Updated on September 5, 2025

[LMGlobal.Org] The Light Millennium PROUDLY Presents in collaboration with the COALITION for #CompulsoryPeaceICTEducation #6

Invitation: Compulsory Peace & ICT Education in support of the International Day of Democracy on September 13, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. EST (Virtual Panel)
The Road to a Democratic Future
#DemocracyDay | #SaveFutureGenerations

In this page:
Tentative Programme, Bios of the Speakers, and Profiles of the Collaborative Organizations for:
Saturday, September 13, 2025 | Time: 11:00 a.m. EST    

Immediate Media Release | PDF | September 3, 2025 | Background/Concept/Expected Outcomes
The Light Millennium Global Champions Compulsory Peace & ICT Education in support of the International Day of Democracy #DemocracyDay

On Saturday, September 13, 2025 | Time: 11:00 a.m. EST
Link To REGISTER (Required): 
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/FDYmkQCqS-emCwmFUIvGeA

TENTATIVE PROGRAM FOR SEPTEMBER 13, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. EST (Virtual)

Chair of the session: Mr. RODRIGO A. CARAZO, member of the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva and former Ambassador of Costa Rica to the UN (2018-2022)

Welcoming/Concept/Co-chair: Ms. BİRCAN ÜNVER, M.A., Founder-President & Head NGO Rep. of the Light Millennium Global to the United Nations Department of Global Communications.

Opening Remarks:

Ambassador Mr. RAMU DAMODARAN, the First Chief of the UN  Academic Impact Initiative (2010-2021), and Permanent Observer for the University for Peace to the UN.

Mr. BRUCE FEIN, Attorney at Law, Expert in the U.S. Constitution & Author.


Keynote Addresses

H.E. Mr. STAN ODUMA SMITH, Ambassador/Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas to the United Nations, New York,  2022 – present.

H.E. Mr. TEBURORO TITO, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kiribati to the United Nations Headquarters in New York and the Kiribati Ambassador to the United States, and Non-Resident High Commissioner to Canada.

Ambassador Mr. RODRIGO A. CARAZO


Speaker


Ms. ŞAHANE SULTAN BEDENLIER, M.A., Lecturer, California Polytechnic State University 


Youth Section (Each is 3 minutes):

Mr. ONUR BARAN, High Technology High School in Lincroft, New Jersey


Miss. ELANUR ÖZSIRKINTI, Brooklyn Technical High School


Mr. EFE ERGİŞİ, Student, 11th grader at BARD High School Early College Queens


Miss. EYLÜL DEMİRÖZ, Student, University at Albany & alumna of the New York Ataturk School


INTERACTIVE SESSION


CONCLUDING REMARKS: 2 minutes remarks by the each Esteemed Speakers.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE NEXT SESSION, THANK YOU NOTES & Gallery Mode Group Photos

– Closing

MEDIA RELEASE: THE LIGHT MILLENNIUM GLOBAL CHAMPIONS COMPULSORY PEACE & ICT EDUCATION IN SUPPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DEMOCRACY

BACKGROUND/CONCEPT/EXPECTED OUTCOMES

ABOUT THE ESTEEMED SPEAKERS

RODRIGO ALBERTO CARAZO ZELEDON, Chair & Keynote Address.
Rodrigo Alberto Carazo Zeledón (born 1948) is a Costa Rican politician, economist, lawyer, and political scientist who was elected in June 2022 to a four-year term (from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2026) as a member of the UN Human Rights Committee by the state parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Mr. Carazo served as the Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations from 2018-2022, and chaired several committees at the UN during his tenure, among them being Vice President (2021) and President (January-June 2022) of UNICEF.
Mr. Carazo’s professional development in the public sector includes being the first Ombudsman of the Republic of Costa Rica (1993-1997) and being a member of the Legislative Assembly (2002-2006). 
Professional development in the private sector includes: being a liberal professional since 1971 in the fields of Economy, Law, and International Relations. 
He has also served as a consultant for International Organizations (Government, Intergovernmental, Non-Governmental) as well as private entities. He has 48 years of experience as a businessman in the commercial, industrial, tourist, agricultural, and service sectors.
His academic background includes: serving as a university professor in Costa Rica and the United States and a member of the Board of the Public Distance University in Costa Rica; he holds a Law Degree from the University of Costa Rica and a similar degree in Economic and Social Sciences from the University of Costa Rica, a PhD in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Geneva- Switzerland, and has completed further studies in History and International Law. He speaks Spanish, English, and French. Ambassador Carazo is 75 years old, married, father of 4 daughters, and grandfather of 11 grandchildren.
He speaks Spanish, English, and French.

