Invitation to participate in "Global Symposium on World Parliament and World Democracy" for civil society

["World Unity and Peace Education Department" <wuped at cmseducation.org>]

Dear Friend,

Sub: Invitation to participate in "Global Symposium on World Parliament and
World Democracy" for civil society being organized parallel to the 5th
International Conference of Chief Justices of the World at Lucknow (India)

On behalf of over 28,000 students of City Montessori School (CMS) -
representing the world's two billion children and generations
yet-to-be-born, we take great pleasure in inviting your participation in
the Global Symposium on World Parliament and World Democracy. This
Symposium for civil society will be held from 10th to 13th December 2004
and will run parallel to the 5th International Conference of Chief Justices
of the World (10-12 December, 2004) being organized by the CMS World Unity
and Peace Education Department at the CMS World Unity Convention Centre in
Lucknow  (India).

The Symposium will have six roundtables on the following themes: (for
details see end of the letter and register)
  1.. Peace, Security and Nuclear Disarmament
  2.. Human Rights (including Children's Rights & Women's Rights):
Achieving Equality and Justice
  3.. World Citizenship and Global Governance
  4.. Democratizing/Reforming the United Nations and World Parliament
  5.. Role of Media in the emerging New World Order
  6.. Sustainable Development with safe and healthy ecology
Today, humanity faces the paradox of the Third Millennium: we can overcome
history from above, acceding to a world society that overcomes national
states and their conflicts and establish a democratic world parliament that
can deliberate on the themes that are getting central for the planet.

Since more and more issues increasingly demand global solutions, we
therefore need to strengthen institution for global decision-making and
make them more responsible to the people they affect. This line of thought
leads in the direction of a world community with its own directly elected
legislature.

Humanity is divided in nations, and the deceptive interests of these
nations are not in harmony with the interest of humanity. In the universe
created by modern techniques, the necessity of a worldwide collaboration is
absolute if humankind has to survive. And nationalism is the main obstacle
for a social cohesion transcended beyond national borders. Our goal
therefore should be the creation of a democratic world parliament. And, if
it gets possible, humanity will enter a period of prosperity and welfare
completely unknown in our last experience as species. The problem resides
in the way we consider the expression "all the people". We need an
international patriotism and not an individual one. It is time to think in
a public way and in high voice about a new world order.

As a great 20th century savant once observed, "Unification of the whole
mankind is the hallmark of the stage which human society is now
approaching. Unity of family, of tribe, of city-state, and nation have been
successively attempted and fully established. World unity is the goal
towards which a harassed humanity is striving. Nation building has come to
an end. The anarchy inherent in state sovereignty is moving towards a
climax. A world, growing to maturity, must abandon this fetish, recognize
the oneness and wholeness of human relationship, and establish once for all
machinery that can best incarnate this fundamental principle of its life."

The 20th century's conquest of space made possible for a human being to
look at our planet from a point not on it, and so see it, literally, as one
world. Now the 21st century faces the task of developing a suitable form of
democratic global governance for that single world.

The perception that economic and social inequalities are increasing at an
exponential rate, that human rights are submitted to unacceptable
discriminations and that the existent politic institution are ineffective
to impulse and defend Equality, Justice and Democracy on the global scale
is increasing everywhere.

If the United Nations and the NGO's are committed with the development of
democracy in the global level, their basic matter should be just one: how
to reform the present structure of global governance in order to make it
democratic, represented, legitimate and accountable? How to create a global
governance structure that is based on the basic principle of modern
societies, that is: democratic representation.

It should be mentioned here that CMS believes that "School must act as the
Lighthouse of Society" and provide meaningful education, spiritual
direction and leadership not only to students but also to parents and
society at large. CMS also advocates that a modern school must concern
itself with the affairs of the age. Hence this initiative on behalf of the
world's two billion children and generations yet-to-be-born. It may also be
mentioned that CMS is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as
the world's largest city-school and is the world's only school to have been
awarded the prestigious UNESCO Prize for Peace Education 2002.

