About
Us
The
World Federalist Institute (WFI) is an educational program of Citizens
for Global Solutions. It facilitates debate, discussion, and sharing of
research and writings on the principle of federalism and its
applicability to resolving global problems which nations cannot solve
alone. The goal of the Institute is the investigation and development
of pragmatic proposals that would ultimately lead to the creation of a
democratic global political system of a federal structure.
Through submitting policy recommendations to Citizens for Global
Solutions, the Institute aims to provide the organization the capacity
to consider innovative solutions to some of the most fundamental policy
challenges facing the world today.
Topics that the Institute may address include assessment and reform of
member state voting at the United Nations, the creation of an
international emergency police force, supporting the spread of
democracy around the world, and limiting the occurrence and scope of
war, genocide and humanitarian disasters.
WFI operates through an interactive website that includes a Citizens
for Global Solutions Discussion Forum (see link in center) to discuss
any relevant issues, as well as a Fellows Forum that will encourage
open debate and discussion of new ideas. Fellows will also introduce
and discuss policy papers and provide answers to policy questions being
explored by Citizens for Global Solutions.
Mission
The World Federalist Institute (WFI) serves as Citizens for
Global Solutions' think tank by promoting debate, discussion and sharing
research on the principle of federalism and its applicability to resolving global
problems nations cannot solve alone. One goal of the WFI is to develop pragmatic
proposals ultimately leading to the creation of a democratic global political system
with a federal structure.
Through a select body of academics, activists and
intellectuals, the WFI considers innovative solutions to some of the most
fundamental policy challenges facing the world today.
- A secure world - more democratic and effective
member state voting at the United Nations and the creation of an international
emergency police force.
- A connected world - support for the spread of
democracy around the world, protection against starvation and human rights abuses in
any country by the global community.
- A livable world - raising global public health
standards to protect against malnutrition and infectious diseases, setting global
standards for sustainable development, arresting global warming.
- A just world - where the International Criminal
Court is universally accepted to try human rights cases if nations lack the will or
ability to do so, and the International Court of Justice has universal jurisdiction
on disputes between nations.
History
When the World Federalist Association merged with the
Campaign for UN Reform in January, 2004, to become Citizens for Global Solutions,
the World Federalist Institute was created to carry on the tradition of studying and
advocating world federation.
The World Federalist Association (WFA) - initially the
United World Federalists - was created in Asheville, North Carolina, in November of
1947. Its mission was to "work to create a world federal government with
authority to enact, interpret and enforce world law adequate to maintain
peace." Under the leadership of national figures such as Oscar Hammerstein,
Norman Cousins, E.B. White, and Notre Dame President Robert Hutchins, UWF secured
111 co-sponsors for a bill in favor of a strengthened United Nations in the U.S.
Congress, and succeeded in getting twenty-three state legislations to pass
resolutions in support of world federation.
Other early achievements included a campaign to establish
the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (1961), a campaign for U.S. support of the
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (1969) and active support of negotiations on a Law
of the Sea Treaty (1970's.) From the late 1980's on, WFA was a leading
supporter of a treaty to create an International Criminal Court, culminating in the
creation of the treaty in Rome, August, 1998, where World Federalists played a key
leadership role in organizing backing for the ICC by the NGO community.
The World Federalist Institute (WFI) seeks to carry on this
tradition in CGS through studying the most effective pathways to world federation,
submitting policy recommendations for long-term solutions to global problems, and
presenting workshops and forums at national meetings of CGS. WFI's Fellows'
Forum, consisting of over thirty distinguished scholars and activists, is in the
process of preparing recommendations to CGS on two long-term programs: creating a
global index for evaluating the international behavior of nations, and reviving or
replacing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It has presented panels at CGS
Annual Meetings in June, 2004, October, 2005 and November, 2006.
At the next CGS Annual Meeting, in Minneapolis, October
26-28, WFI will present several workshops comprising most of the program,
tentatively entitled "Steps on the Road to a Just and Enduring Peace."
The last session of the program will be a visionary look at the world in 2057 (50
years from now), if humanity can get the most urgent global problems under control
by then.
Fellows
Individually our Fellows are all active in their communities
and other organizations advocating the ideas of world peace through world law.
Fellows also introduce and discuss policy papers and provide answers to policy
questions being explored by CGS. Click here for a
full listing of Fellows.
Work
When the World Federalist Association merged with the
Campaign for UN Reform in January, 2004, to become Citizens for Global Solutions,
the World Federalist Institute was created to carry on the tradition of studying and
advocating world federation.
The first steps in bringing WFI into existence were to
create a Steering Committee, currently at nine members, and a Fellows Forum of
scholars and activists, currently at thirty-three, including the Steering Committee
and the WFI Director. As of Sept.1, 2007, WFI has had two Steering Committee
chairs, Lucy Law Webster and Ron Glossop, and one Director, Scott Hoffman.
Topics that the WFI addresses include exploring long-term
structural solutions in each of CGS' program areas:
US Global Engagement
Global Health and Environment
International Institutions
International Law and Justice
Peace and Security
In addition to ongoing semi-formal conversations on many
aspects of foreign policy and world federalism, the Fellows Forum has engaged in two
major queries from CGS staff: 1)The advisability of CGS's creating (or
sponsoring the creation of) a Global Index to measure the international
responsibility of nations, and 2) The viability of the Nuclear Non-proliferation
Treaty (NPT) given that it has been violated in several ways and also has never
achieved its ancillary goal of disarming the nuclear powers.
In December, 2006, the first query resulted in a report to
CGS staff recommending that the organization pursue the creation of a Global Index and choose between using part-time in-house
staff or forming a liaison with a university international affairs department. The
report was tentatively accepted by CGS's Program's Team, which requested
that WFI set up a methodology for running the Index and test it on a small number of
countries. This test is now being set up.
In spring of 2007, WFI issued an interim report on the NPT query, which noted that some Fellows
thought the NPT could be repaired and others that it must be replaced by a more
comprehensive disarmament mechanism, with the report raising the possibility that
the two solutions might be two parts of the same process. The WFI Director expects
that remaining questions will be dealt with, more Fellows brought into the
conversation, and a final report submitted in fall of 2007.
WFI presented panels at CGS Annual Meetings in June, 2004,
November, 2005 and November, 2006. At the next
CGS Annual Meeting, in Minneapolis, October
26-28, WFI will present a series of four workshops comprising most of the
program, tentatively entitled "Steps on the Road to a Just and Enduring
Peace." Working titles for the workshops are: Weighted Voting at the United
Nations, Building Just and Lasting Peace From a Global South Perspective, ICC and
UNEPS, and Thinking Way Ahead: What will the world look like in 2057? This last
session will be a visionary preview of the world fifty years from now, if humanity
can get the most urgent global problems under control by then.
Another achievement of WFI has been the creation of this set
of activity-based webpages by WFI Fellow and former intern Mariel Mckone Leonard. The
webpages serve as a mechanism for educating and engaging the public about the global
governance debate. Each season we will feature an important idea or project that
the WFI is studying. The webpages also feature a Discussion Forum that encourages
open debate and discussion of new ideas.
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