Accra, June 6, GNA - Former President John Agyekum Kufuor returned las= t night after delivering the keynote address at the 33rd Congress of the German Protestant Church in Dresden, Germany. He also engaged in a panel dialogue with German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, on the topic: 93Towards a New World Order?" at the congress atte= nded by more than 100,000 people from around the world. A statement signed by his Spokesperson, Mr Frank Agyekum, quoted the Former President as having said the reality of the global village called fo= r closer collaboration among states, no matter their backgrounds. "We live in a world in which distances and time-frames have shrunk.

This has brought tremendous opportunities and increased prosperity but also new challenges and concerns. In this new global village, national borders can no longer protect citizens from threats or contain problems. Conflict o= r famine can lead to mass migration across continents," he said.

Former President Kufuor said despair and poverty provided a fertile breeding ground for extremism which could export its violence thousands of miles away.

"As we have all seen to our cost, problems in one part of the US economy quickly spread to every country in the world. It is why it is not just altruism but our own self-interest that means we must work harder to tackle injustice wherever it is found. Whether we live in the First World, emerging world, or developing world, we must realize that we stand and fall together," former President Kufuor said.

Frank Agyekum Spokesperson Office of former President JA Kufuor Accra