John Roberts
Why not publish this Web site in those languages? Make it easier for non-English speaking citizens of the world to access, appreciate and take advantage of this site. Your Credo states that "World Citizen brings about better understanding...by promoting...Esperanto." Even better, why not just provide a link to a translation of this site in Esperanto. That would certainly be language-neutral to everybody.
I've long been a supporter of Esperanto (even though I only recently began serious study of it) and sincerely believe that the solution to World Government is not to do away with countries, cultures, languages, and local customs.* Just use an intermediary language like Esperanto so everyone can talk to and understand everybody else. Then, amazing changes will begin to happen.
The first six languages of the seven listed above would take most people more than a decade of painstaking study to learn fluently. Any native speaker of those six could learn Esperanto in a fraction of the time and all would be able to speak to one another intelligibly. (It has taken me more than 20 years to learn French, German, Spanish, and Russian-and a little of several others. I will conquer Esperanto in a few months!) I continue to struggle with Russian and wish I had the time to learn Dutch and Swedish.
I hope to re-visit this Web site in a month or two and find it has been translated into Esperanto** so I can practice my new skills and really, truly feel that I am a World Citizen because I read, speak, and understand a true World language-Esperanto.
Charles A. Aiken
Vuture Enterprises "Your View of the Future"
Vuturo Interaferoj "Via Vidajxo de la Estoneco"
Publisher's notes: *Please see Dianne Tangel-Cate's article "World Citizenship As Cultural Survival" in the April/May 1995, Vol IX-2, issue of World Citizen News. **If there is anyone willing to do this translation, please contact us.
David Gallup, W.S.A., to Michael Curtotti:
Thanks for posting the list of 'basic values' propounded by the Commission on Global Governance.
Certainly the values mentioned there are fundamental to respect and enforcement of human rights. However, this list came from the top down rather than the grassroots up. Thus, there may be many more values or other ways of looking at the stated values than is provided by the Commission on Global Governance.
The World Government of World Citizen's World Syntegrity Project (WSP) is providing humanity with a process for everyone to participate in governing the world and in determining what 'values' should be the basis for that government.
David Gallup, World Service Authority
Hi David,
It's good to see the World Service Authority active in this forum. I have visited your home page and look forward to hearing more about WSA. The WSA deserves congratulations for being the only organization of its kind which has taken to Internet technology. Let's keep the dialogue open.
As to whether the Commission's approach is top down, it is in fact the work of individuals who happen to be involved in international diplomacy-but it is not the work of governments. Somewhere in the Report, the Commission itself notes the importance of grassroots initiative if world governance is to be improved.
What excites me about the Commission's Report is that it comes from the diplomatic community, i.e., the group of people most concerned with the management and maintenance of the current system and values. Therefore, the Report is likely be accepted by those people who are actually in a position to make decisions to implement new values. In my view, these are the people who must be persuaded if better global governance is to come about. I agree that if it is to be carried forward, the Commission's work needs grassroots support, since it is through the process of public pressure that change will come about.
Organizations such as WSA could contribute to building momentum towards implementation of the Commission's Report, which in many areas is consistent with the world citizenship paradigm and lays the groundwork for future advances toward a better world order.
Michael Curtotti
Bernard Cotnoir, Universite de Nice, Sophia Antipolis, Maison des Langues