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will begin with the thoughts of Susan
Reid, a person who has served humanity well throughout her long and
dedicated life. Her thoughts will then be followed by those of
Robert Muller, a recognized pillar of thought among UN innovators. Next, I’ve
included a collage of comments from other individuals who represent
institutions of baseline importance in the World. All contribute to a
greater understanding of the substance and subsequent importance of
the Eden project. Other than UN agency, there is no specific order to
these statements. Together, it is my hope that they will persuade you to
consider joining us in this much needed effort. |
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Donald Sagar - Architect of the Eden Project
President of the Eden Institute |
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"I was so deeply moved by the Eden project that I couldn't
resist reading and rereading the material. Your fine analysis of the world's problems
carries me back in vivid detail to the deliberations of the Commission to Study the
Organization of Peace - when 100 individuals, noted for scholarship, ideals and commitment
to the betterment of mankind, came together in deliberations that led up to the San
Francisco Conference. It was a great source of hope for me from 1942 on, that 100 leaders
(with whom I agreed) could surely provide a charter which everyone in the world would be
ready to celebrate.
The CSOP addressed every single one of the
topics you do and so I have had a long time to consider them. I have watched as these
ideas took form in the specialized agencies of the UN, since my life has been devoted to
education about the UN. When I chaired the Committee that conducted the Inservice Courses
for Teachers at the UN, I was very optimistic. Somehow, the way was lost and now we find
ourselves in need of a new beginning. Hopefully this time we can do it right, for there is
no more time for mistakes. I feel that the Eden project is a meaningful step in the
direction that mankind must go, and I am honored to be among your correspondents." |
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Susan Reed - NGO
Representative
World Education Fellowship
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"The Eden project is one that has been
on my mind and in my preoccupation for nearly 20 years now. I am referring to the
need to establish a body of objective, globally acceptable information to serve as a
foundation for global education. I am speaking of quality information capable of
encouraging the proper respect, consistent with global survival, for the complex
interdependency of everything on earth. Of course the decision of what material to include
in this attempt has always been problematic. We speak freely of the term
"objective" but fail in our ability to satisfactorily define it. It is in this
regard that I believe that the Eden project has something very real to offer. Its formula
for identifying universally acceptable objective data, is truly unique. It achieves this
distinction by establishing a global standard for inquiry - one capable of identifying and
prioritizing relevant information collection. By so doing, this approach successfully
employs 'objectivity' as the sum total of subjectively held position. This in turn allows
for the incorporation of all difference of opinion, worldwide, into a single homogenous
process.
Global education that accurately explains
the current threat to human survival and creates the proper respect and motivation for
resolving life threatening circumstances, is the only hope for mankind. Band-Aids
definitely have their place and serve a very real purpose in the short term - but in the
long run, it will be individuals that will make the difference. If we forsake our
responsibility to prepare our children for the challenges they will most certainty face,
then we shall have done them and life itself perhaps the greatest of all injustices. The
challenges which will face humanity on this earth in the decades to come are unprecedented
and call therefore urgently for the implementation of a project such as the one you
propose. I pray therefore that your endeavor will succeed and meet with enthusiastic
response. I wish you God's speed and assure you of my full support and cooperation."
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Robert Muller - Assistant
Secretary General emeritus (UN)
Dr. Muller served as Assistant to 3 consecutive Secretary
Generals
and is Chancellor Emeritus of the United Nations
University
for Peace in Costa Rica
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"The
Eden project has been studied with all the attention this important issue deserves and I
should like to commend you on the new approach and the deep thinking. An undertaking like
the Eden project would help to work in conjunction with UNESCO objectives." |
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K.B. Mathur for Labastida
M. Del Campo
Director-General of UNESCO
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"I
wish to express my support for your peace initiative and will see that the UNU (United
Nations University) participates in this objective, by having the relevant units of its
network involved in the project. I will liaise with the UN Peace Studies Unit as to
concrete means to cooperate." |
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Kinhide Mushakoji - Vice
Rector
United Nations University (Japan)
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"I
appreciate our conversations about your important project to develop a "global
model" that could reflect the concerns of societies around the world about peace,
security and a sustainable future. Global education has been searching for a methodology
and model to deal with information overload in a way that transcends cultural, ideological
and national bias. Your project could provide an answer to this problem. I am looking
forward to working with this project as it develops and encourage you to preserver in this
pioneering work." |
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Gerry Mische - President
Global Education Associates
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"Your
letter is most inspiring and the Eden project falls right into our purposes. I look
forward to discussing concrete cooperation with you in the very near future." |
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Aage Nielsen - President
Association for World Education
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"Perusal
of the materials you kindly enclosed suggests that your organization is doing useful and
potentially important work. I will ask that a brief piece be included in our quarterly
publication (Negotiation Journal) describing the work of your organization" |
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Jeffrey Rubin - Executive
Director
Program on
Negotiation, Harvard Law
School
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"Your
project sounds great. Had it been developed properly many years ago, present world
problems would undoubtedly be of much less significance. I have no special advice to give
you except that you should go ahead and just do your best to put it in operation. You are
assured of the full cooperation of the International Association of Educators for World
Peace in this regard." |
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Charles Mercieca - Exec. Vice
President
International Association of
Educators for World Peace
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"Thank
you for the information that you sent about the project being undertaken by the Eden
Institute. This sounds like a very worthy and challenging venture and we wish you
well." |
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Dale Ott - Commission of the
Churches on Intl. Affairs
World Council of Churches
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"I
was very drawn to the Eden project proposal. It offers a very promising direction of
effort which I hope will soon be given an opportunity to demonstrate its value and
relevance. My enthusiasm is because it relies on cross-cultural communication" |
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Richard Falk - Center of Intl.
