by Editor | Jul 17, 2023 | News
Amma is the Chair of C20, which seeks to bring the concerns of Civil Society Organisations to the leaders of the world’s leading economies. As this year’s host country, the G20 Summit will take place in New Delhi this September.
Here are some notes from her address at the Inaugural Ceremony of the Civil 20 for India’s G20 Presidency:
We have forgotten the force of Nature, which is even more powerful. We have forgotten the great truth that we are a part of this vast universe. Lately, Nature has been giving us a succession of “shock treatments” to remind us of this truth.
- From kindergarten to grade 12, as well as in higher education, a course that teaches compassion and selflessness should be created.
- Every child should plant a tree on their birthday and be taught how to care for it with love and compassion.
- Projects should be developed where villages are adopted with the support of multinational corporations and businesses. Then schools, colleges, hospitals and small-scale industries should be established in them.
- Leaders of all religions should teach their followers to be inclusive and to never discriminate against anyone based on religion.
- It should become mandatory for all educational institutions to train their students, from lowest to the highest, to use technology with discernment and give them opportunities to put it into practice.
Read the full address here: https://www.embracingtheworld.org/news/ammas-full-address-inauguration-of-indias-civil-20-2023/
The C20 India 2023 Summit will take place in Jaipur, India, on July 29-31, 2023. Amma will chair the Summit.
The Boston Global Forum, Global Alliance for Digital Governance, and Global Internet Governance, Digital Empowerment and Security Alliance are partners at the C20 India 2023 Summit.
by Editor | Jul 17, 2023 | Global Alliance for Digital Governance
Throughout history, humanity always paid a steep price to tyrants who wield unchecked power.
Totalitarian regimes, characterized by their lack of accountability and transparency, continue to pose a great peril to humanity.
Hitler is the most major example, inflicting the horrors of Nazi Germany on the world. Today, we witness Putin causing terrible suffering to the people of Ukraine.
The COVID-19 pandemic, originating in China where the totalitarian government has little regards for their citizens, has killed tens of millions of people around the world, serves also as a stark reminder of this danger.
One of the gravest concerns lies in China’s utilization of its market power to coerce foreign companies operating within its borders to compromise democratic values and the principles of civilized humanity, while China itself undermining and devaluing the essence of democracy. Recently, Vietnam and several Asian countries expressed concerns over China’s insistence that businesses operating in China accept maps issued by the Chinese government featuring the contentious 9-dash line in the South China Sea—a claim that has been invalidated by International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. This flagrant violation of the sovereignty of Vietnam, the Philippines, and other Southeast Asian nations by the totalitarian of China is deeply alarming.
Additionally, we observe an increasing incidences of data coercion and privacy infringement of foreign companies doing business in China, accompanied by rising restrictions on exposing the wrongdoings of the Chinese government. The Chinese regime consolidates economic power and the resources of a major nation to serve an extreme nationalist ideology, captivating the Chinese populace through indoctrinating policies and information control which deviate from the values outlined in The Social Contract for the AI Age. These policies further the ambition of the Chinese Communist leaders, whose goal is to undermine the rules-based order and dominate the global order.
The Global Alliance for Digital Governance and Shinzo Abe Initiative for Peace and Security urgently warns of these visible threats and implores all civilized and progressive people to take immediate action to confront these perils:
- Establishing a unified community with democratic and civilized standards, forming a market block among democratic nations, with the United States, Japan, the European Union, and India as pillars. This community should include all countries and individuals who respect and uphold the values of democracy and progress.
- Exposing, boycotting, and refusing to engage with companies driven solely by profit and willing to compromise the principles of civilized and progressive humanity, when they acquiesce the demands of the Chinese government to undermine and devalue democracy. The Global Alliance for Digital Governance and Shinzo Abe Initiative for Peace and Security will compile and publish a list of such companies.
It is imperative that the democratic world acts swiftly to counter the threats and perils posed by the Chinese Communist Party before it is too late.
July 14, 2023
Yasuhide Nakayama, Former Japanese State Minister of Foreign Affair and Minister of Defense, Coordinator of the Shinzo Abe Initiative in Japan
Nam Pham, Former Assistant Secretary of Business Development & International Trade, Massachusetts Government
by Editor | Jul 17, 2023 | News
July 8 marked the one-year anniversary of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe’s death. Ceremonies were held to commemorate him, while his widow, Akie Abe, is to visit Taiwan tomorrow. President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said that Abe was the Japanese prime minister the Taiwanese held dearest. Most Taiwanese believe that Abe always had their country in his heart. His kindness to Taiwan was not only sincere, it was timely. Whenever Taiwan was in trouble, Abe offered his help.
