CSD-2009

Monica

During my internship at the Bahá'í International Community's United Nations Office I have had the chance to be involved with several social development projects, including working with the NGO Committee on Social Development (CSocD).  One of the bounties of this opportunity is that it has allowed me to gain an insight into the work of the Bahá'í International Community and other NGOs particularly in collaboration with the UN Commission on Social Development. Much of the work of the NGO Committee on Social Development (http://ngosocdev.wordpress.com) involves staying informed with worldwide social development issues and activities, delivering group statements to the UN, and voicing ideas and positions on key social development issues.

More recently the NGO Committee for Social Development with the support of the United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS) undertook a research project in search for examples of Social Integration in Action. The purpose of this survey was to present the UN with a grassroots perspective on social integration and to learn more about building stable and integrated societies worldwide with the following statement from the Committee

Work in progress

The survey findings were collected through qualitative research via an online link

( http://www.un-ngls.org/socialintegration/  ). The results provided examples of Social Integration in Action from 190 countries.  The survey involved questions that presented examples of good practices in terms of each organization's overall mission and goals.

Some very touching examples were given. In communities within regions of South America, South Africa, India and Vietnam, religious groups have instinctively taken the initiative of building more stable conditions for the less fortunate when education and jobs have been scarce. Building local libraries and providing reading and writing classes have helped provide basic yet crucial education that others take for granted in more developed regions of the world.

The Bahá'í International Community along with the other NGOs that are a part of CSocD Committee meets once a month in the Baha'i Offices. During the time I participated in the meeting the Committee chair presented the survey conclusions. It was my responsibility along with my fellow intern, Fei Wang to compile and organize the information into a final document for the Committee to distribute as a complete report. This consisted of organizing survey responses from 190 nations from Asia, Africa, South America, United States, and Middle East, each with their own unique stories obstacles and achievements.

Outcomes of CSocD meeting

During the meeting I attended, some very interesting points concluded the laudable effort of the Committee's year long research. The topics discussed consisted of the barriers to social integration such as unemployment, migrant workers , lack of education, macroeconomic policies and discrimination of gender and race. I found that overall the approach the Committee had taken was consistent with those of Bahá'í  principles. It concluded that the Committee believed that social integration from a grassroots level should effectively engage the communities themselves, placing importance on education, equality of genders, and the elimination of prejudice. I found that many of the viewpoints shared by the Committee reflected those of the Bahá'í  principles which are evident in the Bahá'í Writings: "Among other teachings and principles Baha'u'llah counsels the education of all members of society. No individual should be denied or deprived of intellectual training, although each should receive according to capacity. None must be left in the grades of ignorance, for ignorance is a defect in the human world. All mankind must be given knowledge of science and philosophy...." (Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 108).

Survey Findings

The findings indicated that in order to start building integrated communities one needs to consider close relationships within smaller communities. Therefore the solutions and recommendations derived from the conclusion of the findings were considered to be as the following:

• commitment of education for all should be enlisted from a community level,
• a greater emphasis should be placed on the responsibilities of the governments to take active steps to ensure equal rights,
• Policies should be created to link programs of social integration and human development to create jobs and income,
• Governments need policies and legislation to promote gender equality and must have zero tolerance,
• Governments need to implement just and humane immigration laws,
• Governments need to establish "a global economy" to provide for the well being of all just for the profit of few.

The survey also outlined a number of social integration barriers at the grassroots level. These included: unemployment, being a migrant, gender inequality, lack of education, macroeconomic policies, lack of participatory process, poor governance and weak government and discrimination of gender and race.

A great emphasis was placed on creating one unified global economy that provides for the well being of all. To me this raises a valid point that no longer should our world be seen as segregated countries but rather as a nation as a whole with the need for communities to come together. As Bahá'ís we are encouraged to be involved in building united communities with current systematic activities implemented to provide moral education through children's classes, placing an importance on education and eliminating the differences between genders. These grassroots initiatives seek to create a social environment conducive to building a community at every level of society. 

