Priorities and Activities in 2004

First, we focused on the development of a National Campaign for Leadership on Sustainability, which is being sponsored by the US Citizens Network for Sustainable Development (CitNet) along with the US Charter project. Second, we worked on our activities in the area of Peace and Disarmament. This included the initial steps to develop a National Campaign for Peace and Disarmament and a Peoples Department of Peace, along with preparatory work for a dialogue series with the US Army War College on US foreign policy.

Rob Wheeler was also selected to serve on the International Steering Committee for the UN’s new initiative on Access to Basic Services for All. He thus gave input to the process along with presentations on the need to base such services on required responsibilities that must be provided by the various stakeholders (particularly governments) and on the need for a transition to full sustainability. In addition, he suggested that specific funding mechanisms must be included in order to ensure that the basic services can be provided.

He has also focused particularly on global democracy and the need for UN Reform. In particular he has served as the Coordinator of the Coalition for a World Parliament and Global Democracy and as the International Representative for the San Francisco Peoples Assembly’s UN 60th Campaign to Empower the UN. In both instances he is including a focus on what is required for a responsible form and means of global governance and the idea that our global institutions should be based on a Charter of Human Responsibilities as a Third Pillar, to complement the Declaration of Human Rights and a renewed UN Charter.

Finally, he has been collecting articles and working on the development of a US based website for our campaigns related to the Charter of Human Responsibilities.