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ROTARY CLUB OF OKOTOKS. SERVICE ABOVE SELF. GLOBAL CONFERENCE FROM REACTION TO PREVENTION:. CIVIL SOCIETY FORGING PARTNERSHIPS TO PREVENT VIOLENT CONFLICT AND BUILD PEACE JULY 19 – 22, 2005 AT THE UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK. BACKGROUND:.
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ROTARY CLUB OF OKOTOKS SERVICE ABOVE SELF
GLOBAL CONFERENCE FROM REACTION TO PREVENTION: • CIVIL SOCIETY FORGING PARTNERSHIPS TO PREVENT VIOLENT CONFLICT AND BUILD PEACE • JULY 19 – 22, 2005 AT THE UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
BACKGROUND: • In response to a call to action by U.N. Secretary Kofi Annan • For Civil Society Organizations to help prevent violent conflict
BACKGROUND: • Over 1,000 participants from around the world, including a handful of Canadians • Facilitated by the European Centre for Conflict Prevention • Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and the International Development Research Centre Canada among 27 sponsors
OUTPUT: • Canadian Action Agenda on Conflict Prevention • North America Regional Action Agenda • “People Building Peace: A Global Agenda For The Prevention of Violent Conflict” • The latter document feeding into the U.N. General Assembly September 2005
HIGHLIGHTS: • 1. Promote human security and address the root causes of conflict: • Prevention and sustainable peacebuilding, • Implement demilitarization, disarmament and resettlement processes, • Provide sustained support for reconstruction, • Generate cultures of peace from the grassroots up by mainstreaming peace education, cultivating conflict resolution life skills and promoting reconciliation
HIGHLIGHTS: • 2. Make prevention the fundamental goal of collective security arrangements: • An internationally agreed program of action for prevention and peacebuilding, • Integrate early warning, response and local capacity building, • Provide more resources for prevention and peacebuilding…
HIGHLIGHTS: • 3. An integrated architecture of effective institutional capacities and partnerships: • Strengthen Civil Society Organizations for prevention and peacebuilding, • Enhance leadership, • Increase the capacities of regional organizations.
You can read my 5 page summary of these documents in more detail at: • http://www.cultureofpeace.ca/GPPAC2005.htm
PEACE EDUCATION WORKING GROUP • On behalf of the Canadian Culture of Peace Program (http://www.cultureofpeace.ca ), and my work with Canadian Centres for Teaching Peace ( http://www.peace.ca ), a Canadian Peace Education Strategy and the Annual Peace Education Conference in Canada ( http://www.peace.ca/CanadianAgenda2005.htm ), this reporter ( Robert Stewart ) participated in the Peace Education and Conflict Resolution Education Working Group, which met over four days.
PEACE EDUCATION WORKING GROUP • The purpose was: • to review the state of affairs of peace education and conflict resolution education around the world • review how we may build a peace education and conflict resolution education community around the world • how we may build connections that empower for peace education and conflict resolution education around the world • identify contextually and culturally sensitive programs and practices • review how we may ‘institutionalize’ peace education and conflict resolution education around the world (i.e. how we can make it last)
PEACE EDUCATION WORKING GROUP • A pre-reader was provided of reports from various countries on the state of affairs of peace education and conflict resolution education (which will become available on the Internet – the current draft is available at http://www.disputeresolution.ohio.gov/crecountry.htm ). • The output from this working group will feed into our next meeting at the Second Annual Conference on Conflict Resolution Education, September 28 to October 1, 2005 in Columbus , Ohio (ref. http://www.disputeresolution.ohio.gov/holddate.htm ). We are looking for a representative of the Canadian Government to participate.
WORLD FUTURE SOCIETY ANNUAL CONFERENCE: • Theme: “Foresight, Innovation and Strategy” • July 29 – August 1, 2005 in Chicago, Illinois • Over 1,000 participants from around the world
ISSUE AREAS: • Technology and science • Resources and environment • Learning and education • Health futures • Governance and community • Social and cultural trends • Futures methodologies and processes • Business and careers • Values and spirituality
BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE: • A better future is a future with peace: • "We need to adopt the mindset of most professional futurists and become systemic optimists - those who believe that life can get better, but only if we fundamentally alter the way we think and do things. We need to embrace whole-system change."
THE INFORMATION REVOLUTION: • Massive forces are transforming the 21st century, driven by technology and innovation. • Our task is to understand and redirect these forces toward a Culture of Peace and Non-violence (much like a judo expert redirects the force of his/her opponent).
CULTURE CHANGE: • Our new media (computers, internet, real time television, cell phones, etc) • drive new perceptions • drive new worldviews, • drive new understandings, • drive new psychology, • drive new relationships, • drive new institutions, • drive new culture.
