United Nations Ed Reform initiatives From: JoanEB001@aol.com Date sent: Mon, 2 Feb 1998 17:10:27 EST To: Fredb001@aol.com Subject: Heads Up - Higher Ed TO ALL: It began to register over this past week that there is more to the warnings to "don't trust what you read on the Internet" than just worry about rumors about the current scandal in Washington. We should begin to wonder if the warnings are intended to discourage NEW Internet users from digging too deeply into the information that is on web sites that they didn't yet know about. Those websites are the ones that more and more of us are discovering have information that directly contradicts what the powers-that-be and the elitist insist is not in the works -- in education and other agendas. Damage control instituted at this point would greatly enhance the possibility of carrying through on the various agendas before citizens surf the Internet and begin to say "not in our country you don't!" (That phrase is adapted from Robert Holland's book -- it can to be a multipurpose basic springboard idea for saying "enough"!) Are we supposed to "not trust: OR "not discover" the following information read on the Internet????? "World Conference on Higher Education -- UNESCO, Paris, 5-9 October 1998 -- First Announcement A UNESCO Conference in co-operation with international partners." [Comment: To all academics who like to think that colleges comprise groups of independent thinkers who can just undo with reasonable discussion the wrongs of years of educrat manipulation, bear in mind as you read the following that earlier UNESCO plans for public elementary and secondary schools were quoted last month on the loop, with correlation to the state of public schools today.] The conference announcement leads off with: "The Renewal and Reform of Higher Education. On the eve of the 21st century, UNESCO will convene a World Conference on Higher Education. Its aim will be to lay down fundamental principles for the in-depth reform of higher education systems throughout the world with a view to strengthening their contribution to development and to the building of peace. Likewise, the formulation of proposals concerning higher education and the tasks assigned to it will need to take account of the fact that peace, development and democracy are inseparable, and of the principles contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, notably those of equity and merit (Article 26.1) [Note: "reform of higher education." "IN-DEPTH Reform" "throughout the world"] Continuing: "1996-1998: Preparations and Mobilization" This 1998 conference is to be preceded by regional consultations: Latin America/Caribbean: Havana, Cuba, 18-22 November 1996; Africa: Dakar, Senegal, 1-4 april 1997; Asia/Pacific: Tokyo, Japan (at the UNU), 8-10 July 1997; Europe: Palermo, Italy, 25-27 September 1997, co-hosted with the Assn. of European Universities) [Note: Wasn't Havana a good place to start reforming education? How many of these were Americans aware of? How much financial cost was involved?] Coming up is the last conference preceding: Arab States: Beirut, Lebanon, 2-6 March 1998. Complementary meetings have been organized "to ensure dialogue with all relevant partners. This includes: Meetings held by IGOs and NGOs during 1996-98; 5th UNESCO/NGO Collective Consultation on Higher Education, Paris, 10-12 February 1997; meetings of the Student/Employer Forum on Graduate Employment 1996-98; Roundtable on the Interrelationship between Research, Policy and Practice in Higher Education, Tokyo, 3-5 Sept. 1997; coordination meeting of the Regional Conventions on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees, Paris, April 1998; other symposia and round tables with specific groups who will contribute to the reflection on higher education." [Of course, there is no international effort involved in controlling American education…??] "Stakeholders in the Conference: The Conference will involve a broad range of actors; national policy-makers, institutional leaders, the professoriate and researchers, the student community, the economic and professional sectors, IGOs, NGOs, agencies of the UN system and numerous groups in civil society. All these have a vested interest in higher educatin for personal, professional and socio-economic development." Continued: The WCHE Themes: The debate will be focused on four major themes: Pertinence [?????], Quality, Management and Financing, International Co-operation. [Pertinence is more important than quality??!] "Related issues include: Women in Higher Education: Issues and Perspectives; The Requirements of the World of Work; Higher Education and Sustainable Human Development [NOTE THAT SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IS USUALLY CONCERNED WITH ENVIRONMENT AND POPULATION CONTROL IN OTHER UN DOCUMENTS AND IN LIBERAL PUBLICATIONS PROMOTING SAME.]; "Contributing to National and Regional Development; Higher Education Staff