The objective of the Symposium is to provide a framework that goes beyond
the abstract of dialogue by fostering a stronger foundation through
personal interaction from which mutual understanding and effective
leadership skills can grow.

The Symposium therefore aims to support the appeal by CMS students raised
on behalf of world's two billion children requesting the Chief Justices
gathered at the 5th International Conference of Chief Justices of the World
to help establish a duly constituted democratic world parliament empowered
to enact Enforceable International Law capable of protecting children's
right to a safe future. As a well-known support of world peace, we seek
your presence and active participation at the Symposium.

We look forward to your acceptance of our invitation and hope to see you in
Lucknow this December. Please note that English will be the official
language at the Symposium. Complimentary boarding and lodging will be
provided to all participants at our International Guest House. However,
participants must pay for their travel fare to and from Lucknow.
Please also note that Lucknow is well connected by air, rail and road to
all major cities of India.

With highest regards (on behalf of world's two billion children)

Mr. Jagdish Gandhi
Founder-Manager, City Montessori School (CMS)
& Convenor of the Symposium
12, Station Road, Lucknow - 226 001 (INDIA)
Tel: 0091-522-2637691, 2638483 & 2638738
Fax: 0091-522-2638008 & 2635497
Email: wuped at cmseducation.org
Website: http://www.cmseducation.org/wuped.

The attachments are as follows:
  1.. Topics for roundtables (with themes and their objectives)
  2.. Registration form
  3.. Programme details
Topics for Roundtables:-

1)_Peace, Security & Nuclear Disarmament
Theme: It is verily true that if we want peace we must be prepared for war.
Technological advancement in missile technology is imperative to deter
unwanted enemies and protect our people. However the emergence of new
nations as nuclear powers has given rise to unstable political and
economical equations.
Objective: We must avail of every opportunity to bring people of the world
together on a common platform to strive for the ultimate goal of peace and
security for humankind so that we may preserve the future for the coming
generations.

2) Human Rights (including Children's Rights & Women's Rights): Achieving
Equality and Justice
Theme: Human dignity is invaluable and violating the rights of any
individual as underlined in our Constitution is equal to undermining his
dignity and a gross injustice to the individual.
Objective: To reach out and educate nations of our civilized world to
respect the dignity of the Individual. Also and most importantly, to
protect the rights of every child - to mature his growth into a worthy
Citizen of the world.

3) World Citizenship and Global Governance
Theme: People of all races, colour and creed inhabit the earth. But their
needs are the same - they need food and water for sustenance, protection
from the elements and education to survive.
Objective: We have to discourage disparity between rich and poor nations,
weed out racial discrimination, and negotiate for Peace and equality among
the citizens of our world. We should try to be cosmopolitan by nature.

4) Democratizing / Reforming the United Nations and World Parliament
Theme: The United Nations is the only organization authorized to ensure
peace and negotiate among warring nations. Yet, it has a limited membership
and is often reduced to being a tool for bartering amongst influential
nations.
Objective: To strengthen the UNO by ensuring it functions in a democratic
manner and introducing necessary reforms whereby membership is mandatory
for all nations. To encourage emergence of a world parliament wholly
represented by eminent personalities from Member nations to work on a
single point programme of peace and goodwill amongst the people of this
World.

5) Role of Media in the emerging New World Order
Theme: Reporting of events for recording in history cannot be complete
without the media. Communication with people is only possible because of
the media. It is the only and the most powerful means of communicating with
man in the new world.
Objective: The media needs to realize its responsibilities. It should be
positive, constructive, educative, and not negative and judgmental. It
should be an instrument of peace and harmony, among nations and peoples.

