16 January 2020
If you want to get to know better one of the members of the IEF Governing Board, Halldor Thorgeirsson of Iceland, Rainn Wilson has recorded a podcast with him on his Baha'i Blog. You can listen to it at
https://www.bahaiblog.net/2020/01/bahai-blogcast-with-rainn-wilson-episode-41-halldor-thorgeirsson/.
Jamison Ervin
Manager, Global Programme on Nature for Development, UNDP
27 March 2020
The United Nations is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2020 by reflecting on its future, and everyone is invited to contribute. The following is a brief description of many of the ways IEF and IEF members can participate in this process. As you will see, we are already engaged in various ways.
A new platform, Global Social Health www.globalsocialhealth.org, has been launched by the Foundation “Terry Madison for Virtues and Social Health” based in Bulgaria. It shares many of the same values as the International Environment Forum.
Arthur Lyon Dahl
Should we thank God for the Pandemic? It may seem weird to be thankful for a catastrophe. Human suffering is never something to be sought or revelled in. But the pandemic now sweeping the world, with its ultimate outcome still uncertain, may be a blessing in disguise or a cloud with a silver lining. Let me explain.
World Meteorological Organization, 10 March 2020
A wide-ranging UN climate report, released on Tuesday, shows that climate change is having a major effect on all aspects of the environment, as well as on the health and wellbeing of the global population.
Together First is an association of civil society organizations including IEF that is coordinating inputs to the United Nations consultation on UN reform in its 75th year. Many organizations have submitted proposals to Together First for consideration, and the most popular will be incorporated into its submission to the UN. These have now been published on line, and the public is being invited to endorse those that they find most important.
Arthur Lyon Dahl
International Environment Forum
Paper prepared for the ebbf International Conference
Rethinking Success: a Way to Save the Planet and Ourselves
A virtual event, 14-17 May 2020
http://ebbf.org/event/ebbfs-30th-international-annual-learning-event-li…
UN2020 is taking the lead on preparing a Civil Society Declaration and Plan of Action for the UN 75th anniversary. The Declaration is expected to be finalized in April and presented at the UN75 People's Forum taking place on 23-24 April at UN Headquarters in New York City. This is timed to coincide with the Day of Multilateralism (April 23rd) and will feed into the UN Secretary-General’s UN75 interim report to be published in May.
11 February 2020
UN Member States are beginning negotiations on a declaration for the UN’s 75th anniversary. In a food-for-thought paper, the co-facilitators suggest five possible elements of the declaration, to be discussed during informal consultations on 21 February 2020.
