The Sufi Order International (SOI) community desired to build an inter-spiritual temple called the ‘Universel’ at the Abode of the Message located in the Berkshire Mountains near New Lebanon, New York. The UniverCell project by GEOTECTURA was inspired by the existing structure and site.

The impact of enhancing the presence of the original quartz walls was achieved through the symbiotic relationship with the surroundings using the local stone - durable building materials that require low-maintenance. The spatial glass structure is open to the sky and to the surroundings allowing open air flow while having a constant shelter from rain and snow. Embracing the outside quartz circle with an inner wood terrace ring celebrates nature as a crucial part of the design.

Simplicity and clarity of the structure and form was due to the turned spatial cube that was added as an addition to the original foundation and stonework. The sacred geometrical proportions are based on the golden ratio. Pre-assembled steel meshes with cast-in-place ferro-cement embedded with quartz stones make the installation process quick and cost-effective.

The spiritual ritual of pilgrimage from the outer circle to the inner ring of meditation is enhanced by the cube and circle relationship. The three curtain glass faces are pointing towards the north, south-west and south-east.

• The south-west façade - Love - is respecting and reflecting the existing.
• The north façade - Harmony - representing the structural balance of the cube.
• The south-east façade - Beauty - gets its name from the sun that shines on this uncut diamond.

The unity of the structure is representing the unity of religious ideals. The optional transparent solar panels will provide eternal inner light emphasizing the energetic connection to the earth and to the sky through the unique spacious structure. Optional colored glass panels might evoke the sacred feeling from within the inner reflecting glasses. To my surprise energy of the old burned temple reappeared in the shadow of the new structure that was similar to the old temple’s contour.

–
Designer Name:
Joseph Cory
Link:
www.geotectura.com

Steps Toward an Organization for Security and Cooperation in the Middle East

Rene Wadlow*

Jean Monnet, one of the fathers of the European Union, had said “Men take great decisions only when crisis stares them in the face.” Crises have dragged on in the Middle East, in particular Iraq and Israel-Palestine without any great decisions being taken that could lead to peace. As the Ambassador of Pakistan to the United Nations in Geneva had said at an earlier Special Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights devoted to Israel-Palestine
(October 2000) “In the wake of recent tragic events, the mutual trust amongst the parties has been virtually destroyed. It is difficult to suggest the policy of forgive and forget in a situation when emotions are charged. Never-the-less, a path to peace cannot be paved with provocation, violence, hatred and armed actions…There is no other path to peace but mutual coexistence. We appreciate all those who have worked to curtail the events from developing into more menacing situations.”

The summer of 2006 has highlighted these crises: the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, the five-week war in Lebanon, the ongoing violence in Iraq, the mounting tensions around the nuclear policies of Iran and the continuing conflict in Darfur, Sudan.

We need a global approach to the Middle East as the conflicts and tensions in each country have an influence on the neighbours. Currently there is no permanent regional body for discussion and action in the Middle East. There is the United Nations which, as a universal body does deal with the Middle East but not on a permanent basis – rather in fits and starts, often as a reaction to events. In the past, the United Nations was often sidelined by national initiatives, especially those of the United States. Now, no single state, especially not the USA, is a position to play a dominant role for mediation. There have also been ad hoc conferences, but these have no secretariat nor real follow up. It is important to have regional bodies with an independent secretariat which can facilitate different elements of the needed confidence-building and peace process. Conflicts and tensions exist at many levels: political, social, economic, ideological and strategic. These levels interact and reinforce each other. Therefore, they must be approached in a multi-level and interrelated way.

The prime example of a multi-purpose regional security organization is what is today the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The creation of such an organization arose from proposals and discussions in the late 1960s as an effort to find ways for structured discussions between NATO, Warsaw Pact, and neutral countries of Europe. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, it was a small number of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) who were first calling for a pan-European agreement. Then governments began the negotiations which led to the creation of the OSCE in Helsinki in 1975. Likewise, it may be that there is such great suspicion of the motives of states in the Middle East, that NGOs must again take the lead. The aim of active public opinion organized through NGOs should be to accelerate this process. As the OSCE was a framework for cooperation among the enemies of NATO and the Warsaw Pact, as well as the neutral states of Europe, so an Organization for Security and Cooperation in the Middle East (OSCME) must have both Israel as well as its Arab neighbours, and Iran and Turkey which are non-Arab states but have important interests in the area.

Once created, the OSCE took the lead in military confidence-building measures and arms control, economic cooperation, human rights, and cultural development. Today, the OSCE has a decentralized secretariat and a host of conflict-reduction missions as well as technical assistance programmes for strengthening civil society institutions and an independent press.

While the OSCE has not lived up fully to its security aims as the conflicts in former Yugoslavia, Chechenya, and Central Asia have shown, the over-all record is good. Important precedents have been taken, including the creation of a Parliamentary Assembly where elected members of national parliaments meet to discuss policy and cooperation.

The Middle East needs such a security and cooperation framework for action. Beyond the conflicts which make the headlines of the world’s press and which are fundamental crises of the world political-security system, there are other tensions in the Middle East, currently overshadowed, concerning water, minorities, natural resources, and relations with Afghanistan and states of Central Asia, which could grow if not discussed openly and creatively.

The wider Middle East has not only problems but also potentials. If a security framework can be established, the currently submerged talents will come to the surface, and the area will again play an important role not just with its natural resources but also with its human energies in the world community.

The times call for leadership and concerted action. Most historical progress is achieved by leaders who can discern the main currents of their time and give a new sense of direction and ascent to a community. Today, the crises and opportunities of the Middle East call for the creation of an Organization for Security and Cooperation in the Middle East.

*Rene Wadlow is the editor of the online journal of world politics
www.transnational-perspectives.org – and the representative to the
United Nations, Geneva, of the Association of World Citizens.