universal-democracy - World Democracy Newsletter (2)

“ The right to live is ours only if we accomplish our duty as a world citizen. Nationalism is no longer the highest concept. The supreme concept is a world community.”

These words from Mahatma Gandhi are first of all a call: a call to make us aware of our responsibilities as human beings, full members of the human community … and to accept those responsibilities.

This is also a warning, particularly pertinent in today’s international context, it urges us to step back from our world and its pressures, to look further, and to concern ourselves with what we are going to leave to future generations.

Finally, this is an invitation to assert our demand for a global political vision, to defend without compromise, a concept of the world where the words “right” and “duty” echo “world democracy” and “world citizenship”.

On Global Democracy and World Parliament in Africa

Karl Kpodo, mundialist activist

For concrete realizations towards global democracy in Africa, the following points must be well considered.

The whole continent is lagging behind in the electoral process. The grassroots politics which is supposed to be the bedrock for global democracy is in shambles.

There is hardly anywhere in Africa where we do not hear of vote rigging, electoral malpractices, fraud, corruption etc.

Manual counting of votes is still prevalent in many countries, even in my country Ghana.

The way forward will involve the following:

Extensive computerisation (with the maintenance of the possibility of a manual control of the votes to avoid electronic fraud) will help exceedingly to radically change the status quo.

Civil liberties must be enhanced. People's power must be strengthened through political education. Centres for global democracy lectures should be encouraged. Western governments, which now seem to be the beacons of a better democracy, should, therefore, open their doors widely to deserving Africans to interact with them in order to learn more.

Global democracy and World parliament can only spring from the already existing structures.

Cultural and religious values are in the ascendant almost everywhere in Africa.

In formulating policies for global democracy and world parliament, all these values must be taken into account.

Correspondents of the World Citizens Registry all over Africa could be sponsored to act as people on the ground, who could disseminate the objectives of the Coalition.

This subject is already becoming the greatest talk of the 21st century. Like other political concepts of the past, it will become accepted by the same generation of the people of yesteryears.

We must sensitize the existing structures. Those in political leadership as well as their satellite agencies must join in this crusade.

If we succeed in having them understand the global democracy concept, the way will be very clear for a take-off.

The Ecowas parliament, the African Union and all other continental agencies must become fully involved.

The most common question of every African will be: What will be the benefits of global democracy and World parliament? They will surely want to know how much economic power and advantage would emanate from these projects. How will they be represented etc?

Poverty is a violation of human rights and the world parliament project must address it critically. The very wide gap in the per-capita incomes between the peoples of the industrialized countries and those of the developing countries of Africa must be thoroughly examined and redressed. World Bank projects for Africa must increase considerably.

STRATEGY PAPER

Developing International Democracy

Andreas Bummel, CEO of KDUN, Germany

Half a year after its foundation in February 2004, the Committee for a Democratic UN (KDUN) has presented thoroughly thought-through recommendations on how to develop an effective parliamentary representation within the UN system. In May 2005, the Committee’s strategy paper on the subject, titled “Developing International Democracy”, has been published as a German/English booklet (ISBN 3-89483-104-9).

According to William R. Pace, the Executive Director of the World Federalist Movement-Institute for Global Policy, the paper “is one of the most important and comprehensive contributions to this vital issue in the last twenty years”. The strategy paper discusses various aspects of how to achieve parliamentary representation and control within the international system. Based on these reflections conclusions are drawn which, as a whole, form a clear and tangible political strategy to establish a Parliamentary Assembly at the United Nations (UNPA) as intermediary step towards the larger long-term goal of a world parliament. Having languished for more than one decade, the UNPA proposal has gained considerable political support in the wake of the Committee’s recent efforts. Among others, for example, the European Parliament and the majority of the Swiss National Council called for an UNPA in 2005.

The Committee for a Democratic UN is a network of parliamentarians, scholars, activists and NGOs mainly from the German-speaking countries Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

More information: www.uno-komitee.de.

