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We, The World Remembers Dr. Jane Goodall – Messenger of Peace, Champion of People, Animals and the Planet – Longtime Friend, Supporter of We, The World and Launch Partner of 11 Days of Global Unity – Extended Interview – #Urgency4Action

Austin Tang — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 15:21:20 +0000

NEW YORK, NY – October 3, 2025

We, The World at WE.net, a global coalition-building organization promoting changemakers working for peace, justice, sustainability and transformation, remembers Dr. Jane Goodall – a UN Messenger of Peace, and a Champion of People, Animals and the Planet. She was a longtime Friend and Supporter of We, The World. And Dr. Jane Goodall was a Launch Partner and Participant in We, The World’s signature event: The Annual 11 Days of Global Unity Summit – September 11th – 21st – A Worldwide Convergence of Movement Leaders Raising Consciousness & Calling for Action – #Urgency4Action.

Every year We, The World collaborates with Roots & Shoots – Dr. Jane Goodall’s Youth Organization, active in over 70 countries. Roots & Shoots was a major Partner in the launch of We, The World’s Youth Program An Urgent Message From Your Children.

We, The World is part of an extensive alliance known as Unite 4 Peace, many of whose members, and their Partners have collaborated with Dr. Jane Goodall. These groups regularly produce major newsworthy programs – especially during September and October, generally in celebration of the UN International Day of Peace September 21st. Many of them participate in 11 Days of Global Unity and Peace Week and ALL are actively collaborating with Unity Earth at Unity.Earth and We, The World at WE.net. Many groups and events of the Unite 4 Peace Alliance can be found here: The Evolutionary Leaders Synergy Circle Current Programs. Though not often covered in the Press, this movement actually has millions of followers working to achieve Peace and Unity!

More than a conference, We, The World’s Annual 11 Days of Global Unity Summit is an international Movement of Movements, featuring Visionary Leaders, Movement Activists, Profound Dialogues, and Bold Calls To Action! Thematic Programs are based on the 11 Campaigns For Change: Unity, Interdependence, Environment, Economic Justice, Health, Children & Youth, Women, Human Rights, Freedom, Disarmament and Peace.

In 2024, Dr. Jane Goodall publicly congratulated We, The World on the 20^th Anniversary of 11 Days of Global Unity, which she helped to launch. At 11DaysOfGlobalUnity.org you can see an extended interview with Dr. Jane Goodall and We, The World Founder Rick Ulfik in which she even talks about Interspecies Communication!

This year, Founder Rick Ulfik said, “For 11 transformative days, distinguished thought leaders such as Audrey Kitagawa and Anna Ikeda, Kurt Johnson and Roger Briggs, Monica Willard and Fumi Johns Stewart, Gary Malkin and Tezikiah Gabriel offered solutions and worked to accelerate action for people and the planet around the 11 Campaigns, which together represent a Blueprint For Global Transformation.” To watch the 11 Days Summit Broadcasts, including the Featured interview with Dr. Jane Goodall go to https://11daysofglobalunity.org

This year’s 11 Days of Global Unity Highlights include:

Freedom Panelists, including Kurt Johnson and Roger Briggs who convened an Alliance of 125 Conscious Media Organizations, examine How Media Influences Democracy & Freedom at a time when many are frightened by the erosion of Rights, Law, Democracy & Freedom in the USA.
Peace Panelists including the renowned Audrey Kitagawa (The International Academy for Multicultural Cooperation) and Anna Ikeda (Campaigner for ICAN which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize) as well as Ira Helfand (a two-time Nobel Peace Prize Laureate) – all working to abolish Nuclear Weapons.
Global Music and Arts for Unity, Environment and Peace, feature Emmy Award-winning composer Gary Malkin, Tezikiah Gabriel (Pathways To Peace), Lanny Smith (Earthman) Environmental Concert, Heidi Little (Recording Artist) and other special performances for Peace.
Special Disarmament Commemorations, including “The 7 Sisters” – an extraordinary gathering of women leaders including Fumi Johns Stewart, Tezikiah Gabriel, Nina Meyerhoff, Jennifer Kim, Monica Willard, Dot Maver, Rev. Becky Suzik marking the 80th Anniversary of the Hiroshima & Nagasaki Atomic Bombings, and Voices for a Nuclear Weapons Free World on the UN International Day of Peace (September 21^st).
One of our courageous Children & Youth Panelists organized over 200 concealed schools for girls and women hidden from the Taliban, which bans education of girls and women. The Taliban recently suspended the Internet in ALL of Afghanistan in response to such attempts of women and girls to get education.

