, the sooner peace will come to the world. My suggestion for all readers therefore is: Let us make it a habit to meditate three times a day (morning, noon and evening) in order to cleanse, nourish, care for, heal and strengthen our Eternal Individuality and to put it into a state of high vibration. In the world of the future, this practice will be as much a matter of course as eating three times a day. Thereby we create a higher culture, just as we have raised the level of civilization of humanity by brushing our teeth three times a day.
Let us teach our children and grandchildren this practice to save the world. Let us recommend it to our family, relatives, friends, acquaintances and colleagues at work. Let us apply it to aggressive schoolchildren. Let us strengthen our global community by practicing this salutary exercise together, each in our own place and time.
NEEDED ACTION AGAINST WORLD HUNGER: THE CONSEQUENCES OF ARMED CONFLICT
By Professor René Wadlow / President, Association of World Citizens
The United Nations (UN) has recently drawn attention to situations of acute hunger in areas where there is armed conflict. Stephane Dujarric, the UN Spokesperson, stated that, in Sudan, there were 18 million people facing acute food insecurity with alarming reports of child deaths related to malnutrition. Sudan has been the victim of a year-long armed conflict between the leaders of the regular army and its rival, the Rapid Support Force. This conflict has been particularly acute in the Darfur Province which has been the scene of violence and massive displacement of population since 2004.
In Ethiopia, where there has been fighting, especially in the Tigray Province between the forces of the government and Tigray militias, there is widespread hunger. Many people have been displaced by the fighting,and thus food crops have not been planted. International relief efforts have been hindered by the disorganization of all governmental services and corruption. The hunger situation is also acute in Gezira Province, usually a “breadbasket” area of food crops.
The situation in the Gaza Strip has been front page news since October 8, 2023, when the bombing of the Strip began in the armed conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The delivery of food aid has been a central issue of international concern. However, hunger persists and its consequences deepen. The economic and social infrastructure of the Gaza Strip has been largely destroyed and will take a long time to rebuild even when, and if, a political administration is reestablished. Beth Bechdol, Associate Director of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has said that the speed and degree of the food crisis in the Gaza Strip is unprecedented.
These examples, to which others could be added such as the eastern zones of the Democratic Republic of Congo, are an indication of the need to combine conflict resolution efforts with food support and other forms of relief. As long as violence continues, relief can only be uneven and temporary. Too often, as within the UN system, conflict resolution efforts and food relief are separated and not sufficiently coordinated. A holistic vision is necessary and combined efforts undertaken.
End Human Trafficking, a Modern-day Slave Trade
by Rene Wadlow, President and Representative to the United Nations, Geneva, Association of World Citizens
January 11 was in some countries a “National Day of Awareness on Human Trafficking." While awareness is always a first step, it is action that is needed, as was underlined by the Association of World Citizens in a message to the Chairman of the U.N. Human Rights Council. The recent increase in the scope, intensity and sophistication of trafficking of human beings around the world threatens the safety of citizens everywhere and hinders countries in their social, economic and cultural development.
The smuggling of migrants and the trafficking of human beings for prostitution and slave labor have become two of the fastest growing worldwide problems of recent years. From Himalayan villages to Eastern European cities — especially women and girls — are attracted by the prospects of a well-paid job as a domestic servant, waitress or factory worker. Traffickers recruit victims through fake advertisements, mail-order bride catalogs, casual acquaintances and even family members.
However, trafficking in human beings is not confined to the “sex industry." Children are trafficked to work in sweatshops and men to work in the “three D's jobs” — dirty, difficult, and dangerous. The lack of economic, political and social structures providing women with equal job opportunities has also contributed to the feminization of poverty, which in turn has given rise to the feminization of migration, as women leave their homes to look for viable economic solutions. In addition, political instability, militarism, civil unrest, internal armed conflicts and natural catastrophes increase women's vulnerability and can contribute to the development of trafficking.
Trafficking impacts the lives of millions of people — those trafficked and their family members — especially from poorer countries or the poor sections of countries. Trafficking of persons has become a multibillion dollar business and ranks right after the trade in drugs and guns. Trafficking is often an activity of organized crime. In some cases, it is the same organization which deals in drugs, guns and people. In other cases, there is a “division of labor," but the groups are usually in contact.
Thus, drugs, guns, illegal immigration — these form a nightmare vision of the dark side of globalization with untold human costs. Human trafficking affects women, men and children in their deepest being. It strikes at what is most precious in them: their dignity and their value as individuals. Trafficked persons experience painful and traumatizing situations which can be with them for the rest of their lives. From recruitment to exploitation, they lose their identity and desperately struggle against a situation that reduces them to objects.
The Association of World Citizens stresses that the fight against human trafficking must be waged in a global and multidimensional way by the United Nations, regional intergovernmental organizations, by national governments and by non-governmental organizations so that countries of origin, transit and destination develop cooperative strategies and practical action against trade in human beings. One of the foundations of cooperation is mutual trust. When mutual trust is established, cooperation becomes a natural way to act.
As trafficking in people is more often tolerated by the law enforcement agencies than drugs or guns, there has been a shift of criminal organizations toward trafficking in people. 116 governments have signed a UN-promoted 2000 Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking, Especially Women and Children which entered into force in December, 2003. However, trafficking in persons is often not a priority for national governments. Some countries which are important links in the trade of persons such as India, Pakistan and Japan have not yet signed.
For many governments, trafficking is considered a question of illegal migration, and there is relatively little (in some cases no) consideration of the problems of the individual being trafficked. Human concern for those caught in the web is a prime contribution of non-governmental organizations. Concern for physical and mental health is crucial. There is also an obvious need to deal with the issues which have created these pools of people from which traffickers can draw. The large number of refugees from Iraq — over two million in Jordan and Syria — await better political and economic conditions in Iraq so they can return home.
Thus, one of the aspects of trafficking in which non-governmental organizations can play a crucial role is the psychological healing of the victims. Unfortunately, the victim’s psychological health is often ignored by governments. Victims often suffer a strong psychological shock that disrupts their psychological integrity. The result is a lack of self-esteem after having experienced such traumatizing events. Within the Association of World Citizens, we must not underestimate the difficulties and dangers which exist in the struggle against trafficking in persons nor the hard efforts which are needed for the psychological healing of victims. However, as World Citizens, we have the opportunity of dealing with a crucial world issue.
TAKE ACTION: If you would like the U.N. to address the ending of human trafficking as one of their top priorities, please send a postal letter to the following address:
Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations, 2 United Nations Plaza, New York 10017, USA, or send an e-mail via their contact page at http://www.un.org/en/contactus/