Personal encounter

The insight I gained through working with the Committee is that it is first up to the individual to commit to making a change.   Every small effort makes a difference, and it is only when each person strives to work from the ground level up that we are then able to shift these gradual cultural changes and work towards a higher degree of integration in our communities.

Following an eventful series of Commissions and UN gatherings, my internship at the BIC is quickly coming to an end. It’s difficult to reflect on my life-changing nine-month internship at the BIC without digressing into the realm of nostalgic.  The sheer volume and diversity of work undertaken by the BIC during the last nine-months makes providing a comprehensive summary of events far too difficult for one post to explore. I think a few personal favorite experiences and highlights would make for better journalistic endeavors and enjoyable internet reading.

CSW 53

I began my internship in October—a hectic time in the office, as staff were saturated in preparations for the UN’s largest Commission—the Commission on the Status of Women (53). As a result of the intensity of the time, my first few weeks on the job consisted of immersing myself in the inner workings of the The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and The Division for the Advancement of Women’s website, while reviewing piles upon piles of background documents and essays, Expert Group Meeting summaries, and previous Commission outcomes and their agreed conclusions.

My internship duties during the first two months could easily be summarized in the following words:

Read. Summarize. Organize. Discuss. Repeat.

Read. Summarize. Organize. Discuss. Repeat.

The expectations were high, the workload immense, the time short and the experience remarkable. All of the hours of intense preparations which included various UN roundtable events, BIC statement writing and editing sessions, online discussions and delegation coordination enabled the BIC to enter the CSW with a well-prepared and extremely qualified group of male and female delegates. In addition to their numerous successful formal presentations, BIC delegates also organized creative events during the CSW such as a photo exhibition and a theatrical performance.

The BIC delegation accounted for about 40 of the nearly 5,000 people who attended this year’s CSW. My favorite part of the CSW was getting to know our delegates. They were incredibly talented, amazing people from a variety of professions and countries. I so deeply enjoyed the quiet conversations we had about their work in the field of gender equality and their personal stories of challenge and triumph. These simple moments in the midst of physical exhaustion kept our spirits and energy levels at their highest and are my fondest memories of the Commission.

BIC Blog

Before starting my internship, I had never blogged before. I had never even thought about blogging. So when I was asked to kick-start the blog postings on the new intern page, I was a little scared and worried about putting my thoughts out into the virtual world. But in reality, blogging for the BIC was quite possibly my favorite part of my internship!

Creating the blog has been an amazing learning experience for the entire office. We worked (are continuing to work) really hard together to create a vision and direction for the site. The feedback has been very positive and the process has been really fun. I particularly loved blogging during the Commission on Sustainable Development. So many interesting and important things happened each day, which made finding topics and inspirations for blog postings very easy. I especially loved blogging about the urban farm tour that we took. The tour was such a powerful experience and I was very excited to share the information that I learned. Being involved in the blog was also a great opportunity for me to periodically escape the technical, jargon-heavy academic world that is the United Nations and to slip into a quieter zone of creative non-friction writing.

In addition to the blog, the BIC created a Facebook group with videos, news articles, interviews and photos from UN events and BIC gatherings. These new outlets help people to understand the work and purpose of the BIC and the opportunities that exist for collaboration and involvement. The BIC Facebook group is growing quickly in popularity, with over 2,000 people joining within the two weeks of its creation. The site may be found by searching for "Baha'i International Community" on Facebook.

Final Tears

Although my internship is ending, the BIC’s work in the area of human rights, social and economic development, environmental protection and the advancement of women continues at full speed. The continuation of the intensity of this work is contingent upon the help of interns and volunteers. Being an intern at the BIC has been such a positive and life-changing experience. I highly recommend that each person interested in becoming an intern contact the BIC. The staff is incredibly kind and supportive and is always seeking energetic, motivated people to assist them in their work.

Honestly, the BIC is the place to be!

Many thanks to everyone who made my internship so wonderful!

