Two themes run through these recommendations. First is the importance of education, which is a pre-requisite for active participation in today's society and which can benefit from the tremendous technological advances in communications networking. And second is the need to overcome the marginalization of people based on class, sex, ethnic background and other reasons - to create a safer, more inclusive and more prosperous society.

Expand the use of technology both for basic and adult education.
Distance education, using correspondence, radio, television and video has proven an effective means of providing education to people in remote areas, and to those with jobs or lifestyles that preclude regular class attendance, and even in some cases where teachers or school buildings are scarce. Today the Internet is providing the means to improve the reach and quality of such education as well as for improving the quality of education for children. Partnerships between corporations, educators, governments, nonprofit organizations should be established to test and expand these approaches.
Examples of groups working on this issue include: International Council for Adult Education, Getulio Vargas Foundation (Brazil), IBM, Lucent Technologies, Markle Foundation, Roberto Marinho Foundation (Brazil)

Build partnerships to pressure governments to provide quality basic education. One obstacle to this is lack of financial resources.
However, experience has shown that, in the long run, investments in education have important economic benefits. The international development community should place even greater emphasis on such education, while at the national and local levels broad coalitions of stakeholders - employers, parents, educators and others - can ensure that education stays at the center of the public agenda.
Examples of groups working on this issue include: Education International, Chase Manhattan Corporation, Time Warner Inc.

Conserve indigenous knowledge and use it in ways that benefit indigenous people.
Indigenous people around the world possess knowledge of economic and environmental value. This knowledge must both be protected legally and through economic policies that ensure that the indigenous people themselves benefit when such knowledge is shared and built upon. A key first step is educating indigenous people and other marginalized groups about their political and economic rights.
Examples of groups working on this issue include: First Nations Development Institute, Organisation of Rural Associations for Progress (Zimbabwe), Vamos Foundation (Mexico), UNESCO

Educate marginalized groups - including ethnic minorities, women, disabled people, the elderly and youth - about their political and economic rights.
There have been tremendous strides in international agreements and national laws in to ensure political rights and access to basic services. But too often these legal structures are ignored. Experience has shown that recognizing and leveraging diversity can have a positive effect in the workplace, in government and in society
as a whole.
Examples of groups working on this issue include: ISIS International, National Organization for Women, United Nations Commission on Human Rights, World Association of Persons with Disabilities, World Council of Indigenous People

Enable women in poor regions and countries to understand basic health benchmarks for themselves and their families and how they can work with service providers and their families to obtain them.
Women can be the strongest advocates for improved health services, but require information about health and available health services to play this role effectively.
Examples of groups working on this issue include: International Women's Health Coalition,
The Population Council, United Nations Population Fund

Provide economic alternatives to the narcotics trade. International narcotics trade is tremendously deleterious to the economies and politics of both producer an consumer nations.
Without realistic alternatives to narcotics trade, those involved in production (for example, cocaine in Andean countries) and sale in the more developed countries cannot be expected to leave this business. Expanded microcredit and technical support for farmers and small entrepreneurs in producer nations to engage in alternative activities is needed.
Examples of groups working on this issue include: Asian Development Bank, Esquel Foundation (Ecuador), Organization of American States, United Nations International Drug Control Programme, Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Expand and increase initiatives to prevent violence and resolve conflict.
There are strong links between violence - from the family level through communities to international conflicts - and poverty. Violence shatters families, destroys social and physical capital and threatens the environment. Programs to address family violence should be expanded. At broader levels, partnership between governments, competing ethnic groups and other stakeholders are needed. International agencies, churches and non-governmental organizations can play a catalytic role here.
Examples of groups working on this issue include: Carnegie Corporation of New York, Carter Center, Council on Economic Priorities, International Peace Forum, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Open Society Institute

 
 

Report Contents	Chair & President's Letter	Plenary Remarks	Recommendations	Synergos
Sponsors	Table Topics & Faculty	Organizations	About University for a Night