Opening Remarks: Ambassador Mr. RAMU DAMODARAN,  the First Chief of the United Nations Academic Impact Initiative (2010-2021), and currently, Permanent Observer for the University for Peace to the United Nations.  
Mr. Damodaran joined the United Nations Department of Global Communications in 1996; his responsibilities in the Department have included oversight of relationships with civil society, the creative community, and celebrity advocates, publications (including as Chief Editor of the UN Chronicle), the Dag Hammarskjold Library and the United Nations Academic Impact which he was asked by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to devise and lead. He has also been secretary of the United Nations General Assembly’s Committee on Information since 2011. He completed his career with the United Nations in May 2021.
His earlier Secretariat assignments included the Departments of Special Political Questions and Peacekeeping as well as speechwriting in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General. He was the spokesman for the “Durban Review” human rights conference in 2009 and has fulfilled a range of speaking engagements on behalf of the Organization over his career.
As a member of the Indian Foreign Service, where he was promoted to the rank of ambassador, he served as executive assistant to the Prime Minister of India between 1991 and 1994 and earlier in the Ministries of External Affairs, Home Affairs, Defence, Planning, and Human Resource Development. Before joining government service in India, he worked as a television news anchor, radio producer and host, and university correspondent for All India Radio and the Hindustan Times Evening News. His radio feature on university students in Delhi won the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union award. Ramu also served as President of the United Nations Staff Recreation Council.

Opening Remarks: Mr. BRUCE FEIN, Attorney at Law, Expert in the U.S. Constitution & Author, and Legal Advisor to TADAlliance.Org 

Bruce Fein has worked in the corridors of power in Washington, D.C. for nearly 50 years. Among other things, he has served as associate deputy attorney general of the United States, general counsel of the Federal Communications Commission, counsel to the Joint Congressional Committee on Covert Operations in Iran, special assistant to the Office of Legal Counsel in the Department of Justice, testified 200 times as an expert witness before congressional committees, and state legislatures, has litigated cases in the United States Supreme Court and the International Criminal Court, published hundreds of articles in the Washington Times, the Washington Post, the New York Times, and Financial Times, appears regularly in the national and international media to comment on legal, political, and international affairs, and has authored “Constitutional Peril: The Life and Death Struggle for Our Constitution and Democracy” and “American Empire Before The Fall.”. The first examines the extra-constitutional actions of the Executive Branch in trampling on due process, the Fourth Amendment right to privacy, and checks and balances in the War on Terrorism ignited by 9/11. 
The second traces the abandonment of liberty and a fair opportunity for all to develop their faculties and pursue their ambitions free from domestic predation or foreign aggression, as the glory of the United States in favor of the Empire, in which the summum bonum is world domination by force of arms and the armored knight eclipses wisdom and benevolence in public adulation.

Keynote Address: H.E. Mr. STAN ODUMA SMITH, Ambassador, Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas to the United Nations, New York,  2022 – present.
His Excellency Mr. Stan Oduma Smith currently serves as the Permanent Representative of the Bahamas to the United Nations in New York, a position he has held since 2022. His diplomatic career includes prior roles as Ambassador-at-Large and Head of the Legal Division within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas from 2015 to 2017. Before entering the foreign service, he was the Senior Personal Assistant to the Prime Minister of The Bahamas, The Honourable Perry G. Christie, between 2018 and 2022. Mr. Smith also practiced law as an attorney-at-law specializing in civil litigation, with periods of public service, from 2005 to 2015. His legal education includes a Legal Education Certificate from Eugene Dupuch Law School (2005), allowing him to practice in both The Bahamas and Barbados, a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus (2022), and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in English from St. Mary’s University, Halifax, N.S., Canada (1997).