HIGHLIGHTS: • The new leader will be the collaborative catalyst • Society will change • We can’t change the past or the present, but we can change the future • Infiltrating works better than revolutionizing
HIGHLIGHTS - The Prescription for Change: • work smarter not harder • expose current paradigms (their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) • cross pollinate new ideas and collaborations • develop new tools and language • craft a new narrative • infiltrate all institutions, everywhere • find opportunities for change • support communities of fans • recapture the spirit of the citizens and amateurs who are good citizens rooted in amoré: love and passion. • Lever our power of information and social capital for the common good – be entrepreneurial; developing sustainable action • Champion peace and all its elements
HIGHLIGHTS: IMPLICATIONS FOR PEACE • The future of power and force • Look at nature – stress creates evolution • Dissatisfaction with the status quo is healthy and necessary • Civil society – the real and future superpower vs. no government wants to recognize people power because it threatens them • The larger the network, the greater the value • Transformational model
HIGHLIGHTS: IMPLICATIONS FOR PEACE (cont.) • Organic learning environments • Internet/distance learning – the most effective education is self-learning • The greatest law enforcement challenge of the information age: positive ID of criminals/terrorists, before they act, while preserving civil liberties • Find solutions to the bad guys’ problems
HIGHLIGHTS: IMPLICATIONS FOR PEACE (cont.) • Importance of addressing systemic problems • It is relatively easy to deal with technological change – the challenge is the social and behavioural side • The importance of Social Intelligence • There is a lack of public discourse about these vital things
HIGHLIGHTS: IMPLICATIONS FOR PEACE (cont.) • Total solutions and service (holistic) • Transformation management vs. institutions that do not know how to grapple with ‘cultural’ change (starting with the Peace Industry and Peace Professionals) • A new Social Contract: ethics, accountability, citizen involvement, collaboration, flexibility, patience with its citizens and civil society organizations, educational institutions, business, media, religions, etc.
WORLD FUTURE SOCIETY ANNUAL CONFERENCE: • Met and listened to incredibly interesting people; learned lots • 2006 Conference July 28 – 31, Sheraton Centre, Toronto • 2006 Theme “Creating Global Strategies for Humanity’s Future” • Web site: www.wfs.org • Canadian Centres for Futures Studies http://www.futurescanada.ca
WHAT MIGHT THIS MEAN FOR ROTARY? • Rotary will have to change with the times = transformation management to achieve Rotary’s full potential • Rotary will have to “live on purpose” = members of the future will force Rotary to “walk the talk” (particularly re Peace) • Address systemic problems • As a truly international organization, Rotary will have to build its Social Intelligence
WHAT MIGHT THIS MEAN FOR ROTARY? (cont.) • work smarter not harder (use our ‘business’ smarts to stop under-achieving our potential) • expose current paradigms (their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) • cross pollinate new ideas and collaborations • develop new tools and language • craft a new narrative • infiltrate all institutions, everywhere • find opportunities for change • support communities of fans • recapture the spirit of the citizens and amateurs who are good citizens rooted in amoré: love and passion. • Lever our power of information and social capital for the common good – be entrepreneurial; developing sustainable action • Champion peace and all its elements
WHAT MIGHT THIS MEAN FOR ROTARY? (cont.) • “… Rotarians believe that if there is failure in the avenue of international service, there may be no need for concern about the other avenues of service. … and this book (“Seven Paths To Peace”) is presented in the hope and belief that there are thousands (now millions) of hands which up to now have not been lifted – but which now may be persuaded to row a new and firm course.”
WHAT MIGHT THIS MEAN FOR INDIVIDUAL ROTARIANS? • We good people need to work on leader motivation: • Our own personal leadership – we can do better • Leaders close to us (in our organizations) • Political and “establishment” leaders • Alternative leaders (eg. Good citizenship civil society organizations) • Future leaders – our youth
Rotary Club of Okotoks – International Program Options • Interact • Rotaract • Rotary Community Corps • Rotary Fellowships • Rotary Friendship Exchange • Rotary Volunteers • Rotary Youth Leadership Awards • World Community Service (humanitarian) • Youth Exchange • http://www.rotary.org/training/elearning/programs_files/frame.htm
Rotary Club of Okotoks – International Program Options • My peace initiatives: • Web site and conferencing • Peace education programming • RI’s Seven Paths to Peace • Rotary Peace Parks • Peace Rotarians Action Group • Rotary University Chairs in Peace Studies • Rotary Peace Plus Program • My goal: help Rotary achieve its peace goals • www.peace.ca/rotary.htm
Rotary Club of Okotoks – International Program Options • Suggest an International night to discuss: • The various options • Members wishes • Homework: please give your consideration to International Program
THANK YOU ANY QUESTIONS?