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ASSOCIATION OF WORLD CITIZENS  THE ASSOCIATION OF WORLD CITIZENS (AWC) is an international peace organization with branches in 51 countries. Initiated in 1975, AWC has NGO status with the UN's Department of Public Information (DPI), and Consultative Status with the UN's Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The primary goal is building a Global Village of lasting peace, social and economic justice, and the foundation for a new civilization based on respect for life and the environment. The key to achieve this goal is for people to think and act as responsible Citizens of the World. World Citizenship is not a replacement for national citizenship, but rather a new responsibility in this interdependent world to work together across national boundaries to secure our common fate. GOALS THE UN AND CIVIL SOCIETY: Supporting the United Nations and working to strengthen and democratize this vital world organization. This includes efforts to establish a Peoples Assembly to act as a moral counter to the General Assembly of Nations as envisioned by former UN Secretary General Perez de Cuellar. AWC is a member of the steering community for the World Civil Society Forum (WCSF). ERADICATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS: Still the number one priority is the complete elimination of nuclear weapons from the face of the earth with legal constraints to ensure they can never be built again. There can be no security in this world until this goal is attained. The immediate task is for all nuclear warheads to be taken off the present hair-trigger alert status. This would eliminate the possibility of a nuclear exchange by an accident missile launch. Another immediate goal is to stop the development of the son of Star Wars anti-missile system, officially known as National Missile Defense (NMD). This scheme could ignite a new nuclear arms race; moreover, it is just the first step in the planned militarization of space. Eradication of nuclear weapons must also include the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction. THE WAR SYSTEM: The goal is the elimination of the war system with future conflicts between peoples and nations to be settled through the framework of world law under the jurisdiction of a much strengthened United Nations. There is no alternative to continuing war, leading to an ultimate disaster for humanity, or the constant preparation for war, with all the economic, political, and cultural elements that support and rely on the war system. GLOBALIZATION: Globalization is a natural progression toward a world community. However, the term has been misused by those whose goal is a world ruled by corporations backed by the massive military power of the United States and allies. This is essentially a de facto world government as proudly stated by the London Financial Times. This type of economic globalization is a disaster for our planet as it depends on constantly expanding markets, mass consumption, the inevitable decline of our planet's finite resources, and a widening gap between rich and poor. Globalization must be democratic and beneficial to all the people rather than the few. And it must include both social and economic justice. Today, only 20 percent of the world's population has more wealth than the remaining 80 percent. Moreover, this rich 20 percent consumes over 80 percent of the world's resources. There is no possibility to establish democracy and a peaceful world under this gross disparity of wealth. U.S. Supreme Court Louis Brandesis stated this succinctly: "You can have wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, or democracy. But you cannot have both." AWC ACTION PROGRAMS WORLD CITIZEN BRANCHES: A continuing program to establish AWC branches around the world with the task of registering people as world citizens with our personalized World Citizen ID Card, and to organize local peace activities in cooperation with AWC headquarters in San Francisco. There are now AWC branches in 51 countries. WORLD CITIZEN ASSEMBLY (WCA): Eleven WCAs have been held to date. The locations include Tokyo, Hiroshima, Paris, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and several in New York City. The latest Assembly, WCA 2001, was held in Taipei, Taiwan in April of 2001. More than 400 delegates from 52 countries attended the Taiwan assembly. These meetings bring together peace activists from around the world to initiate coordinated global action programs. WORLD CITIZENSHIP DAY CELEBRATION: The first World Citizenship Day Celebration was held in San Francisco on March 20, 2000. The second celebration was held during WCA 2001 in Taiwan and attended by 20,000 people and 3,000 performers in Taipei Stadium. This is an annual event. WORLD CITIZEN FESTIVALS: Focusing on the arts as a common cultural theme for humanity. This includes peace concerts, poets, writers and other performers using their artistic talents to promote peace and justice. STUDENTS FOR PEACE: An active program reaching out to students to work for peace on the local and global level as responsible citizens of the world. This includes a curriculum for students in high school and above to study conflict resolution, the United Nations, and other crucial issues. MEDIA: Ongoing project that includes our World Citizens Commentary program on Radio for Peace International As of January 1, 2002, 390 ACW programs, listed as the World Citizen Commentary Program, have been broadcasts worldwide. Other media outlets include the AWC World Citizen Newsletter, published articles and studies, a monthly TV program, and most important, the AWC Internet site: www.worldcitizens.org WE CAN SUCCEED! The Global Village is not a dream. We can succeed! Several years ago UNESCO commissioned a study on human violence entitled the Seville Statement. In this study, prominent scientists, academics, and other intellectuals from around the world concluded on a scientific basis that war is not inherent in human beings. War and group violence are learned and passed on from generation to generation. The Seville Statement concluded: "Since wars begin in the minds of men, so peace also begins in our minds. The same species that invented war is capable of inventing peace. The responsibility lies within each of us." BECOME PART OF THIS GREAT MOVEMENT TO BUILD A GLOBAL VILLAGE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY. JOIN TODAY!
The Association of World Citizens 55 New Montgomery Street, Suite 224 San Francisco, CA 94105 Telephone: (415) 541-9610 Fax: (650) 745-0640 Email address is: info@worldcitizens.org Latest News | Featured Publications | Join Today | Fundraising |