Krisy

"All the worlds problems can be solved in a garden," said Geoff Lawton, director of the International Permaculture Research Institute, in his famous Greening the Desert video. While inspiring and invoking a sense of possibility and a more just and equitable future, I felt it was a bit too simplistic. How could the food, environmental and economic crises we face today on a global scale be addressed through such a simple thing as a garden?

The Urban Farm Tour side event of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development 17, took us to some inspiring places in Brooklyn where people are coming together to address the injustices and inequities in their communities through gardening. Our the fist stop on the tour, at the Brooklyn Rescue Mission (BRM), showed me how the simple act of gardening could help bring together a community, empower youth, create livelihood and improve nutrition and food security. Located in a low-income area of inner Brooklyn, the BRM is a small but growing oasis. And while the BRM community garden does not yet produce a lot of food, it none-the-less provides a valuable service to its community by providing fresh vegetables that would be otherwise unavailable.

The last community garden we visited, East New York Farms! does produce a considerable amount of fresh vegetables to be sold at their farmers market, even raising bees for honey and pollination. Yet despite their larger size and output they still cannot meet the demand for fresh food in their community. Both BRM and East New York Farms! support a farmers market in their area, a vital component to improving food security in their communities. The farmers markets are an important link in the rural to urban connection, not only increasing the amount of produce available to the host community but also strengthen the economic viability of rural farmers by enabling them to sell their produce in these otherwise inaccessible neighborhoods.

These farmers are not just food producers, they are cultivators of community. In New York, the once common vegetable garden has been replaced by parking lots and lawns, and while food production was an integral part of a community's social and physical makeup only a generation ago, the skills and practice of gardening and food preparation are disappearing. Community gardens play a vital role in improving food security and nutrition by reincorporating these fundamental skills into the populace. But perhaps more importantly, community gardens provide a space where capacities can be developed, youth can be empowered,  and communities can be cultivated.

In preparation for the CSD, the delegates from the BIC deepened on the subjects of agriculture and rural development in the Baha’i Writings, resulting in some truly inspiring thoughts and realizations. Abdul'l-Baha, the son of the Founder of the Bahai Faith, Baha'u'llah, states in Foundations of World Unity that "agriculture is the fundamental basis of community," yet it is also understood that the role of agriculture and the farmer in community is far greater than the mere production of food, which is in itself of great importance for our health and livelihood. Baha'u'llah says that "the farmer is the first active agent in human society" and is "the primary factor in the body politic." This redefines the farmer as the primary builder of the local economy, encompassing a wide range of tasks including environmental management, economic development, research, technology development and community building. To carry out these tasks effectively, farmers need to possess diverse capabilities, consisting of knowledge and skills coupled with values and attitudes, that enable them to become active agents in the cultivation and development of their communities. Thus the importance of agriculture and farmers should be clearly manifested in our social structures.

Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahai Faith and great-grandson of Baha'u'llah, wrote that, “We cannot segregate the human heart from the environment outside us and say that once one of these is reformed everything will be improved. Man is organic with the world. His inner life moulds the environment and is itself also deeply affected by it. The one acts upon the other and every abiding change in the life of man is the result of these mutual reactions.”

This process of development is therefore both internal and external, individual and societal. Baha'u'llah wrote: "In the rose garden of thy heart, plant naught but the rose of love." So perhaps solving the world's problems does start in a garden, the garden of the human heart.

Jeff

Canadian CSD delegates meet with Mr. Jamshed Merchant, Assistant Deputy Minister, PFRA & Environment Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

During the second week of the CSD, Canadian delegates were invited to meet with Mr. Jamshed Merchant, Assistant Deputy Minister, PFRA (Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration) & Environment Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. During the meeting, Mr. Merchant spoke openly and enthusiastically about the future of agriculture in Canada, answered questions, and sought input from delegates. The meeting was not only informative but thoroughly enjoyable as Mr. Merchant revealed a light-hearted nature and great sense of humor.

Finding affordable fresh and healthy food in New York can be difficult: there is a conspicuous shortage of “traditional” grocery stores. The food retail stores available in my NY neighborhood, for example, include corner store/delis (or “bodegas”), selling mostly over-priced, processed foods; fast food vendors; and one extremely expensive community co-op natural food store.

