Please click on the link, the song stand by me sung by a variety of people / characters from across the globe, synchrozed using technology to emerge as a singkle entity thats so pulsating and reverberating:-
http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2539741
See the website at:
http://www.playingforchange.com/
Friday, March 5, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Project
Proposal
The world is grappling with two sets of nations, one the developing ones and the other the developed. The former are a mixed bunch of third world nations, who were mostly colonized for many centuries by the developed nations and subsequently granted independence around 50 to 60 years ago.
Most of the developing nations have grappled with the democracy that has been thrust upon them by the colonizing developed nations and are still struggling to make ends meet in order to come out of the difficult times they have suffered through the decades gone by. The lack of basic education amongst the masses has been one of the significant factors that has contributed to a rather flip-flop style of governance that has evolved after independence where candidates who are totally unfit to rule have been elected into office. This fact, coated with a thick layer of corruption, a total lack of respect for the rule of law, ethnic rivalry and hatred, religious fanaticism, cultural conflicts, sectariansim, castism, and other forms of divisive phenomena, has created a state of chaos and mayhem within most of these growing nations. The only possible exception, in Asia, could be classified as Singapore, where one single man, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, has taken the country into a developed state in double quick time, unlike most of the others.
It is noteworthy to mention that in the prevailing concept the developed nations are moving ahead while the develoing ones are actually falling behind, hence moving in dimaterically opposite directions, in terms of social integration, economics, education, healthcare, and development.
Militant struggles by various groups, espousing a variety of causes and justifications, have also sprouted up and created many fires across the planet, causing total mayhem, violence, killings and a tremendous loss to infrastructure and growth. While afew elite members of the populatios of these nations have chosen to seek greener pastures through migration and overseas expatriate status over the years since independence, the majority have had no choice but to stay behind and suffer the consequences.
Basic human needs, viz; food, clothing, shelter, education and freedom, in most of these nations are totally absent across a great mass of people who have to resort to various other illegal and criminal means for their meagre subsistence. The corruption factor has seeped from the top all the way to the bottom rungs of society and in the current context of the world, seems totally irreparable and uncontrollable.
1. Project Name: Uniting Nations
2. Concept:
First World Developed Nations choosing to come together with a Third World Developing Nation on a mutual agreement between the two for an agreed time span that will endeavor to mutually benefit both nations from each others resources, infrastructure, people, produce, technology and culture.
3. Methodology:
3.1 First World Developed Nation and a Third World Developing Nation
will mutually agree to work together, for an agreed span of time, to
collaborate in sharing social, economic, people and infrastructure development
3.2 The two nations will work closely at the Government and Private
Sector Levels to cooperate in infrastructure, people economic,
employment, training, land, and habitat development,
3.3 The two nations will agree, mutually, to treat each others
territory as one sovereign nation with all tariffs, duties, movement
of people & goods, employment, business, and engagement, open to all citizens of both nations.
3.4 Passports of each nation will be recognized as if they belong to
each other with no restrictions. In other words all citizens of both
nations will hae dual nationality.
3.5 The developed nations Government will act as the Central
Government under which the Government of the Developing Nation will
function as if it is a Federal State within the Central Government,
irrespective of the manner in which it has been elected or established
in power at the time of the agreement.
3.6 The two nations will endeavor to benefit, in all areas, from all
the resources that exist within each of them without any conditions.
3.7 Ownership of lands, businesses, enterprises, etc will be freely
open and available to all peoples from both nations within each others
territory.
3.8 There is no need for the two nations to be in close proximity to
one another geographically.
3.9 The time-frame agreed for the implementation wll be reviewed by
both nations and extended if and when it is felt necessary. It may be
that the nations decide to keep it going forever if the success
factor of the project is deemed to be extremely valuable and
beneficial to both nations.
3.10 On completion of a successful project between any two nations,
the combined entity may then want to extend the project to incorporate
a third or even more nations into the group as may be approprately suitable, viable and desired.
3.11 The idea and concept behind this suggestion is to try and bring
nations closer to each other while sharing each others resources and
spreading out the common wealth across all the peoples and across borders, more like the EU concept but on a much more open and broader basis.
3.12 Freedom of religion, culture and practise of beliefs will be open
and available to all peoples. The ruling Central Goernment will
declare itself a secular Governmental system based on Electoral Democracy for
both nations.
