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PHILADELPHIA
INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND The Philadelphia Island Project is a
Texas not-for-profit corporation that has received a 501(c) (3) federal tax
exemption. It was organized to fund the construction and development of
Philadelphia International University and to continue to raise funds for its
operation and maintenance. Philadelphia International University will provide
educational programs and research activities that will focus on agricultural
and alternative energy sources and methods of managing marine food sources
and waste treatment while simultaneously furthering cooperation among people
of every nationality. The ultimate goal of the University’s programs is to
develop chemical-free, self-sustaining forms of food production which can be
shared with Third World countries through their representative students and
put into practical use. Not only Third World countries, but the entire world
will benefit from the practical knowledge gained in the areas of alternative
food and energy production at Philadelphia International University. The site
for Philadelphia International University is on an island in the Pacific
Ocean. The government claiming jurisdiction has incorporated our tax-exempt
entity, which will serve as the initial school of the University. This institute
is governed by the same directors as the Philadelphia Island Project. The
island was chosen as the ideal location for Philadelphia International
University due to its isolation, size, topography and removal from drug traffickers.
It will be reflective of the challenges that people in Third World countries
will actually face as a realistic environment to try out different
techniques. For instance, the marine resource development which will be
studied cannot be duplicated in the United States. The climate of the island
closely imitates the desert climes in many parts of the world which are not
conducive to food growth with present agricultural methods. Students will be
able to test new methods at the university and experience their
effectiveness. Tuition costs and living expenses will be at least a third
less than universities of industrialized nations due to the much lower cost
of building the university itself. Since cost of living will be less, staff
salaries will be less, thus enabling us to charge lower tuitions. We will be
able to control the ambience of the learning center by the absence of drugs,
noise pollution, negative forms of entertainment and taverns. Third World
students will feel comfortable at our island because the host nation is a
fellow emerging country and affords an absence of prejudice against race or
nationality. Similarly, the university environment will be akin to their own
environment, with fellow students having similar interests and agricultural challenges
in common. The
governing body has indicated enthusiastic support for this project, and is
donating the use of the land to the Philadelphia Island Project. Ground and
aerial surveys have been completed and contour maps made. Funding for these steps
was provided by donations from individuals in the United States.
Approximately ten volunteers are actively involved in the Philadelphia Island
Project, and the current staff includes a director/administrator and
fundraising staff. Detailed biographies of Board and staff leadership are
included. STATEMENT OF NEED There are many individuals in the world who have the
same type of pioneering spirit as the founders of the United States, and who
are acutely aware of the need for creating a more humane and democratic
system of government. The supporters of the Philadelphia Island Project share
that individualistic, pioneering spirit, and they, too, have been alarmed at
some of the negative directions in which the world is headed. The planet and
its inhabitants are paying a heavy price for the inefficient farming and
energy-production techniques currently being utilized. Philadelphia
International University is being founded to research and teach practical
methods of regional self-sufficiency. The focus will be on agriculture,
marine conservation, alternative energy sources and natural waste treatment. Agriculture Many
nations experiencing high population growths are in semi-arid areas where the
land is minimally productive. Millions of people die from starvation every
year. The World Health Organization reports that 20 million people died from
hunger-related illnesses last year, 14 million of those being children. Oxfam
director Frank Judd reported on May 3, 1991, that more than a million
Ethiopians would die if food did not reach them within 10 days, the death
toll exceeding that of the 1984 famine. The May 1991 cyclone which struck
Bangladesh left 9 million people homeless. It is estimated that one million
of these homeless will die. These tolls could be diminished if the countries
had more efficient dry-land farmers so their people could accumulate surplus
food. They need low-cost techniques to assist their production rather than
having machinery donated which most of them don’t know how to keep in repair.
The industrialized nations’ answer to the serious problems Third World
countries are facing has been to donate food, much of which either spoils
while waiting for inadequate means of distribution or never gets to the
majority of people who need it. Rather than sharing knowledge appropriate to
each region’s technical and economic situation for food production, such
donations create dependence on industrialized nations instead of providing
self-sufficiency. There are centuries-old methods of farming that have been
developed in dry-land conditions by various peoples, and these must be shared
rather than supplanted by methods appropriate only to U.S. and European
farms. The FAO
(UN Food and Agriculture Organization) was criticized through an open letter
from 50 environmental organizations for “systematically creating the
conditions for mass starvation” in countries receiving FAO donations. The
Ecologist March/April issue stated that the FAO “promotes policies that
serve the interests of multinationals and the elite of the Third World rather
than the poor. Poor and small farmers have been systematically marginalized,
the environment has been degraded, genetic diversity of crops has been
drastically eroded, and the dependence of the Third World on the industrialized
world has been increased.” Marine
Conservation According
to a recent PBS documentary, 50 tons of fish per hour are killed and wasted
by fishermen’s practices of netting. Rather than using techniques to
specifically harvest a desired fish, wholesale slaughter of many species of
ocean life is resulting. Philadelphia
International University intends to investigate and utilize other methods of
managing marine food sources which respect the oceans’ ecology and preserve
sea life. Alternative
Energy Sources Unimaginable
quantities of oil, gas and coal are consumed daily in order to supply the
world’s energy needs. The use of nuclear energy is extremely controversial
and too expensive for most Third World countries. The Chernobyl disaster has
produced epidemics of leukemia and will cause almost 1,000,000 cases of
cancer, half of them fatal. The Novosti Press Agency reports that “150-180
billion rubles must be spent to eliminate the after-effects of the Chernobyl
disaster. It is reported that the aging Niederaichbach nuclear power plant
near Landshut, Bavaria, is to be the first commercial reactor to be
dismantled, at a cost of $107.5 million, with 30 more awaiting the same fate.
