About
Us - Strategic Initiatives  Actions That Make A Difference: The Forum’s Strategic Initiatives
In and through the conferences
it convenes, the Forum challenges its participants to transform thought into deed, dialogue into action. Forum gatherings
thus consistently yield concrete results and often catalyze the development of ongoing Forum projects, called Strategic Initiatives,
which address pressing global issues and forge international partnerships. 
Below is a summary of the main highlights and accomplishments of each Strategic Initiative.
COMMISSION ON GLOBALIZATION: 2000 – 2004 The proposal
for an international and cross-sectoral Commission on Globalization grew out of State of the World Forum 2000, convened September
4-10, 2000 in New York. The conference was a multi-stakeholder “post Seattle” dialogue on globalization and coincided
with the UN Millennium Summit of Heads of State. The event was unprecedented in scope and diversity and gave rise to the recommendation
that such a substantive and diverse interaction should be continued in light of the growing public and political debate on
globalization and global governance, heightened by the number of protesters at WTO, IMF/World Bank and World Economic Forum
meetings from Seattle to Genoa. The Commission was the result of those discussions and considerations, and was designed to
be a four-year enterprise. In August 2004, the Commission on Globalization completed its activities. Read the Final Report of the Commission. When the Commission was launched, globalization was the central international concern. Protestors were
laying siege to the World Bank, WTO and IMF meetings around the world. Politicians were engaged in a debate concerning the
“Washington consensus” and the public was waking up to concerns about social equity and environmental protection
at unprecedented levels. It was within this context that it was felt that a global network of leaders drawn from government,
civil society and business would make a contribution to the ongoing debate by coming together for cross sectoral dialogue
and to work collaboratively on specific issues of global import. Then came the events of September 11,
2001 in the U.S. and everything was instantly enveloped within the over-arching concern for terrorism and security. The U.S.
invasion of Iraq followed in March 2003 and then everything was seen through the prism of American unilateralism and international
expressions of concern about U.S. actions. The end result of these developments has been to cloud the issues
of globalization and global governance with issues of terrorism and war. It is now difficult to get at the globalization debate
in a direct and straight forward manner. The paradox is that terrorism arises to a significant degree from the world’s
inability to solve the problems generated by current policies governing globalization. Yet the “war on terrorism”
over-shadows any serious attempt at getting at the inequities that give rise to terrorism. This has produced a very strange
state of affairs, one that increasingly is characterized by a gathering of the darkness rather than any meaningful illumination
of our global challenges. Through these vicissitudes of fate, the Commission convened, worked together,
and built a global network. What follows is a description of the aspirations, the work and the accomplishments. STRATEGIC PURPOSE The purpose of the Commission on Globalization was to undertake an inclusive
and comprehensive multi-stakeholder inquiry into the nature and character of globalization; and to develop integrated thought
and action leading to specific recommendations for governance and policy-making at a global level that promoted greater social
equity, environmental stability, enhanced security, and sustainable economic growth. The Commission served
as an incubator, catalyst and integrator for innovative leaders and institutions working to bring greater equity, democracy
and accountability to globalization and global governance. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES The
goal of the Commission was to develop an interconnected web of dynamic partners and projects worldwide, all working in highly
diverse ways and in different domains, while united in the common efforts to create a more humane future for humanity. The
Commission sought to fulfill its mission through its: Global Leadership Network: a diverse and committed network of innovative leaders from around the world, serving in their personal capacities, and dedicated
to collaborative engagement in the constructive reform of the global system; Work of the Commission: projects convened under the leadership of one or more of the Co-Chairs and Commissioners, designed through a multi-stakeholder
process of deliberation and dedicated to bringing about innovative solutions to global challenges; Cross-Sectoral Deliberations: the establishment of high-level, multi-stakeholder, consultative mechanisms, in and through which senior decision-makers
from civil society, government and the corporate sector could debate, dialogue, and deliberate on the critical challenges
