Greetings and welcome to to volume 1 of Global News, the virtual newsletter of Computer Pals Across the World, INC (CPAW).
It gives me great pleasure to extend an online welcome to our new President, Dr Richard Cornell from the University of Central Florida in the United States of America. Dr Cornell brings with him to this honorary position many years experience in the application of multi-media to education. As a prominent international educator he will, without question, guide CPAW well beyond its second decade.
A further welcome is extended to Mr Gerard Yeo, MACE, our new and dedicated Hon.Secretary who also manages our Web Site. His dedication to and enthusiasm for CPAW are evident in the excellent Web Site he has produced and his efficiency in maintaing the Virtual Secretariat. He is to be sincerely congratulated. It is encouraging to me to see one of my former students from The University of Sydney at the cutting edge of this state-of-the-art technology.
It has been almost a month since Malcolm informed me of my new office as President of Computer Pals Across the World. While I was delighted to accept the invitation, I am not without some qualms in the hopes that I may offer our members the same level of service and concern which has been so ably accomplished by our Honorable Founder. I shall try my best.
To refresh our collective memories, and to better acquaint myself with the aims of CPAW, I referred to Article II of the CPAW Constitution which states:
I have been asked to share my own philosophy regarding our mission. Despite being "on the job" less than a month, I do have some concerns, some hopes and dreams, and the beginnings of a work plan. In their entirety they might constitute my "philosophy" about CPAW but I prefer to label them as some preliminary thoughts about where we might go as an organisation. Having expressed them, I encourage each of you to react to them in such a way as to provide your officers with input as to how we might move forward into the coming century.
Perhaps "access" will prove to be the biggest challenge for CPAW and its members. I was struck by a recent exchange of comments on the listserv ITFORUM, in which some of the participants from South Africa, reflecting on the need for increased technology to enable learners to learn, commented that, in many (if not most) of their rural townships, the notion of providing access to electronic mail is not very realistic, given that many teachers continue with "chalk and talk," because there is no electricity in their schools, and in many situations, a lack of potable drinking water.
Access then, becomes a relative concept, and yet, it seems each of us needs to continue working towards improvement of the human and humane condition in whatever way we are able. For us, it is the computer which is our tool of choice. Perhaps, through this very tool and its interconnective possibilities, some of us may even make a small dent in providing expanded access for our less fortunate world citizens to those basic necessities of life - food, water, shelter, electricity, and yes, even computers. We can do this by connecting to others we know around the world who, in turn, may know others still who are in positions of influence. Together, we CAN make a difference.
World peace seems to be yet another tenet of what we might be about in CPAW, peace achieved through mutual understanding and concern. It has been fascinating to see the ebb and flow of messages from various trouble spots around the world - that despite war and famine in abundance, people clung to the worlds beyond them through communication. Sometimes, just knowing that others care and share in their concerns is sufficient to keep others going despite the hardships faced. Let us never forget that others need us, in ways we seldom realize. Let us continue to be there for our global friends, in good times and in bad.
And now, to some more pragmatic concerns. Where do I see us going in the next decade?
It is my hope that nations around the world will establish their own national entities, complete with country president and advisory board.
It is my hope that individuals will seek to join CPAW, as individuals, and that the costs of joining will be both reasonable and affordable, reflecting each country's own ability to support both their national organization and to assist with the international organisation as well, even if it is a minimal contribution.
It is my hope to invite nominations from you, the membership, of individuals from around the world to serve terms as an international CPAW Advisory Board. These individuals should properly be those who can lead, who can inspire, who can assist us internationally. I invite you to reply to me or Malcolm, at your earliest convenience. When a representative board has been identified, we will publish their names and locations in a forthcoming issue of the CPAW Newsletter.
Finally, I would like to see CPAW move towards professional collaboration with like-minded organizations, thus enlarging our collective influence and, hopefully, our ability to help each other.