To Subscribe, and Watch for FREE, any of these exceptional 11 Days of Global Unity Summit 2025 Broadcasts, go to https://11daysofglobalunity.org

A Movement With a Legacy

11 Days of Global Unity was originally created to symbolically mark the Journey from Fear to Hope starting with commemorating the September 11th terrorist attacks and culminating with the September 21st celebrations for the UN International Day of Peace.

Since We, The World and our Global Partners, including Dr. Jane Goodall, launched 11 Days of Global Unity in 2004, it has become an inspiring international movement with over 600 organizations that have participated in the 11 Campaigns For Change. For over 20 years 11 Days has mobilized movements, and informed people worldwide, featuring global icons such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Dr. Jane Goodall, Deepak Chopra, Vandana Shiva, Ralph Nader, Marianne Williamson, Bill McKibben, Eve Ensler (“V”), Arun Gandhi, Riane Eisler, Jonathan Granoff, Amy Goodman and Daniel Ellsberg.

Before we close, we want to acknowledge our major global Partners – many of which annually participate in 11 Days of Global Unity and ALL of which are actively collaborating with We, The World at WE.net:

The Jane Goodall Institute, Roots & Shoots, The UN International Day of Peace NGO Committee, Peace Day Philly, Living Earth Community Network, The International Academy for Multicultural Cooperation, The Source of Synergy Foundation, The Evolutionary Leaders Synergy Circles, The Global Women’s Village, Peace Begins At Home Summit With Riane Eisler, The Global Security Institute, Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament, The Holomovement, Humanity’s Team, Humanity Rising, The Unite 4 Peace Coalition which includes Unity Earth, Peace Week and 99 Days of Peace Through Unity, The SINE Network, OneWorld, and the Compassion Games, One World Rising Global Powwow, Pathways To Peace, We Rise As One!, The Global Wisdom Foundation, The Hague Center for Global Governance, Innovation & Emergence, Hubcast Media, Unify, The Awakening World and We, The World,

Also May Peace Prevail On Earth International, Children of the Earth, The Peace School, Global Silent Minute, United Religions Initiative, WholeWorld View, The Foundation For Ethics & Meaning, The Conscious Media Alliance, The Deep and Rapid Transformation Convergence, The Unitive Cluster at the UN, GoodNews Broadcast – Pause The World For Peace in Times Square, and Pace e Bene Nonviolence Campaign.

What a remarkable movement representing literally millions of people working to achieve Global Unity!

Collaboration is Key!

We, The World and the WE Campaign at https://WE.net
11 Days of Global Unity 21st Anniversary! https://11daysofglobalunity.org
TRENDS in Global Grassroots Organizing Magazine https://Trends.WE.net/ezine
MLK – Manifesting The Dream https://WE.net/MLK
Subscribe to receive our Global Action Newsletter https://WE.net/subscribe
Be a Partner! https://WE.net/partner Be a Volunteer! https://WE.net/volunteer
Support the Work of We, The World! https://WE.net/donate

The post We, The World Remembers Dr. Jane Goodall – Messenger of Peace, Champion of People, Animals and the Planet – Longtime Friend, Supporter of We, The World and Launch Partner of 11 Days of Global Unity – Extended Interview – #Urgency4Action appeared first on Good News!.

Where Did the Peace Sign Come From?

Austin Tang — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 20:57:41 +0000

Occasionally, maligned as an anti-Christian symbol (an upside-down broken “Nero-cross”), a satanic character, or even a Nazi emblem, the iconic peace sign is apparently not so innocent to everyone. Thankfully, the symbol has a clear history, and its origin is not so controversial. The modern peace sign was designed by Gerald Holtom for the British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in 1958. The vertical line in the center represents the flag semaphore signal for the letter D, and the downward lines on either side represent the semaphore signal for the letter N. “N” and “D”, for nuclear disarmament, enclosed in a circle. Holtom also described the symbol as representing despair, with the central lines forming a human with its hands questioning at its sides against the backdrop of a white Earth. It is said that Holtom originally considered using a Christian cross but disliked its association with the Crusades and ultimately chose something he considered to be more universal.

The post Where Did the Peace Sign Come From? appeared first on Good News!.

