Greetings
At
the start of the new millennium, the long-lasting co-operation between the Club
of Rome and AIESEC has borne fruit once more: This year, the World Exposition
EXPO 2000 provided a unique forum to enter into a worldwide dialogue on our
future. Its topic, "Humankind - Nature - Technology", had been chosen on the
basis of the Agenda 21, the document signed and approved by more than 170 heads
of State at the United Nations "Rio Conference" in 1992. Thus, Sustainable Development
was at the very core of EXPO 2000. What is more the World Exposition was also
a meeting place where especially young people from all over the world had the
opportunity to meet, discuss the questions of the future and experience the
culture of one another.
As President of the International Advisory Board of the World Exposition, I
greatly appreciated to hear of a group of committed young people that came together
to bring this issue into AIESEC. At the same time, their ambitious and laudable
aim was to provide a Youth input to this global event, and, most of all, to
link all the substantial work to the particular learning experience provided
by a traineeship in a foreign country. In this case, some 25 international students
came to Germany to spend their summer here.
Especially the so-called Global Dialogues, a series of ten high-ranking seminars
with renowned international experts, proved to be a field of successful co-operation
with AIESEC. These conferences were of particular relevance to young people
since they will be the leaders, decision-makers and citizens in the decades
to come. The students then provided a valuable contribution to this international
exchange of solutions to the challenges posed by the century just begun. They
discussed vital questions like "How to create tomorrow's Learning Societies"
and "How to make business more sustainable" in order to provide for common paths
towards a sustainable future worth living in.
I therefore would like to thank the Team "AIESEC meets EXPO 2000" for all their
careful and committed work: for bringing so many young people to the World Exposition,
for making them give their input as well as providing them with the incentive
to become activists themselves. AIESEC is to be congratulated for highlighting
and articulating the contribution Youth particularly wants to make. I look forward
to a continued and deepened co-operation between the Club of Rome and AIESEC
- may this small but substantial booklet supply an impulse for future activities!
All my best wishes to the "AIESEC meets EXPO 2000" team and all entrusted AIESECers
worldwide,
Ricardo Díez-Hochleitner
Honorary President, Club of Rome
President, International Board of Advisors, EXPO 2000