3.13 The outcome of such a relationship could easily lead to the continuous maintenance of the Uniting status and also bringing in newer players into the Uniting concept eventually working towards a true Global Village status.
4. Success Stories
4.1 The European Union
4.2 Germany (East and West)
4.3 United States of America
4.4 HongKong under its previous British Colony Status
The above is only an idea. It needs more work for elaboration and details. In my view, it is one big step that can bring in enormous benefits to millions of people across the globe.
The world is grappling with two sets of nations, one the developing ones and the other the developed. The former are a mixed bunch of third world nations, who were mostly colonized for many centuries by the developed nations and subsequently granted independence around 50 to 60 years ago.
Most of the developing nations have grappled with the democracy that has been thrust upon them by the colonizing developed nations and are still struggling to make ends meet in order to come out of the difficult times they have suffered through the decades gone by. The lack of basic education amongst the masses has been one of the significant factors that has contributed to a rather flip-flop style of governance that has evolved after independence where candidates who are totally unfit to rule have been elected into office. This fact, coated with a thick layer of corruption, a total lack of respect for the rule of law, ethnic rivalry and hatred, religious fanaticism, cultural conflicts, sectariansim, castism, and other forms of divisive phenomena, has created a state of chaos and mayhem within most of these growing nations. The only possible exception, in Asia, could be classified as Singapore, where one single man, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, has taken the country into a developed state in double quick time, unlike most of the others.
It is noteworthy to mention that in the prevailing concept the developed nations are moving ahead while the develoing ones are actually falling behind, hence moving in dimaterically opposite directions, in terms of social integration, economics, education, healthcare, and development.
Militant struggles by various groups, espousing a variety of causes and justifications, have also sprouted up and created many fires across the planet, causing total mayhem, violence, killings and a tremendous loss to infrastructure and growth. While afew elite members of the populatios of these nations have chosen to seek greener pastures through migration and overseas expatriate status over the years since independence, the majority have had no choice but to stay behind and suffer the consequences.
Basic human needs, viz; food, clothing, shelter, education and freedom, in most of these nations are totally absent across a great mass of people who have to resort to various other illegal and criminal means for their meagre subsistence. The corruption factor has seeped from the top all the way to the bottom rungs of society and in the current context of the world, seems totally irreparable and uncontrollable.
1. Project Name: Uniting Nations
2. Concept:
First World Developed Nations choosing to come together with a Third World Developing Nation on a mutual agreement between the two for an agreed time span that will endeavor to mutually benefit both nations from each others resources, infrastructure, people, produce, technology and culture.
3. Methodology:
3.1 First World Developed Nation and a Third World Developing Nation
will mutually agree to work together, for an agreed span of time, to
collaborate in sharing social, economic, people and infrastructure development
3.2 The two nations will work closely at the Government and Private
Sector Levels to cooperate in infrastructure, people economic,
employment, training, land, and habitat development,
3.3 The two nations will agree, mutually, to treat each others
territory as one sovereign nation with all tariffs, duties, movement
of people & goods, employment, business, and engagement, open to all citizens of both nations.
3.4 Passports of each nation will be recognized as if they belong to
each other with no restrictions. In other words all citizens of both
nations will hae dual nationality.
3.5 The developed nations Government will act as the Central
Government under which the Government of the Developing Nation will
function as if it is a Federal State within the Central Government,
irrespective of the manner in which it has been elected or established
in power at the time of the agreement.
3.6 The two nations will endeavor to benefit, in all areas, from all
the resources that exist within each of them without any conditions.
3.7 Ownership of lands, businesses, enterprises, etc will be freely
open and available to all peoples from both nations within each others
territory.
3.8 There is no need for the two nations to be in close proximity to
one another geographically.
3.9 The time-frame agreed for the implementation wll be reviewed by
both nations and extended if and when it is felt necessary. It may be
that the nations decide to keep it going forever if the success
factor of the project is deemed to be extremely valuable and
beneficial to both nations.
3.10 On completion of a successful project between any two nations,
the combined entity may then want to extend the project to incorporate
a third or even more nations into the group as may be approprately suitable, viable and desired.
