Sharing Happiness – Queens Museum of Art – Honour of IDH 2013 Mar 17

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Members of the Peace Meditation Group at the UN were happy to attend and show their support for:

Sharing Happiness

A programme in honour of the United Nations

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF HAPPINESS

The Queens Museum of Art;                                     17 March 2013 1:00-2:30 p.m.


GUEST SPEAKERS:
Cathy Oerter
Jim Sherlock
Mei-mei Berssenbrugge
Ram Fishman
Ashrita Furman


Presented by:

The United Nations SRC Society of Writers
in collaboration with
The Queens Museum of Art

2013-03-mar-17-happiness-queens-museum_Page_1

Through Resolution 66/281 adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, 20 March was proclaimed The UN International Day of Happiness.

The Day recognize that happiness is a fundamental human goal, and calls upon countries to approach public policies in way that improve the well-being of all peoples. By designating a special day for happiness, the UN aim to focus world attention on the idea that economic growth must be inclusive, equitable, and balanced. The UN Resolution invite governments a well a individuals to celebrate the Day “in an appropriate manner, including through education and public awareness-raising activities .”

The initiative to declare a day of happiness came from the Kingdom of Bhutan – a country whose citizen are considered to be some of the happiest people in the world. The Himalayan Kingdom ha championed an alternative measure of national and societal prosperity, called the Gross National Happiness Index (GNH). The GNH adopt a more holistic outlook on development, in which the spiritual well -being of citizen and communities is given as much importance as their material well-being.

The Queens Museum of Art was the site of the United Nations General Assembly from 1946-1950, prior to the completion of the UN Headquarters Building in Manhattan.


ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

CATHY OERTER won numerous national titles in track and field, competed on several USA international teams and started the women’s track programme at her alma mater, Iowa State University, in 1970. After graduating with a B.A. in art education and graphic design, she taught high school art in New York and Seattle. Mrs. Oerter trained in Natural Movement Dance in London and holds dance workshops in Australia and England for children and adults. Mrs. Oerter is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Art of the Olympians, an organization that she helped found with her late husband, the legendary Olympian Al Oerter. Her greatest joy in life comes from looking for the special gifts in all people. J

JIM SHERLOCK is an automotive entrepreneur and founder of REBORN international. With over three decades of automotive industry success, Mr. Sherlock has utilized his network to develop a group of companies dedicated to empowering the impoverished by implementing new products and services to create jobs in the United States, as well as around the world. Reborn Outreach is a world-wide non-profit organization which supports various projects, including orphanages, schools, maternity clinics, hospitals and micro-financing in financially devastated third world countries. Mr. Sherlock has received numerous awards for his humanitarian work.

MEl-MEl BERSSENBRUGGE was born in Beijing and grew up in Massachusetts. She is the author of twelve books of poetry, including Empathy (Station Hill Press), I Love Artists (University of California Press) and The Lit Cloud with artist Kiki Smith (Galerie Lelong). Her most recent collection, Hello, the Roses, is forthcoming from New Directions Press. Ms. Berssenbrugge lives in New York City and northern New Mexico with her husband, artist Richard Tuttle.

RAM M. FISHMAN is an assistant professor of Economics at George Washington University. His research focuses on sustainable development and environmental issues, primarily in developing countries. Mr. Fishman holds a PhD in Sustainable Development from Columbia University and an M.Sc. in Physics from the Weizmann Institute of Science. As part of his research, he has traveled extensively in South Asia, and has visited Bhutan several times to participate in workshops on Gross National Happiness and on the emerging field of “happiness economics”. (Editors Note: On a break before completing his advanced research and degree, R.M.F spent some months working for UNICEF in NY. During that time he also attended programes sponsored by UN SRC Society of Writers and regular meetings of Sri Chinmoy: the Peace Meditation at the United Nations.)

ASHRITA FURMAN has captured the public’s imagination by breaking Guinness World Records under outrageous conditions and in the most exotic places. He currently holds more than 150 Guinness records, including the official record for holding the most records. Since setting his first record of 27,000 jumping jacks in 1979, Ashrita has broken more than 400 records overall, and on all continents. Ashrita has been practicing meditation for more than 40 years and sees his records as a way to demonstrate the benefits of this ancient Eastern art. He credits his meditation teacher, Sri Chinmoy, for his remarkable endurance and strength.

NAYAK POLISSAR (moderator) has published over 200 articles in professional scientific journals, as well as popular articles about meditation. He is the founder of The Mountain-Whisper-Light Statistics, a consulting firm that carries out medical research in collaboration with universities and foundations. He has been named an Honorary Distinguished Citizen of Washington State.

BHIKSHUNI WEISBROT, a staff member of the United Nations Development Programme, is President of the UNSRC Society of Writers.


The UNSRC Society of Writer offers its sincere gratitude to the staff of the Queens Museum of Art for their professionalism, kindness and concern, with special thanks to: Tom Finkelpearl, Prerana Reddy, Jacqueline Candia, John Wenzel, Danny Corona, Eneida Archbold , Desmond Humphrey and Jodi Hanel.


The Queen Museum of Art reception for Happiness: A Visual Poem will immediately follow the programme.


Easel Art:  “Happiness” by Sri Chinmoy (Jharna-Kala Card Company); and “Flower Flag, UN Flag” by Susumu Sato.


More text excerpts and photos to be added as available.

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