Limited luminaries

`While conflicts certainly continue in places such as the former Yugoslavia, a general war in Europe has been made essentially…

`While conflicts certainly continue in places such as the former Yugoslavia, a general war in Europe has been made essentially obsolete as Europe grapples in a multi-dimensional way with the redefinition of sovereignty within a community context." Thus the optimistic introduction in the initial programme for the grandly-named State of the World Forum, which opens at the Waterfront in Belfast on May 4th, moves to Dublin for a day, and then returns to Belfast. Organised by a San Francisco-based group led by Jim Garrison, the World Forum aims "to facilitate the sharing of experiences and highlight examples of people coming together to transform their communities and relationships". The initial programme boasts a highly impressive list of speakers including Mikhail Gorbachev, Jacques Delors, Helmut Kohl, Michel Rocard, Monika Wulf-Mathies, Desmont Tutu, Cyril Ramaphosa, Pee Flynn, Sonia Gandhi, Tony Blair, George Mitchell and Lech Walesa. Not to mention the local worthies including Bertie Ahern, Mo Mowlam, David Trimble, Seamus Mallon and John Hume. Unfortunately for Belfast, the latest programme gives a different picture. Of the above, only the locals - and Delors and Walesa - are turning up.