Timeline

History

National Ethical Service, an organization affiliated with the American Ethical Union, has been dedicated to the principles embodied in the United Nations from the time of its formal association with the Department of Public Information in 1947. Over the years, we have supported peace-building principles in collaboration with the Missions, UN agencies, and other non-governmental organizations. Here is a brief history of our progress:

2010

  • The National Service Conference changes its name to National Ethical Service

2008

  • Dr. Gerald North speaks at NSC Annual Assembly luncheon in Austin, Texas. Dr. North, trained meteorologist, has testified before the US Congress several times.

2008

  • NSC opens The Rose L. Walker Global Fund at the AEU and launches its website.

2007

  • NSC, through Committee Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns launches a Week of Spirituality in honor of The Spirit of the UN in October.
  • NSC joins NGO Committee on the Ageing at the UN.
  • NSC sponsors and secures passage of three National Ethical Action Proposals – implementation of the Millennium Development Goals in local Societies, support for the United Religious Initiative, and formal support for SWA.

2006

  • NSC passes two AEU Resolutions, in Support of a US Department of Peace in the US Government, and on Declaring support for US withdrawal of all troops from the Iraq along with restitution to damage of Iraq’s infra-structure.

2005

  • NSC hosts Barry Lynn, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, at The American Ethical Union National Assembly, Northern Virginia.

2004

  • New NGO Committee: Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns is launched at UN; Martha Gallahue forms working group, Universal Ethics and Global Concerns, and is elected to The Executive Council. www.csvgc-ny.org
  • UNA/USA in New Jersey: Phyllis and Sylvain Ehrenfeld co-found a UNA/USA Bergen Chapter. Phyllis is elected President. This Chapter is quickly becoming one of the liveliest in the country and joins with Bergen Ethical Society. Their programs have hosted UN officials and specialists of state and national prominence.
  • American Ethical Union passes Resolution in support of Millennium Development goals.
  • DPI/NGO Annual World Conference, Millennium Development Goals, Martha Gallahue launches first Networking sub-Committee.
  • NSC, through InterSpiritual Dialogue, presents a program (KJ & MG) at The Parliament of the World’s Religions, Barcelona, Spain.
  • NSC hosts its 75th anniversary celebration at New York Society for Ethical Culture honoring Rose Walker; Lucile Kleiman, chair of event, Jeffrey Huffines, Baha’i International, speaker.

2003

  • National Service Conference is invited to present workshops at AEU National Assemblies. Its annual meetings take place during the Assembly.
  • NSC member, Paul Raynault launches Student World Assembly on east coast at UN Church Center. SWA was formerly accepted into the AEU’s ethical action agenda in 2006 and thrives on hundreds of college campuses in nearly 40 countries and boasts of over 13,000 members. Its office is at New York Society for Ethical Culture
  • NSC fights against sex-trafficking in several areas in Russia with The Angel Coalition.
  • Richard Hobbs, ESQ, founds The Human Agenda Initiative after his NSC representation to the FfD Conference, in San Jose, CA. This initiative is now known as The Human Agenda Vision

2002

  • National Service Conference partners with InterSpiritual Dialogue, an international movement originating in the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture. Kurt Johnson inspirited this group to become The InterSpiritual Dialogue in Action and collaborated to form The Coalition for One Voice and other inter-spiritual global collectives.
  • Richard Hobbs participates at both The Finance for Development Conference in Monterey, Mexico and The World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa. Martha Gallahue speaks on a panel at a side event. We are accredited to Commission Finance for Development and in process of forming an official Earth Values Committee at the UN.

2001

  • National Service Conference joins with other NGO’s at the UN to launch The Earth Values Caucus. NSC continues to co-sponsor workshops at NGO/DPI World Conferences through the Earth Values Caucus. NSC joined The Earth Charter Initiative.
  • NSC passes AEU Resolution in support of the International Criminal Court.
  • Regular articles called From the UN are written by Sylvain and Phyllis Ehrenfeld and published in IHEU, Humanist Magazine, the Dialogue (the AEU quarterly newsletter), CEBO, Council of Ethics-Based Organizations, and local Ethical Societies throughout the country.
  • NSC is an accredited participant, represented by Lyndon Wilburg, at The World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa, At the UN, he co-founded and Chaired the Sub-Committee Against Racism within the NGO Committee of Human Rights.

2000

  • National Service Conference joins The United Religious Initiative at the UN.

l999

  • National Service Conference is a founding member of The American Coalition for an International Criminal Court (ICC) and shortly after The Faith and Ethics Based Caucus for the ICC at the UN.

l998

  • National Service Conference representative is elected to The Council The Values Caucus at the UN. The VC offered several workshop at the NGO/DPI Conferences at The United Nations.

1997

  • National Service Conference becomes official host of AEU Annual Assemblies. Speakers addressed such issues as the International Criminal Court, ethical approach to global engagement, plight of US refugees and their treatment, separation of Church and State, environmental issues, etc.

1983

  • National Women’s Conference changes its name to the National Service Conference and accepts men into the group.

1968

  • National Women’s Conference affiliates with the American Ethical Union.

1947

  • National Women’s Conference affiliates with the United Nations as the first humanist group to enter into formal association with the Department of Public Information at the UN. It continues to sponsor AEU Resolutions to promote peace, care of the environment, human rights, etc.

1924

  • Women’s groups at local Societies form the National Women’s Conference (original name of National Ethical Service) and participate in 1925 US Conference called The Committee on the Cause and Cure of War.

1911

  • Felix Adler co-convenes with International Ethical Union an International Conference in London University called International Races Congress. W.E.B.Dubois joins with Adler to ensure its success. Adler lays out a mission that National Ethical Service later adopts.