6) Sustainable Development with safe and healthy ecology.
Theme: A healthy environment is conducive to preservation of the species.
We have survived the millennium because we are the fittest.
Objective: Ecological imbalances impair the possibilities of survival of so
many species. If man is to reign supreme he has to preserve his habitat
despite technological advancement.

Registration Form

"I hereby confirm my participation in the Symposium on "World Parliament
and World Democracy" to be held at World Unity Convention Centre, CMS,
Lucknow, INDIA from 10th to 13th December 2004.
First Name:
Middle Name:
Last Name:
Sex:
Name as in Passport
Passport Number:
Date of issue of passport:
Date of expiry of passport:
Place of issue of passport:
Country of Origin:
Institution/Organization:
Designation:
Theme to be opted (select one theme only by a putting a tick mark)
o Peace, Security and Nuclear Disarmament.
            o Human Rights (including Children's Rights & Women's Rights):
Achieving Equality and
                    Justice.
            o World Citizenship and Global Governance.
            o Democratizing/Reforming the United Nations and World Parliament
            o Role of Media in the emerging New World Order.
            o Sustainable Development with safe and healthy ecology.
Postal Address:

Full office address:

Full residential address:

Telephone Number:                                                      Area
Code: (        )
Fax Number:
Area Code: (        )
Email address:
Spoken Languages:

Date:
Signature:

Please send us the above form duly filled at the following address:
World Unity & Peace Education Department. (WUPED)
c/o City Montessori School (CMS)
12, Station Road, Lucknow - 226 001 (INDIA)
Tel: 0091-522-2637691, 2638483 & 2638738
Fax: 0091-522-2638008 & 2635497
Email: wuped at cmseducation.org
Website: http://www.cmseducation.org/wuped
               http://www.cmseducation.org/article51
Register online: http://www.cmseducation.org/wuped/register.htm

Programme
9 December 2004 - Arrival, Reception and Welcome Ceremony
10 December 2004 - Preparatory Session, Workshops and Roundtable discussions
11 and 12 December 2004 - Plenary Session, Speeches and presentations
13 December 2004 - Review Session, Review meeting and resolutions

Tentative Program During All Days: -
1.Peace Market and Exhibition: Books, posters, photos and other peace
education material from peace-   groups of different countries, initiatives
and organization.
2.Internet-Café: Open during the whole Conference.
3.Internet-documentation: The conference will be covered via Internet at
http://www.cmseducation.org/wuped. All participants can write texts, thesis
or reports for this internet-editorial office. In advance of the
conference, we begin a discussion among students about their visions. This
discussion ends up in an online-conference among the engaged pupils and
students.
4.Children create a peace-newspaper: Students of CMS will compose a daily
Conference Report with interviews, articles, reports about the
conference-events. The report will be printed during the night - so that
latest news is available next day for all participants. Professional
journalists of different newspapers will support the children. Published
news will be displayed on Notice Boards at several locations at the venue
and will also be available at the Information Centre for those interested.

Accommodation/Lodging:
Guesthouse accommodation with world-class facilities will be provided with
priority for participants from abroad. Arrangements for stay at Star Hotels
can also be made on request by advance payment of the participants.
Meals:
Lunch, breakfast, dinner, tea and snacks will be complimentary to all the
participants.
Travel:
All participants must pay for their own travel to and from Lucknow. Local
transportation will be provided with priority for participants from abroad.
Conference languages:
English is the official link language at the Conference. Translation
services can be provided upon prior request, for the symposium for Hindi,
Urdu, French, Spanish and Russian.
Media Coverage:
Press releases will be sent out every day to national and international
media. (Print and electronic)
Press conferences will be organized on the first day and last day of the
Symposium.
Connections to Lucknow City:
Connectivity by Air, Rail and Road: Amausi Airport, Lucknow is directly
connected with Delhi, Kolkota (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay), Patna and
Varanasi cities. There are also weekly international flights for Sharjah.
Lucknow is also a major railway junction and is well connected by road with
all the metropolitan cities of the country.