The food situation I have experienced in New York is not unique to my neighborhood. In fact, according to the NYC Department of City Planning, the city’s supermarket shortage affects 3 million New Yorkers—with those living in low-income neighborhoods most adversely affected [read more]. Of the 11,600 food retailers across New York City’s five boroughs, only 550 supply affordable, healthy food; 10,000 are bodegas; and 800 are pharmacies like Rite Aid and Walgreens.[1] So what does a New Yorker turn to for nutritional sustenance? For some, the answer is urban farming.

On Saturday, May 9^th, a group of CSD delegates ventured to Brooklyn to visit three community urban farming site. First on our agenda was Brooklyn Rescue Mission (BRM), a community-based project located in Bedford-Stuyvesant (Bed-Stuy) that is developing creative solutions around food justice, community health and economic challenges. BRM is a particularly important initiative in Bed-Stuy, where 35% of  residents live in poverty, 20% are unemployed, and “subprime foreclosures have more than doubled since 2005 at a rate more than four times the national average" [read more].

Many people in the community rely on emergency food assistance programs to meet their daily nutritional needs. BRM has been a long-time food pantry provider for community members. In 2005, recognizing the need for an empowering solution to end community hunger, it partnered with other New York City’s environmental and food justice organizations to transform an abandoned lot behind the Mission (which had served as a neighborhood garbage dump) into a space to grow fruits and vegetables for pantry recipients. Since its creation the site has evolved not only into an urban farm that has served several hundred people, but also into a space for community gatherings, community service and youth education.

Located in an area which lacks healthy food options (otherwise known as a "food desert") BRM endeavors to make urban farming a “starting point for a self-reliance movement, empowering neighborhood residents to take ownership of their own food supply, nutrition and neighborhood revitalization”.

 It also seeks to “build community pride, provide healthy provisions to its neediest residents, encourage youth entrepreneurship and develop a communal culture towards land use and community health through an innovative sustainable food system.” Reclaiming food systems is critical in an area like Bed-Stuy, where more than 1 in 4 children in Head Start programs and public elementary schools is obese; more than 4 in 10 children and 1 in 4 adults is overweight or obese; more than 1 in 4 adults is obese; and more than 6 in 10 adults are overweight or obese [read more]

At the farm

Upon arriving at the urban farm, CSD delegates were greeted and welcomed by BRM staff, which included three teenage farm interns who have worked at the farm for several years. The interns provided a brief history of the farm, explained what grows in the farm (e.g. collard greens, cucumbers, lettuce, green and red peppers, tomatoes and cabbage) and the ways in which the farm has impacted their community and their lives. One of the young people explained that the garden provides her with a place of solace and peace amidst a life that is often filled with negative distractions. Another young farmer explained how working at BRM has empowered him to make healthy nutritional decision and share his new-found knowledge with his family, while a third told our group that his farm experience has furthered his interest in biology and deepened his commitment to attend college. All three young farmers agreed that the farm had a positive impact on the community and has provided youth in the neighborhood an outlet for creative and constructive activity. One of the BRM organizers proudly told the CSD delegates “since beginning the farm project, not one of our male youth has been incarcerated and not one of our female youth has gotten pregnant”.

The foods produced from the farm are divided into two parts: food to be distributed to pantry recipients and goods to be sold at the local farmer’s market initiative, run by BRM. The Malcolm X. Blvd. Community Farmer’s Market, a small farm stand operated by the youth farmers, is open on Saturdays. In an attempt to make healthy food available to the neediest in the community, the prices of the food are low and food stamps are accepted. In addition to infusing the community with positive nutritional options, the Malcolm X. Blvd. Community Farmer’s Market also provides the young workers with valuable business skills and experience. The youth take pride in answering customers’ questions about the food that they have grown and have gained confidence from their involvement in this inter-generational community project.

