Executive Summary

At the beginning of the 20th century, national governments were the primary, if not exclusive actors on the world stage. At the beginning of the 21st century, governments now share the stage with two non-state actors - the business community, particularly global corporations, and civil society. This has presented unique challenges to the institutions of governance which, almost without exception, were designed for representatives of sovereign states.

During the WTO conference in Seattle in December, 1999, disturbances broke out when constituencies affected by the proposed decisions to be made during this conference were precluded from having a voice in the deliberations leading up to and during the conference. Reverberations of Seattle were felt in Davos, in January, 2000 for similar reasons.

A crucial challenge is to design and implement a mechanism by which to convene a global interaction in which the major affected stakeholders can deliberate together on issues including economic globalization, global governance and the challenges of multi-stakeholder dialogue.

It is to this challenge that the State of the World Forum has committed itself in this millennium year. Working with partners worldwide, the State of the World Forum will convene two thousand international leaders of business and civil society September 3-10, 2000 in New York, timed to coincide with the historic United Nations Millennium Summit, scheduled to begin September 6, 2000. The UN Millennium Summit is expected to draw upwards of 160-180 Heads of State, the largest gathering of government leaders in modern history.

The intent of the State of the World Forum and its partners in juxtaposing Forum 2000 with the UN Millennium Summit is to convene a "global town meeting" during which business and civil society can come together for substantive dialogue with selected heads of state concerning the great issues confronting humanity as globalization takes hold and affects us all.

In addressing such an historic challenge, Forum 2000 is not seeking to perpetuate any political or sectarian agenda but rather seeks to serve as a gathering point in which a genuinely global discussion, where all voices can be heard and respected, can take place. It does this in the conviction that it is only with all stakeholders at the table that the positive future we all seek will emerge.

The State of the World Forum is a non-profit, educational organization that seeks to establish a global network of leaders, citizens and institutions committed to discerning and implementing those principles, values and actions necessary to guide humanity as it gives shape to an increasingly global and interdependent civilization.

Forum 2000: Issue-Areas and Themes to be Highlighted

The Eight Major Conferences of the 1990s

The Forum's convening of leaders of civil society with heads of state during the UN Millennium Summit suggests both symbolically and substantively that the challenges confronting the world today cut across all boundaries, whether national, demographic, racial, religious or financial. There is no nation, institution, corporation or individual singularly capable of addressing the complex matrix of global problems and opportunities at the level of comprehensive understanding and depth that their resolutions will require. The emergence of positive approaches to these increasingly complex challenges will require active cooperation between all critical stakeholders, including governments, corporations, faith communities, labor and NGOs. Increasingly known as civil society rather than non-governmental organizations (NGOs), these interchangeable terms refer to the growing community of citizenÕs groups, both secular and faith-based, that encompass service, professional, advocacy, labor, academic, youth and activist organizations. Cooperation through deep dialogue that honors all concerned parties can allow for the emergence of creative strategies and innovative models of collaboration.

The central purpose of Forum 2000 is to facilitate this kind of interaction at a time when the Heads of State will be meeting to discuss ways in which the Untied Nations can most effectively address the challenges of the twenty first century. Forum 2000 has no formal affiliation with the UN Millennium Summit by design, in the belief that civil society must stand on it own and interact with government from its own base and from its own vantage point. The future of governance must include governments, civil society and the corporate sector, each operating in their own spheres and coming together as peers in a process of mutual discernment and deliberation. A major theme of Forum 2000 will be the emergence of civil society in shaping world priorities and the mechanisms of global governance

In designing Forum 2000, the State of the World Forum is mindful that the eight major UN conferences of the 1990s provided humanity with crucial opportunities in which the governments of the world - with input from thousands of NGOs, corporations and trade unions - deliberated comprehensively and forged consensus on major global issues such as the welfare of children, the environment, human rights, population, social development, women and habitat. While many of the recommendations and programs of action arising from these conferences have yet to be implemented, they nevertheless mark the first time in human history where the world came together in a deliberative process and reached consensus at a global level on a series of issues confronting the entire human community. They are thus a foundation from which all of us can begin to view the world and our future in a more integrated manner.

