Citizens of the United States woke up today to a new understanding. The understanding that they too were world citizens. They have learned not to accept the information poured at them by the media. They have learned that the idea of self - realization was a simple term, and not so complicated as the Yogis would have you believe. Self -realization means that you ask your self questions when you are bombarded by information. Its is sort of like reading between the lines except all you do is ask yourself certain questions. And they are not difficult questions either.

Americans realized some self evident truths today. The idea of a system that is always confrontational will not work into the 21^st century. The lawyers in charge of the system call it the adversarial system. And everyone accepted this as a self evident truth. That was yesterday.

Today, it is realized that adversarial systems will not work in a multicultural society - there are more than two opinions. Things are not black or white. And often they are not even gray. The democrats are sometimes conservative and the republicans are sometimes liberal. The right to choose life or death is not allowed, and soul is not even discussed in the process. Right, or wrong?

But to-day, individuals, recognizing the wisdom of our Native Elders know that every decision has at least four qualities to it - physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Educators have gone down a slightly different road and have identified everything having economic, ethical, energy and health components, and then there are those that have looked to the Tree of Life for their questioning constructs finding meaning in the phrase - "think local, act global".

This turn of thinking has struck overnight and individuals who were lost in a quagmire of double speak, realized that the first person to ask a question of, is themselves. The past strategy of having reporters ask and interpret questions for the rest of us is now considered an archaic learning technique. Letting others take responsibility for the situation we find ourselves in is no longer the order of the day.

Individuals are asking themselves.

What is it that I know, that I feel, that I understand? We all remember how little our parents knew when we were sixteen. And much later in life we were amazed at how much they actually knew. They learned. And we learned. Time has new meaning. And we now know that we must use our perspective of time in a meaningful manner.

Today we realize that there is so much knowledge to learn, that it is more important to learn "how to learn" not so much the knowledge itself, but the process of learning. In reading newspapers we now "read between the lines", and think about what was not said rather than dwell on what was said.

And that is how we become world citizens - by knowing how to learn.

By learning that everything is interconnected, interdependent and inter-related. We know that we can not have peace around the world until we have peace here at home. And we know we cannot have peace at home until we realize the aforementioned conditions must exist here.

The doublespeak that takes place in the United States Judiciary Committee selecting or rather opposing Bill Lann Lee as one of the leading civil rights advocates in the United States from taking the position that he is eminently qualified for, reminds me, for one, of how much abuse was thrust on Mr. Bork when he was rejected from the Supreme Court. What is in the best interest of the American people? For all humanity?

Why is it that lesser men have the right to exclude the greater men? Mr. Hatch could possibly answer this as a democratic ideal.

World Citizens would ask themselves questions: (developed from the Tree of Life)

Would the appointment serve my highest purpose? Do I have enough information to make a decision? Am I being wise? What bias do I bring to my decision? Am I acting from my heart alone? Have I used compassion and mercy in my decision: Does my decision allow others and myself to reach peak performance level? Will something of lasting endurance be created? Does this decision build a strong foundation. Does this decision help heal the planet? Yesterday these questions were not considered. Today they are.

Of course the above is purely fiction, and written after experiencing the frustration of watching C-Span for the past two days. Watching Senators speak to the issue of federal funding of Education and having them say NO! Listening to Orin Hatch doublespeak and put back room politics ahead of what is right. Listening to the Minister Azziz from Iraq talk of the oil profits that the Americans are making during the "sanctions" against his country. If we think that the world is in trouble today you do not have to look far beyond the thinking of the American mind.

Where are the citizens of the world? Is it not you my friend? Is it not you? Look beyond what is written on the page. Look beyond what is spoken on CNN and C-Span. Look into your hearts and transform yourself. To-day. Time is ours to use. It is an individual experience. Learn to use your time well. Now.

What questions do you know to ask yourself? And when will you learn them?

Written by Mitchell Gold, Peacemaker, learner, teacher, Elder in training. Mitchell is working with the International Association of Educators for World Peace (IAEWP), is their spokesperson at the United Nations, UNICEF etc., and since the ringing of the Peace Bells at the United Nations on September 16^th, launching the World Citizenship Challenge, he has traveled across Canada, now the United States and then the World to get the conversation going on issues of importance.. You may follow his journey on his website http://www.homeplanet.org, or you may write him c/o IAEWP 2 Bloor St. West Suite 100-209 Toronto Ontario, M4W 3E2 - All education materials available free over the Internet.

The IAEWP, through its International Peace City 2000 project is celebrating the raising of $100 billion dollars for the children of the world in July of the Year 2000 in Greenwich England. As of to-days date $1 billion has been raised. It is the writers opinion to teach world citizenship in schools, in the community and to leaders as well as students for we must all learn together.