United Nations
Over fifty-five years of service to the global community through our work at the United Nations.
As a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council, the TOU is an active member of the NGO community working on the inside of the United Nations to advance social justice. The TOU actively supports the aims and principles of the United Nations by attending world summit meetings, sponsoring programs for NGOs, and participating on committees and coalitions of NGOs with similar values.
The Temple of Understanding is accredited through ECOSOC with Special Consultative status. We are also accredited by the DPI (now the Department of Global Communications.)
Our current work at the UN is in coalition with a set of partners including:
- Mining Working Group
- Women’s Major Group
- United Nations Environmental Program
- NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief
- Women’s Working Group on Financing For Development
- UN Committee on the Rights of Indigenous People
- Committee of Religious NGOs – Climate Working Group
Updates:
Making Peace with Nature
The Temple of Understanding continues work toward protecting biodiversity with Faiths for Biodiversity, participating in the Biodiversity COP 16 in Cali, Colombia, towards Making Peace with Nature held from 21 October -1 November 2024.
Comments from CBD Executive Secretary Astrid Schomaker to Faiths for Biodiversity
On Wednesday, 23 October 2024, during the first week of COP16, representatives from Faiths for Biodiversity met with CBD Executive Secretary Astrid Schomaker. At that meeting, we presented her a copy of our report, Uniting for Nature: Faiths at the Forefront of...
Summit of the Future 2024
For the upcoming Summit of the Future, international lawyer Vicki- Ann Assevero will be joining Grove Harris in representing the Temple of Understanding. What is the Summit of the Future? The Summit is a high-level event that brings world leaders together to forge a...
Fostering Economic and Collective Resilience in a Fractured Global Financial Landscape: Solutions for a Path Forward
(An official side event leading to the UN Summit of the Future.)
Date: September 21, 11:30 am – 1:00 pm ET
Location: 10th floor conference room, 777 United Nations Plaza AND via Zoom
Towards Ending Poverty and Building Ecojustice for Women and Communities
Friday, Mar 15, 2024, 2:30-4:00 PM ET
Speakers: Dr. Riane Eisler, Theresa Ardler, Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, Dr. Jason Hickel (TBC)
Host: Grove Harris, M.Div.
Topic: New (and old) ways to share care, wealth, and community resilience will be explored in this session, along with the political pathways to make this possible.
Toward Upholding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights, the UN - Geneva convened a two-day gathering to reaffirm these founding principles and call on governments to place them at the center of policy and action. The event had an important level of...