Rob Wheeler and David Lionel spent three weeks during fall 2004 in a small Citroen C2 traveling through Europe to four meetings. The first was a Sept. 23 -24 Global Agenda Dialogue, sponsored by the Ubuntu World Forum of Civil Society Networks, as part of the Universal Forum of Cultures in Barcelona, Spain. During this 100 person event, Candido Grzybowski, the Director General of Brazil's IBASE, suggested while talking with Rob that we ought to hold a model global parliament during the Porto Alegre, Brazil, World Social Forum (WSF), Jan. 25 - 30, 2005. Ubuntu has taken direct responsibility for programming a portion of the WSF's Track 11, "Towards Construction of an International Democratic Order and People's Integration."

The basic idea is that before Brazil, a core group would develop by email a draft text for a comprehensive list of the main potential UN empowerments. At a January WSF Track 11 plenary, a short presentation would introduce each proposal. Then the expected 100 ­ 500 participants would vote on those we like best, think are the most achievable, and which to prioritize for emphasis. Individuals and associations backing each issue area would set up a working group to continue building support after the event.

Rob and David subsequently drove to Mulhouse in the northeast corner of France for the Peoples Consultative Assembly of the Registry of World Citizens, October 1 ­ 3. Rob shared the Porto Alegre Track 11 plans of his Coalition for a World Parliament and Global Democracy, which formed during the 2004 Fourth World Social Forum in Mumbai, India and has continued on-line since then. Several of the forty World Citizen attendees agreed to participate as delegates to the gathering in Brazil.

In response to another presentation, the Peoples Congress endorsed a call for a World Environment Authority, first launched at the Hague in 1989 by the Netherlands, Norway, Germany, and France, among others. Forty five countries have signed on for this strengthening of the UN, one of the suggested Top Twenty Transformations. Peoples Congress and Consultative Assembly: Registry of World Citizens. <www.recim.org>

The third set of meetings followed in Brussels at the inspiring new European Parliament buildings. We met in his office with the head of the Party of European Socialists (PES), Poul Rasmussen, whom Rob had spoken with in Barcelona. He was formerly Prime Minister of Denmark, and now serves as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP). His political group's Global Progressive Forum has accorded UN Reform its highest priority.

One of Mr. Rasmussen's assistants, Yonnec Polet, told us that PES is quite serious about organizing a campaign calling for a Convention on UN Reform, though perhaps not as soon as had been proposed for 2005. Ubuntu is also calling for the UN to hold a World Conference on the Reform of the System of International Institutions. Thus we should begin to prepare for such a Conference as an essential component of our Campaign to Empower the UN.

In January they will publish their report on strengthening and democratizing the UN, for which they plan a major coordinated campaign. As a partner in the movement, PES could provide a means to engage with the liberal community in the US, particularly the Progressive Democratic Alliance and some of the anti-globalization groups. Global Progressive Forum: Party of European Socialists: <www.socialistgroup.org>

Rob and David also lunched with MEP Joe Leinen, a Social Democrat from Germany, who addressed the June 2004 UN Reform Conference in San Francisco. He is well respected enough in the European Union to head up its Committee on the European Constitution and also to be on the pivotal Foreign Affairs Committee, whose United Nations working group supports establishing a Parliamentary Assembly at the UN. Joe told us he is willing to spend 15% of his productive time to manifest this body.

Finally, the World Civil Society Forum, based in Geneva, Switzerland, staged there in July 2002 a major conference to evaluate civil society's interface with the UN. October 8, for about forty well-informed colleagues, including several from UN agencies headquartered nearby, the Forum held a consultative meeting regarding their planned July 2006 gathering. Attendees decided to add a track on UN Reform, which Rob Wheeler volunteered to help coordinate or organize.

They also agreed to continue work toward a permanent Global Civil Society Forum to meet regularly at the UN. The Cardoso Panel on UN - Civil Society Relations recommended recently that just before the UN General Assembly meets each year, the UN incorporate a two day session to take input from Civil Society.

Perhaps some kind of upgrade of the annual UNDPI/NGO Conference is in order. This event represents a premier presentation platform for the UN to assembled NGOs. Last year's promotion of the UN's Millennium Development Goals campaign and Jan Van Italie's proposal for a new NGO supra-organization, delivered in French, provided quite electric moments. The catch is that the UN summons the best global activists in the world to New York and then has them sit and listen to speeches and panels for three straight days, allocating precious little time for networking or coalition building.

Even this next year, the transition process toward a Global Civil Society Forum could advance significantly if a special civil society event was held just before or after the UN DPI/NGO Conference in the General Assembly hall. During this meeting the delegates could take up, debate, and vote on various means of accomplishing the Millennium Development Goals and/or the recommendations of the Secretary General's High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges, and Change.

We could also discuss and develop plans to support the proposed Top Twenty UN Transformations, the final texts of which could emerge from fine tuning on-line and during 2005's procession of assemblies.