Organizacje Międzynarodowe VI
Organizacje społeczne i religijne:
INGOs a współczesne ruchy religijne.
Organizacje parareligijne i New Age:
a) Pagan Federation International : http://www.paganfederation.org/ http://www.pl.paganfederation.org/kronika.php
= is a UK-based voluntary organisation, formed in 1971, which campaigns for the religious rights of Neo-pagans and educates both civic bodies and the general public about Paganism. It is active throughout Europe and organises a large number of Pagan events. The organisation produces the magazine, Pagan Dawn which is the Pagan Federation's journal. In 2001, it successfully fought for the reinstatement[citation needed] of its first Youth Manager, Dr Ralph Morse, whose association with the organisation was considered sufficient grounds for his sacking as Head of Drama, Media and Theatre Arts at Shenfield High School in Essex.
The Aims and Objectives of the Pagan Federation as set out in the Constitution are,
To seek to support all Pagans in their personal and public life, to help ensure that they have the same rights as the followers of other beliefs and members of other religions,
To promote a positive profile for Pagans and Paganism and to provide information on Pagan paths and beliefs to the media, official bodies and the greater community, and
To facilitate effective communication, education and dialogue within and between Pagan communities and with non Pagans, through publications and events.
The Pagan Federation is a member of PEBBLE.
The Pagan Federation provides the following Community services for all pagans (not just members). It encourages any volunteer to help with these Services, and Volunteers will be vetted by the relevant government body such as Home Office, before being accepted.
Prison Visits (visiting Pagans who are in prison)
Hospital visits (visiting pagans who are in hospital)
Interfaith (actively working with various faiths)
Education (governent bodies, schools etc.)
Interfaith work and meetings with other local authorities
Response to Appeals such as the 2004 disaster in Boscastle, which affected the Museum of Witchcraft.
Media Liaison on Pagan issues.
General campaigning on issues of interest to Pagans.
As member of PEBBLE which is the "Public Body Liaison Committee for British Paganism", who are helping create government guidelines for recognising paganism.
The PF comprises 13 Districts, covering the countries of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. PF International is loosely considered to be the 14th District, though it operates outside the UK, in Europe, Americas and Australia. Each has its own structure.
b) World Muslim Congress : http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/ http://www.worldmuslimcongress.com/
= (Motamar al-Alam al-Islami) (Arabic: مؤتمر العالم الإسلامي) is an Islamic organization based in Karachi. Its co-founder and Secretary-General for over four decades was Inamullah Khan. It was the recipient of the 1987 Niwano Peace Prize, and Khan was the recipient of the 1988 Templeton Prize.
The Congress was founded at the 1949 World Muslim Conference in Karachi, following the creation of Pakistan in 1947. Mohammad Amin al-Husayni, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, who presided over the Conference, was elected President of the Congress. Its co-founder and Secretary-General for over four decades was Inamullah Khan.
Although formally founded in 1949, the Congress traces its roots to a Congress hosted in Mecca in 1926 hosted by Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia shortly after his occupation of Mecca and Medina; he "hoped [it] would confer Islamic sanction upon his administration of the holy cities, instead [it] leveled many criticisms, and he did not reconvene it." Mohammad Amin al-Husayni had also been a leading figure at this Congress.
According to one scholar, the Congress "has ... played a crucial role in building up the feeling of Muslim victimization that has subsequently fed the global Islamist movement."
c) World Jewish Congress : http://www.worldjewishcongress.org/
= was founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1936 as an international federation of Jewish communities and organizations. According to its mission statement, the World Jewish Congress' main purpose is to act as "the diplomatic arm of the Jewish people." Membership in the WJC is open to all representative Jewish groups or communities, irrespective of the social, political or economic ideology of the community's host country. The World Jewish Congress is supported by those communities and individual members who as concerned Jewish citizens want their voices to be heard on matters of concern to the Jewish people. The World Jewish Congress has special credentials and recognition at the United Nations and within many of its institutions, commissions and sub-bodies. Its headquarters are in New York City, USA, and the organization maintains international offices in Brussels, Belgium; Jerusalem, Israel; Paris, France; Moscow, Russia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Geneva, Switzerland.
Activities:
fight anti-Semitism in all its forms. Laws against anti-Semitism and other forms of racism need to be adopted and enforced properly in every country. All forms and expressions of neo-Nazism, xenophobia and intolerance are unacceptable and have to be condemned, and the full force of the law needs to be applied to those who are a danger to democracy liberty and Jewish communities.