United Nations Highlights Nuclear Disarmament

Austin Tang — Sat, 10 Oct 2020 19:26:16 +0000

WORKING TO ACHIEVE A PEACEFUL SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FREE FROM THE THREAT OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS

Source: SIPRI.org

Dear Friends,

The world spends $1.9 Trillion in arms annually, supporting a military approach to national security that does nothing to advance the security of human beings from global emergencies such as COVID-19 and climate change. The trillions of dollars anticipated to be spent over the next decade to modernize or expand the nuclear arsenals of the nine nations with nuclear weapons will do nothing to enhance human security. If anything it will send us backward.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower stated the reality very clearly:

“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children.”

While million of people have fallen victim to the COVID-19 virus, while death tolls are continuing to plague us, reductions of expenditures on weaponry have not even been debated in the corridors of power. This is outrageous. To his credit, Senator Ed Markey in the US, a Co President of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament, has proposed legislation to address this distortion, but it has not developed required traction nor even reasonable public debate.

We cannot ignore the demand put upon us by the pandemic, the challenge of climate change, and the need to fulfill a comprehensive development agenda that brings gender equity, environmental responsibility and real security. Less than 1% of global GDP is all that is needed to fund the Paris Climate agreement and around 5% of GDP would be needed to fund the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The five nations with the largest defense budgets: US, China, India, Russia, and Saudi Arabia accounted for 62% of 2019 military expenditures. Russian, Indian and US rates of Covid infections are some of the highest in the world.

The US has the most bloated military profligacy at over $740 billion per year or around 3.4% of GDP for 2021. This budget includes tens of billions for modernization and expanded use of nuclear weapons which boggles the mind in the face of needed resources to address soaring rates of unemployment, dramatically increased health care demands, and crumbling infrastructure. The ugly irony of this budget is the glaring reality that the more the weapons are perfected the less security is obtained.

We highlight the specific insane expenditures on nuclear weaponry and urge your attention to Move the Nuclear Weapons Money campaign. I think that these expenditures are shameful. As General Omar Bradley stated,

“We live in an age of nuclear giants and ethical infants, in a world that has achieved brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience. We have solved the mystery of the atom and forgotten the lessons of the Sermon on the Mount. We know more about war than we know about peace, more about dying than we know about living.”

I am pleased to share that there is global leadership worthy of our attention — statements at the UN recently and particularly those of Secretary General Guterres where he commented on the staggering costs of nuclear weapons, emphasized the need for progress on fulfilling disarmament obligations, called for reaffirmation of the truism that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought, and placed the need to redirect the focus of the pursuit of security on human security. We urge your attention to the linked presentations of the Secretary General as well as other important presentations recently made at the UN.

Warmly,

Jonathan Granoff
President, Global Security Institute
Senior Advisor and Special Representative to the UN for the Permanent Secretariat of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates

Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Participates in UN High Level Meeting on the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons

On October 2, 2020, 77 Heads of State and Ministers addressed the United Nations High Level Meeting on the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, hosted by the President of the UN General Assembly.

This year’s level of participation indicates widespread global concern, especially among non-nuclear governments, about the threat from nuclear weapons.

Co-President of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament, a program of GSI, and former President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Saber Chowdhury MP (Bangladesh) was one of only two representatives from global civil society invited to address the meeting. Mr Chowdhury, along with Ms Vanda Proskova (Czech Republic) the other civil society representative, called on UN Member States to de-escalate the nuclear arms race, redirect nuclear weapons budgets and investments to meet human security needs, and commit to the total elimination of nuclear weapons by 2045, the 100th anniversary of the UN.

Click here for the full list of speakers.

H.E. Volkan Bozkir, President of the UN General Assembly, opened the event with a strong presentation reminding us that the UN was born out of the ashes of WWII and the nuclear bombs dropped on Japan, and calling on UN member states to fulfill their obligations to end the nuclear arms race and achieve the comprehensive elimination of nuclear weapons.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, followed with an impassioned speech warning that the world continues to live in the shadow of nuclear catastrophe. He urged nuclear armed states to take practical steps to reduce nuclear risks, and on all members of the Non-Proliferation Treaty to work towards a positive outcome to the Review Conference next year that takes forward concrete nuclear disarmament steps.

“Some states view nuclear weapons as vital to their national security and survival. But the elimination of nuclear weapons is vital to something beyond the fate of any single state: the survival of life on this planet.”

UN Secretary General António Guterres

Click here to listen to speech
UN report on this speech
UN report on September 26 speech

Civil Society Presentations

Two members of global civil society were invited to make presentations to the High Level event. They were Ms Vanda Proskova (Czech Republic), Vice-Chair of PragueVision Institute for Sustainable Security and one of the convenors of #Wethepeoples2020, and Mr Saber Chowdhury MP (Bangladesh), Co-President of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament.

