Briefly, it was a one day gathering highlighting young and old (large youth presence), many sectors (private sector, NGOs, arts, sports, classic actors, and well known voices (aka celebrities), with the objective of highlighting the imperatives of human facets of global peace, juxtaposed against new information technologies. All in all it provided an unusual blend of people and ideas. The initial driving force came from DESA (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, UN) but a large number of departments and agencies were drawn in.
Not surprisingly, the outcomes featured both affirmations of common wisdom (constructive harping on MDG challenges,imperatives for Africa, dangers of digital divides) and fresh and sometimes challenging new insights. Among these (to cite a somewhat trivial example) was a challenge to those above a certain age that they should not discuss issues of technology unless they could define a wiki. There were some sparks in exchanges with youth representatives overall, with some challenges to their elders to be more forthright and bold in addrerssing problems like environment and poverty. The youth focus was due both to a youth forum held the day before the conference, which tied into the program in various ways, and the presence in the conference of many students. Overall a theme woven through the day was the transformational effects of technology and the need to take it far more into account in reflections on global poverty, both as an ally and tool and as a potential diversion and danger.
Jeff Sachs was a keynote speaker and the President of the General Assembly presided over opening and closing. Among our colleagues who partiicpated actively were Uzo Iweala, Julia Ormond, Julius Coles, Alfredo Sfeir-Younis, Marianne Williamson, Larry Brilliant (Google Foundation) and Karen Armstrong (Kemal Dervis could not participate at the last minute because of illness). Jessica Rimington from Georgetown University was one of the youth representatives. The meeting featured technology with webcasting and speakers partricipating from other locations; sadly the technology was a bit rusty and did not always work well. The meeting also featured a rather remarkable lunch with Olympic stars, and an evening reception where awards were presented to UNIFEM and to CORE (Congress of Racial Equality), with the cast of The Color Purple performing.
The World Bank was listed as a co-sponsor, largely because of my involvement from the earliest conception. Mr. Wolfowitz was represented by Kathy Sierra who focused primarily on exciting new developments made possible by new technologies. I moderated a panel on tolerance and dialogue that included Karen Armstrong, Audrey Kitagawa (inter alia from the World Parliament of the Religions), and Faouzi Skali (Fes Festival). The Panel's "sponsor" was Georg Kell, Executive head of the Global Panel Office, who was actively engaged with the event throughout. The panel, not surprisingly given its composition, was particularly attentive to issues of values and culture, including religion, and also wrestled with the rather fraught words in the panel's title: "tolerance" - can it be defined to mean far more than just "accepting" or "putting up with"? and "dialogue": how to make sure that it means far more than words and debate, something more akin to transformation.
The hope is that the ideas and participants will pursue their dialogue and action.
