Global dignity

 

 

An Open Letter to the extended Global Dignity family around the world:

Almost since the very founding of the Forum of Young Global Leaders (YGL), the co-founders of Global Dignity - HRH Crown Prince Haakon, Professor Pekka Himanen and American silver rights leader John Hope Bryant – have, in conjunction with YGL, conducted a series of Dignity Day teaching sessions in several dozen countries around the world; from Europe to the Middle East, from North America to Asia, and from Latin America to Africa. Based on feedback, these events not only touched the young people, teachers, school administrators and local leaders we were fortunate enough to interact with, but most powerfully, the leaders who conducted the "course in dignity" teaching sessions themselves.

This said, in the backdrop of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and the first-ever global economic crisis, the world has never before needed the unequaled power of hope and dignity as it does today. Witness the very well-received closing session in Davos, Switzerland, at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, featuring World Economic Forum and YGL founder Professor Klaus Schwab, Archbishop-Emeritus Desmond Tutu, along with the Global Dignity co-founders entitled “Dignity for All.”

In an environment where individuals cannot seem to agree on anything, from religious differences to differences of culture and forms of government, or even forms and definitions of free enterprise, and the definition of capitalism itself, the one thing we can agree on the world over is we all want more dignity.

Think of the power of leaders, and children, the entire world celebrating the healing power of dignity in their lives, and the interconnectedness of global dignity in our world.

Last year on October 20, 2008, with the help and inspiration of the YGL community, Global Dignity held its first ever GLOBAL DIGNITY DAY, with simultaneous Dignity Day sessions in several dozen countries, including South Africa, India, United States, Nigeria, Turkey, Norway, Finland, Jordan, Austria, Japan, Poland, Mozambique, Mexico, England, Canada, Venezuela, China, Belgium, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Singapore (please see www.globaldignity.org/blog for inspiring video documentaries).

Well, today the board of directors of Global Dignity is pleased to announce, in association with the Forum of Young Global Leaders, its second annual GLOBAL DIGNITY DAY 2009, scheduled for Tuesday, October 20, 2009. That’s right, a global day of hope and dignity, the world over – led by the Forum of Young Global Leaders and leaders and change makers like you from all over the world!

Our goal for 2009 is 50 countries on all inhabited continents, and we are going to need your help to get there. If you are able to participate on GLOBAL DIGNITY DAY, you can join this international effort by organizing an event in your country, state, city, community, school! You can make it as big or as small an event as you like. The first step would be to contact a school that may be interested in a visit. Once a school is identified, visit the GLOBAL DIGNITY website for the teaching tools at www.globaldignity.org/view/COURSEINDIGNITY/ , or contact Jennifer Cohen for help at jennifer.cohen@operationhope.org.

With GLOBAL DIGNITY DAY 2009, we seek to frame dignity in a new way to create common ground in a divided time, spur a global conversation and reinsert dignity as the center of attention; and operationalize dignity – get the world to act through dignity-centered leadership, decision-making, and a dignity-centered life.

We hope you can join in this vision. The youth of the world, “our” future young global leaders, need us to be involved.

On behalf of the entire Global Dignity board and the co-founders, thank you in advance. 
 

 

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