 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
ASSOCIATION OF WORLD CITIZENS  "I am a citizen, not of Athens,
or Greece, but of the world." THE ASSOCIATION OF WORLD CITIZENS (AWC) is an international peace organization with branches in 50 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 goal is working with people, progressive governments, and international institutions to create 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 theWorld.
AWC is working with people, progressive governments, and international institutions to help create a democratic world community with global governance capable of maintaining lasting peace and justice through international law. The key to achieve this goal is for people to think and act as responsible Citizens of the World.
ERADICATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS: A top 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 until this goal is attained. There are 30,000 nuclear weapons stockpiled in this third year of the new millennium. Moreover, thousands of U.S. and Russian nuclear warheads are on a hair-trigger alert, ready for launch in a few minutes notice. The immediate task is for all nuclear warheads to be taken off hair-trigger alert status. This would eliminate the possibility of nuclear war through an accidental missile launch or miscalculation and the subsequent destruction of both the United States and Russia within an hour. The elimination of nuclear weapons will lead to the eradication of all weapons of mass destruction. THE WAR SYSTEM: The goal is the elimination of the war system itself, with future conflicts between peoples and nations to be settled through the framework of world law under the jurisdiction of a much strengthened, democratic, representative, and reformed United Nations. There is no alternative to perpetual 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. An immediate task is to stop the militarization of space, which would turn the heavens above into a new terrorism for humanity below, and make disarmament steps more difficult, if not impossible.
GLOBALIZATION: Globalization can be a step toward a progressive world community. However, this term has been co-opted by those whose goal is a world ruled by a few powerful nations, their corporations, an elite rich minority, and backed by the massive military power of the United States. This is essentially a de facto world government. It is the antithesis of democracy; moreover, corporate economic globalization is a disaster for our planet because this system is dependent on constantly expanding markets and mass consumption, which inevitably leads to a polluted and resource depleted planet. Corporate globalization has also widened the shameful 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 consume 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. THE UN AND CIVIL SOCIETY:
REFORM AND DEMOCRATIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS, a "Third Generation UN" as former UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali terms it, must include direct representation of people. In cooperation with the Campaign for a More Democratic UN (CAMDUN), AWC actively works for the inclusion of a Peoples Assembly within the UN system, which is possible under Article 22 of the UN Charter. One concept is a two-tier parliament as suggested by former UN Secretary General Perez de Cuellar. One tier would be the General Assembly of nations, and the second tier comprised of civil society, perhaps represented by NGOs. OPTIONS FOR A PEOPLES ASSEMBLY (CAMDUM) WORLD CITIZEN ASSEMBLY (WCA): Eleven WCAs have been held to date. The locations included Tokyo, Hiroshima, Paris, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and several in New York City. The latest Assembly was held in Taipei, Taiwan in April of 2001. More than 400 delegates from 52 countries attended. These meetings bring together peace activists from around the world to initiate coordinated global action programs. The next WCA is scheduled for San Francisco in late 2004. 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.
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. The Global Village is not a dream; it is imperative if humankind is to survive. In 1989, UNESCO officially adopted a study on human violence entitled the Seville Statement. This study by prominent scientists, academics, and other intellectuals from around the world concluded that war is not inherent in human beings. The violence of war is 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.
AND BE PART OF THIS GREAT MOVEMENT TO CREATE A BETTER WORLD FOR THE 21ST CENTURY 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 Resolution 2010 | Human Manifesto | AWC History United Nations | AWC Staff | Join Online Today | Worldometers Contact Us |