This visit was truly inspiring. It was amazing to see a community that is facing numerous challenges, clearly identify a specific problem and then collectively mobilize to solve this problem, in an inclusive, empowering and effective manner. I really enjoyed speaking with one particular youth farmer and hearing how the garden has transformed her eating habits and her understanding of food systems; provided her with options that were not previously available; and enabled her to develop useful skills and self-confidence. Visiting BRM and the other urban farms on this tour exposed me to the concepts of “food (in)justice”—a pervasive yet hidden issue in so many communities and one that I was completely unaware of. I’m excited to learn more about these topics and to join a community farming initiative in my neighborhood.

[1] UFCW Local 1500’s Building Blocks Project Research from the Dept. of Agriculture and Markets Food Retail list.

Having lived and travelled in numerous countries around the world, Kiara Worth now lives in Durban, South Africa, where she uses theater to share knowledge with and empower local communities to act on the social and environmental issues facing them. After performing her one-woman play, "Theatre of Survival," at a CSD side-event last week, Kiara was invited to deliver a second performance for NGOs. Kiara's compelling play demonstrates how the challenges of climate change can be communicated through theatre. She takes on the character of an older African woman, a mad scientist and a bohemian dramatist who each present different approaches and solutions to climate change in South Africa.

Kiara comments:

"The creative arts, and theatre in particular, have the most extraordinary way of bringing people together despite their differences and discussing things at a deeper level than development communication. We need to focus on issues of spirituality, issues of emotions, and belief systems. We need to look at the person as a complete and holistic individual–not just as a physical creature that is engaged in economics, if we truly want to transform the injustices of the world."

I sat down with Kiara for a short interview in order to gain more insight into her creative and transformative work. The interview and a video of the 12-minute play can be viewed at: [Interview / Performance].

BIC’s ‘Learning Center’ workshop titled “Climate Ethics: Implications for the CSD-17 Thematic Cluster” was featured in the May 8^th issue of CSD’s daily publication, Outreach Issues. Outreach provides a wealth of information and reflection on CSD-related themes and is a must-read for delegates. BIC intern, Jeff Thimm’s article titled "Importance of Climate Ethics Animates Learning Center," appears on page 5 of the issue and discusses the speakers, themes, and interactive component (analyzing country-specific case studies) of the 3-hour event. This is the second year in a row that BIC has sponsored a Learning Center workshop. For video footage of the event,  click here.

The top 4 things I’ve learned from the first 4 days of CSD-17:

1. One-hour deadlines are the norm for drafting, revising and voting on Major Groups’ proposed text. This makes flexibility, effective communication and consultative skills a must!
2. “Sustainable development” is an extremely complex term with definitions and interpretations that vary drastically  depending on cultural, social, economic and other considerations.
3. The opportunities for  involvement at the CSD are endless: there are countless groups to join, text to (collectively) draft, meetings to attend, people to meet, workshops to participate in, important negotiation sessions to go to, documents to read, summaries to write, emails to send, blogs to post…the list goes on and on and on.    
4. The language of  UN documents is precise, meaningful and deliberately chosen. The Chair of the Women Major Group, for example, advised individuals to be wary of language such as “in accordance with national law”; “when appropriate”; “in accordance with traditional and religious beliefs”; and “in accordance with customary law”. These terms, which may appear harmless, can  have huge (and potentially negative) implications—especially for women.  Another  point: UN draft texts often consist of run-on sentences, incorrect English grammar and deliberate over-use of commas in order to avoid periods. English teachers worldwide would cringe! In the UN  world, ideas  introduced after a period are often disregarded by  parties negotiating the text; individuals, then, try to squeeze as much information into one (massive) sentence as possible. Finally, when proposing text to UN members for their consideration, it is important to use strong and firm language. Most often, the proposed language is edited—and weakened—during the negotiations.
    

 In short, being a delegate (especially a youth delegate) at the CSD is amazing!

The Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) officially began on Monday, May 4^th. The first  days of any UN Commission can be quite  overwhelming and intimidating, especially for a first-time delegate. It is expected that new delegates will spend the first few days in a haze as they shuffle back-and-forth from one UN conference room to the next; meet countless new people; attempt to understand copious amount of information and UN jargon; venture to demystify complex UN processes; and balance the endless invitations to  briefings, seminars, workshops, learning centers and other events—all in the midst of trying to contribute something valuable and coherent.