and opportunities central to the future of globalization and its impact on human development; and Public Engagement: the solicitation and inclusion of public input into the deliberations of the Commission and the dissemination of the Commission’s
findings and recommendations through its website, annual meetings and regional events, with the intent of promoting public
discourse and comment, as well as more democratic decision-making on issues of critical importance. GLOBAL
LEADERSHIP NETWORK AND ITS ANNUAL GATHERINGS The first priority was to establish a global network of leaders
drawn from diverse constituencies. In the end, over two hundred such leaders agreed to participate in Commission activities
as either Co-Chairs or Commissioners. The Commission was formally launched at the Inaugural Meeting of the Commission in London December 13-15, 2001, convened
at the London Business School. A Joint Statement, signed by over 100 Co-Chairs and Commissioners, calling for the world community to take action to reconcile the contradictory
tendencies inherent in globalization, was published in the global edition of the Financial Times on December 13,
2001. During the two-day gathering, 80 Co-Chairs and Commissioners, as well as a select group of invited guests, discussed
the Commission’s strategy and purpose; substantive work and process; and management and governance. The
Commission network met again for its Second Annual Meeting in Mexico City December 4-7, 2002. Over 150 Co-Chairs, Commissioners
and specially invited guests participated and discussed issues including the war on terrorism and human rights, free trade
and social equity, migration and the displacement of peoples, risk management in the global economy, and pathways to a sustainable
civilization. In addition, Policy Action Group and Special Initiative leaders organized small-group roundtables, and provided
special briefings for the conference. A full-day special session on Poverty and Globalization, funded by the Canadian International
Development Agency, was organized on the opening day of the conference, which was followed by the opening dinner, sponsored
by Booz Allen Hamilton. A third gathering of the Commission network was hosted by the Foundation in Support
of the Commission on Globalization, an independent non profit organization established in Europe to cultivate greater European
support for the Commission. The conference, "National Sovereignty - Universal Challenges: Choices for the World After
Iraq", convened in Brussels, Belgium June 18-20, 2003, drew specialists from around the world and from conservative and
liberal perspectives to examine the phenomenon of U.S. power; the deepening fissures in the transatlantic alliance; and what
can be learned from the development of the European Union. WORK OF THE COMMISSION The Commission was established to engage in “dialogue-and-action” as a single integrated
concept. The intent of the Commission was the constructive engagement of individuals across sectors to think through the complexities
involved in the globalization process and the need for global governance; and to recommend policy alternatives and work to
implement changes in the global system. The focus was on thought as well as action, engaging in substantive debate as well
as seeking concrete results. The work of the Co-Chairs and Commissioners was contributed to the Commission;
the work was not of the Commission. The magnitude of diversity within the Commission made it impossible for complete consensus
on either the causes and effects of globalization or what concrete actions should be taken to remedy its inequities: thus
the need for continual dialogue and debate as well as allowance of independent action. What has united all Commissioners has
been the recognition that globalization is having a dramatic effect on the human community for both good and ill; the need
to understand its complexities more comprehensively; and the need to take action to ensure that it is made more equitable. Out of this common concern and in the spirit of autonomy for all involved, the Co-Chairs and Commissioners engaged
over the past four years, in a spectrum of activities. What naturally emerged was a “maturity mix” of projects
ranging from those highly developed and sharply focused, to those that were exploratory in nature and which required time
and effort to create critical mass. Policy Action Groups sought to produce actual policy reform recommendations, while Special Initiatives were more varied in nature, involving, for example, the establishment of new institutions, building coalitions, developing
innovative ideas and best practices in meeting critical global challenges, etc. The Commission catalyzed,
supported and/or assisted in the development of the following projects by various Co-Chairs and Commissioners: Ethical
Globalization Initiative - with Co-Chair Mary Robinson, which resulted in a new organization and collaboration between
the Aspen Institute, Columbia University and the International Council for Human Rights Policy to mainstrean the human rights