Studies
Princeton University
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"You
are to be congratulated for having taken this initiative in promoting world peace
internationally. We will be pleased to cooperate with you in any meaningful attempt to
achieve the results we both hold in mind." |
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H. John Zitko - President
/Founder
World University Roundtable
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"I
like the basic idea and would like to hear more about your plans and progress." |
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J. David Singer -
Director /Founder
Correlates
of War Project
University of Michigan
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"I
am very gratified to know of the critical work that you and your Institute has been doing
and am willing to cooperate with you in whatever way it is feasible. I delight in the
parallels of our thinking, and can see that your attempt to develop a definitive 'global
standard for inquiry,' to become the basis for a dynamic global model to serve education
(with instructional authority) will compliment our own work immeasurably." |
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Louis Simon - Program
Development Officer
Friends World College
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"The
Eden project goals and objectives are interesting and timely and we at this foundation
agree that there is an urgency for a alternative approach to international problem
solving." |
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Kathleen J Lansing
/Vice President
National Peace
Foundation
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"I
offer you my and this Institute's unqualified full support and cooperation in you efforts
to implement the Eden project." |
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J. S. Mathur - Director
Institute of Gandhian Thought and
Peace Studies
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"Thank
you for the time you and your staff has spent with us at IBM - discussing your project.
Your presentation of the relevant pieces was both interesting and educational. The System
Integration Division agrees the project is very workable as we see it so far and are very
interested in pursuing a resolve." |
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Martin Beyer - Branch Manager
IBM Systems Integration Division
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"I
would like to hear more of your plans and opportunities for technologists such as
ourselves to get involved in the Eden project. Of relevance to your needs, is work
underway to apply model based reasoning and other Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques
to the integration of many diverse sources of data to assist in the decision making
process. Also applicable to your needs is ongoing AI work on Intelligent Front Ends (IFEs)
which seek to communicate with a decision maker or system user IN THEIR OWN TERMS -
translating their request for information, advice or options into suitable material for
further consideration." |
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Austin Tate - Director
Artificial Intelligence Applications
Institute
University of Edinburgh
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"Thank
you for the interesting information about the Eden project. Your work definitely seems
important and of course is very timely. I look forward to hearing of your progress." |
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Ofer Zur - Coordinator
California Institute of Integral
Studies
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"I
discussed your proposal with Professor Christopher Mitchell, Director of Research in our
Center, who has a solid background in both systems analysis and in conflict analysis and
resolution, and he felt that the data base you proposed to establish would be an extremely
useful resource. He also felt that the Eden project was a vast undertaking, quite beyond
the resources of a small group of researchers. If the project could be restructured so
that it was manageable by a small group of researchers we would be interested." |
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Lawrence Bostian -
Administrative Director
Institute for Conflict Analysis and
Resolution
George Mason University
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"I
am very responsive to your proposal to create a peace information bank." |
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Mario Cuomo - Governor
Emeritus
New York State
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"The
planet earth and its people have been experiencing an information explosion. The
uncontrolled expansion of information is dangerous, since it tends to diffuse meaning and
purpose. The Eden project is the first idea that I have heard of, that stands any chance
of prioritizing and organizing the critical part of this vast body of information - in a
meaningful way. The fact that it will collect data about the actual experiences of nations
and their peoples (from around the world) and their sense of the value of nonviolent
methods for settling disputes, is exciting. This project is therefore now and forever
timely, since dispute resolution is destined to be an important part of human activity as
long as mankind endures. You can therefore count on whatever assistance that I and my
organization can give." |
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Keith Smiley - President/founder
Mohonk Consultations
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"A
data base that would incorporate cultural response to questions central to critical
issues, would be very helpful in the training of personnel whose service takes them into
areas of conflict." |
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Indar Jit
Rikhye - President Emeritus
International Peace Academy
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"I
am very impressed with the substance and focus of the Eden project. It would be a welcome
tool (of defining significance) in international circles, as well as providing a
communicational link for academia that is long overdo. I will convey your material to
Lester Brown (Worldwatch Society) when I meet with him this week." |
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Bradford Morse - Former
Director
UN Development Program
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"I
much admire all you are doing and find a great deal of it awesome. I am enclosing the name
and address of a top official at UNESCO who is in charge of a world directory of courses
in the field of arms control and peace studies. I am sure he will be interested in your
ideas. Best of good fortune to you in all your endeavors on behalf of the project and
congratulations on the many associations of people whom you have been able to get to
endorse your efforts in global education." |
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Leland Miles - President
Emeritus
Int'l Assoc.
of University Presidents
Chairman -
IAUP /UN Commission on Arms Control
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