It is the intent of Forum 2000 to revisit, reaffirm and build upon these eight conferences and the progress made since their convening by pointing to best practices and new commitments which can further the momentum and trajectory which these conferences set:

The World Summit for Children, New York, 1990, convened 159 governments and included representatives of 45 NGOs, and was convened by UNICEF. This conference produced the World Declaration and Plan of Action on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children. It also led to the establishment of the National Program of Action within each of the participating governments.

The Whole Child Initiative of the State of the World Forum is working with UNICEF, the Jane Goodall Institute, the ChildrenÕs Defense Fund and the International Child Resource Institute, among others, to bring together experts childrenÕs issues from around the world to Forum 2000. Attention will be focused on the impact of the latest scientific research and best practices for nurturing children in our increasingly technological and fast-paced world. A major component of this track at Forum 2000 will be a special reception for First Ladies who are active in children related issues in their own countries.

United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 1992, convened 172 governments and 2,400 NGO representatives. The parallel NGO Forum was attended by 17,000 people. Also know as the Earth Summit, this conference produced Agenda 21; the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development; the Statement of Forest Principles; the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change which led to the Kyoto Accords; and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. This conference also led to the establishment of a UN Commission on Sustainable Development.

The Earth Council, a coalition set up during the Rio conference comprised of a broad spectrum of environmental groups worldwide, and the Center for Respect of Life and Environment, among others, are working together to design the environmental deliberations at Forum 2000. A major focus of the effort will be to garner support for the Earth Charter, scheduled to begin the UN ratification process in 2001.

World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna, 1993, convened 171 governments and 800 NGOs. This conference reaffirmed international commitment to all human rights, and to strengthening the mechanisms for monitoring and promoting human rights worldwide. It produced the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action and led to the appointment of a UN High Commissioner and Center for Human Rights.

The Forum is in discussion with Ibrahim Fall, the Secretary General of the Vienna Summit, who currently serves as Assistant Secretary General in the UN Office of Political Affairs, concerning the convening the human rights partners and discussions at Forum 2000.

International Conference on Population and Development, Cairo, 1994, convened 179 governments and included 4,200 NGOs, and produced the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development. It also led to the establishment of the UN Commission on Population and Development.

The Forum is in discussion with the UN Commission on Population and Development and related institutions concerning bringing leading specialists to Forum 2000 to consider the critical issues of global demographics and social development.

World Summit for Social Development, Copenhagen, 1995, convened 186 governments committed their government to eradicating poverty "as an ethical, social, political and economic imperative". Some 4,500 NGO representatives also attended. The conference produced the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and Programme of Action.

The Forum is working in association with UNDP and the Human Development Center of Pakistan, among others, to highlight the need to dramatically rethink the worldÕs approach to poverty and the way in which we calculate national well-being. The UNDPÕs Human Development Index, pioneered by the late Mahbub ul Haq, will be a centerpiece of these discussions.

Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 1995, convened 189 governments and included 5,000 representatives from 2,100 NGOs Ð in addition to 30,000 people who attended the independent NGO Forum. The conference resulted in the Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action which sets out plans to enhance the social, economic and political empowerment of women, improve their health, advance their education and promote their marital and sexual rights. The conference led to the establishment of the National Programs for Action within participating governments.

The Forum is working with UNIFEM, the WomenÕs Learning Project and the Shaler Adams Foundation, among others, to bring to Forum 2000 a strong and diversified coalition of women leaders. The year 2000 will mark the fifth anniversary of the Beijing conference and will thus see major activity by the womenÕs movement worldwide.

Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (HabitatII), Istanbul, 1996, convened 171 governments and included 2,400 NGO representatives. This conference adopted the Habitat Agenda and the Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements which set out policy guidelines and government commitments to improving living conditions in urban and rural settlements, and to the "full and progressive realization of the rights to adequate housing". HabitatII also broke new ground by involving mayors and other local officials in the formal proceedings and recognized their key role as partners in implementing the Habitat Agenda.

The Forum is working closely with Wally N'Dow, the Secretary General of the Habitat conference and Co-Chair of the State of the World Forum, to design a program for Forum 2000 that will accentuate the need for low cost affordable housing worldwide and the need to commit to ending poverty housing.

World Food Summit, Rome, 1996, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in response to widespread undernutrition and growing concern about the capacity of agriculture to meet future good needs. Participating countries numbered 186, and there was additional input from13 NGO caucuses. The conference resulted in the Rome Declaration on World Food Security and the World Food Summit Plan of Action.