Indeed, the first two days of the CSD have been intense, but they’ve also been completely amazing! On Monday (May 4^th), I joined the CSD Youth Caucus—an international network of over 2,000 youth leaders from hundreds of organizations that seek to inspire young people to build a more sustainable world. The caucus has two major goals: first, to facilitate youth input into the CSD; and, second,  to foster knowledge-sharing and collaboration between diverse networks of youth organizations who are working for sustainability. I’ve  come to the conclusion that the CSD Youth Caucus is also a group of extremely passionate, accomplished, determined and dynamic individuals—the kind of people that you would really want in your study group.

Following the Monday morning briefing, a small group of individuals from the Youth Caucus  (including BIC intern Jeff Thimm) met to collectively write our  opening statement that would communicate our plan for engagement in the Commission. After some brainstorming, fine- tuning and deliberating, the finished statement was delivered by Esther Agbarakwe, a youth delegate from Nigeria. Working on the statement provided me with a wonderful opportunity to understand the Youth Caucus’ goals and to make my first tangible contribution to the CSD process.

Youth Caucus Opening Statement

UN Commission on Sustainable Development 17^th Session

New York, 4^th May 2009

Thank you very much Madame Chair.

“Swords into ploughshares, words into action”. My neighbors in Nigeria and other parts of the world have to use those ploughshares everyday to feed their children. Some are not aware of the UN's discussions, but their futures depend on the decisions made here at the CSD and, more importantly, your commitment to implementing them nationally.

We have a common responsibility to leave a better legacy for our children.

All stakeholders, especially youth, need to be integrally involved in the process of information gathering, decision making, implementation and review. While youth and other major groups are ready in service, only you – the country representatives – can make these decisions happen.

Through collaboration, we can empower local communities to engage successfully in sustainable development initiatives, using innovative solutions to deal with global challenges.

We do care about what you say here, but our lives depend on how you implement these policies at home. So practice what you preach.

The urgency is immense for taking action now.

We can make the difference that is needed to create a more just, equitable and sustainable world.

Thank you.

The UN  Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), established by the UN General Assembly in December 1992 to ensure effective follow-up to the Earth Summit, takes place each year in New York. BIC has participated and contributed to the Commission since its inception. For example, in each of the four preparatory conferences leading up to the Earth Summit, BIC presented statements that addressed issues such as the importance of adopting an Earth Charter, the need for international legislative machinery, and the importance of the recognition of the oneness of humanity in global efforts to solve problems that arise within sustainable development. During the Earth Summit, Baha’i representatives also played a major role in the construction of the conference’s historic “Peace Monument” which included soil from countries across the world. BIC is a long-time member of the NGO-CSD committee and over the past two years, we have significantly expanded our participation at the CSD. In November of 2008, BIC published a statement entitled Seizing the Opportunity: Redefining the Challenge of Climate Change.

The thematic focus of the CSD changes every two years. The major issues to be addressed at this year’s CSD, the 17^th session of the Commission to be held from 4-15 May, 2009, are:

• Africa
• Agriculture
• Drought & Desertification
• Land
• Rural development

The CSD is attended by government officials, non-governmental organizations, and members of civil society. In addition to various panel discussions, high-level roundtables and workshops, the CSD also features innovative activities such as Learning Centres. Learning Centres seek to provide teaching and training at a practical level on topics related to specific CSD themes, as well as selected cross-cutting themes related to sustainable development. BIC, in conjunction with Penn State University, will present this year’s first Learning Centre (May 4^th, 3:00pm-6:00pm in Conference Room C).

