Among its initiatives are a global campaign for the promotion of human rights education, a wide range of initiatives promoting the status of women in developed and developing countries, active participation in dialogues with religious leaders and technical experts on the process of sustainable development, and grassroots initiatives for education, training and employment. We live in a remarkable time. For the first time in history, humanity has developed a global consciousness. International institutions address health, economics, scientific and technical cooperation, environment and governance on a global scale.
Nations show an increasing willingness and capacity for cooperation.
Individuals around the globe have overcome traditional barriers to build global community organisations and networks working for the betterment of society. There is an inexorable development towards a more peaceful and unified world. Despite this progress, many barriers to peace remain. The prevalence of racism violates the dignity of all human beings. The extreme disparity between rich and poor, employed and unemployed, is a source of acute suffering which keeps the world in a state of instability and fuels conflict.