The Forum is in discussion with the FAO concerning developing a program on food related issues for Forum 2000.

Key leadership figures from these UN conferences have been invited to serve as Co-Chairs of Forum 2000 and are being consulted for their recommendations as to which groups from civil society and which representatives from governments have been particularly active and constructive in their respective areas. Leaders of these diverse constituencies are being contacted, brought into the planning and consultative process and invited to help shape the agenda of the conference.

Additional Themes to be Highlighted During Forum 2000

Other critical domains of human challenge and opportunity will be developed to complement the issues addressed in these eight UN conferences. These include:

The Realities of Globalization. McKinsey & Co. is developing a program that will elucidate the realities of globalization as the result of inevitable economic forces rather than the product of political ideology. The point that the McKinsey team will seek to make is that when the process and modalities of globalization are understood in an intellectually and factually objective way, countries and societies everywhere, whether in the developed or developing world, can benefit mutually and accrue prosperity across the social spectrum.

Masters of Leadership. Steven Covey, author of Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and Co-Chairman of The Franklin Covey Corporation, will conduct a series of dialogues with international leaders and business executives regarding the kind of leadership required in the twenty first century and a globalizing world. Franklin Covey is also partnering with the State of the World Forum to provide the human resource and process technology to ensure that Forum 2000 is properly facilitated and managed from a process point of view.

Millennium Enterprise Summit. The Progressio Foundation of the Netherlands will convene a 'Millennium Enterprise Summit' of business executives for a special three day program September 6-9 to consider the issue of how businesses can enhance their participation in designing creative multi-stakeholder approaches to global issues. The topics include how the corporate imperative for profit can be constructively informed by concerns of sustainability, equity, community, and environmental sustainability. Progression is working with the World Business Council on Sustainable Development, the UK Industrial Society, Price Waterhouse Coopers, the Prince of Wales Trust and the European Business Network for Social Cohesion, among others, in the development of this special executive track.

Providing Information Affluence to the Developing World. The Forum is developing a joint venture with the WorldSpace Corporation and Solaria Corporation, called =access, which will display the latest technology that is bringing information affluence to vast areas of Africa and Asia through AfriStar and AsiaStar, two satellites in orbit owned by WorldSpace. =access is developing radio programming in areas of human health and family planning, AIDS prevention, long distance education, entrepreneurship and micro-credit, and public affairs. Forum 2000 will be broadcast over the WorldSpace satellites across Africa and Asia.

Overcoming Digital Apartheid. salesforce.com will convene specialists working to ensure that all children enjoy access to the internet as they learn at school. Benioff's Promise, a Foundation set up to promote Internet education, will donate computers and technology to selected schools in New York during Forum 2000. Participants will be invited to take an afternoon during the conference to wire the schools.

Making a Profit While making a Difference. The Capital Missions Company, which convenes the annual 'Making a Profit While Making a Difference' conference, will convene at Forum 2000 representatives of major mutual funds and corporations which make significant profits while dedicating themselves to being socially responsible and ecologically sustainable. The thrust of this track will be to demonstrate that commercial logic and sustainability are not at odds.

North South Roundtable. The Mahbub ul Haq Center for Human Development of Pakistan will convene government and policy-makers from the north and the south to discuss the imperative for global human security in the face of continuing conflicts around the world; the need for new and revitalized institutions of global governance; and the challenging task of eliminating global poverty and advancing human development.

Artificial Intelligence. Marc Benioff, Chairman and CEO of salesforce.com, will convene specialists to discuss the rapid technological advances in the field of artificial intelligence and their philosophical and social implications. The issue of the growing intelligence of computers will be a focus of these discussions and whether or not at a certain point one can say that computers are in fact developing their own consciousness.

The Middle Powers Initiative. The New Agenda Coalition, comprised of Brazil, Egypt, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Sweden and South Africa, is a newly organized coalition of 'middle powers' seeking to pressure the nuclear possessing states with the need for serious disarmament. Canadian Senator Douglas Roach, the convenor of the Middle Powers Initiative, will convene discussions between several heads of state from these nations and military and civilian leaders to discuss prospects for realistic nuclear disarmament. The Global Security Institute, headed by former U.S. Senator Alan Cranston, is actively involved in the planning for these sessions.