This interactive session, titled “Climate Ethics,” will explore ways in which climate change raises intra-and international, intergenerational, and even inter-species ethical issues concerning rights and responsibilities. These issues are especially challenging because: (a) the impacts of climate change are often spatially and temporally distant from causes; (b) those who have contributed least to climate change are often the most severely affected; (c) the adverse impacts of climate change are potentially catastrophic, and, (d) climate change requires nations to move beyond exclusive consideration of national interest to the consideration of the common good.  Moreover, understanding the ethical and moral responsibility to reduce the threat of climate change motivates individuals at the grassroots and government levels to take appropriate action. This Learning Centre is being organized to help participants identify the common but differentiated ethical and moral responsibilities to prevent the adverse impacts of climate change and to promote adaptation with respect to agriculture, rural development, and land productivity in the most vulnerable nations around the world.

My role as a BIC intern in the preparatory process leading to this Learning Centre has revolved around researching and drafting national case studies to foster an examination of the ethical questions raised by each. The case studies I’ve prepared examine rising sea-levels in Fiji; climate change, natural disasters and gender inequality in Bangladesh; and the impacts of climate change on the Inupiat people of Kivalina, Alaska. My fellow intern, Jeff Thimm, has prepared case studies that explore climate change and food (in)security in Niger; deforestation and poverty in Haiti; and the economic collapse and depletion of fisheries in Ice Land.

During my time as an intern, it has become apparent to me that the BIC is a recognized at the UN as a leading NGO on questions related to the ethical dimensions of climate change. The BIC’s Learning Centre is expected to be attended by numerous government officials and NGOs. It will feature Mr. Peter Adriance, NGO Liaison, National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the US); Mr. Donald A. Brown, Associate Professor, Environmental Ethics, Science and Law, Penn State University; and Ms. Marilyn Averill from the Center for Science and Technology Policy research, University of Colorado at Boulder.

I gave a short presentation (April 7^th)about climate change and human rights to the NGO/CSW Taskforce on Women and Climate Change. It was a rather informal gathering of representatives from a variety of NGOs who are working in the field of climate change in various capacities. During the course of my research on the topic of climate change and human rights many interesting facts arouse and I was truly amazed by the clear gendered dimensions of climate change. For instance, I was alarmed to learn that more women than men die during natural disasters because they are not warned, they cannot swim or because they are not allowed to leave the house alone. Following disasters, all too often services and facilities are inadequately equipped to meet the specific needs of women, or are all together unavailable to them. Research shows that heightened levels of physical and sexual violence perpetrated against women occur after natural disasters. Many sources also report that violence and vulnerability to violence is escalating as the affects of climate change force women and girls to take longer and more precarious journeys to collect water and wood.

I really enjoyed researching the topic and presenting my findings to the small group. The vice-president of Solar Cookers International (www.solarcookers.org) was present at the meeting and she is interested in learning more about the Barli Institute (the photo above is from their institute) in India and other Baha’i initiated environmental projects. The Baha’i International Community (BIC) has been actively involved in efforts relating to climate change and sustainable development for many years. In addition to participating in various NGO and UN events and discussions, the BIC recently released a statement on climate change: http://bic.org/statements-and-reports/featured/Climate-Change-paper.pdf

As the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) draws closer and closer, there are many new and interesting assignments for the BIC interns.  In addition to participating in an online discussion, we are also researching case studies of community adaptation with a focus on the ethical and moral dimensions of climate change. Each BIC intern has a slightly different interest within the realm of environmental issues (my specific interests are environmental security, conflict and refugees and women and climate change). Discovering what each intern’s interests are and how their work at the BIC is shaping their understandings of these issues will be the focus of my next blog post.

On the last day of the first week of the Commission, the General Assembly's discussions began in the morning with a focus on the rights of persons with disabilities, and then moved towards a general discussion. Amongst the statements made by various delegations during the general discussions, a comment made by the Deputy Minister of the Russian Federation really stood out. He stated, "The moral health of the community relies on how we treat the most vulnerable." In a conversation that until this point had been predominantly social and political in its focus, the introduction of the moral and ethical dimension of social integration was refreshing and insightful. For a government to be concerned with the moral health of its communities and to share with the international community its approaches in this regard, was exemplary. 

