Conflict, Crisis and Transformation on the Path to Global Cooperation

December 3, 2020

It is a core part of World Goodwill’s work to shine a light on the idea that the path towards cooperation is written into the DNA of humanity – whether we like it or not it is our spiritual destiny to transit from a competitive age to a cooperative age. This is a process that is underway. The only question is time - how many generations will it take before cooperation becomes the dominant pattern in international relations?

The suggestion is that as a species, humanity, is on an initiatory path; that all of us together, as a unit, are undergoing what has been referred to by some writers as a Great Turning in the orientation of human identity, human thought, human spirituality and human action.  What begins with a reorientation of energies and thoughts expresses itself in relationships – all dimensions of relationship from the subjective to the objective; the vertical to the horizontal; the inner to the outer.

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Coronavirus: Challenges and Opportunities on the Path Towards Global Cooperation at the UN – PART FIVE

October 31, 2020

THE UN AT 75: SIGNS OF CREATIVITY AND A NEW SPIRIT

This is the fifth in a series sharing articles and reports from the UN and from key networks associated with the UN highlighting a new vitality in thinking about the path forward for the UN and for a cooperative approach to human development in the post-COVID world. These are just a small selection of a much greater range of reports and conferences signifying the spirit of reneal that is currently flowing through the UN. 

  • Together First launches new report: The case for a UN civil society champion. Together First is a coalition of over 150 NGO's campaigning for a 'global system that works for all'. This Report, calls for increased UN engagement with civil society, and specifically, for a senior UN official to be a 'champion' for civil society.

  • Can the “Third UN” Reimagine Post-Covid Global Cooperation?  by Tatiana Carayannis and Thomas G. Weiss. If the UN and the UN system are to become fitter-for-purpose, or even survive, creative thinking to reimagine contemporary global cooperation will not come from polarized member states or politicized UN secretariats but rather from ...the “Third UN.” This is the networks of supportive nonstate actors — intellectuals, scholars, consultants, think tanks, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), philanthropies, the private sector and the media — that interact with the governmental representatives of the First UN and international civil servants of the Second UN.  Article from Passblue.

  • Restoring the Values and Spirit of the International Civil Service by Mona Ali Khalil. A true celebration of the 100th anniversary of the international civil service, since the establishment of the first such service by the League of Nations, starts with the realisation that the power of principles is ultimately a greater guide of UN action than the principles of power.  A Report on 100 Years of International Civil Service from the Dag Hammarskjold Foundation.

  • COVID-19: The Path to Ending Our Global Chaos Is Through the UN by Mona Ali Kahlil. With 2020 foresight, the answer to our descent into cynicism, chaos and crisis can once again be found in the UN, its Charter and its Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The UN can rise again, using new information and communication technologies, .... From Passblue.

  • Let’s Make Compassion Go Viral by Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications. My job at the United Nations is to inform the public about the state of our world. That involves stories of ever-growing numbers of people suffering, wars erupting, a deadly virus spreading, economies collapsing and the planet taking revenge for being repeatedly abused. ... But there is a saying, “statistics are human beings with the tears dried off.” So, we also tell human stories. Stories that move people to care and to drive them to act. ... From medium.com. 

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Coronavirus: Challenges and Opportunities on the Path Towards Global Cooperation at the UN – PART FOUR

September 29, 2020

LEADERS PLEDGE FOR NATURE IN ADVANCE OF BIODIVERSITY SUMMIT

As part of the UN Summit on Biodiversity, taking place as a ZOOM event on September 30th, leaders from 64 countries (including France, Germany and the UK) from all regions of the world have pledged to clamp down on pollution, embrace sustainable economic systems and eliminate the dumping of plastic waste in oceans by the middle of the century. The 'Leaders Pledge for Nature' which they have signed, comits their nations to reversing biodiversity loss by 2030. 

Reports from leaderspledgefornature.org & The Guardian.

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Coronavirus: Challenges and Opportunities on the Path Towards Global Cooperation at the UN – PART THREE

September 21, 2020

A TIME FOR RENEWAL: CALLING FOR A STRENGTHENED MULTILATERAL SYSTEM

This month, in preparation for the opening of the 75th General Assembly and the High Level Events surrounding the 75th Anniversary of the UN, a group of 49 former Heads of State and senior UN officials addressed an open letter to Heads of Government of UN Member States. The letter highlights current threats to multilateralism and calls for national leadership and effective global cooperation in response to these threats. Recovery from the COVID19 pandemic and institutional retooling go hand in hand. 

The leaders call for a dedicated intergovernmental process to follow the UN75 Political Declartion adopted at thye September 21 Special Session of the General Assembly. That process should pursue the goal of recognizing the need to support the indispensable role of the United Nations, while at the same time strengthen and reform the legal and institutional machinery of the UN system. 

from UN2020

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Coronavirus: Challenges and Opportunities on the Path Towards Global Cooperation at the UN – PART TWO

August 24, 2020

THE UN AT 75: CEAR THINKING AROUND FUTURE POSSIBILITES FOR GLOBAL COOPERATION

Last month we began sharing articles exploring challenges and opportunities facing the UN in its 75th year. This month we share more articles on a similar theme – taking diverse approaches to the possibilities for global cooperation at the UN.

  • Tackling the Inequality Pandemic: A New Social Contract for a New Era by Antonio Guterres The UN Secretary-General delivered this important Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture, on 18 July.

  • UN chief slams 'myths, delusions and falsehoods' around inequality, a brief summary and review of the lecture from The Guardian newspaper.

  • Stepping Stones for a Better Future: 10 Ideas for World Leaders Who are Serious About Building Back Better  A Report produced after extensive consultation by Together First, a coalition of over 175 global organisations.

  • Could the SDGs Deliver on Their Promises? A Dialogue from the NewInternationalist Journal with two different views about the likelihood of the Sustainable Development Goals being achieved by 2030.

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