by: Sid Jordan, Jan Archer, Ivana Milojević, Dada Shambhushivananda, Arete Brim, Craig Runde, Kalyanii Chew, Shermon Cruz, Debra EM Wilson, Peter Black, Helga Veigl, Chris Adendorff, William Halal, Robert Burke, Shakil Ahmed, Phillip Daffara, Victor Motti, Adam Sharpe, Lisa Fraser, Jaqueline Weigel, Erik Øverland, and Sohail Inayatullah
War is the darkest blot on human history. All efforts should be made to ensure that war does not occur. That means creating preventive conditions, such as cultures of peace and partnerships, and to struggle toward a planetary civilization. As those inspired by Neohumanism and the UN Declaration of Human Rights, we suggest the following:
1. In the short term, develop partnerships amongst development agencies and social service organizations to reduce suffering in Ukraine and in Russia, and the many other places in the world ravaged for so long by war and violent conflict. This means direct help to the poor, the injured, and the vulnerable.
2. In the medium term, we need to ensure that security pacts include a series of regional and global security umbrellas. This is especially important for smaller areas, so that they may feel safe from imperialism and do not have to waste funds on large military expenditures. In Asia, we need to move towards an Asian confederation, as well as a South Asian confederation. Economic justice issues need to be central to all regional pacts.
3. In the long term, a neo-Magna Carta, i.e., ensuring that citizens have basic needs met – food, housing, education, health, safety, and freedom to move. This needs to be central to a global constitution where any leader can be removed if they violate the contract they have with citizens. This also means that local resources cannot be taken over by outside interests.
4. In inner space, we need to encourage ethical and spiritual leadership. Spiritual leadership is focused not on me against you, or us against them, but all of humanity, supporting everyone on the journey to self-discovery and inner peace.
5. In the long term, we need a planetary law enforcement force, working toward protecting both humans and nature. We assume that climate change will be the direct cause of numerous additional conflicts. We need to be ready for them and prepared to protect nature and environmental refugees. We also need, wherever and whenever possible, to encourage the global grassroots, such as citizen movements and environmental movements, to express their planetary sentiments.
6. In the deeper terms of culture, we need to see the world not as nation-states but to expand our identity to include the earth i.e., we are planetary citizens first and foremost.
7. In the now, the middle, the long term, the inner, and the deeper, we need to imagine a better future – every step of the way we need to be able to imagine and create solutions that are not ego focused, that are partnership-based, that include nature, that protect human rights, and that create win-win solutions and novel ways forward.