agenda. G8 NePAD - with Commissioners Gordon Smith and Barry Carin, who worked within
the context of the G8 and NePAD commitments on African development, and with the support of the Mott Foundation and the International
Development Research Centre, to establish specific projects fulfilling the NePAD vision. Access
- a partnership between Hewlett Packard, the Hewlett Foundation, Center for Global Development, Klaus Schwab Foundation, Medley
Global Advisors and State of the World Forum, to develop ways to qualify NGO and CBO organizations and work for donors. Integral Governance Initiative - with Co-Chairs Lloyd Axworthy, Maria Cattaui, His Royal Highness
Prince El Hassan Bin Talal and Surin Pitsuwan, among other Commissioners, to examine the “new operating reality”
and how to more effectively develop global issue networks. International Interfaith Investment
Group - with Commissioner Martin Palmer, developed in an active collaboration with Citigroup, the Mott Foundation,
World Wildlife Fund, the Pilkington Trust, and major religious institutions to develop common socially and environmentally
sensitive guidelines for religious institutional investment. International Water Security
- with Co-Chair Lloyd Axworthy, in partnership with State of the World Forum and the Liu Center for Global Studies at the
University of Vancouver, to develop greater community participation in decisions related to water distribution. Learning
and Education - with Commissioners Paul Cappon and Helga Breuninger to formulate more effective educational and learning
policies within the G8 commitments on education and the ongoing work of UNESCO. PUBLIC
ENGAGEMENT Input into the deliberations of the Commission from the wider public was an important
component of the Commission’s work and was solicited through regional, multi-stakeholder dialogues and annual meetings
and through the Commission website. The distribution and dissemination of the Commission’s writings, findings and recommendations,
including the Commission Final Report, were additional ways in which the network interacted. In an effort
to engage regional civil society representatives, regional Community Building meetings were convened in 2001 and 2002 by State
of the World Forum, which served as the Secretariat for the Commission. The meetings were funded by a grant from the Ford
Foundation and included: Washington, DC - A meeting of about 50 individuals drawn from
civil society, the World Bank and the United Nations was convened at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
on April 23 to discuss the Commission. The intent of the meeting was to solicit feedback and suggestions on how the Commission
could best contribute to bridging the divide between the many voices in the globalization debate, and to proceed with establishing
a common agenda that would foster a constructive spirit of dialogue and inquiry. Co-Chair Mikhail Gorbachev addressed the
meeting along with John Sweeney, President of the AFL-CIO, and Co-Chair Lori Wallach, Director of Public Citizen Trade Watch. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - This meeting was convened on August 23rd at the premiere Brazilian
think tank, the Vargas Institute, and drew over 50 representatives from the various sectors to discuss an increasing role
for civil society in the globalization debate. The event also emphasized regional issues relevant to the Commission’s
mandate and included leaders involved in the original World Social Forum meeting in 2001. Thais Corral, a member of the Commission
and the REDEH organization, coordinated the meeting and the broader trip. The opportunity to learn more about the issues and
concerns of the region through the experience of academics, NGO leaders, and activist organizations was compelling and provided
significant value to the overall diversity of views within the Commission. Meetings were held with dozens of civil society
leaders from Latin America, exploring local issues like privatization of water, the World Social Forum, and the Landless Worker’s
Movement during this trip. Progress was made toward developing a strategy for future collaboration in Latin America and seven
new Commissioners were identified during the visit. Budapest, Hungary - State of the World
Forum produced a one-day symposium entitled, “September 11: Its Impact on the Effectiveness of Civil Society's Engagement
in Global Issues,” on Oct 17th at the Central European University in Budapest. The debate was fresh, rich and surprisingly
frank. While there was general agreement that the September 11th events had fundamentally changed part of the world’s
psyche, the discussion highlighted the differences in regional perceptions of the same event. The lively debate spilled over
into the main conference, “Reshaping Globalization: Multilateral Dialogues and New Policy Initiatives” convened
on Oct 17th – Oct 19th at the Central European University in Budapest, and invigorated the more formal discussions over
the following two days. This conference was co-organized by the Central European University and the University of Warwick.