On the Middle East peace process, the WJC favors a two-state solution
The WJC also lobbies international organizations, notably the UN, to ensure that governments “apply the same standards to Israel when judging its actions compared with those of other countries.”
active in inter-religious dialogue and good relations with the Catholic Church, considers dialogue with representatives of moderate Islam
WJC have secured millions of dollars for the victims and survivors of the Holocaust in payments from Germany, Swiss banks, Insurances and other parties totaling $20 billion.
According to the Independent, a series of allegations about the organization's accounting practices and "unusual" money transfers, raised by Isi Liebler, the WJC's senior vice-president, led to a full scale investigation of the finances of the World Jewish Congress.
Although most of WJC's income comes from thousands of small donations, the organization is struggling. Another investigation against the World Jewish Congress is still ongoing, this time by the federal Internal Revenue Service.
d) European Buddhist Union : http://www.e-b-u.org/index.html
„The European Buddhist Union is network of Buddhist Communities and Organizations in Europe. As a union it is broad, impartial and open to Buddhists of all schools and traditions. Its principal aims are "to promote the fellowship of and encourage co-operation between the Buddhists in Europe".”
= is an umbrella organization of Buddhist communities and organizations in Europe founded in 1975. It is open to Buddhist organizations of all schools and traditions.
Encouragement of contact and co-operation between the Buddhists in Europe and the development of friendly relations between Buddhist organizations are its main object. At present there are more than 50 member organisations from 16 European countries exchanging information and experience. The Inter-Buddhist dialogue is one of the priorities of EBU. The BTE (Buddhist Teachers in Europe) is one of the projects initiated by EBU to promote this dialogue between dharma-teachers active in Europe.
At present its executive board consists of Buddhists from France, Italy, Germany and Belgium, belonging to different schools of Theravada and Mahayana. A council of experienced Buddhists support the work of the board. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) attracts delegates from a dozen European countries.
The AGM 2004 was held in Jägerndorf, Germany. The AGM 2005 was held at Szczecin, Poland; the AGM 2006 was held in Barcelona, Spain, the AGM 2007 in Cadzand, The Netherlands, the AGM 2008 in Arco (TN), Italy, the AGM 2009 in Bettisfield, Shropshire, U.K.
e) World Zionist Organization : http://www.wzo.org.il/home/P100.jsp
= was founded as the Zionist Organization (Hebrew: ההסתדרות הציונית), or ZO, in 1897 at the First Zionist Congress, held from August 29 to August 31 in Basel, Switzerland. It changed its name to World Zionist Organization in January 1960.
The ZO served as an umbrella organization for the Zionist movement, whose objective was the creation of a Jewish homeland in The British Mandate of Palestine. Theodor Herzl, who with Max Nordau and Zvi Shimshi, organized the first Congress, later wrote in his diary: "If I were to sum up the Congress in a word - which I shall take care not to publish - it would be this: At Basle I founded the Jewish State. If I said this out loud today I would be greeted by universal laughter. In five years perhaps, and certainly in fifty years, everyone will perceive it."
When the State of Israel was declared 51 years later on May 14, 1948, many of its new administrative institutions were already in place, having evolved during the regular Zionist Congresses of the previous decades. Some of these institutions remain to this day. The WZO's headquarters was permanently moved to Jerusalem, after being located over the years in capitals of Europe, including Berlin and London, and most recently in New York City, in the United States.
„The World Zionist Organization is committed to promoting the Zionist idea and the Zionist enterprise as vital and positive elements of contemporary Jewish life, in accordance with the principles articulated in the Jerusalem Program. This manifesto is dedicated to instilling the centrality of Israel and Jerusalem its capital deep within Jewish consciousness, encouraging the return to Zion, fashioning an exemplary society in the Jewish state, expanding Zionist education including Hebrew language instruction, settling the land, and combating anti-Semitism.
The WZO strives to enhance the impact of Zionist ideology and activity in Jewish communities around the world, including Israel, both by working through the Zionist Federations and their constituent bodies, and by influencing the agenda of the organized Jewish community, particularly through its involvement with the Jewish Agency for Israel.”
Edukacja i zdrowie a instytucjonalizacja ruchów obywatelskich na świecie.