These then, are some of my thoughts and dreams. Your comments will be deeply appreciated at any time and we hope you will feel entirely free to share them with us.
I look forward to an exciting year ahead and hope that together we can emerge with a new CPAW, ready to face the next century together!
Kindest regards,
Richard A. Cornell CPAW President
I have come to take the term multi-media very seriously and literally. It's my effort these days prior to even the reading of a literary piece with students to locate it it everywhere possible---through the traditional routes--maps, globes, and the recently accessed ones. So we examine the locations through aerial photos, CD-Roms, videos, and even with the Web, where possible. Seeing the jungle in many ways made the Mayans and Incans ancient cities finally "exist" in a true geographical sense using a combination of geographic aids. One colleague also uses telecommunications having Latin American students describe their countries as further confirmation of what our students "see" through their multi-media sources.
You might want to post that the 5th International Pragmatics Conference will be held at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico from July 4 to July 9. Over 500 papers from 52 different countries have been accepted. I am on the organizing committee. Anyone interested in more information may write 5thipc at servidor.unam.mx
HERE IS THE FINAL COPY OF THE "GLOBAL LETTER FOR PEACE" WHICH WAS INITIATED BY STUDENTS AT WANNIASSA HIGH SCHOOL IN CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA, ON WEDNESDAY 25 OCTOBER 1995 (UNIVERSAL CHILDRENS' DAY), USING THE CPAW (COMPUTER PALS ACROSS THE WORLD) GLOBAL EDUCATIONAL ELECTRONIC NETWORK. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS YOUTH PROJECT OF GOOD WILL TO MARK THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED NATIONS. THE LETTER WILL NOW BE FORWARDED TO THE UNITED NATIONS.
Lesson 1
We believe that world peace can begin in the school by asking our fellow students why they are being aggressive towards us.
James Boyle and Natalie Mamukic
Wanniassa High School
CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA
Lesson 2
Instead of fighting, do problem solving and listen to everyone's side of the argument. Learning to listen instead of fighting would help stop violent controversy.
Jeff McCarty and Jesse Barbour
St Andrew's School
AUSTIN, TEXAS, USA
Lesson 3
How do you act when you feel your fellows are aggressive towards you? We believe that the relationship between two individuals is like the relationship between two countries. We believe that the world "peace" can begin with peace pacts between countries and the destruction of the mass destructive arms.
Class A-1X-a Informatica
Dinicu Golescu High School
CAMPULUNG-MUSCEL, ROMANIA
Lesson 4
Perhaps it is time that we, the human race, stopped seeing each other as black or white, Jew or Arab, and start seeing each other as brothers and sisters of the same species. Only then can the improvements necessary to the future of our world be made.
Jeremy Padfield
Eaglecrest High School
AURORA, COLORADO, USA
Lesson 5
The best way to enhance world peace is to open communication between nations. How we act and react to rapidly changing situation for "as man thinketh so shall he act." We have tried joining hands around the world, now let us join minds in common purpose with peace and prosperity for all.
Daniel Lusk
Eaglecrest High School
AURORA, COLORADO, USA
Lesson 6
Peace in the world is definately connected to man's greed and selfishness. Let's think of others as we think of ourselves. Let's strive to be more objective, human and reasonable for the well being of humanity and the safeguard of peace and stability in the world.
M. Lotfi Ben Ahmed
UGRU, UAE University
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Lesson 7
Start seeing each other as a friend or relative. It is time that we human beings stop undermining each other or have bad attitudes to one another and stop differentiating from each other. What we must always keep in our mind is that we, as the human race are from one person. So if you do something wrong to another person, it is just like doing it to your brother.
Lungisile Sukula
The President's Award
Nelson Mandela Township
PORT ALFRED, SOUTH AFRICA
Lesson 8
To achieve peace, we must, at home and at school, share the little things with partners and friends.
Christian
Villa Del Carmen
FORMOSA, ARGENTINA