Second Interdisciplinary Conference on the Evolution of World Order
Global & Local Responsibilities For A Just & Sustainable Civilization
June 3-6, 1999, Ryerson Polytechnic Institute, Toronto
The world seems to changing at a dizzying pace,and many of the novelties offer a serious threat to the environment and the human wellbeing.This conference aims at getting the full picture, at assessing the shortcomings of the existing world order, and at proposing new social structures and processes which are more meaningful for the present and desirable for the future. The challenge of participants lies in establishing a holistic view of the environment and of humankind entangles in global, national, and local conflicts, and in using this vision to offer concrete alternative paths forward.
Are the non-renewable, toxic fuels necessary to sustain out technology-based civilization? Does happiness really depend on consumerism and on growth of population and of the economy? Can big and multinational corporations be redirected to serve all people and the environment? Can satisfying global living standards only be achieved by homogenizing the world’s cultures? Haw many people can live a good life on a healthy planet? Is humankind able to self-organize in a way such that international law and customs will render wars and mass destruction obsolete and unthinkable?
All organizations and individuals are invited to present a comprehensive vision of world affairs including global, national, and local implications. Governments, civil organizations, unions, professions and individuals are invited to share their perceptions on what is, and on what ought to be, and to work together to produce useful proposals for actions required to improve justice and sustainability of our civilization. This interdisciplinary conference offers an opportunity for communication between various kinds of social organizations, and for communication among organizations of the same level and among individuals.
We call for contributions to panels, lectures, posters, and exhibits to be presented at the Toronto meeting, and we invite short contributions to a global discussion on the internet covering the same issues and actions. The contribution will have ten 1.5 hour plenary sessions, several sessions with parallel presentations and posters, and an ongoing discussion group on the internet. We hope to cover the urgent problems facing humankind today:
Environmental Imperatives for a Sustainable World.
The Search for Universal Values as Foundation of World Order
The Role of Religion, Spirituality, and Ethics
The Potential of Science and Technology
Global Governance
The UN Today and What It Might Be in Future
Domains of Sovereignty for Nations, Provinces, and Municipalities
Organizations: IMF and World Bank; Corporations; Trade Unions
International Political Economy: NAFTA–WTOMAI-etc. and Alternatives
The Earth Charter: Challenge for Individuals, Educators and the Media
Conference Committee
Anatol Rapoport (honourary conference chair), Reiner Braun, Helmut Burkhardt (conference co-chair), Walter Dorn, Chesmak Farhoumand, Shirley Farlinger, Eric Fawcett, Terry Gardner (conference co-chair), Michael Greenspoon, Lynn Holden, David Holdsworth, Helen Izumi, Mickey Masuda, Julia Morton-Marr, Ross Wilcock, David Wolfson.
Conference Sponsors
Science for Peace (SfP), The International Society for the Systems Sciences (ISSS ), Canadian Division, Physicians for Global Survival (PGS ), The International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Social Responsibility, (INES), McLuhan Program in Culture and Technology. University of Toronto Soka Gakkai International (SGI) Canada, Caledon Centre for Culture and Education, Voice of Women for Peace, Ryerson Polytechnic University. Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, and Department of Politics.
Partial List Of Other Supporters
United Nations Association in Canada, World Federalists of Canada, Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineering (IEEE), Canadian Section.
Registration, Donations
Conference Registration is limited to 120. Registration fees are CDN$190. For students and for some in special circumstances $60. Internet registration is open to all at no fee. Donations to the World Order Conference are welcome. The conference is an independent, self-supporting activity.
Abstracts, Proceedings
Please submit a one-page abstract of a proposed presentation, poster, or exhibit or internet presentation. Mail, or facsimile copies should be accompanied by a computer disk in MS Word, WordPerfect or ASCII text file. Email copies in the same format are acceptable. Send to Helmut Burkhardt, Co-chair, World Order Conference. All accepted abstracts will be published on the WOC discussion list, and the WOC home page. Those submitted before March 31, 1999 will be printed in the Conference Book of Abstracts, and available in print at the conference. Partial proceedings will be published containing a selection of papers submitted.
Mailing And Electronic Addresses..
Helmut Burkhardt, Co-chair, World Order Conference, Department of Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science, Ryerson Polytechnic University, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3, tel 416-979-5000 ext 7246, fax 416- 979-5064, email woc@acs.ryerson.ca, internet discussion list woc-1@pgs.ca, web page www.pgs.ca/woc/
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