Over the past two decades, two opposing currents have been building. On the one hand a resurgence of jingoistic nationalism, racial intolerance, violent and distorted radicalized extremism, Xenophobia and Islam phobia.
On the other hand, there is a growing recognition that in a globalized world of instant information and social communication, old prejudices and outdated nationalistic sentiments must give way to a new era of pluralism and well informed global citizenship shaped by universal humanitarian values and ethics
The purpose of this book is to promote, through education and dialogue, global citizenship, multi-culturalism, and mutual understanding and harmony among the people of all races, cultures, religions, and alternative belief systems.
Global citizenship education, including learning about and respecting each other's cultures and faiths, leads to harmony, cohesion and mutual understanding within often increasingly diverse communities and also to the wider, interdependent global community, of which we are all members.
A Leap of Faith to a Better World
Newing, David J.: - "As there are two Authors Gareth Spanglett & David Newing, the author bios will need to go inside the book on the last page Authors Bios are Bio - Gareth Spanglett After a year as student president at the University of Toronto, Gareth began his careerin youth enterprise and entrepreneurship development, both within Canada and internationally. He worked with the Canadian Youth Business Foundation, Communities in Schools, and the Organization of American States in Washington DC, in addition to several other non-governmental or non-profit organizations, to develop various programs and initiatives for youth. A career highlight was the founding of NetCorps, a "high-tech Peace Corps" model for young Canadians providing technical expertise overseas. For several years, Gareth also worked on elections and voter registrations in emerging democracies, such as Haiti, Afghanistan, Mozambique, Nigeria, and others, specializing in complex proposals for international donor agencies and technological developments impacting democratic processes. Gareth is a professional writer, having been published on such diverse topics as youth unemployment, Canada's legal system, Canada's role in the world, as well as in his role as lead author of the first edition of "A Leap of Faith". Gareth successfully combined this experience with his love of technology, leading to several major technology-driven projects in a variety of fields. Gareth is currently managing IT and operations in the Ottawa area, specializing in grid computing, machine learning and artificial intelligence Bio - David Newing Following a successful 21-year career in the British Royal Navy, where he rose to the rank of Commander and received the NATO Certificate of Commendation, David was in 1982 appointed the International Secretary General of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award International Association. Throughout the 1980s he worked closely with His Royal Highness Prince Phillip the Duke of Edinburgh to develop the United Kingdom's largest and most successful national youth program into an international program covering over 50 nations. Upon conclusion of this appointment he was awarded the Lieutenant of the Victorian Order (LVO) for services to the Royal Family In 1992 David's family relocated to Ottawa, Canada, where he has been successful in founding an array of innovative social enterprises starting with the Canadian Youth Business Foundation now still operating successfully under a new name "Futurpreneur" (http: //www.futurpreneur.ca). In the aftermath of 9/11, and with the all too evident rise of inter faith and inter racial intolerance, he co founded and pioneered a new civic education agency-Helping for a United Good (HUG) - aimed at teaching both young people and old alike about global citizenship and promoting inter faith and inter racial understanding and harmony. This he continues to chair under the new name the United Citizens Initiative (UCI ) http: //www.unitedcitizens.ca"
