This is Bob Doughty with the VOA Special English DevelopmentReport.
A new group says its goal is torecapture kindness within societies. The group is called theAlliance for the New Humanity. Organizers say societies put too muchvalue on competition, wealth and individualism. They say one of themain problems in the world today is a lack of concern for oneanother. The organizers say they seek to build bridges between thosewho want peace and those who defend human rights.
The group includes activists, two Nobel Peace Prize winners and,among others, Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin. The alliance heldits first conference in December in the United States territory ofPuerto Rico. Former Vice President Al Gore was the guest speaker. Hediscussed environmental issues. The Associated Press reported thatabout two-hundred people attended the conference.
One of the founding members of the alliance is former Costa Ricanpresident Oscar Arias. He won the nineteen-eighty-seven Nobel PeacePrize. Another is Betty Williams, a winner of the peace prize innineteen-seventy-six for her work in Northern Ireland.
Also a founding member is Deepak Chopra. The Indian-born writeris known for his books about health and spirituality. Mister Choprasays development is not simply the creation of wealth. He says italso has to do with improvement of the human spirit.
Mister Chopra says he believes that people today recognize theneed for more hopeful thinking, more caring societies and lessinfluential media. The Alliance for the New Humanity say its purposeis to unite these people. It says the goal is to influence nationaland international policy toward a more caring humanity.
The alliance has a name for individuals and groups that worktoward these goals. It calls them “peace cells.” A person whoprovides shelter to a woman and her children to escape violence is apeace cell. A group that works to feed the homeless is a peace cell.Alliance organizers say their aim is to connect all these people andgroups using the Internet.
The Alliance for the New Humanity says it plans to raise money tosupport humanitarian work. The group says it also hopes to influencethe media to report less on the world’s problems and more on answersto those problems.
This VOA Special English Development Report was written by JillMoss. This is Bob Doughty.