Porto Alegre, Brazil - The Forum Secretariat convened a workshop during the World Social
Forum in Porto Alegre, January 31 – February 5, 2002, entitled “Strengthening Civil Society’s Participation
in Global Governance Through Multi-Stakeholder Dialogues.” Commissioners Mark Ritchie, Tom Spencer and Maria Ivanova
participated. The Commission had members represented in both the World Economic Forum and the World Social Forum, pointing
to the diversity of the Commission network. The Commission was profiled in the Economist, National Public Radio, the BBC,
and a number of other newspapers and journals resulting from activities in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The strategic
intent of all of these activities of the Commission was to build a global coalition of individuals and institutions committed
to exercising democracy at the global level; work collaboratively to take actions that would shape globalization humanely;
and refine the processes related to multi-stakeholder deliberations. GLOBAL LEADERSHIP NETWORK The Co-Chairs and Commissioners were a diverse and committed Global Leadership Network of innovative leaders
from around the world, serving in their personal capacities, and dedicated to collaborative engagement in the constructive
reform of the global system. Commissioners worked in highly diverse ways and in different domains, but remained united in
the common effort to create a more humane future for humanity. By September 2004, the following confirmed
their commitment to serve on the Council of Co-Chairs: Mahnaz Afkhami Minister of Women’s
Affairs, Iran (1976 - 1978)
President, Women's Learning Partnership
Lloyd Axworthy Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Canada (1996 - 2000)
Director, Liu Centre, University of British Columbia
Georges Berthoin
European Chairman, Trilateral Commission (1975-1992)
Jagdish Bhagwati University Professor, Columbia
University; Special Adviser to the UN on Globalization (2001); External Adviser to the WTO (2001-2002)
Carl
Bildt Prime Minister, Sweden (1991 - 1994) Special Envoy of the Secretary General for the Balkans, United Nations
Bill Bradley United States Senator (1979 - 1997)
Kim Campbell Prime Minister,
Canada (1993)
Ruth Cardoso Chair of the Board, Comunidade Solidaria Program, Brazil
Gareth
Evans President, International Crisis Group
Foreign Minister, Australia (1988 - 1996)
Jane Goodall
Primatologist
Mikhail Gorbachev Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (1990)
Chairman, Gorbachev Foundation
Oded Grajew President, Instituto Ethos de Empresas e Responsabilidade Social
Rebeca Grynspan
Director Subregional Headquarters in Mexico, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
Cândido
Grzybowski Director-General, Instituto Brasileiro de Análises Sociais e Econômicas (IBASE)
His
Royal Highness Prince El Hassan Bin Talal
Noeleen Heyzer Executive Director, United Nations
Development Fund for Women
Enrique Iglesias President, Inter-American Development Bank
Yolanda
Kakabadse President, The World Conservation Unio
Craig Kielburger Founder, Kids Can Free The
Children
Maria Livanos Cattaui Secretary General, International Chamber of Commerce
Maria
de Lourdes Pintasilgo Prime Minister, Portugal (1979)
Miguel de la Madrid President, Mexico
(1982 - 1988)
Ruud Lubbers United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Koichiro Matsuura
Director General, United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Pascoal Mocumbi Prime
Minister, Mozambique
Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan
Thoraya Obaid Executive
Director, United Nations Population Fund
Surin Pitsuwan Foreign Minister, Thailand (1997 - 2001) Member
of Parliament, Thailand
John Polanyi Nobel Laureate (1986) President, Canadian Committee of Scientists
and Scholars
Jose Ramos-Horta Foreign Minister, East Timor
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (1996)
Shridath Ramphal Co-Chairman, The Commission on Global Governance
Mary Robinson
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997 - 2002)
Richard Sandor Chairman and CEO, Environmental
Financial Products Research Professor, Northwestern University
Vandana Shiva Director, Research Foundation
for Science, Technology, and National Research Policy
Juan Somavia Director General, International
Labour Organization
George Soros Chairman, Soros Fund Management
James Gustave Speth
Administrator, UNDP (1993 - 1999) Dean, Practive of Enviornmental Policy and Sustainable Development Yale School of Forestry
and Enviornmental Studies
Sigmund Sternberg Co-Founder, The Three Faiths Forum
Joseph
Stiglitz Chief Economist, World Bank (1997-2000) Nobel Economics Prize Laureate (2002)
Strobe Talbott
President, The Brookings Institution
Manuel Tello Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mexico (1994) Permanent
Representative of Mexico to the United Nations (1995 - 2000)
Desmond Tutu Chairman, Truth and Reconciliation
Commission Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (1984)
Lori Wallach Director, Public Citizen’s Global Trade
Watch
William White President, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
Marian Wright Edelman
President, Children's Defense Fund
Muhammad Yunus Managing Director, Grameen Bank Read
the Commission on Globalization’s Final Report.
Ethical Globalization Initiative (EGI) Established
in October, 2002, the Ethical Globalization Initiative (EGI) was founded by Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. A Personal Statement by Mrs. Robinson to representatives of the international press corps in Geneva on September 10, 2002 announced her plans.