3.11 The idea and concept behind this suggestion is to try and bring
nations closer to each other while sharing each others resources and
spreading out the common wealth across all the peoples and across borders, more like the EU concept but on a much more open and broader basis.
3.12 Freedom of religion, culture and practise of beliefs will be open
and available to all peoples. The ruling Central Goernment will
declare itself a secular Governmental system based on Electoral Democracy for
both nations.
3.13 The outcome of such a relationship could easily lead to the continuous maintenance of the Uniting status and also bringing in newer players into the Uniting concept eventually working towards a true Global Village status.
4. Success Stories
4.1 The European Union
4.2 Germany (East and West)
4.3 United States of America
4.4 HongKong under its previous British Colony Status
The above is only an idea. It needs more work for elaboration and details. In my view, it is one big step that can bring in enormous benefits to millions of people across the globe.
Introduction
Introduction
An idea and thought, for review, discussion, analysis, planning, mutual consensus, and implementation, in order to improve the quality of life and upliftment of the degenerating status of social life and well being of developing nations in the world.
The concept is based on a “positive colonialism” theme where by developed and developing nations mutually agree to work as a single entity for a prescribed period of time, based on pre-defined conditions and rules of engagement.
While a similar concept, to bring Cities together on a similar basis has already been espoused and is being discussed by some economists at Stanford University, the need to raise the bar to the national level is seen vital on account of the viability and successful outcome that may be achieved by doing so. Decision making and bottlenecks at the City level could easily become a stumbling block for progress while, if such agreements are made at the national level where control is firmly established by one entity over the other, then the chances of a fruitful outcome seems far more achievable over time.
The idea was, initially, thrown into the air in January 1991 when I was virtually stuck, alone, in a hole in Bahrain, while on a business visit, on account of the Gulf War that started off that year. I was not able to leave the island until the end of March 1991 after the ports were reopened.
Although the initial white paper was submitted to the Resident Representative of the UNDP in Bahrain at that time, several Sri Lankan Ambassadors in Riyadh, and many other bankers and economists, no one seemed to think it was of any value, whatsoever. It was much later in 2007 that the paper was revised with more details on the modality of the proposal and discussed by some interested parties for further action which has not been forthcoming to date. A recent study done by some researchers at Stanford University in the USA have also come up with a similar lower level concept, titled “Charter Cities”, based on bringing cities together rather than whole nations, as this paper proposes.
See http://www.chartercities.org/
It is hoped that this paper will initiate some action amongst those in high places who have the ability to do so.
The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and the interactions I have had with a few people who have shown interest on this topic over the years.
An idea and thought, for review, discussion, analysis, planning, mutual consensus, and implementation, in order to improve the quality of life and upliftment of the degenerating status of social life and well being of developing nations in the world.
The concept is based on a “positive colonialism” theme where by developed and developing nations mutually agree to work as a single entity for a prescribed period of time, based on pre-defined conditions and rules of engagement.
While a similar concept, to bring Cities together on a similar basis has already been espoused and is being discussed by some economists at Stanford University, the need to raise the bar to the national level is seen vital on account of the viability and successful outcome that may be achieved by doing so. Decision making and bottlenecks at the City level could easily become a stumbling block for progress while, if such agreements are made at the national level where control is firmly established by one entity over the other, then the chances of a fruitful outcome seems far more achievable over time.
The idea was, initially, thrown into the air in January 1991 when I was virtually stuck, alone, in a hole in Bahrain, while on a business visit, on account of the Gulf War that started off that year. I was not able to leave the island until the end of March 1991 after the ports were reopened.
Although the initial white paper was submitted to the Resident Representative of the UNDP in Bahrain at that time, several Sri Lankan Ambassadors in Riyadh, and many other bankers and economists, no one seemed to think it was of any value, whatsoever. It was much later in 2007 that the paper was revised with more details on the modality of the proposal and discussed by some interested parties for further action which has not been forthcoming to date. A recent study done by some researchers at Stanford University in the USA have also come up with a similar lower level concept, titled “Charter Cities”, based on bringing cities together rather than whole nations, as this paper proposes.
See http://www.chartercities.org/
It is hoped that this paper will initiate some action amongst those in high places who have the ability to do so.
The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and the interactions I have had with a few people who have shown interest on this topic over the years.
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