Sister Germaine Price, representing the Company of the Daughters of Charity at the United Nations, shares the news below from the UN in New York:
Sr. Catherine, Provincial was pleased to nominate a Sister from the Irish Provence to attend the 64th Annual United Nations Department of Public Information Non Governmental / Organisation Conference in Bonn, Germany.
Having been the nominee little was known about the Conference other than it’s title “Sustainable Societies / Responsive Citizens.”
A few days later I was delighted to hear Sr. Eileen Clancy from Mill Hill was also attending the Conference and we were meeting with Sr. Germaine Price DC in Cologne. Sr. Germaine is our NGO Representative in New York.
We were privileged to be welcomed by Sr. Hildegard, Provincial, Sr. Petra and Sisters to the Provincial House in Cologne. They truly made it an experience never to be forgotten. It was definitely the internationality of our Community in action.
The Conference was held in the Maritim Hotel with over 2,600 delegates in attendance. It radiated warmth hospitality and enthusiasm.
This years Conference attracted many NGO’s, all interested in sustainable developments with a lot of attention given to volunteers as it was the 10th Anniversary of Volunteerism.
There were many events held over the 3-days from NGO Workshops, Round Table Discussions as well as many youth events, exhibitions, interactive dialogue and net-working. Representatives from Media and Academia were very much part of this Conference.
It gave participants an opportunity to engage in sharing their experiences and articulate perspectives on how to enhance their activities in the promotion of sustainable societies.
I felt privileged to engage in this conference and have learned so much about connecting the “DOTS” between protecting the planet and giving people a chance of a better life.
Sustainable development is mainly about meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It is a balanced development that lifts people out of poverty.
Volunteering was seen as being a Core Value to organising work for Sustainable Development. All citizens and volunteer organisations were called to Commit , Encourage and Volunteer so that each of us can do our part in building a sustainable future. It is about acting local and thinking global.
It was most interesting to hear the work being done in preparation for Rio + 20 summit by many sectors, both government and a multitude of Civil Society groups to ensure a cohesive and coordinated structure is in place to support Rio + 20 and make sure after the Summit it cannot be business as usual.
For me this was an enriching experience. It has given me a hunger for more, believing that education and keeping up-to-date with world issues each one of us can make a difference and do our part in building a sustainable future.
Tags: Daughters of Charity, NGO, sustainable development
