World Meditation Foundation Delegation Participates in the Inaugural Celebration of United Nations "World Meditation Day"

 

The World Meditation Foundation was honored to be invited to the inaugural celebration of World Meditation Day on December 20, 2024. This historic event, hosted at the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in New York, underscored the universality and importance of meditation as a practice for fostering peace, resilience, and well-being in the 21st century.

 

The celebration was co-organized by the Permanent Missions of Liechtenstein, Andorra, Mexico, Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka to the United Nations, following the adoption of a landmark resolution by the United Nations General Assembly on December 6, 2024. This resolution, declaring December 21 as World Meditation Day, was co-sponsored by over 70 Member States, reflecting the global significance of meditation as a transcendent practice.

 

Representing the World Meditation Foundation were incoming Chair Zhaoyang Sun and Board Member Lan Lu from China, Board Member Fei Yu from Switzerland, and Sun-young Han, a meditation photographer and author from Korea. The delegation joined global leaders, scholars, and advocates to highlight the Foundation's mission of advancing meditation as a tool for mental health and global harmony.

 

Board Member Fei Yu reflected on the experience, saying, "Participating in this groundbreaking event has been an inspiring experience. The discussions reinforced the importance of meditation as a universal practice that can bring about peace and resilience in our interconnected world."

 

Zhaoyang Sun added, "This event has furthered our mission to promote meditation as a tool for mental health and global harmony. We are deeply honored to contribute to this global dialogue."

 

Lan Lu remarked, "Meditation's relevance in addressing the challenges of modern living was powerfully underscored by today's conversations. We look forward to continuing our efforts to spread its benefits worldwide."

 

The event was chaired by Myriam Oehri, Deputy Permanent Representative and Chargé d'Affaires a.i., Permanent Mission of Liechtenstein, with Mr. Sugeeshwara Gunaratna, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN, delivering welcome remarks as the venue host, and Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, giving a video address.

As representatives of the core group members for World Meditation Day:

 

• Mr. Joan Forner Rovira, Permanent Representative of Andorra
• H.E. Harish Parvathaneni, Permanent Representative of India
• H.E. Lok Bahadur Thapa, Permanent Representative of Nepal
• Ms. Alicia Massieu, Deputy Permanent Representative of Mexico

 

Each gave speeches about the initiation of World Meditation Day.

Subsequently, everyone listened to a keynote speech titled "Meditation - Its Relevance and Benefits to Modern Life" by Dr. Tony Nader, a globally renowned Vedic scholar and meditation expert.

 

During the interactive Q&A session, the World Meditation Foundation delegation actively participated in discussions, sharing the outstanding contributions made by their founder, Ven. Miaohai, in promoting this World Meditation Day — from his initial vow at a Shanghai Jiao Tong University alumni event on November 23, 2023, to the UN proposal in Korea on February 24, 2024.

 

After nearly a year of global interfaith and cross-cultural advocacy, combined with the joint efforts of UN co-sponsor member states' representatives, the proposal was finally approved.

 

The Foundation also expressed its commitment to promoting global cooperation and exploring the role of meditation in enhancing mental health, promoting peace, and advancing sustainable development.

 

The event brought together people from various sectors worldwide, who eagerly took photos with the World Meditation Foundation delegation and expressed strong interest and willingness to collaborate.

 

This crucial meeting will further advance the development of the World Meditation Foundation.