Keynote Address: H.E. Mr. TEBURORO TITO
Mr. Teburoro Tito is currently the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kiribati to the United Nations Headquarters in New York as well as the Kiribati Ambassador to the United States, and Non-Resident High Commissioner to Canada.
Has served as a public administrator (1980-1987) member of Parliament for 30 years (1987-2017), represented the Pacific Parliamentarians of the Pacific on the Commonwealth Parliaments Association in London, served as the President of Kiribati for 9 years (1994-2003) during which period he moved the international date line to put the whole country on the western side of the line, welcomed the new millennium sunrise on behalf of humanity at the dawn of 1st January, 2000 with a message and song on the theme “ World Peace in Harmony with Nature”, took Kiribati to the membership of the United Nations (Sept. 1999); was the Chairman of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) (2000), in which the historic Biketawa Declaration was adopted by the PIF leaders to allow collective efforts to help restore law and order in any membership of the PIF upon the request and invitation of the affected country. Was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of World Peace from the Maharishi University in Holland (2001). After serving as President, he was appointed to the Eminent Persons Group of the Pacific in 2003 to review the future directions of the PIF, which resulted in the Pacific Vision and Mission for greater integration and collaboration of the region.
As the Kiribati Ambassador to the UN, he focuses his attention on the priorities of Kiribati on climate and ocean issues and on developmental strategies for small island developing states.
He holds a degree in Science (Organic Chemistry and Ecology) with a Graduate Certificate in Education (BSC.GCED) from the University of the South Pacific, Fiji.

Ms. ŞAHANE SULTAN BEDENLIER, M.A., Lecturer, California Polytechnic State University 
Şahane Sultan Bedenlier is currently a Lecturer at California Polytechnic State University. She teaches courses on Issues and Topics in International Relations. Her special fields are Middle Eastern Politics, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Iaicism, and Islam
She has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Reading, England. She worked at the Geneva Center for Security Policy in Switzerland, conducting research on the Mediterranean region and the Middle East. She worked on the 2004 NATO Istanbul summit, analyzing NATO’s involvement in the Middle East/Mediterranean and the Balkans. She participated in the Junior Swiss Diplomats course.
Ms. Bedenlier worked as the Trade and Investment Manager at the British Embassy in Ankara, Turkiye, and she was later employed as a foreign policy advisor at the Turkish Parliament. She was a member of the National Executive Committee of the People’s Ascent Party, and she ran for Congress in the 2007 Turkish general elections.
She has traveled to more than 20 countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Ms. BİRCAN ÜNVER, M.A.

She is the Founder-President and Head NGO Representative of The Light Millennium Global to the United Nations Department of Global Communications since 2005 to present.
The organization, officially formed in New York on July 17, 2001, has been committed to intellectual productivity, freedom of expression, and world peace since its inception in 1999. The association with the United Nations, secured in 2005, enhanced its work in support of the UDHR, SDGs, and UN visions.
As a seasoned producer and editor, she has led the organization’s multimedia platforms, including the award-winning #LightMillenniumTV series, since 2000. Bircan’s work at the UN is focused on public awareness and global issues, with high-impact events in support of the UN Water, Ocean, Human Rights Days, and UN Water and Ocean conferences among her many achievements. Holding degrees in Fine Arts (B.A.) and Media Studies (M.A.), she is also a published author of five books and serves as a Peace and Goodwill Ambassador for Anuvibha to the U.N. As the originator of the five-year “Compulsory Peace and ICT Education” campaign, she has successfully delivered five sessions and has represented the organization at the 2024 UN Summit of the Future. Her commitment to leveraging media and informal public education for global change is the driving force behind this vital initiative.

YOUTH SECTION

Mr. ONUR BARAN
Onur Baran is a junior at High Technology High School in Lincroft, New Jersey, recognized as the #1 STEM high school in the United States by U.S. News & World Report. He currently serves as a Research Associate with the Teen Think Tank Project’s Social Action Lab Public Policy Fellowship, where he is dedicating more than 200 hours over 18 months to leadership development, mentorship, and policy research on critical issues, including housing justice and economic equality.
In addition to his academic and policy work, Onur is actively engaged in the arts and civic life. He is a chorister with the New Jersey All-State Choir and the New Jersey Youth Choir, a member of his school’s Debate Club, and a competitive rower with the Navesink River Rowing Club. Onur aspires to combine scholarship, creativity, and advocacy to advance equity and strengthen democratic participation.
 