PETITION

Global Referendum on Democratic World Parliament

Led by Jim Stark, President of Vote World Government and to be sent to Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of United Nations. Target: 100,000 plus signatures.

We want the UN to call for a global referendum, to be conducted nation-by-nation, asking if people support the creation of a directly elected and democratic world parliament.

Please sign ! www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/458184591?ltl=1131581960

REPORT

Global Democracy: Civil Society Visions and Strategies

The Conference report of Montreal International Forum (may 29 - June 1, 2006) is available on the One World Trust web site. Here are some extracts.

A world parliament
A world parliament was put forward as a model of institutional democracy that would go beyond the existing framework of the United Nations. One breakout session in this track reached wide consensus on the long-term feasibility and desirability of such a structure, though there were serious concerns about modalities, mechanisms, and representative structures. These issues could not be resolved in one afternoon, noted a participant, "but there was a very articulate, convincing presentation of a possible model and a set of starting points," including a set of initial meetings organized by a group of "vanguard countries" in the next year.

At the closing track plenary, one participant identified a UN parliamentary assembly and a separate civil society forum as precursors to a directly elected world parliament. The two structures "would be feasible right now with the political will," he said, and could be based on a long-term vision that places human rights at the top of a broader hierarchy of values.

A hierarchy of values
A number of participants commented on the need for a hierarchy of values that places the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) above the current preoccupation with trade.

"If we could actually agree that what we want to defend is the fact that there are some values that are above other values, if we could agree that there should be a classification of values, that would be a step forward," one group member suggested. "The next step is not to forget that the best leverage is at the national level," where it would be possible to mandate that state institutions and structures work to defend the UDHR.
(...)
Participants at one of the breakout sessions acknowledged that NGOs' effectiveness in engaging the UN to promote global democracy will depend in part on their own ability to address issues of internal and external representation. A participant pointed out that G05 participants' own in-depth discussion of a possible world parliament had involved a group drawn almost entirely from the industrialized north, more specifically from North America. More broadly, fair mechanisms are needed to guide the selection or election of civil society organizations to take part in multi-stakeholder-deliberations.
(...)

Generating Citizen Activism Toward Global Democracy
Dick Burkhart and Mona Lee, members of the recently formed Coalition for a World Parliament and Global Democracy, USA, gave historical overviews of the diverse activist organizations and endeavors they have led, culminating in the recent World Social Forums in Mumbai and Porto Alegre. They explored methods for creating a participatory democracy at the global level, especially Internet-based procedures including citizen deliberation and polling, and innovative citizen/civil society voting methods such as delegated voting.

You can download the complete document on: www.oneworldtrust.org/owtframe.cfm?page=http%3A%2F%2Fg05%2Enetedit%2Einfo%2Fdocs%2Freportaug22%2Epdf

TO BE READ ... AND TO BE SEEN

One World Democracy

A Progressive Vision for Enforceable Global Law

By Jerry Tetalman and Byron Belitsos

One World Democracy presents the only viable long-term solution to today's most urgent global problems: democratic world government and the rule of enforceable global law—a federation of all nations.

After centuries of warfare, Europe has accomplished just such a transformation by outlawing war between the member states of the European Union. This book shows how to do the same thing at the global level through implementing the only time-tested solution to violence and injustice—law and democratic government.

Humanity has a sovereign right to govern itself; read this book to find out how we can create a new social contract for the entire planet.

World peace, global justice, and a sustainable planet are all possible—through enforceable global law.

Toward a well-governed world

is the DVD companion to the book.

www.oneworlddemocracy.net/

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Evolution’s Arrow

By John Stewart

Promise Ahead

By Duane Elgin

Where is evolution taking humanity?

Duane Elgin answers "Evolutionary Bounce, or Evolutionary Crash?" in Promise Ahead – A Vision of Hope and Action for Humanity’s Future.

