Organization (supposed to be) working for global community (WMM – 3).

In the last two articles we saw appeal of some world thinkers to initiate the revolution of consciousness and some of the painful concerns of humanity. Here we shall try to review partly the efforts initiated already by some organizations in the desired direction. We start with U.N.O. which is considered as an apex body caring for world community.

A)  U.N.O. (United Nations’ Organization) Ref WIKI. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations)

The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated aims include promoting and facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, civil rights, civil liberties, political freedoms, democracy, and the achievement of lasting world peace. The UN was founded in 1945 after World War II, to stop wars between countries, and to provide a platform for dialogue. At its founding, the UN had 51 member states; there are now 193. From its offices around the world, the UN and its specialized agencies decide on substantive and administrative issues in regular meetings held throughout the year. The organization has six principal organs: the General Assembly (the main deliberative assembly); the Security Council (for deciding certain resolutions for peace and security); the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) (for assisting in promoting international economic and social cooperation and development); the Secretariat (for providing studies, information, and facilities needed by the UN); the International Court of Justice (the primary judicial organ); and the United Nations Trusteeship Council (which is currently inactive). Other prominent UN System agencies include the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Food Program (WFP) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Background and creation

After World War II and the development of the atomic bomb, there was widespread agreement that humankind could not afford a third world war. Therefore, the United Nations was established to replace the flawed League of Nations in 1945 in order to maintain international peace and promote cooperation in solving international economic, social, and humanitarian problems.

What were or are the aims and objectives of U.N.O. (United Nations’ Organization)?

 (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090716101244AAhaYDB)

1.to promote world peace 
2.to protect human rights 
3.to help developing countries by funding 
4.to promote better relations between countries 
5.to promote social, economic and cultural development 
6.to facilitate international law
7. to facilitate international security 

Functions of the United Nations 

1. Arms Control and Disarmament 
2. Peace Keeping 
3. Humanitarian Assistance: In conjunction with other organizations, such as the Red Cross, the UN provides humanitarian services to disaster areas. These agencies include: World Food Program and the High Commissioner for Refugees. 

4. Human Rights: The Pursuit of human rights was one of the main reasons for setting up the United Nations, following the genocide of the Second World War. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, though not legally binding, was adopted by the General Assembly in 1948 as a common standard of achievement for all. 
5. International Court of Justice includes war crimes tribunal.
6. UN Security Council: Discusses global problems and can offer resolutions to try and deal with them.

B) World Health Organization (W. H. O.)

WHO goal: To improve equity in health, reduce health risks, promote healthy lifestyles and settings, and respond to the underlying determinants of health.

WHO objectives : To develop and implement multi sectoral public policies for health, integrated gender- and age-sensitive approaches that facilitate community empowerment together with action for health promotion, self-care and health protection throughout the life course in cooperation with the relevant national and international partners

WHO definition of Health:  Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The correct bibliographic citation for the definition is: Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization as adopted by the International Health Conference, New York, 19-22 June, 1946; signed on 22 July 1946 by the representatives of 61 States and entered into force on 7 April 1948. The Definition has not been amended since 1948.

C)  Center for Investigating Healthy Minds (http://www.investigatinghealthyminds.org/cihmFindings.html)

Led by world-renowned neuroscientist Dr. Richard J. Davidson, the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the Waisman Center, UW-Madison, conducts rigorous scientific research on healthy qualities of mind such as kindness, compassion, altruism, forgiveness, mindfulness and well-being.

Change your Mind. Change the World.

The work of the Center is rooted in the breakthrough insights of neuroplasticity - the discovery that our brains change throughout our lives in response to experience, suggesting that positive changes can be nurtured through mental training.

Key Findings:  The site elaborately provides various research projects, articles published and the findings which indicate that proper nurture, training to mind by systematic measures the desired developments can be brought about in the brain and subsequently the personality. This research and development has tremendous potential for use in the schools and homes for enhancing the effectiveness of the parents’ and teachers’ skills to accelerate the learning process of the children and also in the stress management of adults.

Future role of MIND training vision by year 2050:

Dr. Richard Davidson is a leading scientist in the field of brain plasticity and has demonstrated that by intervention of proper nurturing strategies at home, school and other effective media in the child environment and by imparting the training of contemporary practices; the skills of emotional intelligence can be effectively imparted. He is one of the leading scientists working for this cause on the platform of Mind and Life Institute. In one of his presentations (Google lecture 2009) the future role of MIND training is elaborated in his vision as follows: - by year 2050

- Mental exercise will be accepted and practiced in the same way as physical exercise.

