The road to Johannesburg 2002 after September 11, 2001
Join the online forum at http://www.worldsummit2002.org

During six days, November 19-24, the Heinrich Boell Foundation and UNED
Forum will hold an online forum to discuss the implications of September
11, 2001 on the Johannesburg process. We have invited eminent
intellectuals from all over the globe to contribute short opinion
articles as "Think Pieces" to start the debate. Technical details how to
join the debate can be found at the bottom of this text.

The terrorist attacks of September 11 seem to have changed world
politics dramatically. New and unexpected alliances are forged, the
priorities of governments are reassessed, public attention is focused on
the threat of terrorism. A global "war against terrorism" seems to be
unleashed, that is geared to stay with us the coming years.

What do these developments mean for the road to the World Summit on
Sustainable Development? This UN Summit will be held in Johannesburg
(South Africa) in September 2002, ten years after the historical Rio
Conference on Environment and Development, and one year after the
attacks in New York and Washington.

Still, preparations for the Summit go on apparently untouched by the
recent events. But if everything changes, can the Johannesburg Summit
and its preparatory process remain untouched?

September 11 and its aftermath pose a whole set of new questions:
- Will the shock create a new climate of international co-operation
between North and South, East and West, thus creating a fertile ground
for a new, "global deal"?
- Will the terrorist attacks shift media attention, and priorities of
governments away from the issues of poverty, environmental degradation
and globalisation that are the centre of the Johannesburg agenda? Will
the climate of an unfolding "global civil war" ultimately lead to the
failure of Johannesburg 2002, symbol of global co-operation?
- Does the Johannesburg agenda need a re-framing, for example in terms
of (environmental) security or the provision of global common goods,
peace being one of them?
- Johannesburg was partly conceived as a global response to the
challenges of globalisation. How will the globalisation debate and the
anti-globalisation movement be affected by the recent developments?
- How can civil society engaged in the preparations towards Johannesburg
2002 react on the new developments? What are strategies to make the
World Summit a success under these new circumstances?

The Heinrich Boell Foundation and UNED Form, both organisations active
in the Johannesburg process, joined forces to create a space for a
global debate on these questions. We wish to contribute to create a
common understanding on the significance of the recent developments for
the Johannesburg process. The Online-Forum will be moderated by Jasmin
Enayati, UNED Forum.

REGISTRATION: To subscribe to the forum, either send an email to
[email protected] or visit
http://www.worldsummit2002.org/forum/roadtojoburg.htm and click the
'Subscribe to the forum' link on the web page. Follow the instructions
given there. You will receive an email, which you need to confirm. You
can then contribute to the debate and receive the moderated web-postings
by email. Alternatively, participants can switch their settings to
receive all postings of one day in a single email.

To contribute (starting from November 19), subscribed members can either
enter the forum online at
http://www.worldsummit2002.org/forum/roadtojoburg.htm and make
contributions via the web site or send their contributions to
[email protected]. After approval through the moderator, your
email will then automatically be posted to the web site and sent to all
other members.

DOCUMENTATION: The final report, which will contain the initial articles
("Think-Pieces") and possibly some selected contributions, can be
ordered from [email protected] and will be disseminated to
policy-makers and interested persons. The report will also appear on
this website.