The reactors are highly radioactive, making the possibility of accidents during
destruction and transport hazardous. Efficient,
clean, natural forms of energy production are needed to maintain the earth’s
ecological and environmental balance. Philadelphia International University plans
to utilize and further research solar and wind-generated electricity and
other techniques currently being developed and which can be more readily
affordable in poorer areas on a small scale. California windmills generate
over 350 megawatts of power at five cents per kilowatt hour, which is less
than half the cost of nuclear power. Natural
Waste Treatment Traditional
treatment plants create 8.5 million tons of sludge each year which is loaded
with toxic metals; much of this is dumped into our rivers. Plants, microbes
and fish can be used to “eat” the discharges contained in sewage. Ecological
waste treatment utilizes snails, cattails, bullrushes and calla lilies to
absorb heavy metals, nitrates, algae and organic waste. Philadelphia
International University will be on the frontier of promoting ecologically
sound methods of controlling this age-old problem. At
Philadelphia International University, chemical-free pest management and soil
enrichment, alternative methods of growing food and producing energy, and
sustainable agricultural techniques will be shared. Graduates will have the
opportunity to implement these methods in countries around the world,
creating self-sufficiency, eliminating hunger-related disease and furthering
cooperation among mankind. Methods of harvesting food from the sea which
respect the oceans’ marine ecology and natural forms of treating waste will
be encouraged to be put into practical use worldwide. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES Philadelphia
International University shall: (1)
Create a
learning atmosphere comprising complete university facilities and a
supporting town which is free from negative distractions; (2)
research, teach
and help students implement agricultural technologies around the world; (3)
research new
and efficient methods of growing food that are non-polluting and inexpensive; (4)
involve
agricultural technicians and experts from every country, and especially from
Third World countries, in order to spread information so that emerging
nations can better feed their own populace; (5)
explore and
implement efficient alternative energy sources which produce more than they
consume, are free from hazards and are inexpensive; (6)
research, teach
and help implement natural sewage-treatment techniques that utilize plants
and microorganisms, thereby preserving our rivers and oceans (7)
increase
communication and natural understanding among participants from many
cultural, political and racial backgrounds in order to enhance world
nutrition, cooperation and peace, to the benefit of everyone. Phase
I of these objectives includes: ·
Preliminary
preparations prior to construction, including land surveying, aerial
surveying, and preparing contour maps ·
Hiring
university administrator and Securing salary ·
Purchasing used
landing ship ·
Purchasing used
mobile construction office ·
Preparing land
for construction (detailed surveying, leveling) ·
Purchasing
diesel electric generating plant and providing distribution ·
Hiring
architects for university buildings; securing salary; architectural drawings
completed ·
Constructing
water desalination facility; laying distribution pipes ·
Constructing
sewage treatment facilities; laying sewer lines Recruitment
of Students The university will solicit each nation through its
United Nations representative to have its government send students to
Philadelphia International University at its expense and to advertise locally
for additional students who can afford their own tuition. Direct assistance
for paying the tuition of government-sponsored students can be obtained from
the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), the Arab Monetary
Fund, and Arab Fund for Economic and Social Developing (AFESD). ACTION
PLAN/METHODOLOGY Phase I addresses the preparation of the land and
the hiring of primary personnel: ·
Preliminary
preparations prior to construction, including land surveying, aerial
surveying, and preparing contour maps ·
University
administrator hired; salary secured ·
Landing ship
purchased ·
Used mobile
construction office purchased ·
Land prepared for
construction (detailed surveying, leveling) ·
Diesel electric
generating plant purchased and distribution provided ·
Architects for
university buildings hired; salary secured; architectural drawings completed ·
Water
desalination facility constructed; water distribution pipes land ·
Sewage
treatment facilities constructed; sewer lines laid The
land surveys have been completed and contour maps have been made. The
university administrator, in charge of recruiting the teaching staff and
developing curriculum, has been employed. Before
construction of facilities can begin, a landing ship must be purchased so
that construction equipment can be brought onto the island. The land must be
prepared for construction (i.e., leveled, underground utility lines in place,
further surveying). Construction crews will be hired, and volunteers will be
assisting in the construction at all times. Phase
II begins construction of roads, dormitories (to be used initially by
construction personnel, later by students and staff), classrooms and dining
hall and related outdoor/indoor facilities. EVALUATION
PROCEDURES Our directors, board members and staff will meet on
a monthly basis and closely monitor progress at every phase of the project.