Ms Proskova noted that nuclear weapons “are dangerous whether they are used on purpose or due to a miscalculation. They are extremely harmful to the environment which we are so vehemently trying to protect. In the 21st century they are simply obsolete. And, what is more, they are phenomenally expensive.”

‘I was born into a post-Cold war world still bristling with thousands of nuclear warheads. “They are not supposed to be used, then why are they here?” I would ask, seeing no logical reasoning for any government prioritizing spending on nuclear weapons and war over its public health and education systems.’

Vanda Proskova (Czech Republic)

click here to watch her presentation

Co-President of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Saber Chowdhury noted that ‘We all have a key role to play and engage with governments to ensure implementation of nuclear disarmament obligations, and in diverting resources from nuclear weapons to positive impacts for the economy, livelihoods and protection of nature.”

“Nuclear weapons are of no use in the face of a pandemic or for our quest to protect the climate, our responsibility to feed the hungry, ensure health care, education and basic services for all, leaving no one behind and fortifying our planet – the only home we have.”

PNND Co-President Saber Chowdhury

click to watch presentation

Both of the civil society representatives called on UN members to de-escalate the nuclear arms race, redirect nuclear weapons budgets and investments to meet human security needs, and commit to the total elimination of nuclear weapons by 2045, the 100th anniversary of the UN.

These calls to government will be taken forward to the UN General Assembly First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) which meets from Oct 6-Nov 5, 2020 and the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference which is scheduled to take place in January 2021.

Invitation to Sneak Preview of New Film

For your pleasure, watch a Special Sneak Preview of THE WORLD IS MY COUNTRY, the untold story of Gary Davis. Presented by Sunseed WisdomTalks.

4 PM PDT Special Free Screening of THE WORLD IS MY COUNTRY

5:10 Round Table Discussion Amertad Cohn, Director of movie SunSeed – The Journey and Arthur Kanegis, Director of THE WORLD IS MY COUNTRY, and Jonathan Granoff with Q and A.

Registration at Sunseed.org/wisdomtalks

Gary Davis publicized an idea championed in the tradition of Albert Einstein, Jean Paul Sartre, Albert Schweitzer, E. B. White and other luminaries that we are first and foremost citizens of the planet. You might enjoy this film about an entertaining figure whom Eleanor Roosevelt characterized as a “flash in the pan publicity;” you might decide she was correct or that he was an authentic visionary in the tradition of John Lennon’s Imagine or Victor Hugo’s famous speech on peace of 1851.

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The post United Nations Highlights Nuclear Disarmament appeared first on Good News!.

The 11 Days of Global Unity Tele-Summit:Register Here or Become a Co-Sponsor

admin — Fri, 11 Sep 2015 14:12:21 +0000

The 11 Days of Global Unity Tele-Summit
11 Ways to Transform Your World
September 11-21, 2015

A Collaboration of We, The World and the Shift Network

Deep Dialogues on Each of the 11 Themes For Change

Featuring some of the most Visionary Thinkers and Activists of our Time

Participate by computer or phone from anywhere worldwide!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER – it’s FREE!

When you register you can also participate in the Shift Network’s ongoing
Summer of Peace Speaker Series

To be a Co-Sponsor or an Affiliate of this 11 Days Summit reply to this message or click here!

Speaker Schedule
Participate by computer or phone from anywhere worldwide!

Dialogues start each day at 1:00PM USA Eastern Time:

Host and Moderator: Rick Ulfik (Founder of We, The World and the WE Campaign at WE.net)

Sept 11 UNITY

Deepak Chopra (Best-selling author, global leader and pioneer in the field of Mind-Body Medicine)

Sept 12 INTERDEPENDENCE

Indigenous Grandmother Agnes Pilgrim and Carole Hart (Producer, For the Next 7 Generaltions/ 13 Indigenous Grandmothers Film)

Sept 13 ENVIRONMENT

Rhea Landig (Executive Director of Species Alliance)

Sept 14 ECONOMIC JUSTICE

Andrew Mazzone (President of Henry George School of Social Sciences)

Sept 15 HEALTH

Patch Adams (Founder of the Gesundheit! Institute, based on an alternative health care model not funded by insurance policies)

Sept 16 CHILDREN AND YOUTH

Cherine Badawi (Generation Waking Up) and Mariah Lin (Roots & Shoots)

Sept 17 WOMEN

Eve Ensler (The Vagina Monologues, V-Day, One Billion Rising)

