World Meditation Day: UN calls for unity through spirituality

On December 21, 2024, the world celebrated the inaugural World Meditation Day, has officially proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly.

The resolution, adopted on December 6 and spearheaded by India, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Mexico, and Andorra, highlights the global significance of meditation as a tool for mental health and its alignment with the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The day was marked by the Civil Society’s World Meditation Day Opening Celebration, hosted by the World Yoga Community in collaboration with the Church of Scientology. Held in New York City, the event brought together NGO representatives, religious leaders, and diplomats to emphasize the role of spirituality in fostering unity and addressing societal challenges.

Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury, former UN Under-Secretary-General and founder of the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace, delivered a powerful message on spirituality’s role in peacebuilding. “The element of spirituality needs to come not only in the actions of civil society but also in those of member states,” he said, emphasizing the intrinsic link between spiritual values and sustainable peace.

Guruji H.H. Dileepkumar Thankappan, Founder of the World Yoga Community, echoed this sentiment, advocating for universal compassion. “We are all spiritual beings created to love and care for one another. Like the sun, which shines on everyone without discrimination, we too must nurture unity and compassion,” he shared.

The event also featured remarks from Rev. Massimo Parrino of the Church of Scientology, who quoted founder L. Ron Hubbard: “Change no man’s religion, change no man’s politics, interrupt the sovereignty of no nation. Instead, teach Man to use what he has… to the factual creation… of a civilization on Earth for the first time.”

The program included musical performances by Mr. Sarvalakshan Das of ISKCON and reflections from Ambassador Isaiah Chabala of Zambia, who highlighted spirituality’s transformative impact on global diplomacy and development.

As spirituality wanes among some populations—21% of Americans identified as neither religious nor spiritual in 2023, up from 16% in 2012—World Meditation Day serves as a timely reminder of meditation’s power to inspire collective growth. Studies confirm that spirituality can counterbalance the adverse effects of materialism, fostering well-being and unity.

World Meditation Day stands as a testament to the unifying power of spirituality, transcending barriers to connect humanity in a shared pursuit of peace and mental health.