INGOs a społeczna i ekonomiczna sprawiedliwość
Cele i zadania wybranych INGOs:
a) Association for World Education : http://www.awe-international.com/
„Association for World Education (AWE) is an international NGO with consultative status in the United Nations and with more than 20 chapters across the world. AWE is a network of individuals, groups and organizations that work with innovative methods of education, democracy, human rights and cultural exchange across the globe. AWE works primarily in the areas of Education, Democracy and Human Rights.
AWE began in the United States as the Association of World Colleges and Universities - but the idea that the Association should develop into a network for “World Colleges and Universities” was soon abolished and, in 1974, the name was changed to the Association for World Education - AWE. Soon thereafter, individuals became the core of the association which instantly provided an international network of individuals, but at the same time weakened the connection to the existing colleges, institutions and universities. Since then, AWE has worked consistently to include organizational partners and stakeholders into the global network and as a result, AWE has a comprehensive network of members who are individual and organizational partners from across the globe.
In 1976, AWE was present in the United Nations as a non-governmental organization for the first time and in 1978 the AWE obtained consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and UNESCO and has since participated in the work of the UN as an International NGO. This participation has always had a high priority. For 37 years the AWE has published the Journal for World Education.”
b) Lions Club International : http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/lci-foundation/index.php http://www.lions.org.pl/
„= organizacją humanitarną, zrzeszającą 1.338.000 członków w 205 krajach świata, której motto brzmi ”We Serve” (Służymy)... Lioni pomagają najbardziej potrzebującym. Realizują ogólnoświatowe programy zapobiegania patologiom społecznym, walki z chorobami oczu i cukrzycy oraz ochrony środowiska naturalnego. Niosą pomoc poszkodowanym w kataklizmach. Budują i wyposażają szpitale, fundują stypendia dla uzdolnionej młodzieży, dożywiają dzieci i bezdomnych, finansują kosztowne operacje medyczne, fundują sprzęt rehabilitacyjny. Wielu mieszkańcom krajów trzeciego świata zapewniają podstawową i specjalistyczną opiekę medyczną. Organizują imprezy kulturalne, dbają o rozrywki i wypoczynek dla sierot i dzieci z ubogich rodzin.”
Lioni podnoszą jakość życia swoich lokalnych społeczności.
Cele Międzynarodowego Stowarzyszenia Lions Clubs International:
Rozwijanie i umacnianie ducha porozumienia między ludźmi na całym świecie.
Krzewienie zasad dobrego obywatelstwa i sprawiedliwego sprawowania rządów.
Współtworzenie pomyślnego rozwoju społeczności lokalnych w sferze obywatelskiej, kulturalnej, społecznej i moralnej.
Jednoczenie klubów więzami przyjaźni, partnerstwa i wzajemnego zrozumienia.
Tworzenie płaszczyzny dla swobodnej dyskusji nad sprawami publicznymi, jednakże z wykluczeniem stronniczych debat politycznych oraz sekciarskich dysput religijnych.
Zachęcanie ludzi dobrej woli do bezinteresownej działalności społecznej, do sprawnego działania i przestrzegania wysokich standardów etycznych w handlu, przemyśle, wolnych zawodach, działalności publicznej i przedsięwzięciach prywatnych.
Do organizacji Lions Clubs International nie można się zapisać. Trzeba zostać do niej zaproszonym.”
= filantropijna organizacja pozarządowa, skupiająca swych członków na zasadzie wolontariatu. Ponieważ skupia ponad 1,3 miliona ludzi i 45 tys. klubów w ok. 200 krajach na całym świecie prawdopodobnie jest największą tego typu organizacją na świecie. Siedziba międzynarodowa mieści się w Oak Brook w Illinois.
Organizacja założona w Stanach Zjednoczonych w 1917 przez Melvina Jonesa, pierwszy klub poza granicami USA powstał 12 marca 1920 w Kanadzie (Windsor w Ontario).
Na kontynencie europejskim pierwszy klub powstał w Szwecji tuż po II wojnie światowej, a w następnych latach Kluby Lions działały już we wszystkich zachodnich państwach Europy. W Polsce możliwość powstania i działania organizacji pojawiła się dopiero po przemianach 1989 roku. I od razu powstały pierwsze kluby w Poznaniu, Warszawie i Gdańsku.
Dziś, ta największa na świecie pozarządowa organizacja humanitarna, działa w 202 krajach. Ponad 1.309.000 jej członków - Lionów - zrzeszonych w ok. 44,5 tysiącach Klubów Lions, niesie wsparcie najbardziej potrzebującym na wszystkich kontynentach. Wartość tego wsparcia przekracza 500.000.000 USD rocznie.