Trafficking of Small Arms. The Eminent Person's Group, Co-Chaired by H.E. Mr. Michel Rocard, former Prime Minister of France, is catalyzing the development of a United Nations Conference on Small Arms Trafficking to be convened in 2001. During Forum 2000, the EPG will partner with the Forum to convene dialogue intended to broaden understanding of the scope and magnitude of the contribution of small arms trafficking to protracted conflicts, loss of civilian life and regional instability.

Religious and Spiritual Leadership for the 21st Century. The Forum is working in partnership with the Interfaith Center of New York and the organizers of the Millennium Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders, scheduled for August 28-29, 2000 in New York. It is anticipated that upwards of one thousand religious and spiritual leaders will attend the Summit and that a significant number will stay on to attend Forum 2000.

Science, Spirit and the Care of Creation. The International Space Sciences Organization will convene leading scientists and religious leaders for a discussion of how recent developments in physics impact science and spirituality. More broadly, the group will explore the different realms of science and spirituality and what basis there might be for dialogue and interaction between them. Within this context, the group will focus attention on whether a shared ethical viewpoint is possible given the very diverse ontologies science and spirituality represent.

Indigenous Healing and Modern Medicine. The Worldwide Indigenous Science Network, working in partnership with the Ringing Rocks Foundation, among others, will convene indigenous healers from around the world representing a multiplicity of indigenous traditions from the Americas, Africa and Asia. These leaders will interact with specialists representing the field of modern medicine for an interactive dialogue concerning the possibility of integral medicine, which honors the contributions of both ancient and modern traditions of healing.

Nobel Peace Prize Commission for Mediation and Preventive Diplomacy. This strategic initiative of the State of the World Forum will be launched at Forum 2000. It has come at the behest of two Nobel Peace Prize laureates, Jose Ramos Horta and Oscar Arias, who asked the Forum to support their efforts to launch an initiative to enable the Nobel Peace laureates to work together in selected conflict areas with the support of specialists, where such interventions might either prevent or ameliorate conflicts.

Child Labor. The Forum has included youth as peers in all its proceedings since its inaugural conference in 1995. In 1999, the Forum launched its Emerging Leaders Program, a network of youth leaders worldwide. Youth are selected for their demonstrated leadership capabilities, resulting in an extraordinary global network of youth leaders. Forum 2000 will highlight the work of Free the Children, a youth organized and operated international network of over 100,000 youth in twenty one countries working on child labor issues.

Civil Society Initiative for a Better UN. This initiative, coordinated by Earth Action Network, is convening major NGOs to explore how civil society can take an enhanced leadership position in affairs pertaining to global governance. As exemplified by the creation of the International Criminal Court and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, effective organization on behalf of the NGO community, in partnership with national governments, can play a critical and catalytic role in the creation of international organizations and in setting priorities for the global agenda. The Civil Society Initiative will be formally launched at Forum 2000.

Education and Learning in the 21st Century. The Forum is working with a coalition of groups, comprised of the 21st Century Learning Initiative, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, the Organization for Atma Vidya Educational Foundation, among others, to build upon their work in addressing the disparity between our current educational practices and what we now know about how children learn. The aim of the Forum 2000 educational program is to bring more alignment between educational policy and learning theory, as well as showcase educational best practices.

The Consequences of the International War on Drugs. The Lindesmith Center, a project of George Soros' Open Society Institute, will convene an international gathering of heads of state and policy experts to examine consequences and costs of current drug control policies. Working with the Zimmer Family Foundation and others, the Lindesmith Center will focus attention on the fact that current policies may be doing more harm than good and therefore other alternatives should be explored.

In addition to these areas, the Forum is in discussion with a wide spectrum of individuals and institutions concerning other areas of human concern. As these partnerships develop and are confirmed, they will be added to the above list. Please check the Forum website at www.worldforum.org for updated information.

Media and Public Education

A critical component of Forum 2000 is widespread dissemination of the event through media. In this spirit, the Forum is in discussion with a number of media partners to ensure that selected plenary sessions and events will be broadcast around the world on television, radio and the internet.

The Forum is now in discussions regarding the broadcast and webcast rights to Forum 2000, as well as long-term television and internet rights and a wide array of Forum intellectual properties. The scope and scale of discussions varies from the production of a single 60-90 minute public affairs special to the creation of a State of the World television and internet network. It is presently anticipated that a formal agreement and/or agreements will be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2000.