Ms. ELANUR ÖZSIRKINTI
Elanur Ozsırkıntı is a junior at Brooklyn Technical High School, one of NYC’s specialized high schools, majoring in Mechatronics and Robotics. Passionate about engineering and innovation, she is an active member of the school’s FTC Robotics Team at the Cornell Tech Lab, applying her skills in design, programming, and problem-solving. She also participates in the NYU Science and Entry Program, conducting research with professors and gaining valuable academic and practical experience.
Dedicated to STEM access and equity, Elanur volunteers with the Columbia Zuckerberg Institute and BioBus, bringing STEM education to students from diverse communities. She also teaches Turkish language and culture at the NY  Ataturk  School in NYC and co-founded a Turkish Club at her school to share her heritage.
Beyond STEM, Elanur has played the cello for over 10 years, serving as both soloist and orchestra leader. She continues to balance academics, arts, and service while preparing for leadership in engineering and robotics.

Mr. EFE ERGİŞİ 
He was born in New York in 2009. In 6th grade, during the pandemic, he won the New York City Council President’s Academic Excellence and Commitment to Public Service Achievement Award for his in-class work. He is currently an 11th grader at BARD High School Early College Queens (core Liberal Arts). He wants to study law in the future. He is particularly interested in American politics and government. Since starting high school, he has been taking courses in law, American history, and government at Columbia University’s Double Discovery Center. He actively plays soccer and participates in track and field.

Ms. EYLÜL DEMİRÖZ
My name is Eylul Demiroz, and I am 20 years old. I am a 2019 NY Ataturk Okulu graduate. I
was born and raised in Long Island, NY. Currently, I am in my third year of college at the
University at Albany as a first-generation college student in America. I am studying to be in the
medical field, and I plan to apply to different medical programs this year to get a
head start in my future career. In high school, I played varsity volleyball along with one of the
club travel teams on Long Island, and I am planning on jumping back into it this fall with my
university’s club volleyball team. When at home, I live with my mother, my father, and my
younger sister. I like to try and set an example for my younger sister, which is what motivates
me to do better every day- whether that’s for school, sports, or just everyday life. I am a very
goal-oriented person who strives to meet every goal I set for myself.

ABOUT THE LEADING ORGANIZATION

The Light Millennium Global is a non-profit organization (formed in New York in 2001), a non-governmental organization in good standing with the United Nations, championing human advancement and global connectivity since its inception in 1999. It operates on a voluntary basis as a vital voice for peace and justice, fostering public awareness through its multimedia platforms, including the award-winning #LightMillenniumTV series.
Holding special accreditation to the UN Ocean, Water, and UN Summit of the Future Conferences, the organization is uniquely positioned to drive global change. Its flagship J.U.C. Awards program actively engages international high school students since 2021, inspiring them to become future leaders dedicated to the UN’s vision. This commitment to empowering the next generation is the very foundation of its most significant initiative: the Compulsory Peace & ICT Education Campaign. By building a movement around this five-year vision, The Light Millennium Global is paving a clear and compelling path toward a more democratic, free, and just world for all.
www.lmglobal.org | www.lightmillennium.org

ABOUT THE MEMBERS OF THE ACTIVELY PARTICIPATED COALITION

THE TRUTH & ANTI-DEFAMATION ALLIANCE (TADA)

Truth & Anti-Defamation Alliance (TADA) is a non-profit, tax-exempt, membership organization under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code with the purpose of working towards protecting the constitutional rights of all Americans.
TADA’s communities stand united against racism. Together, we can stop it.
TADA runs research on Constitutional and International Law, History, Curricula, and Education. Actively investigates and audits old and new constitution violations and defamation cases that are reported by the community. Educating the public and supporting the next generation of scholars and attorneys in human rights and U.S. Constitution law fields in their education and development process.
Legal Actions and Defamation Case Studies: TADA protects all members’ constitutional rights in courts, in legislative bodies, and before the executive officials.