By continually reviewing the activities and objectives, we will make
adjustments well ahead of target dates in order to reach our goals on time.
Should a target date not be reached, we shall re-evaluate the plans and
priorities. FUNDING ALREADY SUPPLIED The
following purchases and volunteer services have already been obtained. ·
Land surveyed ·
Aerial surveys
completed ·
Contour maps
prepared ·
Employed
university administrator ·
Project
administrator’s time donated ·
Fundraiser’s
time donated ·
Donated services,
time and expertise in traveling to island, surveying, writing articles for
publication, drafting ads for administrator search, conducting interviews ·
Formation of
the initial school of the University To
date, approximately 5,000 hours of volunteer time have been expended by 10
volunteers over the past three years. Based on usual and customary fees and
wages for comparable services and expertise, these volunteers have saved the
Philadelphia Island Project approximately $100, 000. FUTURE
FUNDING It is expected that an even greater number of
volunteer hours will be donated in the future. Foundation and corporate
support will be solicited for future support. Once the university is
established, income will be generated by tuitions/scholarships paid by the
students. Individual donations will continue to be solicited through annual
campaigns, as well as donations received by The Adelphi Organization and
Builders of the Nation, two non-profit organizations which support the goals
of the Philadelphia Island Project and to date have donated $61,000 and have
accumulated an additional $250,000 for this university project. Additionally,
the university will be conducting annual fund-raising campaigns. The university
will likely license local business to produce its discoveries to sell to the
world at large. Hybrid plants and inventions which are developed will be
marketed to generate income for the Project. SUMMARY According to United Nations estimates, 24 million
Africans are currently facing starvation; another 27 million are displaced
and moving to other countries in search of food. A migration is underway out
of the former Soviet Union and Asia into Europe. Drought conditions are
forcing millions of Chinese to migrate from desert areas into more fertile
valleys because of their inability to continue to grow food. Friction between
Pakistan and India is likely to occur because Pakistan’s drought conditions
are causing it to move millions of its population to lusher India. In the
United States, climate conditions are changing so that those states in the
northern tier, where reservoirs and aqueducts are in place for storing water,
are becoming drier and their growing seasons shorter, thereby reducing their
ability to maintain crop production. Kansas estimates that 25% of its winter
wheat crop was lost in 1991 due to colder temperatures and reduced
precipitation. California’s High Plains area is experiencing drier, colder
weather; and due to a treaty it has with Mexico and Arizona, California must
allow them to take more of the lower Colorado River water, thereby reducing
its water storage for crop irrigation by 38%. Borders between nations are
likely to become effectively meaningless as many millions of people around
the world migrate into other countries in search of food. The earth’s resources are rapidly being
depleted for the purpose of producing energy; our present methods of waste
treatment are polluting our lakes, rivers and oceans, are costly and leave
our water polluted with contaminants; self-sufficiency and cooperation need
to be learned in order for developing countries to cease their expensive
dependence on industrialized nations. The Philadelphia Island Project is a 501(c) (3) non-profit
organization formed for the purpose of establishing the Philadelphia
International University. The focus of this university is: ·
To make
available to the world, especially Third World countries, methods of food
growth that are inexpensive and non-polluting ·
To make
available to the world alternative energy sources that are inexpensive and
effective ·
To make
available to the world natural sewage treatment techniques that utilize
plants and microorganisms thereby preserving our rivers and oceans and giving
us pure drinking water ·
To provide a
center where technicians and experts from around the world may share and
spread information so that emerging nations can better feed their populace ·
To provide a
center which is conducive to increased communication and mutual understanding
among students from many cultural, political and racial backgrounds Philadelphia
International University will initially be the only university of its kind in
the world. The university’s curriculum will be geared to an international
student population with particular focus on students from Third World
countries, representing every race and nation around the world. The widely
varying religious, philosophical and cultural differences in the mixture of
students will provide a unique educational environment. Many of these
students will come from countries that experience heavy drug traffic and
whose economy is based on income from drug sales. The relative isolation of
an island university will provide a moral and uplifting atmosphere that will
augment their education. Ultimately, the goal of the Philadelphia Island
Project is to have a student body of 5,000 students from around the world. In
order to serve this multi-cultural student population, a university setting
consisting of dormitories, classrooms, library, dining hall, and laboratory
and field research facilities will be built. Activities which have been shown
to be effective in increasing cooperation among people will be utilized. One
important benefit for students and for sponsoring governments is that the
cost of this educational experience will be a fraction of the tuition and
room-and-board expenses typical in the heavily industrialized nations. Philadelphia
International University will provide the opportunity for bringing students
and teachers of every nationality together for a common purpose—becoming
responsible, self-sufficient producers who maintain Earth’s balance by
working with it and giving back to it instead of depleting its resources.
Philadelphia International University shall become a prototype for other
future universities like it. The world could benefit from 1,000 such
universities, and by using PIU as an example, this too can become a reality. |
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