The Forum is also working with the WorldSpace Corporation to establish an unprecedented suite of humanitarian and educational digital radio and multimedia services directed to underdeveloped rural and urban communities in more than 130 developing nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The service, called =access, will deliver its programming through WorldSpace's $1 billion digital satellite broadcasting infrastructure. This global radio network will provide the Forum with a communications infrastructure that will broadcast Forum 2000 dialogues to those currently without access to information technology.

Cooperation with the United Nations

Forum 2000 is an event of the State of the World Forum and it global partners. It will take place concurrently with the Millennium Summit of the United Nations but has no official administrative, jurisdictional or financial connections with the UN. The State of the World Forum is an independent, non-profit 501c3 organization. The Forum has been in direct communication and cooperation with a number of UN offices and agencies as it prepares for Forum 2000. These include:

United Nations Development Programme

In 1999, the Forum established an association with UNDP in its preparations for Forum 2000. The multifaceted and comprehensive work conducted by UNDP on issues of human development around the world will be invaluable in ensuring that the information and vision developed at Forum 2000 will be grounded in the human development framework of UNDP and the greater ethos of the United Nations.

Office of the Assistant Secretary General for External Relations

Gillian Sorensen, the Assistant Secretary General for External Relations, has been supportive of Forum 2000 since its inception. Her office has worked with the State of the World Forum in providing advice and generating support among civil society for Forum 2000.

The United Nation Millennium Assembly Coordinator's Office

The Secretary General has established this office to coordinate all UN-related millennium events. Forum 2000 is recognized on the UN website as a "Millennium Related Event" and is listed on the UN's calendar of Millennium events.

Millennium Forum Organizers

The State of the World Forum is working to support the Millennium Forum scheduled to take place at the United Nations on May 22-26, 2000. The Millennium Forum will bring together civil society representatives from all over the world to consult about the future in relation to the great global challenges that must be confronted by the United Nations in the 21st Century, with themes for discussion set to encompass much of the work that has been accomplished at the eight major UN global conferences of the last decade. Active collaboration between the State of the World Forum and the Millennium Forum is designed to strengthen the impact of both events. The substantive work and agendas developed at the May 2000 conference will contribute significantly to the core agenda for discussion with national leaders during Forum 2000.

Outcomes of Forum 2000

Forum 2000 seeks to demonstrate both symbolically and substantively that the future of effective governance lies in innovative and novel partnerships between governments, civil society and the business sector. Forum 2000 will provide an unprecedented opportunity for Heads of State to meet with leaders of civil society and business as potential partners in the face of challenges which require the active cooperation of all sectors of society. Forum 2000 is designed to enable diverse parties to find innovative ways to continue working together and develop mechanisms which can sustain their interactions both at the level of dialogue on global issues and at the level of concrete actions.

In and through Forum 2000, the State of the World Forum seeks to galvanize thought and action toward the following:

• Model Programs and Best Practices - identifying those replicable projects and institutions that exemplify and demonstrate the practicality of building a more compassionate, just and sustainable civilization.
• State-of-the-Art Foresight and Decision-Support System - establishing a permanent, internet-based global foresight and decision-support capability comprised of an international consortium of leading private and public think tanks and applied research centers worldwide. The prime objective of this 'civil intelligence agency' would be to serve as an objective reference standard for the provision of critical information, knowledge and wise council as regards the future development of a sustainable human civilization.
• Civic Leadership Development - creating opportunities for innovative leaders from the fields of politics, social activism, business, finance, science, academia, religion and the arts who participate in Forum 2000 to continue working together beyond the conference on issues of mutual concern.
• Transmedia Communication and Education - developing television, radio, print and internet presentations and educational packages designed to inform, inspire and involve the interested public and civic institutions.

Conference Design

Forum 2000 is being designed in partnership with Franklin Covey, which is providing the human resource and process technology for the event. Franklin Covey has made available for all the partners of the Forum, the Steven Covey leadership seminars, which are not only excellent leadership training in their own right, but are also providing a cohesive ethos that the broad spectrum of partners can share as they come into the Forum 2000 process.

