Emerging voices and actions for world renewal: Quest for Global Healing Conference.

In early 2004, three individuals from San Francisco, California--the city where the United Nations was founded sixty years ago--put out a call to action to those who shared their concerns about where the world was heading. The result was the coming together in Bali, Indonesia, of 425 people from 22 countries in December 2004 for the first Quest for Global Healing Conference. This quest for a more "collaborative, peaceful and sustainable future for mankind and the planet" had clearly touched a nerve.

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The call to action was driven in part by the frustration with the priorities and pace at which the current players on the world scene are addressing issues, such as extreme poverty, human rights and the environment. Out of this frustration, however, came a major gift--the gift of hope and possibility. Worldwide participants were inspired and inspiring, and the organizations involved were doing inspiring and effective work.

The results were equally impressive. For example, one business leader contributed desperately needed computers to schools in Cambodia; two individuals teamed up to teach conflict resolution in South Africa; another volunteered to fund ongoing dialogues between the Palestinians and Israelis. Participants came away with a new vision of what is possible and realized that global public opinion and individual initiative might indeed become the world's second super-power and help bring about change in global priorities.

As conference conveners, we were inspired to organize a second Quest for Global Healing conference, to take place in Ubud, the cultural capital of Bali, from 3 to 8 May 2006. The Conference theme, "Inspiring Actions for World Renewal", seems particularly appropriate since the event will be held in the context of the United Nations sixtieth anniversary theme titled "A Time for Renewal". More than 600 participants from thirty countries are anticipated to attend. Two voices that are underrepresented in those institutions who have the greatest influence on global priorities and actions in today's world--the youth and women--will be front and centre at the conference.

At least 50 young people, between the ages of 17 and 30, from around the world will meet for three days before the conference to address the question, "What is the world we will inherit and what are we prepared to do about it?" They will present their conclusions to conference delegates and join the inter-generational dialogues and action groups. A prominent feature of the conference will be a dialogue among three Nobel Peace Prize laureates and Gus Dur, the former President of Indonesia and leader of the country's largest Moslem party, on ways to promote peace.

Another defining feature of the conference will be the Millennium Development Goals that call for individual initiative. Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the United Nations Millennium Project, is working with Quest for Global Healing to cull actions from the MDGs that individuals can undertake to help the international community achieve those goals by 2015. Also to be featured is the innovative financial approaches to sustainable development, which is a grouping of ideas from creative thinkers. Two decades ago, the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh introduced micro-credit lending, a whole new approach to financing sustainable development. Now is the time to bring forth fresh approaches that are equally innovative.

Wilford H. Welch, a former diplomat, is Co-Director of Quest for Global Healing. He is also Chairman of the Cross Cultural Journeys Foundation and Director of the Emerging Global Leaders Fellowship Program.

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