Realizing Rights: EGI was created as a partnership between the Aspen Institute (US), State of the World Forum (US) and the
International Council on Human Rights Policy (Switzerland). The mission of EGI was to promote a rights-based
approach to critical global challenges. After an intensive consultative process in late 2002 and 2003 with a range of experts
and global leaders, including a gathering of the Steering Committee at the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization in New Have, CT
on January 14-15, 2003 with Ernesto Zedillo, Director of the Center; a first meeting of the Human Rights Policy Action Group at the Wye River Conference Center in Maryland
on March 12- 13, 2003; and a second meeting of the Human Rights Policy Action Group in Aspen, Colorado on July 23-24, 2003, EGI announced the three issue areas it would address in 2004 and onward: 1) promoting more
equitable trade and development policy;
2) promoting the realization of the right to health, especially responses to
the HIV/AIDS pandemic; and
3) promoting a more human international migration policy. At the beginning of its operational
phase in 2004, EGI established a formal advisory board and advisory council and formed a new partnership with the Earth Institute
at Columbia University, the third partner in addition to the Aspen Institute and the International Council for Human Rights
Policy.
With a head office in New York, EGI also opened offices in Geneva, Washington, DC,
and Dublin. EGI’s major activities in 2003 and 2004 included a high level meeting with the World Bank and New York University
entitled "Human Rights and Development: Towards Mutual Reinforcement," two meetings in partnership with the Center
for the Study of AIDS at the University of Pretoria, South Africa and other partners on increasing access to prevention and
treatment for women for HIV/AIDS, a series of meetings with senior pharmaceutical company representatives on the right to
health, and a major meeting on global poverty with leaders from diverse sectors. The Ethical Globalization
Initiative became its own organization and is now called Realizing Rights: Ethical Globalization Initiative. For additional
information and updates, please visit their website.
THE COEXISTENCE AND COMMUNITY-BUILDING INITIATIVE In
partnership with The Abraham Fund, the Forum launched the Coexistence and Community Building Initiative in 1996 to convene
high-level groups of policy analysts, practitioners, educators and theorists to deliberate upon how to enhance international
interest in coexistence and community building and to make specific recommendations to governments and educational institutions.
During the Belfast Conference in May 1999, the initiative launched A Plan of Action for the 21st Century,
a platform providing the basis for an international coexistence movement, and the official spin-off and creation of The Coexistence
Initiative, an independent organization based in New York. It is now part of Brandeis University and is called Coexistence International. The Coexistence and Community-Building Initiative had as its mission to catalyse a global awareness of,
and commitment to, creating a world safe for difference; and a goal to formulate and implement a strategic plan, which would
bring coexistence into the mainstream consciousness of people around the world. How can coexistence become
a compelling and enduring vision for humanity in the 21st century? How can we build a world where there is tolerance for minorities
and greater understanding between peoples? What are the medium and long-term steps that need to be taken to create a world
safe for difference? These were the questions posed in a series of meetings, roundtables and consultations that were held
by State of the World Forum during the first two years.
At its inception, the Initiative sought to: - mainstream
awareness of coexistence as a practical minimum standard for human relations;
- facilitate the exchange of information
and best practice in the coexistence sector;
- enhance communication and cooperation between and among those within
the field as well as those outside of it; and
- enshrine principles of coexistence in policy, curricula, and institutions.
The Coexistence and Community-Building Initiative also served as a clearinghouse, convener,
and interlocutor for those engaged in coexistence-related work and for those who wished to learn more about this emerging
topic. It also acted as a strategic partner, working collaboratively with individuals and organizations to strengthen coexistence
efforts worldwide. Finally, it served as a developer of resources for the field, piloting demonstration projects and encouraging
replication as a means of maximizing the limited resources available to the peace-building community. For
additional information and updates on their current work, please visit the Coexistence International website.
THE EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAM The
Emerging Leaders Program was initiated in 1995 to expand youth participation throughout the Forum's activities and to facilitate
youth-adult partnerships. Since 1995, over 1000 young people from more than 80 nations
have participated in Forum events and initiatives, and through the internet, many more youth were involved. During the various
conferences, the Emerging Leaders Program expanded youth participation throughout the Forum's activities, including speaking
on panels, participating in workshops and even organizing their own plenary sessions. The program also facilitated youth-adult
partnerships empowering young people to play an integral role in their communities and in the creation of a new global culture.
The results have been far ranging and diverse: - Youth were invited to sit
on the Forum's Board of Directors;
- Created an advisory group;
- Organized a global youth summit in Mexico;
and
- Participated in other organizations, in community-issue task forces, in the Coexistence and Community-Building
Initiative, and in panels on women’s issues during Forum events.