- We will have science of virtual qualities.

- We will incorporate mind back into medicine and better understand how brain can modulate   peripheral biology, biology in the way; that affects health.

We will develop secular approach for method and practice for contemplative traditions to:

1. Teach teachers and children ways to better regulate emotions and attention and cultivate qualities like kindness and compassion.

2. Transform corrections so that forgiveness can be cultivated in victims and emotion regulation and stress reduction in offenders.

3. Increase awareness of our interdependence upon others and upon the planet and be more responsible care takers of our precious environment.

4. Promote their wider spread adaptation into the major institutes of our culture. This will help to restore civility, humility, gratitude and other virtues in our culture.

The book “Train your Mind change your Brain” (Sharon Begley) is a detailed account of many aspects in this area. The maternal state of mind during prenatal stages plays a pivotal role whereas paternal care, too, matters. The spirit of three years, lives with us until 100 years, they say. Hence, prenatal and early childhood years can really shape our mind.

D)  Research on the Maharishi Effect (http://www.mum.edu/m_effect/)

“I think the claim can be plausibly made that the potential impact of this research exceeds that of any other ongoing social or psychological research program. It has survived a broader array of statistical tests than most research in the field of conflict resolution. This work and the theory that informs it deserve the most serious consideration by academics and policy makers alike.” — David Edwards Ph.D., Professor of Government, University of Texas at Austin

