Over 700,000 visitors to the Universal Rights Network. One Million pages Viewed. by Kim Gleeson 2:49pm 27th Nov, 2003   26th November, 2003    The Universal Right Network site has attracted over 700,000 site visitors, 5,000,000 hits and over one million page views. Currently the site averages 700 visits a day. The site is linked to by over a 1300 other sites worldwide and is listed as a human rights advocacy organisation on many search engines around the world. Hello, my name is Kim Gleeson and I am responsible for producing this site and publishing all of the stories that appear on it.    In continuing to develop this project over a number of years, I have sought to create a site that is an independent human rights and humanitarian forum where many independent voices can be heard. I have sought to publish news and stories that inspire, advocate, educate and confront. I have endeavoured to honour the universal human values and humanity expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and used this to guide the publication of stories from diverse sources.    In the endeavour of giving voice to voiceless, to question and challenge the predominate orthodoxies of government’s, corporate leaders, regimes and institutions worldwide who I believe are failing to deliver a better life for too many of the world’s peoples. I have endeavoured to challenge corporate driven medias and education departments who do not adequately resource these universal human concerns, and I have done this all at my own expense.    I gained the original production funding to create the site from Film Victoria, but have received no further funding since the Honourable Malcolm Fraser; a former prime minister of Australia officially launched the site on the 10th of December 1998.The only support I have received to date has been from the Australian Education Union, representing the teachers of Australia, who for the last 2 years have sponsored the site hosting costs, for which I am grateful.    During the last month the site has been accessed by a number of major media outlets such as News Limited, the BBC, UPI, the ABC, the Times of India, CBC, Television International Mexico, Cable TV media from Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Portugal and Austria to name a few. By the United Nations Offices in New York, the US State Department, Department of Foreign Affairs offices from Canada, Egypt, Australia, Sweden, the Philippines and other government agencies, international institutions, and by many leading universities, colleges and schools worldwide.    For the last 5 years I have chosen to stay silent to what I regard is the hypocrisy, duplicity and elitism of many governments and prominent organizations and I shall do so no longer. To put it simply our leaders are failing us. Their actions and inaction has made our world a more dangerous place. World Poverty remains where it was 20 years ago. Global warming continues to threaten ever more unstable weather patterns. Too many conflicts continue unabated around the world. The rich and the powerful are the only ones whose views seem to count.    I believe in too many countries our national leaders are failing their peoples. By representing predominantly the interests of the corporate elites in their society and not the majority of their peoples. They are failing in the endeavour of creating a better world for ALL the world’s peoples to live in peace.    Employment opportunities within senior levels of Government and international agencies seem to me inaccessible for too many committed ordinary people. As it seems candidates extolling the virutes and values of the marketplace need only apply. Governanace is to be left to the prominent and the powerful and their cheer leaders? Major TV broadcasters seek the expertise of graduates and journalists who have been groomed within the system. Newspapers prefer the dialectic of purported authorities, important academics and retired politicians to independent commentators. In my view, much of the mass media has become propagaters of the dominant elites corporatised view of the world. The values implicit in the editorial persepective. Worldwide many major media services are now owned by media moguls or corporations who ultimately seek to promote their view of the world at the expense of a diversity of views and often the truth. The pre-eminence of the values of the marketplace has unbalanced our socieities, with diminished concern for community and social values.    The ongoing level of greed and selfishness in the developed world is quite simply unacceptable. It is not enough to give $20 to charity once a year and then conveniently forget about the hundreds of millions of people living in tragic circumstances. The hypocrisy and cant of western governments and business leaders is staggering. They keep talking of the benefits of free trade and yet maintain tariffs and subsidies that perpetuate the poverty of much of the developing world. They refuse to countenance forgiving the debts of the worlds poorest countries. They commit to the Millennium Development Goals then abandon them. Indeed, what the people of the western world feed their pets would probably go a substantial way to ending world poverty.    I believe the developed worlds greed is one of the factors fuelling world terrorism. The terrorists reprehensible actions in targeting innocent civilians is leading to government’s responding with new state security laws. With accompanying actions to stifle dissent and muzzle independent views. To a US and them siege mentality when struggling with complex issues. Overseas development Aid has been cut worldwide, the money transferred to military spending. Instead of international consensus and dialogue we witness the rule of the strong man, the rule of the jungle, where might makes right.    It is time for governments to involve civil society and genuine community leaders in their policies and programs. The Battle for “the hearts and minds” of the world’s people will not be successful if it is conceived by military planners, state bureaucrats, advertising agencies and reputational managers. It must involve community and religious leaders, teachers, unions, civil society leaders, truly representative peoples organizations.    Government leaders must consider ALL the world’s people and not just their own perceived self-interest. It is our duty in our lifetimes to work to make the world a better place for all people. For all those that are to come after us. It is our duty to continually strive to make peace, to create justice, to ensure equality, freedom, tolerance, respect, compassion, dignity for all the world’s people. These are not just noble concepts. These are the values that should guide society. They have to be put into practise.    We must keep working to enact and uphold our highest ideals. We must never let them be subsumed by fear and distrust, by economic rationalisms or notions of real politic. If we don’t keep looking for the best in others, appealing to our highest ideals as human beings, we descend to a struggle amongst unequals. To an us and them worldview.To endless conflicts. Where might makes right. Where greed and self-interest rule.    If our leaders fail to uphold such principles we must vote them out and find those leaders who will seek to better the circumstances for all the world’s people and not only the narrow interests of a few.    I have pursued this project, as I believe in the humanity of all the world’s people. I consider the Internet a democratic medium because it provides access to many people worldwide. I believe individuals particularly in the developed world hold a responsibility due to the wealth of their societies to advance the well being of those in less fortunate and dangerous circumstances. A responsibility many of our governments are failing to uphold. Overseas development aid continues to decline in most developed world countries. This is unacceptable and must be immediately addressed.    Throughout my career I have sought to instigate initiatives, programs and produce works that promote a universal humanity that embraces all people. Contributing much of my own limited monies and considerable time to the realisation of such projects in the media and education realms. As I viewed the appropriate government agencies and mass media outlets were failing to address many important concerns.    For 5 years I have chosen not to profile myself, preferring rather to promote the views and programs of others. I have contributed many thousands of dollars and many untold hours to promote these universal concerns. I work as a writer, film maker and independent media producer in Australia.    I can be contacted via the email address below. Email Kim Gleeson
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