In January
1999 the Monterrey Institute of Technology hosted the first State of the World Forum for Emerging Leaders, "Civic Participation:
Building the New Millennium," held on the Institute's campus in Monterrey, Mexico. The conference was attended by over
600 emerging leaders from 40 countries and was led, organized and funded entirely by youth, most of whom had participated
in past Forum events. During the conference, strategic partnerships were developed with
leading youth organizations such as AIESEC, Pioneers of Change, Common Futures Forum, Peace Child, Youth for Environmental
Sanity, Emerging Leaders Network, and others, and in the year 2000, was constituted as its own network of the same name.
EQUAL ACCESS Equal Access was founded in September 1999 by State of the World Forum, WorldSpace Corporation and Solaria Corporation in order to combine
their existing assets to address inequity by closing the information gap in the developing world. Equal Access is now an independent 501 (c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to delivering critically needed information to under-served
regions of the world. Through the use of digital satellite audio/multimedia broadcasting, solar energy and other appropriate
technologies, Equal Access delivers information and education as a critical means of breaking the cycle of poverty and empowering
people with the tools they need to improve their social and economic circumstances. Equal Access, in conjunction with the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Foundation, created a region wide Digital
Broadcast Initiative designed to impact 1,000 community-based village sites in South and Southeast Asia. The first phase of
this initiative became operative in Nepal with 400 community-based sites. Active listening and discussion
groups at each site receive this content direct from the satellite via low-cost, portable receivers. Programming assists communities
in dealing with HIV/AIDS Prevention, Women's and Girls' Empowerment, and related development issues. Equal Access also received a research and planning grant from the Hewlett Foundation to assess effective ways to deliver development and
educational information pertinent to the re-construction efforts in Afghanistan. Based in the Presidio
of San Francisco, Equal Access was incubated as an initiative of the State of the World Forum for two years and then spun off to become its own 501 (c)
(3) organization in October 2001.
WHOLE CHILD INITIATIVE The
Whole Child Initiative was created to identify, chronicle and support grassroots community-based projects
worldwide helping children thrive in especially difficult circumstances. Its mission was to build a learning community based
on recent findings in early childhood development combined with traditional approaches achieving extraordinary results at
the village and community level. The Initiative has sought to integrate the insights of current research
in the neurosciences, child development and learning with global models and "best practices," and to promote their
application in the design of social and educational policies. Convened by Dr. Jane Goodall, the Initiative was established
in 1997 as an umbrella for networking on child-related issues with concerned organizations and individuals. In
recent years, exciting breakthroughs in clinical, social, and neuroscientific research provided a detailed view of how children
optimally develop. Advances in functional scan imaging have revealed that the human brain is only partially formed at birth
and that early experiences can change its physical structure and wiring. Together with Dr. Stanley Greenspan, one of America's
leading child psychiatrists, a group of prominent clinicians and researchers has identified the critical requirements for
the post-natal development of a healthy mind which they call the "irreducible needs" of infants and children, or
the factors that must be present to enable young children to progress successfully from one developmental stage to another. Briefly, the irreducible needs of children were defined as: 1) a safe, secure
and nurturing environment that includes a daily relationship with at least one stable, predictable, comforting and protective
adult;
2) emotional interactions geared to the child's developmental needs and level;
3) ongoing intense relationships
with the same caregivers, including the primary one, early in life and throughout childhood;
4) sights, sounds, touches
and other sensations tailored to the baby's unique nervous system to foster learning, language, awareness, attention, and
self-control;
5) experiences that build a sense of initiative and competency including risk-taking and failure;
6) limits and expectation/structure and clear boundaries;
7) stable neighborhoods and communities within which families
can achieve these goals.
The recognition that certain "irreducible needs" of the
child must be met at various stages of development requires a fundamental reconsideration of how children are being raised
in contemporary societies. The costs of ignoring the basic early needs of our children at all levels of
society are staggering and far outweigh the investment we make in the early years. The cycle of damage begins early -- in
the young pregnant teen's womb, impoverishes a life with frustration and violence, and ends up with a human being lost to
himself and society through murder or incarceration -- and costs untold wasted billions. At the same time,
we see the challenges of increasing numbers of working parents struggling to meet and balance family and financial needs.
