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Verbania Declaration |
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We the Participants of the IV World Congress, Positive Side Effects – The Best Investment for your Health in Verbania, Italy assembled from all over the world affirm the aims of the Congress by: 1. Recognizing that “each thought, word and deed creates a reaction and a collateral effect” and that everything in the outer and inner universe is interconnected. Side Effects 2. Understanding that everything we do with our body, speech and mind creates a side effect that may be either positive or negative, both in ourselves, in others and in society and the environment. These side effects are part of a chain reaction: a snow flake becomes an avalanche; the simultaneous presence of sun and rain produces a rainbow. Health 3. Recalling the World Health Organizations definition of the world health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity we believe that positive side effects are the best “medicine” that exists; negative side effects are the worst “poisons’ for the body and mind as well as our environment. We recognize the fundamental importance of indigenous knowledge and understanding of traditional medicine as an invaluable asset for humanity, whereby modern science and traditional medicines meet towards the development of a more integrated world medical system. We support the creation of a permanent forum for inter-disciplinary dialogue of all medical traditions. Science 4. Recalling the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization which puts the advancement and sharing of scientific knowledge for the benefit of all peoples. Environment 5. Recalling Agenda 21 adopted at the United Nations Conference on Environment & Development in Rio de Janeiro, on June 14, 1992 which offered a comprehensive plan to be taken globally, nationally and locally by organizations of the United Nations System, Governments, NGOs and individuals to work to reduce human impacts on the environment. We support this agenda’s plan to raise human awareness to the fact that our bodies, minds and spirits depend on the kind of environment we live in: the air we breathe as a source of life energy; the earth we grow our food, and the water to drink; all are essential sources from which we take our energies. We thereby also recognize that our natural and human systems are one, and that separating them in the name of economics and other forms of development and progress, has been the principal cause of much suffering and instability in the world. We hereby support this Agenda. 6. Recalling that the United Nations has proclamed 2006 the International Year of Deserts and Desertification because of the growing threat that desertification represents for all beings as well as to celebrate the unique ecosystem and cultural diversity of deserts worldwide. About 1/5 of the earths surface is desert. Tropical rainforests cover 6 – 7% of the Earth’s land surface. Half of the world’s plant and animal species live in the tropical rainforest of the world. Sadly thirty acres of trees are cut in the tropical rainforest every minute and destroying this sacred home for all the beings that live in it as well as our health and welfare. We hereby support this International Year. Education for Sustainable Development and Peace 7. Recalling Chapter 36 of Agenda 21 which was the main inspiration for the United Nations International Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. This Decade promotes “quality life-long education and learning opportunities for all peoples regardless of their occupation or circumstances.” And that “the realization that it is our most highly educated countries that create some of the greatest threats to a sustainable future for the planet, the reorienting of existing education programs in all nations to address the social, environmental, and economic knowledge, skills, perspectives, and values inherent in sustainability” are needed. We wish to live in a world where quality life-long education and learning opportunities for all exist. We hereby support this International Decade. 8. Recalling the UN International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World (2001 to 2010) we believe that Peace Education helps us to understand how to create positive and beneficial effects as well as positive and beneficial side-effects. In this way we may create a better quality of life both for ourselves as well as for future generations. “Inner peace if the most powerful means to create positive side effects and it is the most solid foundation for world peace” T.Y.S. Lama Gangchen. We hereby support this International Decade. Media 9. Recognizing that media is the gateway to the world and used correctly can create a ripple of positive side effects by promoting not only the news but also positive news that uplifts the spirit and inspires us to “pursue peaceful ends through peace means”. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Economics – Eradicate Poverty by 2015 10. Recalling the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, a galvanized unprecedented effort to meet the needs of the world’s poorest by halving extreme poverty, halting the spread of HIV/AIDS, providing universal primary education and achieving other pertinent goals, all by the target date of 2015. We consider these goals a blueprint to positive side effects as they were agreed upon by all the world’s countries as well as all of the world’s leading development institutions. In order to liberate ourselves of all negative and violent side effects, it is essential that we work united, that we create a world network of positive and peaceful side effects in the fields of health, science, environment, education, media, spirituality and economics. We hereby support the Millennium Development Goals. Spirituality 11. Recalling the United Nations 2nd International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2005 - 2014, we honor the ancient wisdom traditions, cultures and spirituality of the world’s indigenous peoples as well as all peoples which support living in balance with each other and the earth. We hereby support this International Decade. We support the creation of a permanent Spiritual Forum for World Peace at the United Nations (proposed by T.Y.S. Lama Gangchen on the 8th of June 1995 at the Latin American Headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission), on the occasion of it’s 11th anniversary.
And the goals of the IV World Congress in Verbania to create Positive Side Effects as the Best Investment for your Health. As agenda 21 states in its preamble “Humanity stands at a defining moment in history….no nations can achieve (this agenda) on its own: but together we can – in global partnership.” We are fully aware that change will only come from global partnerships which operate with a higher level of consciousness, compassion, determination and spiritual power so that principles and practices of health, science, environment, education, media, spirituality and economics are utilized to their fullest positive potential to create positive side affects for us all. We must create a society that cares about future generations, human beings, sentient beings, and all forms of life on this planet or face dire consequences. We the participants of the Verbania Congress ask our private and public policy makers, spiritual leaders and fellow concerned citizens of the world to assume their responsibilities and to make a commitment for a better future for all beings and sentient beings and together to transform all violent side effects into truly positive side effects.
IV World Congress “Verbania 2006” - 11th of June
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