SECRETARY-GENERAL, AS GUEST EDITOR OF CIVILIZATION MAGAZINE, URGES CORE VALUES AS FOUNDATION FOR DIALOGUE TO BRIDGE CIVILIZATIONS
Press Release
SG/2054
SECRETARY-GENERAL, AS GUEST EDITOR OF CIVILIZATION MAGAZINE, URGES CORE VALUES AS FOUNDATION FOR DIALOGUE TO BRIDGE CIVILIZATIONS
19990607 Secretary-General Kofi Annan uses his platform as Guest Editor of the June/July issue of Civilization magazine to stress the need for certain shared values as humanity approaches the new millennium. Invited by the magazine to consider "How to Save Our World", Mr. Annan enlisted Nelson Mandela, the Presidents of China and Iran, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, George Soros, Samuel P. Huntington and Amartya Sen to present their views on globalization, the clash of civilizations, the international monetary system and other key issues."Sometimes the world seems not to be coming together but falling apart. In reality, both are happening at once", Mr. Annan states in his editorial, citing opposing trends of globalization of economies and cultures marred by clashes along civilizational fault lines. He suggests that core values -- such as those defined in the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights -- can provide the foundation for dialogue to bridge civilizations.
The Secretary-General said that he was inspired by the title of the magazine, which is produced by Capital Publishing in cooperation with the United States Library of Congress. He hoped the volume would be a first step toward the "Dialogue Among Civilizations" called for by the General Assembly as a theme for its session in 2001.
In addition to the Secretary-General's overview article, Nelson Mandela writes of the key role of reconciliation; President Seyyed Mohammad Khatami of Iran calls for a dialogue between East and West; and President Jiang Zemin of China urges nuclear disarmament. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia criticizes the negative impact of the international financial system, and financier George Soros offers his suggestions for the system's reform. Harvard Professor Samuel P. Huntington elaborates on the theme of his best- selling book, The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order, and Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen considers "the value of freedom". Chilean poet Ariel Dorfman contributed a poem on the visceral impact of public testimony about human rights violations. The growing influence of nine women heading United Nations agencies and programmes is also featured in an article by journalist Nina Darnton.
- 2 - Press Release SG/2054 7 June 1999
The Secretary-General will expand on his millennial thoughts in an unusual live 30-minute interview with CBS television journalist Lesley Stahl, to be staged at a special reception this evening, 7 June, hosted by Capital Publishing in the United Nations Delegates Dining Room.
The issues of globalization, conflict prevention and common values have been emerging as key themes as the United Nations prepares for a Millennium Summit of world leaders in September of 2000.
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