These challenges have finally gained national attention in the United States, where in the fall of 1997 the White House hosted
a Conference on Childcare at which issues of quality, affordability and availability of childcare were discussed. For
the first two years, the State of the World Forum explored the critical needs of children that ensured their healthy development.
Through the Whole Child Initiative, the Forum put a spotlight on work-family challenges and on model childcare programs that
support the healthy development of younger children throughout the world. In the U.S. over 50% of children
grow up in various day care facilities, 80% of which are inadequate and not properly regulated. Given the fact that the U.S.
falls far below international standards in providing quality care for its youngest children, we believe that we have much
to learn about childcare policies from the international community, and that all countries might benefit from recent findings
on early childhood development. To this end, the Forum began collaborating closely with Kenneth Jaffe of
the International Child Resource Institute (ICRI), a non-profit organization founded in 1981 to improve the lives of families
and children around the world, to bring together an international panel of policy makers and child development experts from
Europe, North and South America, Africa and Asia at the 1998 State of the World Forum gathering. The Panel examined the impact
of world-wide social trends and market forces on the ways societies have traditionally cared for their children. Dr. Greenspan's
"Index of Irreducible Needs" was used to help provide a context for discussions on childcare policies. The Panel
met with the ongoing Working Group for interdisciplinary dialogue, to profile model programs that help meet the "irreducible
needs of children," and to initiate projects promoting criteria for measuring quality care and publicizing cutting edge
research. Dr. Jaffe and ICRI set up a variety of measurably successful child-outreach programs across the
globe. He oversees 52 dedicated field workers in offices and affiliated projects in the U.S., Brazil, the Netherlands, Ethiopia,
Kenya, Malaysia, Eritrea, and Sudan, and is frequently consulted on childcare issues by government bodies and corporations
around the world. When invited to assist local governments, ICRI's intent is always to build self-sufficient and internally-managed
programs. The Working Group included experts in developmental psychology, neonatology, and education as
well as hands-on child advocates, and directors of successful social service programs. It included such well-known personalities
as actor-director and child activist Rob Reiner and renowned scholars: primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall; Dr. Stanley Greenspan,
child psychiatrist, author, and founder of Zero-to-Three; and Dr. Marshall Klaus, a neonatologist, author, and pioneer researcher
in parent-infant bonding issues. They served as an advisory body and reviewed all materials the Initiative published and distributed.
The network of organizations working with the Initiative included the Jane Goodall Institute, the Children's Defense Fund,
UNICEF, Johnson & Johnson, Zero-to-Three, the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America, The Families and Work
Institute, the Institute for Play, the International Child Resource Institute, European Commission Network on Childcare, and
the I Am Your Child Campaign. Whole Child Initiative Projects The International
Panel Discussion and Forum working sessions served as the basis for converting the Initiative's mission into action and developing
the following projects: Launching the
International Campaign on the Irreducible Needs of Children Index
To develop the international
campaign to promote the Index of Irreducible Needs of Children and encourage its use, the Initiative assembled an International
Interdisciplinary Advisory Group and created an electronic database to catalogue research, solutions, and baseline criteria
for measuring quality care. The information was disseminated in electronic and written form, and enhanced its findings through
collaborating and networking with a variety of organizations such as the Jane Goodall Institute, UNICEF, the Carnegie Corporation,
the Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and Development, Johnson & Johnson, and others.
This Index was also
circulated among members of the U.S. Congress, and was well received by both Republicans and Democrats alike. These insights
were critical at a time when legislators in the U.S. were reconsidering policy regarding childcare. Dr. Greenspan presented
the Index before the Senate Subcommittee on Children and Families and continues to consult legislators, foundations and major
think tanks on children's issues. Published
Materials on Global Policies that Promote the Needs of Families and Children
To educate
policy makers, parents, care providers and the general public, the research supporting the Index of Irreducible Needs was
published in a variety of formats. Information "toolkits" were also developed and specifically tailored to diverse
readerships, and a Whole Child Catalog creatively packaged as a book with an interactive CD were also developed.
TANZANIA CHILDREN’S TASK FORCE In collaboration with the Jane
Goodall Institute, the Whole Child Initiative, and the TACARE Reforestation and Education Project, the State of the World
Forum created the Tanzania Children's Task Force, which worked to relieve the suffering of local citizens in the Kigoma Region
of northwest Tanzania, home to the Gombe Stream Research Center, an area impacted by the thousands of war refugees who have
fled from nearby Rwanda and Burundi. As a first step, the Task Force: - Secured
funds for a water and sanitation project, in conjunction with the International Rescue Committee and UNICEF, created to serve
over 170,000 people in thirty villages;
- Raised $500,000 over a ten-year period to implement a Fertility Awareness
and Women's Education Project;
- Provided support for an orphanage, schools and a hospital in the region.