Taiwanese remember what it was like during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lack of vaccines made the situation in Taiwan worse, and Abe urged Japan to donate millions of vaccines to the nation. When huge earthquakes struck Taiwan, Abe wrote “Taiwan Don’t Give Up” to cheer Taiwanese up. When Taiwan’s pineapples were banned from being exported to China, he took a photo with Taiwanese pineapples and uploaded it to social media, smiling radiantly and showering praises on the fruit. When the nation was bullied by its hostile neighbor, he said: “A Taiwan emergency is a Japanese emergency, and therefore an emergency for the Japan-US alliance.”
Abe always offered his strong support when Taiwan was fighting against China. He had long been aware of China’s ambition and urged the world to be on the alert. He advocated creating an “Arc of Freedom and Prosperity,” which would unite the US, India and Australia to deal with the Chinese government. He also proposed a quadrilateral format to facilitate discussion on regional safety, and a free and open Indo-Pacific. Taiwan had been a part of Abe’s political vision and strategic planning. After he stepped down, Abe’s support for Taiwan grew even stronger. He urged the US to learn from the Russia-Ukraine war, indicating that Washington should modify its policy of strategic ambiguity. Abe wanted the US to declare that if China invaded Taiwan, the US would come to the nation’s aid.
Many of Abe’s political, economic and diplomatic legacies are related to Taiwan.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a Global Enlightenment Leader, BGF World Leader for Peace and Security Award 2015, and Distinguished Contributor to “Remaking the World – Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment,” continue to contribute to world peace and security.
After he was assassinated on July 8, 2022, only two days later, on July 10, The Boston Global Forum announced the Shinzo Abe Initiative for Peace and Security. The legacy of Shinzo Abe lives on around the world.
Please read the full article at the Taipei Times. https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2023/07/16/2003803238
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Tsai Ing-wen
by Editor | Jul 17, 2023 | News
Professor David Silbersweig, Harvard Medical Professor and a co-founder of Global Enlightenment Mountain at AIWS City, introduces the writing of Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, a Global Enlightenment Leader, “The risks of AI are real but manageable,” here are some notes:
- Many of the problems caused by AI have a historical precedent. For example, it will have a big impact on education, but so did handheld calculators a few decades ago and, more recently, allowing computers in the classroom. We can learn from what’s worked in the past.
- Many of the problems caused by AI can also be managed with the help of AI.
- We’ll need to adapt old laws and adopt new ones—just as existing laws against fraud had to be tailored to the online world.
….
I encourage everyone to follow developments in AI as much as possible. It’s the most transformative innovation any of us will see in our lifetimes, and a healthy public debate will depend on everyone being knowledgeable about the technology, its benefits, and its risks. The benefits will be massive, and the best reason to believe that we can manage the risks is that we have done it before.
Please read more at Gates Notes: https://www.gatesnotes.com/The-risks-of-AI-are-real-but-manageable
by Editor | Jul 9, 2023 | Event Updates, News
The Boston Global Forum and the Global Internet Governance, Digital Empowerment, and Security Alliance are collaborating to make significant contributions to the Global Governance of AI during the upcoming C20 Summit in India. With a shared vision of advancing digital empowerment, internet governance, and security, BGF and GLIDES will present a special report as part of the C20 Summit’s “Technology, Security, and Transparency” working group. This initiative aligns with BGF’s mission of promoting AIWS – “the Age of Global Enlightenment” – and reflects the C20 Summit’s theme of “You are the Light.”
The C20 Summit is an integral part of the G20 groupings and serves as an engagement platform for civil society organizations to voice their concerns and aspirations to G20 leaders. With over 800 representatives from civil society organizations worldwide, the C20 Summit plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between citizens and governments. Taking place in Jaipur, Rajasthan, 29-31 July 2023, the summit holds even more significance as India assumes the presidency of the G20 this year.
Boston Global Forum, known for its commitment and initiatives to fostering Global Enlightenment, will bring its expertise and insights to support the spirit of the C20 Summit’s theme, “You are the Light.” BGF’s collaboration with GLIDES through the C20 Summit’s “Technology, Security, and Transparency” working group will culminate in the announcement of a special report on Global Governance of AI. This report will provide valuable recommendations and strategies for governing the rapidly advancing field of artificial intelligence, addressing key aspects such as ethics, transparency, regulations, and accountability.
