Leadership Convergence Commemorates Dual Anniversaries 60 years a vision, 40 years an effort—toward global cooperation

LOS ANGELES – The day before the 60th anniversary of the United Nations, the Los Angeles-based Unity-and-Diversity World Council (UDC) invited spiritual and secular leaders to a Leadership Convergence (gathering) at the Davidson Conference Center, University of Southern California. Those attending came together to create a grass roots comprehensive guideline for achieving global cooperation.

UDC founder, Leland Stewart, announced the project with these words: “The planet is in desperate need of people who can and will set a future course that is aligned, not self-serving; responsible, not oblivious; compassionate, not selfish. That is why we called for this convergence of people who are leaders in their respective areas.”

Stewart says that for almost 60 years since the United Nations came into being, the possibility that the human race could unite has remained a largely unexpressed hope. But when in 1965, the United Nations launched “the year of global cooperation,” UDC held its first meetings and wholeheartedly took on the task of making that illusive hope a reality. Consequently, Charter Day also marks the 40th anniversary of the Council. Stewart operates from the premise that if decisions are left solely to national representatives, global co-operation could remain forever out of reach. Yet, the populations of those countries clearly are seeking to move in the direction of an integrated world culture. “It is time that individuals recognize that we can and must take responsibility to initiate direction and communicate to world leaders. We cannot leave it up to distant bodies to chart our future course as a race.”

Participants ranged in age from teenagers to octogenarians and brought together representatives of diverse disciplines from Theosophy to Ecumenical Chritianity; human rights organizations, such as Youth for Human Rights International and the International Foundation for Human Rights and Tolerance; counseling; and dialogue groups, such as ARC Team International, groupdialogue.org and Center for Inner Peace. Additionally there were those concerned with ecology and science, such as Quantum-Ionic, Inc., community organizations, such as the Collaborative Housing council and Hollywood Partnership for a Better Community; and a wide range of religious denominations, among them Sikh, Jewish, Scientology, Religious Science, and even a student of the New Seminary headquartered in New York.

Under the leadership of Stewart the Council in forty years has launched many innovative efforts to bridge differences and bring diverse groups together. Among them, are World Scriptures, a single volume that is comprised of the core wisdom of more than fifteen world religions focused on subjects of common interest, and the annual “Peace Sunday” event, which was held at the Los Angeles Convention Center in 2002, attended by more than 1000. The Council also hailed the 60th anniversary with a Festival of Faiths at the Los Angeles Baha’I Center.

The inaugural “Guidelines for an Interdependent World Culture” was initially presented to Secretary General Kofi Annan of the United Nations. Plans include making the 25 June effort accessible for publication through the world wide web, enabling it to reach broad sectors of society from medical doctors to faith leaders, from judges to artists, from media personnel to ecologists, teachers, community activists and more. Pending Website construction, learn more about the leadership congress at PO Box 661401 in Los Angeles, CA 90066-9201.

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