First UN World Meditation Day – 21st December 2024
First UN
World Meditation Day
21st December 2024
All 193 member states of the UN General Assembly have unanimously proclaimed Saturday, 21 December as World Meditation Day, dedicated to promoting health, mental well-being, and peace for the individual and community through the practice of meditation
On December 6, 2024, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution declaring December 21st as World Meditation Day. This annual observance aims to raise global awareness about the benefits of meditation for mental, physical, and emotional well-being.
The inaugural theme for 2024 has been “Inner Peace, Global Harmony,” emphasizing meditation’s role in fostering peace and unity.
The resolution was co-sponsored by Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Andorra, Mexico, and India,
reflecting a collective commitment to promoting meditation worldwide.
“Meditation – Its Universality and Relevance in the 21st Century”
To commemorate this significant day, diplomats from the core group—India, Shri Lanka, Liechtenstein, Nepal, Mexico, and Andorra—gathered during a special event with more than 200 attendees, who included diplomats from about 30 UN member states as well as leaders of UN-affiliated non-governmental organizations, at the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in New York.
United Nations Headquarters, New York
This event, entitled “Meditation – Its Universality and Relevance in the 21st Century” focused on underlining the relevance and benefits of meditation for modern living with a keynote address by Dr. Tony Nader, a Medical Doctor trained at Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology and globally recognized meditation expert.
During his address, Dr. Nader highlighted the benefits of practicing meditation and the scientific studies done on the subject. “Meditation is not a luxury, it is a necessity” he mentioned, highlighting the benefits of meditation to modern life.
During this event, the official keynote speaker Dr. Tony Nader, medical doctor, neuroscientist and world leader of the Transcendental Meditation® Organization, delivered the keynote address, showing scientific research on TM to help solve widespread mental health crisis and global tensions.
Dr. Nader, warmly congratulated the UN diplomats for their
timely initiative during his keynote address.
SUMMARY OF THE KEYNOTE ADDRESS
FROM DR. TONY NADER
The Urgent Need for Meditation Today
“Danger and fear are almost constant in today’s world,” Dr. Nader said. “They activate in us the fight-flight-or-freeze response that blocks coherent functioning of our higher brain, the prefrontal cortex, our brain’s CEO, and keeps it from thinking and planning effectively. Unless our brains have a chance to re-set, we develop mental health problems. Today’s mental health epidemic costs more than one trillion dollars annually. Unless we solve this problem, at least one quarter of us will be affected during our lifetimes.”
“Fortunately,” Dr. Nader said, “The great knowledge traditions of the past developed special meditation techniques to re-set the brain, allowing our higher brain to calm down the more primitive parts of our brain so we can think and plan clearly. And now we need those meditation techniques more than ever.”
“Meditation Is Not a Luxury, It’s a Necessity.”
“Meditation is not a luxury—it’s a necessity.” Dr. Nader said. “It is a universal re-set system that doesn’t depend on any belief or way of life. It is simple, mechanical, universal, and essential.”
Confirmed by Scientific Research
In his slide presentation, Dr. Nader reviewed a few of more than 750 scientific research studies on the health benefits of Transcendental Meditation. One published study showed that regular practice of TM results in 66% fewer deaths from heart attack and stroke. Other peer-reviewed studies have found that groups of people practicing TM together reduce crime, illness, accidents, and even war deaths. He cited one 1993 study that predicted in advance a 20% drop in crime in Washington DC when a large group went there to practice TM together. Crime actually dropped more than 23% during the three-month study period.
Creating Coherence in Individual Awareness and World Consciousness
Dr. Nader explained that by transcending thought to the state of pure awareness or pure consciousness, the TM practitioner enlivens the fundamental unified field of natural law at the basis of everyone and everything, creating waves of harmony, coherence, and peace everywhere.
“118 studies have proven that group practice of Transcendental Meditation and the advanced TM-Sidhi® program is the key to world peace,” Dr. Nader said.
One Million More Meditators by December 2025
Dr. Nader said he expects one million more practitioners of Transcendental Meditation in the world by December 2025, in time for next year’s “World Meditation Day.”
The World Meditation Day featured a live, global Transcendental Meditation session, allowing participants worldwide to engage in collective meditation practices.
The establishment of World Meditation Day underscores the United Nations’ recognition of meditation as a valuable tool for enhancing individual and collective well-being. By dedicating a day to this practice, the UN aims to inspire individuals worldwide to incorporate meditation into their daily lives, promoting a more peaceful and harmonious global community.
The Organizers of World Meditation Day”
Senior diplomats from the six core UN members states that organized “World Peace Day” also spoke at today’s event. They emphasized that meditation is a vital component in all diplomatic efforts to achieve conflict resolution and peace.
Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, connected to the inauguration by live video conference from Zurich. He underlined the universality of meditation, its contribution for effective diplomacy, and its benefits for individual and collective well-being.
Among the many other UN member states represented at the event were the United States of America and the People’s Republic of China.
The luncheon and launch event were hosted by Sugeeshwara Gunaratna, Charge d’affaires, a. i., Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka, and were moderated by Myriam Oehri, Deputy Permanent Representative and Charge d’affaires, a. i., Permanent Mission of Liechtenstein.
Diplomats from the Core Organizing Member States Who Spoke at the December 20th, 2024, Celebration of World Meditation Day held at the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations, New York City:
H.E. Lok Bahadur Thapa, Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations
H.E. Joan Forner Rovira, Permanent Representative of Andorra to the United Nations
Mr. Sugeeshwara Gunaratna, Charge d’affaires, a.i., Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations
Ms. Myriam Oehri, Deputy Permanent Representative and Charge d’affaires, a. i., Permanent Mission of Liechtenstein to the United Nations
Ms. Alicia Massieu, Deputy Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations
Mr. Pratik Mathur, Minister of the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations
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