Global Declaration of Soul Education:
"We, the representatives of Soul-inspired educational initiatives and networks
of
holistic education from around the world, gathered for the Soul in
Education international conference, institutionally
endorsed by UNESCO in line with the ideals of its International
Year for the Culture of Peace....
"In
pursuit of these objectives we... invite policy makers and leaders of the
world's educational organisations, including UNESCO and national governments as
well as teacher education institutions, academic and research centres,
educational networks, the private sector, and all peoples to join in the
promulgation of this Declaration and to work assiduously towards the
implementation of the World Programme for Soul Education as a
personal and collective responsibility of humanity in the new
millennium."
See
New Beliefs for a Global Village
Lugar opens peace meeting:
"The incoming chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee yesterday told
an international gathering of civic and religious leaders here that Americans
must become more global-minded and
understand the religious values at the root of all societies. ....
"
The
conference, organized by the Interreligious and
International Federation for World Peace, recognized the
accomplishments of its founder, the Rev. Sun Myung
Moon... He described the past year as a time of 'great transition,'
saying that 'the United Nations and the nations of the world must unite and
cooperate with each other.'"
See
Reinventing the World
and
Psalm 2
U.S. Social Security May Reach To Mexico:
"Pushed by the Mexican government, the Bush administration is working on a
Social Security accord that would put tens of thousands of Mexicans onto the
Social Security roster and send hundreds of millions of dollars in benefits
south of the border.
"White House and Mexican government officials say
discussions on an agreement to align the Social Security systems of the two
countries are informal and preliminary. But excerpts from an internal Social
Security Administration memo obtained this month say the agreement 'is
expected to move forward at an accelerated pace,' with the support of both
governments, and could be in force by next October."
For another example of such regionalism,
see
New "Literacy" for a New World
U.N. report on child soldiers
omits Palestinians:
"Although U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan's new report to the Security Council condemning nations and movements that recruit child soldiers identifies 23 different offending parties -- from Afghanistan to Burundi, from Colombia to Nepal, and from the Philippines to Sudan – one entity particularly known for massive recruitment of child warriors is conspicuously absent: the Palestinians....
"For the first time in an official report to the Security Council, those who violate standards for the protection of war-affected children have been specifically named and listed," said Olara Otunnu, Annan's special representative for children and armed conflict.
"Indeed, the ever-escalating intifada-cum-war in the Middle East has relied from the start on children as front-line combatants."
See
Four Faces of Islam
Alarm at 'EU Pentagon' plan:
"The European Union is drawing up plans for a 'Euro-Pentagon' in Brussels commanded by a defence chief able to launch military operations anywhere in the world.
The proposals call for an EU defence secretary with responsibility for running operations.
His staff would be able to draw on an autonomous EU command and control nexus and an intelligence agency with satellite capability."
Rapid Reaction against UN Foes
Lessons tailored to fit the learner, not vice versa:
"Though it may look like only a handful of students are paying any attention to their teacher, more than half of Doll's 27 students have their
own individual academic plans. They are written documents that outline goals for the student and how the student, teacher and parents will work together to achieve them.... The learning plans, which basically involve getting parents, teacher and student to draw up a list of goals and ways to reach them, have yielded numerous benefits.
"...every student
gets an accelerated learning plan in kindergarten that follows him or her — like
a medical chart — through each grade."