The Wyndham Place Charlemagne Trust

Chairman: Sir Stephen Wall GCMG LVO

Vice Chairman: Rt Hon Lord Archer of Sandwell QC 

The aims of the Wyndham Place Charlemagne Trust are to bring together people of different cultural, political and religious backgrounds; to address European and world issues, not just from a political and economic perspective but from the point of view of values and beliefs; and to enlighten public opinion and influence those who shape policy. Its supporters include politicians, academics, former officials and leaders of different faith communities, many with experience of working with or in European and international institutions; and other research bodies and inter-faith organisations with related interests. The Trust was created in 1999 by the merger of the Wyndham Place Trust which was founded in 1959 to promote a concern for peace, world order and the rule of law, and the Charlemagne Institute, which sought to promote study of European values and beliefs. The Trust hosts the Corbishley and Charlemagne Lectures. The most recent Charlemagne lecture was given by Peter Sutherland KCMG, Chairman of British Petroleum and Goldman Sachs, who spoke on the topic 'Europe's Role in the World of the 21st  Century'.

 

www.wpct.org

 
The Institute for Environmental Security

The Institute for Environmental Security (IES) is an international non-profit non-governmental organisation established in 2002 in The Hague, The Netherlands with liaison offices in Brussels, London and Washington, D.C. The Institute's mission is: "To advance global environmental security by promoting the maintenance of the regenerative capacity of life-supporting eco-systems." The Institute for Environmental Security has launched - in partnership with GLOBE-EU in Brussels, and others - a programme focusing on mainstreaming environmental and sustainable development factors into European foreign and security policy. Working especially with Members of the European Parliament, the aim is to promote the forging and implementation of an integrated strategy for environment, sustainable development and security - or the better inclusion of environmental security aspects in the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy, European Security Strategy and European Sustainable Development Strategy.

www.envirosecurity.org

(The late) Air Marshal The Lord Garden KCB

RAF Director of Defence Studies from 1982 to 1985. He became Assistant Chief of the Air Staff in 1991. He was subsequently responsible for forward planning for all three Services as Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Programmes) in the Ministry of Defence. A former Director of the Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House, London. He was Visiting Professor at the Centre for Defence Studies at King's College, London since 2000. He sat as a Liberal Democrat peer since June 2004. He provided advice to the Palestinian Authority on negotiations with Israel under the auspices of the Adam Smith Institute. He was the front bench Defence spokesman, and a member of the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Select Committee. Associate Fellow of the Royal Institute of International Affairs. He was appointed a Commissioner to the Commission on Globalisation in 2002, and was the Wells Professor at Indiana University for 2004. He was a Fellow (RUSI) and Council member of the Royal United Services Institute for Defence & Security Studies. Lord Garden was appointed a Companion of the Order of Bath in 1992 and received his knighthood, Knight Commander of the Order of Bath in 1994. He was appointed as a Chevalier de l'Ordre National de la Légion d'Honneur by President Chirac in July 2003 for his work on European defence issues. Civitatis International is deeply saddened by the loss of Lord Garden who died of cancer in late 2007.

 
Riseam Sharples Solicitors

Riseam Sharples Solicitors are an established Covent Garden law firm acting for investors and owner-occupiers acquiring residential property in Central London. Riseam Sharples has a depth of experience stretching back 35 years in UK law and 18 years acting for investors in Eastern Asia. The firm has an excellent reputation in Central London and the East Asia, in particular Hong Kong and Singapore. Riseam Sharples are well known by international real estate agents and are recommended by all the major property developers.

www.riseamsharples.com

 

The Community of Democracies Non Governmental Process

The Community of Democracies is an intergovernmental movement now also operating as the Caucus of Democracies within the United Nations. Parallel to the Governmental Process of the Community is a Non Governmental Process; an advisory body comprised of an international civil society coalition in support of the CD with consultative status to the Governments through its participation in the Ministerial meetings of the Community. The NGO Process of the CD was created after the Community of Democracies Ministerial meeting in Seoul, South Korea, in 2002 and its consultative role was formally acknowledged by the governments in the Santiago Commitment of 2004. The NGO Process was coordinated by an Executive Secretariat based in Santiago de Chile and is now coordinated by the Executive Secretariat in Mali, the current Chair of the intergovernmental Convening Group. The NGO Process was instituted by a group of civil society actors that wanted to consolidate the efforts of the non-governmental actors to organise a more formal process of civil society participation in the Community of Democracies.

"We at the Community of Democracies must use the power of our shared ideals to accelerate democracy's movement to ever more places around the globe. We must usher in an era of democracy that thinks of tyranny as we thought of slavery today: a moral abomination that could not withstand the natural desire of every human being for a life of liberty and of dignity."

US Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice, April 28, 2005

Civitatis Joint Work: The Document for Ministerial Consideration: NGO Process Proposals to the Community of Democracies. Presented to the Third Intergovernmental Meeting of the Community of Democracies in Santiago, Chile. (72 page PDF.) Also see our Civitatis Papers page for a detailed report.