John Stewart answers "Planetary Society, or humanity stuck behind a barrier of selfishness?" in Evolution’s Arrow – The Direction of Evolution and the Future of Humanity. Though global governance is not an explicit theme of these excellent books, the authors are champions of global "compassionate consciousness" or "systemic modeling". With this, they forecast that a creative and cooperative planetary society will emerge from developing crises. Without it, humanity faces ecological collapse and evolutionary setback. Thus we activists for global democracy have a deeper purpose in the Great Story of the evolution of humanity.

____________________________

Humbler than Dust

By Mona Lee

A Retired Couple Visits the Real India by Tandem Bicycle

Dick and Mona's arrival by tandem bicycle in rural villages of India is like a circus come to town. Each time they stop, they are mobbed. They begin each day not knowing what they will eat or where they will sleep that night. Lodging if available at all does not afford basic comforts taken for granted in many countries. Often there is no hotel, and they depend upon the kindness of strangers or sleep out under the stars.

"Humbler than Dust" is a hair raising travel adventure meant for a mainstream audience. Yet the book has special relevance for proponents of global democracy. The book tells the story of the author's journey with her husband, Dick Burkhart by tandem bicycle a thousand kilometers across rural India for the specific purpose of promoting the cause of a world parliament elected by the people.

The story is spiced throughout with interesting conversation about global democracy and shows the reactions of ordinary people to the notion. A major conflict running through "Humbler than Dust" is reflected in Dick and Mona's efforts (like the global herding of cats) to organize a variety of factions with variable and differing approaches. Set in Chennai, Chapter 14, entitled "Seventh Provisional World Parliament" introduces a group of lovable characters, varying in age from early teens to mid eighties, busily governing the planet with their Constitution for the Federation of the Earth. In Chapter 16, in Aurangabad, Professor Shshrao Chavan, a Gandhian scholar, describes Gandhi's commitment to the ideal of world government and tells how the Mahatma would go about organizing a global democracy movement.

The last two chapters, "Giants with Dirty Toes" and "Ganesh Removes All Obstacles" features Dick Burkhart, Mona Lee, Rob Wheeler, Germa Palayo, Rasmus Tenbergen, Didier Cournelle,and others working together at the World Social Forum in Mumbai to give birth to a fledgling Coalition for a World Parliament and Global Democracy.

Published by James A Rock Publishing; available through Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com websites also through your local book store; distributed in the US through Ingram and Baker & Taylor; distributed in England by Bertram.

MEETING AND WORKING TOGETHER

Polycentric World social Forum

The World Social Forum is an open meeting place where social movements, networks, NGOs and other civil society organizations opposed to neo-liberalism and to a world dominated by capital or by any form of imperialism. In this place they come together to pursue their thinking, to debate ideas democratically, for formulate proposals, share their experiences freely and network for effective action. Since the first world encounter in 2001, it has taken the form of a permanent world process seeking and building alternatives to fight against neo-liberal policies.

Events take place in three different places in January 2006:

In Bamako, Mali, 19-23 January 2006
www.fsmmali.org
In Karachi, Pakistan, 24-29 Januray 2006
www.wsf2006karachi.org
In Caracas, Venezuela, 24-29 January 2006
www.forosocialmundial.org.ve/

____________________________________________

9th Session of the Provisional World Parliament

and Conference on "The concept of democracy"

The Provisional World Parliament operates under the authority of Article 19 of the Constitution for the Federation of Earth (see www.worldproblems.net). The Constitution has been written through a process involving hundreds of world citizens meeting in four Constituent Assemblies in Interlaken Switzerland in 1968, in Innsbruck, Austria in 1977, in Colombo, Sri Lanka in 1979, and in Troia, Portugal in 1991. Under Article 19 of the Constitution, the people of Earth have the right and duty to begin democratic world government before it is too late and the nations of the Earth destroy the future of humankind.

In Tripoli, Libya, 25 Februay-3 March 2006

For information email Dr. Glen T. Martin at gmartin@radford.edu or visit the website or WCPA at www.wcpa.biz or IOWP at www.worldproblems.net.

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