THE ATATURK WORLD PLATFORM (ADDP)
The Atatürk World Platform (ADDP) brings together 14 Atatürkist associations from seven countries – Germany, Austria, Norway, Sweden, Kosovo, the United Kingdom, United States of America. They are committed to unity and solidarity under the umbrella of the ADDP.
The ADDP, which was founded in 2016, held live meetings in Sweden, Germany, Austria, and Turkey between 2016 and 2019, and had conducted its meeting and event programs online during the pandemic, and has continued its live meetings since 2022.
As Turks living away from their homeland, the ADDP member association members all observe how effectively foreign democratic mass organizations abroad lobby through their well-organized groups. This is where the importance of ADDP becomes evident. Rather than organizing the kind of activities that local associations successfully do, ADDP effectively lobbies abroad by making excellent use of communication tools and social media. As an international umbrella organization, ADDP is an organization that can more effectively convey Atatürk’s principle of peace at home and peace in the world, the Enlightenment Project, and how essential the Republic of Turkey, a modern, democratic, secular, and social state governed by the rule of law, is not only for the Turks, but also for world peace.
ADDP member associations, which prioritize introducing Atatürk in various aspects, especially his philosophy of peace and humanity, always emphasize through their programs and activities, his hard work, courage, and rationality to the world. 

TURKISH WOMEN LEAGUE OF AMERICA (TWLA)

Established on September 17, 1958, as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in New York,
Turkish Women’s League of America (TWLA) aims to preserve and teach the Turkish language and culture to future generations. The organization is one of the oldest active Turkish American organizations in the USA and is the sole supporter of the NY Atatürk School, which has been a pride since 1971. The Turkish Women’s League of America’s Board of Directors is composed entirely of volunteer members. The organization and its members adhere to the principles of Modern Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and the values of the Republic adopted the national, moral, human, spiritual, and cultural values of the Turkish Nation. Our Mission is to unite the Turkish women living in America under one roof, to provide solidarity and strength among them. We organize cultural and recreational activities to foster a better understanding between the people of Turkey and the United States. With this awareness, the Turkish Women’s League of America works devotedly with institutions and nongovernmental organizations to
achieve and preserve the deserved respected place of women in society.
The Turkish Women’s League of America is proud to announce our association with the United
Nations Department of Global Communications as of December 10, 2021.

THE NGO COMMITTEE ON PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT (NGOCPSD)

The NGO Committee on Private Sector Development (NGOCPSD), a coalition of non-governmental and business organizations in consultative status with the United Nations, is dedicated to advancing sustainable private sector growth. Recognizing that economic opportunity is the most fundamental driver of political stability, peace, and security, the committee works to foster innovative, multi-stakeholder collaboration. Its mission is to make private sector development a top national and international priority by building coalitions and making joint statements that champion key SDGs, including Decent Work (SDG 8), Innovation (SDG 9), Justice (SDG 16), and Partnerships (SDG 17). Aligned with the UN Secretary-General’s Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection, the NGOCPSD seeks to provide a platform for its members to take collective action. The committee’s core belief that peace cannot thrive without a strong economic foundation makes it a crucial member of the Compulsory Peace & ICT Education Coalition.

THE LIGHT MILLENNIUM TV

The Light Millennium TV is the non-commercial, volunteer-based media arm of The Light Millennium Global. A key member of the Compulsory Peace & ICT Education Coalition, it extends the campaign’s reach by disseminating content through its official channels on Vimeo and QPTV.Org local channels, where it has monthly time slots
Founded on January 13, 2000, the series has produced over 250 programs, earning several awards and recognitions for its dedication to public education and civic engagement. As the founder, executive producer, and editor of the series, its content is meticulously curated to align with its non-commercial, non-profit mission. To distinguish itself online, the series uses the hashtag #LightMillenniumTV. The series’s long history and robust catalog make it a crucial platform for making session recordings and campaign initiatives publicly available to a wide audience.
www.vimeo.com/LMTV | www.vimeo.com/channels/LightMillenniumTV

Immediate Media Release | Background/Concept/Expected Outcomes

Invitation: Compulsory Peace & ICT Education in support of the International Day of Democracy on September 13, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. EST (Virtual Panel) #DemocracyDay
The Road to a Democratic Future

Date: Saturday, September 13, 2025 | Time: 11:00 a.m. EST


Link To REGISTER (Required): 
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/FDYmkQCqS-emCwmFUIvGeA

Immediate Media Release | Background/Concept/Expected Outcomes

Initial Proposal (August-September 2024)