The event will begin Sunday evening, September 3, and conclude Sunday mid-day, September 10, 2000. It will be centered at the New York Hilton and surrounding hotels. The basic format will be plenary sessions in the morning followed by luncheon keynotes; additional plenaries and break-out sessions in the afternoon; and keynote dinners in the evening. Total attendance is expected to be around 2,500, the seating capacity of the New York Hilton Grand Ball Room.

Our partners in the various theme areas will each be invited to design and present a plenary session and a series of break-out roundtable sessions in the course of the week. Each theme will be represented by selected key leaders drawn from around the world. As envisioned, each plenary session will feature one or two heads of state conversant with the issue in question, along with prominent leaders of civil society and the invited representatives of relevant UN agencies and programs.

About the State of the World Forum

The State of the World Forum is a non-profit 501c3, the mission of which is to establish a global network of leaders, citizens and institutions committed to discerning and implementing those principles, values and actions necessary to guide humanity wisely as it gives shape to an increasingly global and interdependent civilization.

The Forum seeks to achieve this mission by:

• Convening conferences designed for deep dialogue concerning issues of fundamental ethical importance;
• Inviting to these discussions stakeholders from a spectrum of disciplines and from around the world, including youth, in a spirit of collaborative inquiry, mutual respect and interdependence;
• Challenging all stakeholders to transform what they have come to know about the world into constructive actions which make a difference;
• Building a global coalition of leaders and institutions willing to work together in an integrative way on issues of mutual concern affecting the future of humanity.

The Network

Toward this end, the Forum has convened individuals from all around the world and from a spectrum of disciplines, including heads of state, Nobel Laureates, social analysts, grassroots activists, business executives, scientists, policy makers, senior military officers, politicians, spiritual leaders, artists, academics, and many others, ensuring gender parity among speakers and the full inclusion of youth in all proceedings.

The network is continuously connected through the Forum's annual conferences, regional gatherings, and ongoing action-based strategic initiatives. The result of connecting and challenging leaders and thinkers who may not traditionally interact under this framework, generates breakthroughs in thinking, unexpected programmatic initiatives and transformations at the deepest personal and social levels.

Transforming Conversations That Matter into Actions That Make a Difference

The Forum accentuates innovative ideas and creates an enabling environment for deep discussions of global concern, seeking to promote an increased sense of personal and civic responsibility by exploring new models of thought, action, communication and participation. In and through the conferences convened, the Forum challenges its participants to transform thought into deed, dialogue into action. Forum gatherings thus consistently yield demonstrable results and often develop into ongoing Forum projects, called strategic initiatives, that address pressing global issues.

The first State of the World Forum was held in San Francisco in October 1995. Convened by Mikhail Gorbachev and fellow Co-Chairs Oscar Arias, Ruud Lubbers, Thabo Mbeke, George Schultz, Rigoberta Menchu Tum, Ted Turner, more than 500 innovative leaders from 50 nations came together. Since then, over 4,000 people from the world over have gathered for annual and regional forums in San Francisco (where the Forum holds its annual conference), Moscow, Washington, D.C., New Delhi, Islamabad, Guanajuato and Monterrey (Mexico), Brussels and Belfast.

The Strategic Initiatives are a direct result of the in-depth and interdisciplinary dialogue taking place at Forum gatherings. The Forum is responsible for directing and managing these Initiatives in collaboration with many strategic partners worldwide.

Summary

The growing complexity and interdependence of global markets and governance systems illustrates profoundly the need for rigorous multi-stakeholder dialogue and inquiry into the practical design for the long-term, effective management of human systems. Increasingly, with information and communication technologies empowering individuals everywhere, humanity's future rests with the people of the world and the self-organizing networks of affinity they are creating. Humanity is poised to make extraordinary progress toward creating a world that works for an increasing number of people. Indeed, in and through all the vicissitudes of contemporary history, a new cultural matrix is arising; one based on the integration of all the dimensions of human life and a new sense of personal and civic responsibility. This mandates new thinking concerning global governance and the creation of new mechanisms and institutions whereby governments, the corporate sector and civil society can interact creatively to solve common problems.

The intent of State of the World Forum in developing Forum 2000 is to work with partners worldwide to help galvanize a spiritual, political and cultural renaissance to keep pace with humanity's scientific and technological advances, such that the momentum toward a global civilization is comprised of holistic, self-actualizing individuals and vital, integrated communities.

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21st Century Learning Initiative

http://www.21learn.org

mail@21learn.org