UBUNTU - World Forum of Civil Society Networks

Copyviocore
url=http://www.ubuntu.upc.edu/index.php?pg=3&lg=eng
month = October
day = 9
year = 2008
time = 12:00
timestamp = 20081009120054

UBUNTU is an age-old African term for humaneness - for caring, sharing and being in harmony with all creation. As an ideal it promotes cooperation between individuals, cultures and nations.

[http://www.ubuntu.upc.edu]

The 21st century is faced with a globalisation process in which the agreements, mergers and joint work amongst international networks carried out by major financial, industrial and service companies influence the rest of the world. This situation gives rise to the need to articulate, on a global basis, another main actor on the world scene, the so-called "civil society", with the object of influencing the main issues on the world agenda. For this reason, as many voices as possible should unite to attain the necessary magnitude to be listened and to promote interaction favouring the presence of the "human sense" in political, social, cultural and economic actions.

The main objective is to unite and federate efforts, to build bridges of dialogue and communication amongst national and international institutions which are focused on promoting peace, endogenous development, dignity and human rights. NGO's, together with academic, artistic, professional and humanitarian institutions, should coordinate to defend these basic principles. This would shape a debate that is favourable to all parties, which, well oriented and united, could play an important role on the worldwide scene.

It is intended as a network of networks, an organisation of organisations, where united yet diverse, these actors can jointly weave structures and forums of opinion aimed at promoting the principles and values which sustain democratic life and therefore attain a real human development on a worldwide scale, in harmony with nature and cultural diversity.

"The last thing I want is that any of our descendents should look back in some years and despise us for not daring to act when we had so much capacity to act. We must dare to seek the how, the why and the what for of our agreements. We shall thus be able to join together to look for alternative solutions and new ways of managing the world's challenges. Being diverse is our richness, acting together will be our strength"."(Federico Mayor, 2 April 2001at the inaugural meeting of UBUNTU).