Citizens for Global Solutions
Encyclopedia
Citizens for Global Solutions, a grassroots membership organization in the United States, envisions a "future in which nations work together to abolish war, protect our rights and freedoms and solve the problems facing humanity that no nation can solve alone" and to "building the political will in the United States" to achieve this vision. The organization’s membership is active across the country, meeting regularly with public officials to support a more cooperative and multilateral U.S. foreign policy or taking action through an online advocacy center. The organization’s education fund develops proposals for creating, reforming and strengthening international laws and institutions and educate Americans about global interdependence. Its political action committee, Global Solutions PAC, which is not affiliated with any political party, supports candidates and public officials who are globally responsible.Activism and advocacy
The organization currently works on issues that fall into five general areas: U.S. global engagement, global health and environment, peace and security, international law and justice, and international institutions. CGS staff work with public officials and research issues in these areas to provide members with analyses, talking points and opportunities to take action.Members lobby public officials through periodic action alert
Action alert
An action alert is a message that an organization sends to mobilize people - often members of their group and supports of a specific point of view - calling on them to take action to influence public policy. Typically, action alerts are in reference to a timely issue, where prompt action is needed...
s sent by email, through the organization's online advocacy website and through participation in local chapters or community groups. In areas with sufficient activists, local chapters also conduct community education and political advocacy projects, such as lobby visits, United Nations Day
United Nations Day
In 1947, the United Nations General Assembly declared 24 October, the anniversary of the Charter of the United Nations, as which "shall be devoted to making known to the peoples of the world the aims and achievements of the United Nations and to gaining their support for" its work.In 1971 the...
events and discussion groups.
Bimonthly, members participate in national teleconferences and local project organizing through the Partners for Global Solutions advocacy program. Once a year, members are invited to an annual conference either in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, hosted by a local chapter or in a strategically important state.
Current campaigns and initiatives
External Links- Global Solutions Flash Contest
- Global Solutions Summer Games
- Washington Working Group on the ICC
- Partnership for Effective Peacekeeping
Global Solutions PAC
The Global Solutions PAC, formerly part of CUNR, endorses candidates for Congress based on their record or expressed intention of supporting effective democratic global institutions. Since 1998, the PAC has contributed to those candidates who share the organization's policy goals and are in competitive races or lead key Congressional committees. Those to receive endorsements or contributions are determined from a report card and/or candidate questionnaires.See Also
History
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, when World Federalists, USA merged with four similar organizations to form the United World Federalists. Membership was open to any American "except persons Communist or Fascist oriented". It had more than 50,000 members during the late 1940s and early 1950s, including Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
, Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was a 20th century American writer. His works such as Cat's Cradle , Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions blend satire, gallows humor and science fiction. He was known for his humanist beliefs and was honorary president of the American Humanist Association.-Early...
, Sen. Alan Cranston
Alan Cranston
Alan MacGregor Cranston was an American journalist and Democratic Senator from California.-Education:Cranston earned his high school diploma from the old Mountain View High School, where among other things, he was a track star...
, Mortimer Adler
Mortimer Adler
Mortimer Jerome Adler was an American philosopher, educator, and popular author. As a philosopher he worked within the Aristotelian and Thomistic traditions. He lived for the longest stretches in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, and San Mateo, California...
, E.B. White, Oscar Hammerstein
Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was an American librettist, theatrical producer, and theatre director of musicals for almost forty years. Hammerstein won eight Tony Awards and was twice awarded an Academy Award for "Best Original Song". Many of his songs are standard repertoire for...
, Cord Meyer
Cord Meyer
Cord Meyer, Jr. was an American Central Intelligence Agency official.-Early life:Meyer's father, Cord Meyer Sr., was a diplomat and former real estate developer. His grandfather, also called Cord Meyer, was a property developer and a chairman of the New York State Democratic Committee. He was...
, and the organization’s longtime President, Norman Cousins
Norman Cousins
Norman Cousins was an American political journalist, author, professor, and world peace advocate.-Early life and education:...
. Over the course of its history, the organization recognized a number of leading globally minded citizens for their support of the organization's goals through the presentation of the Norman Cousins Global Governance Award. Recipients have included Strobe Talbott
Strobe Talbott
Nelson Strobridge "Strobe" Talbott III is an American foreign policy analyst associated with Yale University and the Brookings Institution, a former journalist associated with Time magazine and diplomat who served as the Deputy Secretary of State from 1994 to 2001.-Early life:Born in Dayton, Ohio...
(Deputy Secretary of State under President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
), Walter Cronkite
Walter Cronkite
Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years . During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll...
, and Ted Turner
Ted Turner
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the cable news network CNN, the first dedicated 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television...
.
With the horrors of war so recent in people’s minds – and particularly the new, looming threat of nuclear annihilation – in the late 1940s and early 1950s upwards of 50,000 supporters demanded the creation of a better United Nations. But the Cold War association of internationalism
Internationalism (politics)
Internationalism is a political movement which advocates a greater economic and political cooperation among nations for the theoretical benefit of all...
with communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
and a shift in political nomenclature over the decades together limited the organization's outreach, political initiatives and membership.
The organization changed its name in 1969 to World Federalists, U.S.A. and in the mid-1970s to the World Federalist Association. Changes in the U.S. tax code prompted the creation in 1976 of a sister organization, the Campaign for United Nations Reform, for lobbying purposes. In the 1990s, with the Cold War over, the organization (and WFM globally) began making more progress, most notably on the issue of creating an International Criminal Court
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
.
In the 1990s, the organization gained again in membership, particularly among young professionals with a more global awareness since the end of the Cold War. On the organization's 50th anniversary, several of its founding members presented the Mt. Vernon Declaration at the celebrations in Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon (plantation)
Mount Vernon, located near Alexandria, Virginia, was the plantation home of the first President of the United States, George Washington. The mansion is built of wood in neoclassical Georgian architectural style, and the estate is located on the banks of the Potomac River.Mount Vernon was designated...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. As a generational gap existed and experience in reaching younger audiences presented problems for the organization, several youth leaders offered guidance and leadership in more effective outreach to their peers, notably through the 1997 Pittsburgh Youth Statement much of which was implemented over the following years. Of particular note was suggestions for more contemporary and inclusive approaches to establishing global law rather than or in addition to previous proposals for a world constitutional convention
Constitutional convention (political meeting)
A constitutional convention is now a gathering for the purpose of writing a new constitution or revising an existing constitution. A general constitutional convention is called to create the first constitution of a political unit or to entirely replace an existing constitution...
.
Having worked closely for almost three decades and with significant membership overlap, the sister organization Campaign for UN Reform proposed a stronger strategic partnership with the World Federalist Association in 2003. Continuing difficulty in achieving its political, media and funding goals prompted the organization to review its vision and mission in relation to this proposal. The membership approved the proposed partnership in November 2003, creating two related corporations - Citizens for Global Solutions, Inc. and Citizens for Global Solutions Education Fund.
Citizens for Global Solutions remains a member organization and supporter of the World Federalist Movement
World Federalist Movement
The World Federalist Movement is a global citizens movement with member and associate organizations around the world. The WFM International Secretariat is based in New York City across from the United Nations headquarters...
.