New Humanism in the US - new levels of influence in the English speaking world..

North American New Humanist Forum:
thinking beyond borders
Final Declaration
In New York City on the 16th, 17th and 18th of November 2007, social, political and cultural organizations from Mexico, Canada and the United States met together with representatives from Africa, Europe and Latin America to launch the North American New Humanist Forum.
We began this process a year ago without a clear understanding of whether the region existed as more than a geographic and economic entity. We wondered if it would be possible to create a regional consciousness guided by the value of the human being.
On this journey, through profound dialogue and with an intentional search, we have seen:
· that our three countries share a long, common history and the daily lives of its people are already deeply interrelated.
· that we do not want to be defined by the actions of our governments, corporations or military but rather by the needs and aspirations of the people.
· that there is a growing recognition of the need to take control of this regional integration and change its direction.
In these days we have accumulated a great body of work in many spheres of human concern, which is a starting point for a North American process that will continue from here on.
From this work we can highlight the following proposals:
1. This region being the largest producer and supplier of weapons in the world, we demand the complete dismantling of the nuclear arsenal as an urgent need for the survival of humanity. As a first step we require that our countries adhere to the treaties that they have already signed.
2. Let’s bring down the physical and psychological walls that separate us. We want open borders for people, not just for goods and money. We demand an end to the “demonization” of those who are different and to the culture of fear which is used to manipulate and distract from a resolution of the region’s true problems.
3. We recognize the dark moments in our history. in particular the genocide of the indigenous people and the slavery of Africans. We must acknowledge the crimes committed, take responsibility and make amends for the suffering caused in order to achieve true reconciliation and move towards a common future as one family.
4. We must correct the current imbalance between labor and capital, where the expansion of capital is given priority regardless of its impact on the workforce that produces it. We value decentralized models which respect labor rights and we condemn free trade agreements such as NAFTA, Plan Puebla Panama, Plan Mexico and the SPP which reinforce this imbalance between labor and capital, widening the gap between rich and poor.
5. People have the right and opportunity to participate in the decision-making processes that affect them. Therefore we demand the expansion of voting rights to all residents regardless of citizenship and the enactment of laws of political responsibility. We cannot continue to allow governments to come to power through fraud!
Today, a new region is starting to take shape in our minds and in our hearts. We aspire to a North American Human Nation as a step on the way to the Universal Human Nation. For this work we count on the richness of our diversity and the spirit of the new generations that have captured the sensibility of these new times.
The union of our peoples from Mexico, Canada and the United States is not just the opening of the borders, but the common fight against discrimination and all forms of violence. This is the meaning of our construction; the overcoming of pain and suffering on earth.