Rio+20

Final Report

At the end of June, thousands of people from the world over gathered together in Rio de Janeiro for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development People representing governments, the private sector, NGOs and local communities met at this historic occasion that marked the 20th anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), in Rio de Janeiro. It was also the 10th anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg.

“Be Bold”: A video from Rio+20

The second video is now available about the spiritual leaders: “Be Bold”, Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW) invited spiritual leaders from all over the world to Rio in June 2012 as part of the Rio + 20 conference on the global environment. “Tapping inner Resources for the Transformation of the Global Economy” was the theme. It contains 3 full speeches by

  • Richard Cizic (Christian from the US),
  • Sraddhalu Ranade, Sri Aurobindo scolar and scientist, India and
  • David Courchene, Ashinabe Nation, Canada. Excerpts from
  • Ven. Mae Chee Sansanee, Thailand and
  • Sister Jayanti, Brahma Kumaris, UK.

Film and editing Hildur Jackson, DK

BK Youth Activities in Rio+20

During the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, the official Rio+20, BK Youth got involved in a few actions as part of the UN Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY). The conference took place at the Rio Centro, in Rio de Janeiro, from June 13th till 22th. Represented by Juan (Montreal, Canada) and Kamila (Belo Horizonte, Brazil), BK Youth also collaborated with the objectives task group, which is a branch of the MGCY.

Rio+20: Report 22nd June

RioCentro
Today is the final day of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, also known as Rio+20, and so it also marks the last day of our reports to you. This was an historical event 20 years after the initial gathering in Rio, 1992. The process has been lengthy, with the governments and major groups doing their best to reach an agreement on bringing the changes required to realise a sustainable planet for future generations.

Report 21st June

RioCentro

The Future Women Want – Leaders Summit for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment for Sustainable Development.

Report 20th June

Today was the start the actual Rio+20 Sustainable Development Conference and most of the Brahma Kumaris delegation were present and participating by going to various events, making interventions and meeting with speakers and other participants. Todays report gives you an idea of some of the themes and topics discussed by high-level delegates, civil society, youth and indigenous people.

Report 19th June

Peoples Summit
Sister Jayanti’s visit to the People’s Summit was a beautifully orchestrated event with many activities. We left our house very early in the morning to visit the BK centre in Larnejerais, one of the 3 centers in Rio. Many BK’s around Rio had gathered to meet Sister Jayanti and parts of the delegation. We left through congested Rio traffic to the Morning Meditation at People Summit.

Report 18th June

RioCentro

  • Side Event: Aligning Awareness and Action for the Future We Want, organized by the Brahma Kumaris.
  • Moderator: Dr Tamasin Ramsay

Joachim Golo Pilz, Director of the Solar Research Institute, World Renewal Spiritual Trust and renewable energy advisor to the Brahma Kumaris presented the main achievements of Brahma Kumaris in providing a solar energy system that has the capacity to prepare 35,000 meals daily.

Report 17th June

Athletes Park (being prepared for the Olympics 2016, now being used for Rio+20. Many large country and business pavilions exhibiting)

Event: “2nd Journey of Environmental Education for Sustainable Societies” held at Government of Rio de Janeiro State Pavillion (the organizer). There were consecutive translators as well as translators for deaf people. The event was webcasted (http://www.un.org/webcast   or http://rio20.ebc.com.br)

MC – Lara Moutinho, secretary of state of the environment of Rio de Janeiro.

Report 16th June

Family Boat Trip in Rio

Brahma Kumaris in Brazil invited the international delegation for a day out in nature and took us on a beautiful boat ride around the Baia da Guanabara. 30 BKs enjoyed the three hour trip around the bay on a specially reserved boat, as well as the opportunity for the international delegation and the Brazilian BKs to enjoy each others company.

Report 15th June

Women’s Side Event

Sister Jayanti and Julia Grindon-Welch attended a side event called Women’s Resistance and Resilience, organized by, among others, the Women in Europe for a Common Future (WECF). This side event showed what great social and economic inequities still remain, twenty years after the first Rio conference.

Report Rio+20 – 14th June

25 years celebration

Sister Jayanti and Ken O’Donnell came back from Belo Horisonte after celebrating 25 years of service there. There was a grand program called “The Future We Want” on the 13 th June, and 900 people attended. The program happened in an elite club, which is known for preparing athletes for the Olympics.

Leading up to Rio+20

The Brahma Kumaris coordinators for Brazil Br. Ken O’donnell and Sis. Luciana Ferraz have build up excellent relations with high level people involved in sustainable development through the yeas since the 80’s and so preparation for Rio + 20 started many years ago and the international team have been focusing specifically on this Rio+20 conference since last year.

Brahma Kumaris Activities at the Youth Blast

From June 7th till 12th, BK attended the Youth Blast, official event of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development Major Group for Children and Youth.
The Youth Blast was divided into a Brazilian meeting (June 7th and 8th) and an international meeting (June 10th till 12th). In total, more than 2.000 youths have attended the event, which took place at SulAmerica Convention Centre, in Rio de Janeiro. Representing the BK, there was Juan (Canadá), Augusto, Cleide, Cristina, Kamila and Vinícius (Brazil).

United Nations Conference on Sustainability

Brahma Kumaris contribution and programme

We suggest that a spiritually aligned life naturally embraces the well-being of the self, one’s family, one’s community and the world.

Universal principles and natural laws such as co-operation, living cycles, cause and effect and nonlinearity apply to the spiritual, energetic world and to the outer, natural world, because they are really one world, appearing to be two.