Development: A Continuing Mission; Higher Education for a New Society: A Student Vision; From Traditional to Virtual: New Trends and Innovations in Higher Education; Higher Education and Research: Challenges and Opportunities; The Contribution of Higher Education to the Education System as a Whole; [NOTE: EDUCATION SYSTEM AS A WHOLE…]; "Promoting a Culture of Peace; Communication and Information Technologies in Higher Education; Mobilizing the Power of Culture; Autonomy, Social Responsibility and Academic Freedom. [Is it coincidental that Social Responsibility precedes Academic Freedom?] "Expected Outcomes: "The formulation of a declaration and of a comprehensive worldwide plan of action is foreseen in order to stimulate the renewal of higher education and to propose a new university pact guided by the four watchwords: pertinence, quality, management and financing, and international co-operation." [Amazing, isn't it, that with no possible worldwide plan, the expected outcome of this conference is "a comprehensive worldwide plan of action…"] "…a new coalition of the higher education community and its major partners should emerge…..will ensure more concerted and effective co-operation to meet the challenges of sustainable human development where the enhanced creation and dissemination of knowledge and know-how are determining factors." [Again, we see the strange goal of "creating knowledge" -- you can acquire knowledge; you can impart information; how can you "create knowledge" except by forcibly controlling what is permitted to be acquired?] One of the three major outcomes expected is: "linkages to the world of work which is currently uncertain and heterogeneous." [Excuse me, what is "heterogeneous" as applied to "the world of work"?] Other UNESCO sites yield information about the huge push by UNESCO to be involved in School Curricula, Teacher Training Materials, Human Aging, and Adult Education. Of particular interest may be another boondoggle in the works: The UK called upon the UN to "Establish an annual UN week of adult learning to celebrate existing learners in all their diversity and the creative contribution adult learning can offer to social and economic development, and to the fulfillment of individuals' lives; so that those currently excluded or under-represented can be encouraged to participate…." How could anyone think that there is any threat to national sovereignty in any of this? The logo for the material on the UNESCO Higher Education Conference shows a line drawing of a traditional wide-staircase college building -- with tall letters U N E S C O as the pillars holding up the roof. [Free and independent academia of the 21st Century for those whose tickets weren't punched in the preliminary development of the world system of education?] JOAN Date sent: Tue, 03 Feb 1998 11:19:05 -0500 To: joaneb001@aol.com From: Fred Battey Subject: Washington 4-Her's learn about "our" gov. - the U.N.! Subj: Washington 4-Her's learn about "our" gov. - the U.N.! Date: 98-02-02 21:22:40 EST From: sitler@plix.com (Roxanne Sitler) To: fredb001@aol.com Dear Loop: This is some of the latest of the attacks on our childrens thinking... Citizen Review, a state paper, just printed an article which details how 4-H ers from around the state will be traveling to Olympia, our capitol, to attend the 1998 "Know Your Government" Conference. Previously, children have learned about American government but this year will be taught about the U.N. and will roleplay its process of governance. One purpose is, "for youth to learn about, and actively participate in, the political processes that enhance the quality of life for their community, country and world." and "allow community officials and leaders to recognize the interest and concerns of young people in the decision-making process." Youth will discuss: population, women's rights, peace observation, disarmament and human rights, social and economic. According to the article, the purpose is to draft resolutions on these topics in committee and then approve them in the General Assembly. The article goes on to examine some of the background material furnished the attendees by the UN where they learn about consensus-building, with "voluntary family planning decisions" listed as an example; sustainable development; mechanisms for monitoring and promoting human rights worldwide... In other UN furnished material they go on to tell children about how the UN has been in service to all the world's nations and peoples, but its ability to function is hampered by financial problems because member states are in debt to the organization a total of 2.3 billion - they frame this by saying this is, in part a result of widespread public misunderstandings about what the UN really is and does. These people continue to stoop to new lows to promote their agenda - the article suggests the following site for the U.N. Fact Sheet: http://www.un.org/News/facts/confrncs.htm