On April 20th, 2011, Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart had the pleasure of welcoming two activists who work closely with the United Nations in New York City. Sister Joan Kirby RSCJ and Lily Schwab both work at The Temple of Understanding, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) that promotes inter-religious and cross-cultural dialogue and education in the hopes of creating just and peace-filled communities.
At the United Nations, Sister Kirby has represented The Temple of Understanding at the United Nations with a focus on the Millennium Development Goals, sustainable development, children in armed conflict, and inter-religious dialogue and peace cooperation. Mrs. Schwab has represented The Temple of Understanding through her presentation of several papers written about sacred sites, climate change, sustainable development, inter-religious dialogue, and cross-cultural diversity.
Both Sister Kirby and Mrs. Schwab discussed their work with the United Nations and its member states as well as their work independent from the UN. In particular, they described their presence at many important environmental conferences, such as Copenhagen 2015, and their work in environmental sustainability. Although they briefly outlined their work on several global issues, they primarily shared their focus on sustainability, such as water conservation and alternative energy with the Upper School students. Finally, as parting advice to the student body, Sister Kirby and Mrs. Schwab encouraged students to find an global issue they were passionate about and develop that passion into a service-oriented career.
