(f) Projects in education for international understanding and fundamental education referred to two ad hoc committees of experts which met in Washington on April 17 and May 5, respectively.

Organizations to which requests are referred are asked to consult with other appropriate bodies, to submit recommendations, and to initiate appropriate action.

Commission for International Educational Reconstruction

The Commission for International Educational Reconstruction (CIER) has been assigned responsibility by the U. S. National Commission for coordinating American efforts in the field of educational reconstruction. The CIER was organized in September 1946; it was the result of meetings called by the American Council on Education during the spring of that year and attended by representatives of the UNESCO Preparatory Commission, UNRRA, the Department of State, the U. S. Office of Education, and leaders of major national educational organizations. Its major purposes are:

1. To inform the American people of the educational needs of youth and adults in countries devastated by war and to communicate to American organizations urgent requests for assistance reported to the Commission by UNESCO and other agencies.

2. To assist organizations in developing effective programs of educational reconstruction on behalf of war-devastated countries.

3. To stimulate international and intercultural understanding through reconstruction activities in schools and colleges.

The Commission (CIER) is not an operating agency but works entirely with and through established national organizations-educational, scientific, cultural, relief, civic, and religious-concerned with educational reconstruction. The Commission serves as a convener of a national

conference on international educational reconstruction with a potential membership of approximately 200 organizations having an interest in some phase of reconstruction in the field of education.

The Commission assists organizations through the publication of bulletins and handbooks and through the provision of speakers and advisory service.

The Commission is concerned with all types of education abroad, including pre-school, elementary, secondary, college and graduate work, vocational training, and education for the handicapped. It serves as a channel of stimulation and coordination for the following forms of educational assistance: material aid, such as basic school supplies, educational equipment, and scientific, technical, and professional books; fellowships, scholarships and grants for advanced professional study; exchange of educational missions; and assistance to educational agencies in all war-devastated countries where a clear need exists.

Among the Commission's recent activities is a suggestion to college and high-school graduating classes that they memorialize themselves by making contributions for educational reconstruction. Among the Commission's publications is a pamphlet entitled Going to School in the WarDevastated Countries, prepared at the request of the CIER by Leonard Kenworthy of the UNESCO secretariat.

Since the CIER's inception, the number of organizations conducting international reconstruction projects has increased approximately fourfold, with a corresponding increase in the cash value of such efforts. The Commission estimates that a 50 percent increase in effort is required in order to achieve UNESCo's goal of $100,000,000 for educational reconstruction. Gifts may be in cash, goods, or services.

The director of the Commission is Harold E. Snyder; assistant director, Robert Stanforth; chairman, T. G. Pullen, Jr.; vice chairman, A. J. Brumbaugh.

Personal

Richard McKeon, professor of philosophy, University of Chicago, served as U. S. adviser on UNESCO, resident in Paris, from January through March, and as alternate to Mr. MacLeish at meetings of the standing committee of the Executive Board.

Arthur H. Compton is serving as acting adviser in Paris.

Useful addresses

National Commission

Mr. Charles A. Thomson, Executive Secretary, U. S. National Commission for UNESCO, Department of State, Washington 25, D.C.

Commission for International Educational Reconstruction

Dr. Harold E. Snyder, Director, Commission for International Educational Reconstruction, 744 Jackson Place NW., Washington, D.C.

UNESCO

Dr. Julian Huxley, Director General, UNESCO House, 19 Avenue Kléber, Paris VI, France UNESCO New York Office

Mr. Solomon V. Arnaldo, Acting Resident Observer for UNESCO at U.N., 15 West 77th Street, New York, N.Y.

Recent Publications

The Program of UNESCO, URS/UNESCO Prog./1 (Mimeographed, free, UNESCO Relations Staff)

Report of the U. S. Delegation to the First Meeting of the General Conference (At press, available for distribution through the UNESCO Relations Staff)

Report on the First Meeting, September 1946, United States National Commission for UNESCO (UNESCO Relations Staff, free)

You and UNESCO (Pamphlet in process)

Proceedings of the First National Conference on UNESCO (In process)

Department of State Bulletin (May be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C.)

"The General Conference of UNESCO: The Program of UNESCO', article by Herbert J. Abraham (issue of March 2, 1947, p. 374)

"The General Conference of UNESCO: The Program in Action", article by Herbert J. Abraham (issue of April 13, 1947, p. 645)

DEPOSITED BY THE

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

11-18-47

VOL. 1, NO. 2

T

HE Mountain-Plains Regional Conference on UNESCO in Denver, Colorado, May 15-17, sponsored by the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO, was the "pilot" regional conference held in America.

The Mountain-Plains Regional Conference was held for three reasons:

1. To give information about UNESCO;

2. To obtain suggestions and advice concerning the programs of UNESCO and the work of the National Commission; and

3. To afford an opportunity to the representatives of organizations of the region to develop action programs for the participation of their organizations and communities in the work of UNESCO and of the National Commission.

The Mountain-Plains Regional Conference was first in a number of ways. It was the first regional conference. It was the first conference at which participation of organizations was the primary emphasis. It was the first conference immediately after which specific action programs were developed. It was the first conference which was set up by a convening committee of the National Commission which developed plans and policies for the conference from the "grass roots" of the region in which the conference was held.

The convening committee arranging for this conference consisted of three members of the National Commission: Milton S. Eisenhower, chairman of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO and president of Kansas State College of Agriculture and Applied Science, Ben M. Cherrington, director of the Social Science Foundation at the University of Denver, and Reuben G. Gustavson, chancellor of the University of Nebraska.

The convening committee sent invitations to attend the conference to approximately 1,000 organizations and to colleges, schools, and civic groups in the region. While an attendance of from 800 to 1,000 was expected, the spontaneous reaction to the regional meeting was indicated by the fact that approximately 1,900 organization representatives and representatives of colleges, schools, and civic groups attended at their own expense.

Plenary session addresses were made by:

HOWLAND SARGEANT, deputy to Assistant Secretary for public affairs, Department of State;

HOWARD WILSON, former deputy secretary-general, Preparatory Commission for UNESCO; associate director, Division of Education, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace;

CHARLES THOMSON, executive secretary, U.S. National Commission for UNESCO;