CFN – From July 9th to 13th, the World Federalist Movement – Institute for Global Policy will be holding its International Congress at the University of Winnipeg.
The World Federalist Movement is a longstanding international civil society organization. The movement was founded in 1947, when it became apparent that the United Nations would not be able to fulfil its founding purpose, the maintenance of international peace and security. World Federalists call for the application of the principles of democratic federalism to world affairs in order to strengthen the rule of law internationally and make humanity’s global governance institutions, like the United Nations, more effective, transparent and democratically accountable. The Congress is a global policy-setting forum for World Federalists from around the world.
Expected highlights at the upcoming Winnipeg Congress include:
– A plenary discussion (with video testimonials) on the International Criminal Court (ICC). WFM – IGP is administrative home to the 2,500-member NGO Coalition for the International Criminal Court. From July 1 to 17 2012, the ICC celebrates its 10th anniversary. The ICC has become a high-profile institution on the world stage, a “court of last resort” mandated to hold individuals, including political and military leaders to account for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide.
– An interactive session on the international Campaign for a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly. Over 800 parliamentarians from around the world, including 73 current members of Canada’s parliament, have endorsed the call for the establishment of a Parliamentary Assembly at the UN. Speakers will include Andreas Bummel (from the UNPA campaign secretariat in Berlin) and former Canadian parliamentarians Bill Blaikie and Warren Allmand. Mr. Allmand is also the current National President of the World Federalist Movement – Canada.
– An Awards Banquet Thursday July 12. Widely acclaimed Canadian author Erna Paris will receive the 2012 WFM – Canada World Peace Award. Paris is the author of seven books and the winner of ten national and international prizes. Her writing, including frequent contributions to the opinion pages of major Canadian newspapers, chronicles humanity’s intermittent but genuine progress in establishing the social, political and legal foundations of the ongoing battle against impunity, and for the rule of law. Her most recent book is “The Sun Climbs Slow: The International Criminal Court and the Struggle for Justice.” A second award, The Hanna Newcombe Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to The Rev. Dr. James Christie, Professor at the University of Winnipeg’s Ridd Institute for Theology and Global Policy and Chair of the WFM – IGP governing Council.
– University of Winnipeg President & Vice-Chancellor Dr. Lloyd Axworthy is expected to be re-elected International President of the World Federalist Movement – Institute for Global Policy.
The years between the conclusion of World War II and 1950, when the Korean War started and the Cold War mindset became dominant in international politics, were the “golden age” of the world federalist movement. Wendell Wilkie ‘s book “One World” , first published in 1943, sold over 2 million copies. In another, Emery Reves ‘ book ” The Anatomy of Peace “(1945) laid out the arguments for replacing the UN with a federal world government and quickly became the “bible” of world federalists. The grassroots world federalist movement in the US, led by people such as Grenville Clark , Norman Cousins , Alan Cranston and Robert Hutchins , organized itself into increasingly larger structures, finally forming, in 1947, the United World Federalists (later renamed to World Federalist Association, then Citizens for Global Solutions ), claiming membership of 47,000 in 1949.