SHOULD AMERICA BE A REPUBLIC OR EMPIRE - OR WHAT?

Innovative Speaker at Annual Luncheon and Inaugural Meeting, March 7, 2004

If one takes the term "citizen" literally, meaning one who actively engages the political and social fabric of the group with which they associate their identity, then there are few people living more deserving of the distinction of Global Citizen than Dr. Jim Garrison. We are excited to have a scholar and activist of such notable stature as our speaker at this year's Annual Luncheon.
Dr. Garrison is one of the premier voices on issues regarding globalization, the nuclear threat, and post-Cold War geopolitics. A decade ago he brought to the United States the recently resigned Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze and President of U.S.S.R., Mikhail Gorbachev. Through the two organizations that he founded or co-founded, the Gorbachev Foundation and the State of the World Forum, he has brought together over 4,000 people from over 100 countries for forums designed to create new thinking about global problems
Looking at his background, it becomes obvious that the path set for this man was forged at an early age. Jim was born to missionary parents in the Szechuan Province of China and spent much of his childhood in Taiwan. By the time he entered the university he had traveled to over forty countries and was active in the anti-Vietnam and environmental movements. His education background is extensive, including a masters degree from Harvard and a Ph.D. from Cambridge.
His new book (one of seven published) America as Empire: Global Leader or Rogue Power? lays out the following basic argument: America has long been on a path of empire building. From the beginning, Garrison states, America did not hesitate to send its armed forces to other countries to defend its two primary – and sometimes contradictory – foreign policy goals: promotion of U.S. commercial interests and encouraging representative democracy.
Now, the rise to global empire has been achieved. The question confronting modern America is: What are we to do with that power? As Garrison sees it we are confronted with two basic choices, to try to coerce the world militaristically to bow to our will, or provide leadership in creating global governing institutions capable of sharing the management of our modern globalized world. Garrison's extensive historical study of past empires leads him to believe that the first choice is not sustainable. The alternative, however, is not so clear cut, for he feels that the current global institutions are not fit such a job. In a CNN interview, he stated, “The institutions that we have in place to govern globalization, the WTO, the IMF, the World Bank, even the United Nations, were all designed before globalization emerged and are limited exclusively to representatives of sovereign states. ... I think the central challenge before the human community is the question of how we govern globalization." Garrison calls on Americans to use their power of empire not to "dominate, but catalyze the next generation of global governance organizations."
George Soros, multibillionaire and financier of international development organizations around the world stated, "Garrison has provided a thoughtful analysis of why America became the strongest nation in history and what responsibilities lay ahead for our nation."
Strobe Talbott, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and President of the Brookings Institution stated that "Garrison, who has devoted much of his career to exploring the emergence of a new international system with the end of the Cold War, offers a comprehensive examination of the idea of an American Empire. He is balanced, thoughtful, yet intellectually passionate contribution to the debate over American power and America's role in the world."
Now you can hear him speak and form your own opinions. It is a rare occasion to have an activist and scholar of this magnitude captive to such a small audience. Don’t miss your chance to gain insights into our complex global political playing field, ask questions, and even challenge Garrison about what exactly he means when he calls for global governance.

Inaugural Meeting
The World Federalist Association, a nation-wide NGO incorporated in the District of Columbia, is reducing its footprint and no longer will have members and local units, as its sister organization, the Campaign for U.N. Reform, becomes the dominant entity in the strategic partnership and is renamed Citizens for Global Solutions. As part of an effort to become more influential and effective, CfGS will start with 4,300 members and work sometimes through local units.

This presents, of course, and interesting question of how the larger units, with downtown offices and paid staff, now dependent almost entirely on contributions plus grants, can continue to operate and develop. Fortunately, following our hosting the XXII World COngress of the World Federalist Movement in 1995, when we in San Francisco took on new staff and expanded our operations, we have gained experience in reporting regularly to California state agencies and the Internal Revenue Service. Moreover, the most prosperous local unit with the largest staff provides a precedent: the Pittsburgh Chapter has for years operated successfully under its own Pennsylvania Charter.

Accordingly, as we cooperate with the Citizens for Global Solutions in our work, we have incorporated in the State of California as World Federalists of Northern California, which will enable contributions from our supporters anywhere to be tax-deductible.