BURLINGTON-- The City of Burlington, Vermont,
joined the over 900 cities throughout the world which, since 1949, have declared
themselves "World Cities." The resolution, introduced by Councilman Dana Clark,
was voted on by the City Council as "new business" last evening after the formal
agenda was completed. While not unanimous, the Resolution carried by an overwhelming
majority.
The historic act puts Burlington, as a city, on record for "the establishment of
world peace, economic justice, and ecological security based on just world law..."
Following generally the text of the State of Minnesota's Declaration of World Citizenship
of March 26, 1971, the Resolution claims that "we believe that we can best serve our
city, state, and nation when we also think and act as world citizens..."
While many world cities fly the U.N. flag alongside the national or even local - if
they have one - Burlington "as a symbol of our world citizenship...will display the
Earth flag at the newly renovated City Hall Park."
In addition to a pledge to "seek to free humanity from the scourage of war, and to
use the world's resources of energy and knowledge for the benefit of all people..."
the Resolution authorizes Burlington's mayor, Peter Clavelle, "after consulation with
all six of the Neighborhood Planning Assemblies," to "appoint an advisory
committee to make recommendations to the Mayor and the City Council regarding the further
promotion of the practices of world citizenship."
Speaking as a Burlington resident and the author of three books on the subject, Garry
Davis gave a brief explanation of the modern meaning and significance of world citizenship
and history of the "mondialization" movement which began at Cahors in France in
June, 1949. Robin Lloyd, also a Burlington resident and publisher of Toward Freedom linked
the political concept of world citizenship with ecological concerns voiced at the recent
Earth Summit meeting in Rio de Janeiro.
Originating in the aftermath of World War II when cities received massive air attacks
both in Europe and Japan, the "world city" movement spread from France to other
European countries, then to Japan, where both Hiroshima and Nagasaki declared themselves
"mondialized." From there in the '60's it jumped to the United States and Canada
where Los Angeles. St. Louis, Minneapolis, and Richfield, Ohio, were among the many
municipalities exercising the sovereign right of political choice by going global.