The Permanent Representative of Kyrgyzstan also made an observation that struck a chord with me. He stated, "We see the development process through the prism of human development, that is, development of the individual." This articulation of the relationship between individual development and collective progress resonates with a statement made by the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith: "We cannot segregate the human heart from the environment outside us and say that once one of these is reformed everything will be improved. Man is organic with the world. His inner life moulds the environment and is itself also deeply affected by it. The one acts upon the other and every abiding change in the life of man is the result of these mutual reactions." 

The delegation of Israel made a frank comment on the state of affairs in his state of origin, acknowledging that the labor participation rate of Arabs is much lower than that of the general population, and announced that the government has initiated an affirmative action plan to promote the employment of Arabs. He described that at its core, social integration is about providing opportunities and encouraging people to seize them. He expressed regret that the Commission's statement had not made a more unequivocal statement explaining that true democracy is an inseparable element of social integration, and not merely a goal or complement to social integration. He also identified that gender inequality is one of the most prevalent forms of social exclusion in the world, and recognized that Israel is no exception. He concluded his speech, stating, "Equality of opportunity is a just cause in itself. A dynamic, informed and engaged population, including all social groups, is of benefit to the nation."

The focus of this year's Commission for Social Development is social integration. Social integration is a multifaceted concept and some controversy exists as to whether a more apt appellation would be social inclusion or social cohesion. In a general sense, social integration is about creating societies that are based on principles of justice and equality, and ensuring that human rights of all people are respected. United Nations Secretary-General stated in his report entitled 'Promoting Social Integration' that social integration can also be understood as "the capacity of people to live together with full respect for the dignity of each individual, the common good, pluralism and diversity, non-violence and solidarity, as well as their ability to participate in social, cultural, economic and political life". Thus, the discourse on social integration is naturally one where the Bahá'í International Community— inspired by the Bahá'í  principles of unity in diversity, the nobility of the human being, the inherent oneness of humanity, and the interconnectedness of individuals and their environment— has a lot to say.

To place this year's commission in context, the Commission for Social Development is a functional commission of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations. After the World Summit for Social Development held in Copenhagen in 1995, the mandate of the Commission was reviewed, and since then it has served as the key UN agency responsible for the implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action. The Commission currently consists of 46 member-states elected by ECOSOC, and meets once a year at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. It functions according to two-year action-oriented work cycles, with each policy year being followed by a review year. This year's commission is a review year; therefore, the focus is on the priority theme as well as a reflection on the plans and programmes that have been and will be implemented for specific social groups.

The Commission began with discussion on the priority theme of social integration, and specifically, review of United Nations plans and programmes pertaining to the situation of social groups. The plans and programmes reviewed include World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons; World Programme of Action for Youth; Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, 2002; and family issues, policies and programmes.

The highlight of the day for me was a seminar that was conducted as a Side Event during one of the breaks of the formal session. It was entitled 'Social Inclusion: Contributions from Education and Partnerships' and was facilitated by Dr Dorothy Ettling from Women's Global Connection. The workshop focused on the role of education and grassroots capacity building for social development, drawing on African case studies. It identified the significance of sharing stories, experiences, wisdom and spirituality amongst women as part of the process of building a just and sustainable society for all.

Neika Masroori is a Bahá'í youth from Australia who is representing the Bahá'í International Community as a youth delegate at the United Nations Commission on Social Development in New York at its 47th session. She holds a Masters degree in Education from the University of Sydney, as well as a Bachelor of Education and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland. Miss Masroori is passionate about the role of youth in social development, and has facilitated educational programs for youth in various settings including schools, prisons and community centres throughout Australia, Asia, North America and South America. She has served on the National Youth Committee of the Bahá'ís of Australia, responsible for administering the affairs of over one thousand youth across the nation. Miss Masroori is interested in international discourses on social development and social justice, and in 2008 attended the International Criminal Court's Assembly of States Parties in The Hague where she liaised with international NGOs and member-states, and interviewed the Deputy Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court for a human rights journal.

Miss Masroori will be reporting her experiences of the Commission on Social Development on this blog.