CHEMICAL TOXINS INITIATIVE In partnership with the Chemical
Impact Project and Global Legislators for a Balanced Environment (GLOBE), the Forum convened a conference in the European
Parliament in May, 1997 on the issue of ‘Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals and their Impact on Human Health.’ As a result of this conference: - A Draft Parliamentary Recommendation on Endocrine
Disrupting Chemicals was created in 1997 and presented to the European Parliament for adoption.
- In 1998, the European
Commission adopted this Recommendation to focus increased governmental, scientific and industry attention on this serious
issue.
- The Chemical Toxins Initiative was created to generate discussions and panels on this important
issue. Ray Anderson, the President of the largest carpet factory in the US, and Theo Colburn, well-known scientist for the
World Wildlife Fund, and others supported this Initiative and spoke at various Forum conferences on the importance of eliminating
chemical toxins from the environment.
NUCLEAR WEAPONS ELIMINITION
INITIATIVE The Gorbachev Foundation/USA, the precursor to the State of the World Forum, in partnership
with the Gorbachev Foundation/Moscow and the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation for Contemporary Studies developed a Global Security
Program in 1993 comprised of forty specialists from around the world. Mr. Gorbachev, Senator Alan Cranston, and a number of
dignitaries met in Moscow in September 1993; in Washington in May 1994; and in New Delhi in October 1994, where the Global
Security Program was adopted. A report was published by the Rajiv Gandhi Institute and released in October, 1994. The
Global Security Programme Report’s findings were then presented by Mikhail Gorbachev to the Council on Foreign Relations
in New York in October, 1994. This report was distributed widely to policy-makers in Washington DC and 600 copies were presented
to national leaders and experts in scores of countries. As a result of this early work, the Forum launched
the Nuclear Weapons Elimination Initiative in 1995, which continued as a major Initiative of the Forum until 1999, when it
spun-off and became its own organization, the Global Security Institute, fulfilling a life-long dream of Senator Cranston’s. The Nuclear Weapons Elimination Initiative,
directed by Senator Alan Cranston, addressed the ongoing dangers which the existence of nuclear weapons pose. The heart of
its task, though international in scope, was to lead the U.S., the only nation ever to use nuclear weapons, and the pre-eminent
world power, to lead the way internationally to reduce nuclear dangers and finally to end them through abolition. The
Initiative contributed significantly to the creation of a new serious national and global debate on nuclear weapons through
high-level discussions with the governments of the U.S., Russia, U.K., France, Germany, Japan, Korea, and India. The purpose
was to sustain and expand that debate and to educate policy makers on the necessity of taking steps toward the clearly avowed
goal of abolition. The Initiative developed and launched a series of public statements by public leaders
which stimulated the rising discussion of the role of nuclear weapons after the Cold War. The Initiative organized the public
release of two abolition statements: A second statement signed by 130 international leaders from 48 countries - including 52 presidents and
prime ministers, was made public on February 2, 1998 at a Washington press conference by General Lee Butler, former Commander-in-Chief of U.S. Strategic Air Command. Another statement was made by Mayors of the U.S. and the world's greatest cities. The Initiative also
sponsored a broadcast of an unprecedented documentary on nuclear dangers and related town hall meetings which fostered widespread
public discussion. A network of abolition organizations, in close cooperation with the Forum's Initiative,
organized the Middle Powers Initiative to work with governments of key nations - such as Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Japan, Mexico,
Slovenia, South Africa, and Sweden - to encourage the leaders of the Nuclear Weapons States to break free from their Cold
War mindset and move rapidly to a nuclear weapon free world.
Additionally, a collaborative effort, Global Action to
Prevent War, sought to build new strength in the international peace movement by developing cooperation among the various
non-government organizations working separately on various approaches to reducing the frequency and violence of war. After the 1999 State of the World Forum, in which General Lee Butler spoke to those gathered, and after more
than five years in development, the Nuclear Weapons Elimination Initiative spun-off and became its own organization, the Global Security Institute. | 
