H.E. Rodrigo Carazo Odio, Co-Chair, Board of Presidents, Summit Council; President of Costa Rica (1978-82)
December 10, 2009 -- It is with great sadness that the Summit Council for World Peace announces the passing of the Co-Chair of its Board of Presidents, H. E. Dr. Rodrigo Carazo, President of Costa Rica (1978-82), who died yesterday in San Jose, Costa Rica at the age of 82.
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Dr. Antonio Betancourt, Secretary General
The Summit Council has been very active and had a strong Washington, DC and international presence through the 1980s to 1997. From 1997, we chose to work under the auspices of the Universal Peace Federation (www.upf.org) in order to help it become a well-established international non-governmental organization in more than 100 countries. Indeed, we helped UPF to achieve that goal. In mid-2008, we decided it was time for us once again to take our place in the history-making of the world, particularly in the area of peace and development as we did in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
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The World Economy – Strengthening Democracy through Credit and Ownership
IN 1992, upon the collapse of the Socialist and Communist experiment in the Soviet Union, after more than 70 years of a state command economy, there were great pronouncements that capitalism had triumphed over Communism and socialism . Today, 17 years later we see clearly that peace and justice have by no means prevailed in the post-Cold War world.
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1. Dignity and empowerment begins with the human person, not any institution. Social justice obligates each person to work with others to perfect the social order to support the dignity and empowerment of every person.
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Premise: The Buckminster Fuller Challenge as mission: “How do we make the world work for 100% of humanity in the shortest possible time through spontaneous cooperation without ecological offense or the disadvantage of anyone?”
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May 21, 2009
With the advent of the Obama administration a year after Raúl Castro’s succession to the presidency in Cuba, a new window of opportunity in U.S.-Cuban relations has opened. Long-entrenched positions on both sides that have persisted despite seismic shifts in the global political terrain appear ripe for adjustment or even fundamental change, especially if Track II diplomacy can complement official diplomacy.
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March 17, 2009
The Summit Council for World Peace has been supporting efforts toward the peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula since 1991 when the Chairman of its Board of Presidents, H.E. Rodrigo Carazo, former President of Costa Rica (1978-82), and Secretary General, Dr. Antonio Betancourt, first visited the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). During the decade of the 1990s, the Summit Council organized several high-level conferences on U.S. relations with the two Koreas, created an International Commission for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea, and facilitated U.S.-DPRK dialogue during the Clinton and Bush administrations.
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INTRODUCTION
January 27, 2009
H.E. Rodrigo Carazo
The program was opened by Summit Council Secretary General Dr. Antonio Betancourt with an explanation of the history of the Summit Council for World Peace having been active in the 1980s through 1997, then shifting its attention until last year to support the establishment of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) as a substantial international organization. Now with a newly-established relationship with the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification International (FFWPUI) and the Tongil Foundation, the Summit Council will resume its activities in contributing to peace-building through religion and spirituality along with politics, economics, and other spheres of professional activity.
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by Dr. Norman A. Bailey
March 31, 2009
In 1862, in the midst of the American Civil War, the Congress passed and President Abraham Lincoln signed the most important piece of economic legislation in the history of the United States and probably the world. The government of the United States transferred to its people a huge territory, which they paid for with their work -- that is, their value-added.
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H.E. Rodrigo Carazo Odio
Peace is not merely a matter of noble sentiments. It requires, by its very nature, some measure of precise and diversified knowledge, both theoretical and practical. That is why it is urgent that human beings’ intelligence and culture be directed towards peace. What is involved is marshalling all of our intellectual faculties, all of the cultural and scientific heritage of humankind, in order for them to become instruments of peace. What this implies, finally, is preparing and training humankind’s will and intelligence for peace. Peace is made, not found. Peace is not rest. It is not another word for fear. It is the pulse of life.
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Paul Chamberlin
What can religious people do to alleviate suffering in North Korea and help relieve persistent tension on the Korean peninsula?
As a Christian, a few measures come to mind for Christians to achieve these important goals. How much they apply to members of other religions is for them to decide. But first, I want to touch on some impediments.
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Jan. 31, 2010
At the January 31 conclusion of the 40th World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, participants pledged to rethink, rebuild and redesign the global economy based on sustainable principles.
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January 28, 2010
In his January 27 Opening Address at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France said it will not be possible to emerge from the global economic crisis and protect against future crises if the economic imbalances at the root of the problem are not addressed.
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Jan. 21, 2010
The 40th anniversary of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, to be held January 26-31 in Davos, Switzerland, is a defining moment for world leaders as they meet under the theme “Improve the State of the World: Rethink, Redesign, Rebuild”. Over 2,500 leaders from more than 90 countries representing business, government, civil society, academia and culture will work together to address pressing challenges and future risks.
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Dec 3, 2009
The South Korean government plans to develop its border areas with North Korea into a center for inter-Korean cooperation, international peace and ecological protection.
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September 26, 2009
The G-20 leaders meeting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama, assessed the progress made addressing the global financial crisis and agreed to maintain steps to support economic activity until recovery is assured.
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September 24, 2009
Dr. Arnold S. Relman, M.D., professor emeritus of medicine and social medicine at Harvard Medical School, argues on the web site of Tikkun Magazine that President Obama cannot meet his criterion of signing a health care bill which does not add to the U.S. national debt unless health care reform includes eliminating the present profit motive from medicine.
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September 21, 2009
A new paper by economist Goohoo Kwon at Goldman Sachs argues that the economy of a reunified Korea could be larger than France and Germany and possibly Japan by the middle of this century.
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September 18, 2009
According to the Carnegie Endowment’s Senior Associate, Uri Dadush, the upcoming G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh, September 24-25, which brings together leaders of the largest developing and industrial economies, is the best available option to deal with the post-crisis world.
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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania will host the G-20 Summit September 24-25, 2009. U.S. President Barack Obama will chair this meeting of leaders from countries that represent 85 percent of the world’s economy.
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August 25, 2009
Former President Bill Clinton’s visit to Pyongyang earlier this month to win the release of two U.S. journalists has perhaps set in motion an opportunity for significant improvement in U.S. relations with North Korea.
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