Sing out the splendid news!    Peace on Earth will make giant strides from dream towards a solid reality this decade.   For the world's democracies are communicating.    They are forging a community.   They are uniting!

1. In June 2000,  107 Democracies held a conference in Warsaw, Poland.  Its title bespoke their goal: "Towards a Community of Democracies."   There, they agreed on criteria of good democracy, and to uphold these criteria, and to work together as a Community to further democracy and their common goals.

2. At the same time, a non-governmental conference, "The World Forum on Democracy," met in order to work with the Community and to gather citizen input and support for the same purposes.

3. In August 2000, the Association to Unite the Democracies initiated the NGO Coalition for the Community of Democracies. Its purpose: To foster widespread, continuing citizen participation in, and support for, the Community of Democracies and its purposes.

4. In September of 2000 the Community of Democracies formed a Democracies Caucus in the General Assembly so that its members might work more cohesively in that body.

5. In September, the Community also dispatched its first project to support the democracy in Benin.

6. The Community of Democracies scheduled its second meeting: in September of 2002 in Seoul, South Korea.

7. In February of 2001, the Monterey County Chapter of the World Federalist Association (USA) joined the Coalition for the Community of Democracies.

8. In March of 2001, the World Federalist Association of Northern California (USA) joined the Coalition for the Community of Democracies.

9. On June 1, 2001, the web site for the NGO Coalition for the Community of Democracies, was up and running with a first draft.

The long trek to peace has been guided along by, among other things: Hammurabi's law; the ten commandments; the first "national" democracy in Athens, Greece; the Prince of Peace teaching that all men are brothers; Locke's writings; the United States Declaration of Independence along with its Constitution and Bill of Rights; the United Nations and its Universal Declaration of Human Rights; the post World War II expansion of democracy; the permanent International Criminal Court; and now, the worldwide Community of Democracies.

Our forefathers have done their part. They have structured a strong, solid foundation. And now it is our turn.  Only a few more small steps to take.  Let's identify them together.  Please note what you think are the next necessary steps to world peace on the Bulletin Board.

One important next step is for your organization to join the Coalition for the Community of Democracies.  Please propose to your organization that it join. And please let me know that you did, and then what progress you make so I can pass it on. Material on this web site should be helpful. A membership application form is on the "Memberships" page. If you need other help from the Coalition, please let me know (Menko Rose, Coalition Coordinator).