I see on the Snoqualmie Valley Record Web site that the city of Snoqualmie is holding a citizen academy to teach local residents about how their local government works (Citizen academy, Sept. 19 issue). No doubt one thing the participants will learn is how the members of the City Council are elected.

We often hear that the world is now one village, but there is no way for us to elect the village council. Science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke, Academy Award winner Emma Thompson and former secretary-general of the United Nations Boutros Boutros-Ghalli have endorsed a campaign to reform the United Nations through the creation of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly (UNPA).

The UNPA would be made up of representatives from each nation’s parliament or legislative branch on a representation by population basis. To start with, it would be an advisory body to the General Assembly, which would mean no change to the UN Charter.

Proponents of the UNPA feel it would quickly evolve into an effective body directly elected by the people of the world. The European Parliament started in much the same way and it is now a democratic institution with real powers.

For further information or to put your name on the campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly, go to www.unpacampaign.org on the Internet.

Keith McNeill

Clearwater, British Columbia, Canada