W Polsce organizacja liczy ok. 1200 członków, działających w 55 Klubach w różnych rejonach kraju.
c) World Peace Prayer : http://www.worldpeace.org/
= is a non-sectarian pacifist organization. Its motto is "May Peace Prevail on Earth".
WPPS was founded in 1955 by Masahisa Goi in Japan. The organization is commonly known through its Peace Pole Project.
In 1990, the Society was accepted as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in affiliation with the United Nations Department of Public Information.
The World Peace Sanctuary is the international home of the World Peace Prayer Society. Nestled in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, the site occupies 154 acres (0.62 km2) located in Wassaic, New York two hours north of New York City.
The Sanctuary serves as home to annual events, including the World Peace Festival, Earth Day Peace Fair, Thanksgiving for the Earth, Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Planet Peace Day for school children.
„The Universal Message and Prayer for world peace, May Peace Prevail On Earth, was authored in 1955 by the late Masahisa Goi of Japan. In a moment of great inspiration and deep prayer, Mr. Goi awakened to the need to spread this Message and Prayer in the hearts of the global community for the attainment of inner and outer peace.
The first seeds were planted in Ishikawa, Japan where a small gathering of peace workers gathered around Mr. Goi to listen to his philosophy and visions for a better world. Mr. Goi came to be respected as a great master in his field throughout Japan and his ideals for peace on earth gained much support.”
d) Salvation Army : http://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/www_sa.nsf http://www.armiazbawienia.org/
= is an evangelical Christian church known for charitable work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries.
It was founded in 1865 in the United Kingdom by William and Catherine Booth as the East London Christian Mission with a quasi-military structure.
„The Salvation Army is an integral part of the Christian Church, although distinctive in government and practice. The Army's doctrine follows the mainstream of Christian belief and its articles of faith emphasise God's saving purposes. Its objects are `the advancement of the Christian religion… of education, the relief of poverty, and other charitable objects beneficial to society or the community of mankind as a whole.'*
The movement, founded in 1865 by William Booth, has spread from London, England, to many parts of the world.
e) World Alliance of Young Men's Christian Associations : http://www.ymca.int/
The World Alliance of YMCAs was founded in 1855 at its first World Conference, held in Paris. At that time, conference participants developed the YMCA's first mission statement, the Paris Basis.
Since then, the YMCA's mission statement has been interpreted to reflect contemporary realities, first in 1973 with the Kampala Principles, and most recently in 1998 with Challenge 21.
Challenge 21, adopted at the 14th World Council of YMCAs, Frechen, Germany, 1998 states that:
“Affirming the Paris Basis adopted in 1855 as the ongoing foundation statement of the mission of the YMCA, at the threshold of the third millennium we declare that the YMCA is a world-wide Christian, ecumenical, voluntary movement for women and men with special emphasis on and the genuine involvement of young people and that it seeks to share the Christian ideal of building a human community of justice with love, peace and reconciliation for the fullness of life for all creation.
Each member YMCA is therefore called to focus on certain challenges which will be prioritized according to its own context. These challenges, which are an evolution of the Kampala Principles, are:
• Sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and striving for spiritual, intellectual and physical well-being of individuals and wholeness of communities.
• Empowering all, especially young people and women to take increased responsibilities and assume leadership at all levels and working towards an equitable society.
• Advocating for and promoting the rights of women and upholding the rights of children.
• Fostering dialogue and partnership between people of different faiths and ideologies and recognizing the cultural identities of people and promoting cultural renewal.
• Committing to work in solidarity with the poor, dispossessed, uprooted people and oppressed racial, religious and ethnic minorities.
• Seeking to be mediators and reconcilers in situations of conflict and working for meaningful participation and advancement of people for their own self-determination.
• Defending God's creation against all that would destroy it and preserving and protecting the earth's resources for coming generations. To face these challenges, the YMCA will develop patterns of co-operation at all levels that enable self-sustenance and self-determination.”
Local and National YMCA Associations are strongly rooted in their communities. Depending on the local context and priority issues affecting young people, YMCAs operate in a wide range of programme areas including education, vocational training, health, gender equality, migration and peace building.
The World Alliance of YMCAs, based in Geneva, Switzerland, is a confederation of National Councils of YMCAs around the world. Its work in the areas of advocacy, youth leadership development, capacity building, and emergency response, supports YMCAs around the world to serve young people and their communities