Sept 18 HUMAN RIGHTS

Jacqueline Murekatete (Founder of Genocide Survivors Foundation)

Sept 19 FREEDOM

Rabbi Michael Lerner (Chair of Network of Spiritual Progressives, Editor of Tikkun Magazine)

Sept 20 DISARMAMENT

Helen Caldicott (Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, Former President of Physicians for Social Responsibility) and Alice Slater (Co-Founder of Abolition 2000)

Sept 21 PEACE

Deborah Moldow (Co-chair of the UN International Day of Peace NGO Committee) and Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury (Former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations)

(Note: Schedule is subject to change – please check 11daysofglobalunity.org for updated information.)

Highlights of the 11 Days of Global Unity
Tele-Summit 2015
Click here to register – it’s FREE!

.
On the Theme of UNITY – Deepak Chopra introduces an entirely new field of scientific study indicating that Human Consciousness may actually be driving Evolution! He makes the connection between individual compassion, health and collective wellness. And he leads a deep and extended guided meditation on Unity, Consciousness and Compassion.

On the Theme of WOMEN – Eve Ensler inspires us with One Billion Rising – a revolution on many levels to end violence against women forever.

On FREEDOM – Rabbi Michael Lerner offers an Amendment to the US Constitution that would provide for social, political, economic and environmental transformation. Also, he describes how Israelis and Palestinians can resolve their conflict and achieve lasting peace and security while meeting all their needs.

On ECONOMIC JUSTICE – Andrew Mazzone connects the dots from monopoly to rising inequality and presents a radical solution that, after 100 years, is beginning to gain acceptance.

On the ENVIRONMENT – Rhea Landig gives us a reality check about the 6th Mass Extinction of Species on Planet Earth. Unlike the others, this one is caused by humans. And Rhea tells us exactly how we can end it.

On the Theme of HEALTH – Patch Adams, envisions, and has started to create, a truly compassionate health and wellness system based on six principles that could transform the practice of healthcare as we know it. For example, initial interviews with all new patients are 3-4 hours long.

And, for the Theme of PEACE -Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury and Deborah Moldow help celebrate the UN International Day of Peace September 21st – LIVE from the United Nations, which celebrates the Annual Student Observance of Peace Day Sept. 21st!

Click here to register – it’s FREE!

To be a Co-Sponsor or an Affiliate of this 11 Days Summit reply to this message or click here!

About 11 Days of Global Unity

Launched in 2004 by We, The World and global partners, 11 Days of Global Unity – 11 Ways to Transform Your World is a worldwide platform for the promotion of peace, justice, sustainability and transformation that annually includes as many as 700 associated events in over 60 countries around the world. It culminates on September 21st, the U.N. International Day of Peace, which itself is celebrated annually by as many as 3,500 organizations in over 120 countries.

Join the Extraordinary Partners and Allies of 11 Days of Global Unity! Register your group here (it’s free) – your Group’s Name, Link, Mission, Goals and Action Steps will automatically go up on our 11 Days Participation pages which are regularly promoted to a global audience!

GlobalUnityCalendar.org

Post your Social Change Events and Announcements yourself at GlobalUnityCalendar.org all year long within any of the 11 Global Unity Themes as well as other categories that you can choose or even create!

This Calendar is compatible with Google, Outlook, Apple and many other Calendars so you can easily Subscribe and add your group’s calendar events to the Global Unity Calendar!

11 Days of Global Unity Preview Broadcast/Webcast

Monday August 31, 2015 from 1pm – 2pm USA Eastern Time
On WBAI Pacifica Radio: “Health Action”
Streaming Live and Archived at www.WBAI.org
In NYC radio station 99.5FM

Speakers:
Rick Ulfik – Founder of We, The World and the WE Campaign at WE.net
11 Days of Global Unity – 11 Ways to Change the World

Jon Ramer – Founder of Compassion Games International at CompassionGames.org

Victoria Friedman – Co Founder of Vistar Foundation – VistarFoundation.org

Susana Bastarrica – Founder of The Vigil4International Peace and Ecology
Vigil4InternationalPeace.org

Performers:
iMov Christine Marie debut of “SUPAH Stah” single with iMov n da Peezkeepahz ( https://soundcloud.com/christinemarieakaimov)

Andrew Kaen Spoken word/vibrational poetry with ReAwakennd – Founder of Planet Heart and the Annual World Peace Earth Day Celebration
PlanetHeart.org
https://soundcloud.com/reawakennd

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