INTERDEPENDENCE DAY, September 12, 2003

A Project of "CivWorld" Sponsored by the Democracy Collaborative

The War in Iraq is underway. It is vital that "preventive war" strategies be supplemented and/or replaced by "preventive democracy" strategies. The "Declaration of Interdependence" and the "Interdependence Day" celebration scheduled for September 12, 2003 represent a positive alternative program of international cooperation.

The first annual Interdependence Day will be launched on September 12, 2003 at the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia. The event will bring together public, civic and corporate leaders, distinguished academics and diplomats, and interested citizens and students, to reflect together on the world's interdependent reality. Those in attendance will have the opportunity to sign the Declaration of Interdependence - a document affirming interdependent character of the post-modern world -- to ponder questions of the relationship of independence to interdependence, and to celebrate the creation of an important 21st century commemorative event. The program will offer commissioned musical works and other artistic elements in addition to ceremonial and intellectual activities. A reception will follow.

The choice of September 12th for Interdependence Day was made in the hope that the symbolism of "the day after" would encourage citizens around the world to see that terrorism and war are also opportunities for civic renewal and global cooperation. The aim is to address the malevolent forms of interdependence evident in crime, global disease, financial speculation, war, and terrorism by creating benevolent forms of interdependence of the kind found in transnational sovereignty, international law and civic cooperation.

The choice of Philadelphia as the launch site carries the symbolism of America's own founding around the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, and offers an ideal venue for our theme "From Independence to Interdependence." The American Philosophical Society, founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1743 to "promote useful knowledge in the sciences and humanities," encourages the exchange of ideas with thinkers and doers beyond the shores of the North American continent.

Interdependence Day events will take place this year not just in Philadelphia, but prospectively in Budapest, Johannesburg and Buenos Aires, and in a number of schools and colleges in the US. By the year 2004, we expect to have many more venues.

The Interdependence Day celebration and the Declaration of Interdependence will also be the focus of a schools and adult education curriculum that addresses issues of civic responsibility, citizenship and global civil society and assures that interdependence becomes an indispensable element, of how we think about citizenship in the post 9/11 world.

Interdependence Day is a program of the Democracy Collaborative's CivWorld Citizens Campaign for Democracy. For more information, call (212) 548-0696 or write to info@civworld.org

Visit http://www.civworld.org/ and http://www.interdependenceday2003.org