In 1960, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi predicted that one percent of a population practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique would produce measurable improvements in the quality of life for the whole population. This phenomenon was first noticed in 1974 and reported in a paper published in 1976. Here, the finding was that when 1% of a community practiced the Transcendental Meditation (TM) program, the crime rate was reduced by 16% on average. At this time, the phenomenon was named the Maharishi Effect. The meaning of this term was later extended to cover the influence generated by the group practice of the TM-Sidhi program. Generally, the Maharishi Effect may be defined as the influence of coherence and positivity in the social and natural environment generated by the practice of the TM and TM-Siddhi programs. Maharishi introduced the TM-Siddhi program, including Yogic Flying, in 1976. Group practice of this program was observed to be particularly beneficial. On the basis of analogies to physical systems, scientists estimated that the coherence generated by group practice of the TM-Siddhi program should be proportional to the square of the number of participants. Taking into account the “1%” finding, it was predicted that a group with size equal to the square root of 1% of a population would have a measurable influence on the quality of life of that population. For example, a group of 200 practicing the TM-Siddhi program together in a city of four million (100 x 200 x 200) would be sufficient to produce a measurable influence on the whole city; a group of 1,600 in the U.S. would influence 256 million (100 x 1600 x 1600) people, the whole population of the U.S.; and a group of 7,000 would influence 4.9 billion (100 x 7000 x 7000) people, the population of the world at that time. The TM-Siddhi program was practiced in large groups on numerous occasions in the following decade, and the first statistical analysis of the effects was published in 1987. These showed a decrease of about 11% in violent crimes in Washington, D.C., in total crimes in Metro Manila, and in total crimes in the Union Territory of Delhi. Subsequent research has confirmed the existence and the universality of the Maharishi Effect. It has become possible to lodge a prediction in advance with the police and the mayor of a city and then create the effect. This was put to the test under the careful scrutiny of a distinguished review board in 1993 in Washington, D.C. The maximum decrease in violent crimes was 23.3%. The statistical probability that this result could reflect chance variation in crime levels was less than 2 in 1 billion. Not surprisingly, since the theory and the phenomenon are so new to modern science, the methodology of a study is subjected to rigorous analysis by the journal review boards before a paper on the Maharishi Effect is accepted for publication. As a result, the research is really a gem of social science, not only on account of its significance, but also for the quality of its methodology. E)  HAY HOUSE FOUNDATION This is another organization is spreading the welfare movements for humanity world over.  Hay House world summit audio lecture for free listening for registered participants  (lectures from about 35 experts - October 12 to18' - 2013)    The inaugural 2013 airing attracted nearly 1 million listeners around the world in over 200 countries and territories.  Based on listeners’ remarkable positive feedback the Hay House World Summit is slated to become an annual free online event. The 2014 Hay House World Summit premieres May 31 – June 9 offering free access to enriching and life-changing conversations with your favorite teachers on website. This extraordinary event brings together world-renowned experts and tomorrow’s rising stars, for exclusive conversations on a wide range of topics–providing insight and practical advice–sure to appeal to all listeners. F)  MIND AND LIFE INSTITUTE ((www.mindandlife.org). Mind and Life was co-founded in 1987 by the His Holiness the Dalai Lama, neuroscientist Francisco Varela and entrepreneur Adam Engle for the purpose of creating rigorous dialogue and research collaboration between modern sciences and the world’s living contemplative traditions. The organization believes that integrated, multi-disciplinary research collaboration is the most effective approach to investigating the human mind, developing a more complete understanding of the nature of reality, alleviating suffering and promoting well-being on the planet.  Over the past 25 years, Mind and Life has become a world leader in cultivating this integrated investigation and in developing research fields that explore the effects of contemplative-based practices on the brain, human biology and behavior. The Mission of Mind and Life is to: •  Develop the strategy and conceptual framework for a rigorous, integrated, multi-disciplinary investigation of the mind that combines first-person and second- person direct human experience with a modern scientific third-person inquiry •  Develop a global community of scientists and scholars to conduct this investigation, and global communities of financial partners to provide the material resources to support this research •  Delineate specific research projects that are strategically designed to advance these emerging fields of research •  Communicate research findings to provide a scientific basis for developing and refining practices and programs designed to improve lives and societies; practices that cultivate the human qualities of attention, emotional balance, kindness, compassion, confidence and happiness G)  John Templeton foundation (http://www.templeton.org/who-we-are/about-the-foundation/mission) Mission: The John Templeton Foundation serves as a philanthropic catalyst for discoveries relating to the Big Questions of human purpose and ultimate reality. They support research on subjects ranging from complexity, evolution, and infinity to creativity, forgiveness, love, and free will. It encourages civil, informed dialogue among scientists, philosophers, and theologians and between such experts and the public at large, for the purposes of definitional clarity and new insights. The vision is derived from the late Sir John Templeton's optimism about the possibility of acquiring “new spiritual information” and from his commitment to rigorous scientific research and related scholarship. The Foundation's motto, "How little we know, how eager to learn," exemplifies support for open-minded inquiry and they hope for advancing human progress through breakthrough discoveries. Founder: Sir John Templeton Established in: 1987 Size of endowment: $2.5 billion (2012) Location: West Conshohocken, a suburb of Philadelphia, PA First year Templeton Prize was given: 1973 Templeton Prize value: £1,100,000 sterling (approximately $1.7 million) Number of living Templeton Prize Laureates: 18 Total grant payout and charitable activities: $715 million (1987-2011) Total grant payments: $71 million (2011) Number of grant requests: 345 (2012) Number of grants approved: 178 (2012) Average grant size: $970,446 (2012), with 38% under $250,000 Geographical range of grants: International Year Templeton Press was established: 1997 Number of books published by the Templeton Press: 203 (to date) H) Many countless others:  As an illustration, some of the organizations in the mission of humanity are mentioned. But they are just very few. In each small part of the world where human stay countless missions are in progress. Many known-unknown organizations, groups, associations, clubs, temples, churches, ashrams and even solitary individuals are engaged in such a mission. The fabric of benevolence in the world is still not weathered away only due to the known-unknown contribution of such efforts. Since the objective of all such efforts is conceptually same the association under one umbrella is a good idea. This is probably contemplated as we saw in the earlier blog. But howsoever ideal it may be it is very difficult to come to reality. All these organizations are managed by some people, some systems, some agenda. Howsoever noble they may be if one goes deep below the psyche of such organizations, they often have their sense of superiority or ego about their own mission. For this purpose they would like to retain their own identity which is in a way natural and should be acceptable. We have seen that world scale organizations such as U.N.O. or its part W.H.O. which have been established by the world leaders for the purpose of world community are in existence for last several decades but still the need of ‘Revolution of Consciousness’ is felt on and often. Can such a revolution take place? Before answering the question all the concerned need to agree upon the definition of consciousness. What are the properties of it, what are its good and bad parts so as to effectively bring about the ‘revolution’ in the desired direction. How can pooling the contribution of all the existing resources in an ‘acceptable to all’ manner be possible? When it comes to human welfare agenda, the aspects of morality and ethics (at individual and also at the organizational level) often assume the forefront. As we have seen in the earlier posts, the basic concepts such as ‘knowledge’, ‘desire’, ‘free will’ etc. are not clearly defined in the academics and related fields. Let us see the status of ‘morality’ and ‘ethics’ later. Vijay R. Joshi