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Essay About We, The World
By Rick Ulfik, Founder
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I would like to share with you my vision for our planet and what we can
do together to achieve such a vision.
I envision a world in which the actions of individuals, businesses, governments
and other institutions reflect the reality of global interdependence in
which the quality of life, that is, the well-being of each person
and all life is essential to the well-being of all of us.
I feel that on many levels each person is diminished when another life
is suffering. For example, at first glance, the micro-organisms, plants, animals
and people languishing near an area in Nigeria polluted by oil pipeline leaks
may seem to have nothing to do with the life of a person living in the United
States. However, such poverty and oppression is one of the root causes of
conflict, instability and violence that result in military action. Regional
hostility affects the world's military and economic relationships and contributes
to the rationale behind keeping military spending so high. In America, such
spending takes crucial resources away from public needs such as universal
healthcare coverage and education which affects everyone.
We, The World is dedicated to bringing about a new vision of a world where
every life matters. In this world, societies are organized to cultivate
holistic health of body, mind and spirit in which individuals look upon themselves
and all other life with compassion, caring, cooperation and goodwill.
As utopian and difficult to realize as this vision may appear, I believe
it can be achieved if all or most of the following take place. We, The World
is designed to foster development in each area:
Essentials For Planetary Renewal
The world's NGO's and other organizations with these ideals support
one another in a concerted effort that is both highly visible and easily
accessible to the general public. People recognize the collaboration as being
beneficial to common interests Ð not just special interests.
Independent, alternative, and eventually the most influential mainstream
media allocate significant portions of time to the airing of positive, life-affirming
images and situations depicting the lessening of suffering and injustice
through healing and solidarity between peoples; nonviolence; idealism; the
interdependence of and affinity between all forms of life; and our connections
to the land, sea, air, sun, and the universe.
A widespread public spirit of caring and concern awakens in societies
around the world. People begin to understand that by increasing their
civic involvement, they will be helping to reduce the pain in their own and
others' lives. Millions of people regularly take part in and support local,
regional, national, and international programs and events that contribute
to the psychological, social, ecological, and spiritual healing of our planet.
Many businesses and other institutions exist (private, public, worker-owned,
for-profit, non-profit, from small businesses to large companies) each of
whose primary purpose is to help create and maintain this kind of peaceful
and fulfilling world. Their jobs, products and services allow millions
of people to easily contribute to the social and ecological healing of our
planet.
Ongoing public programs of healing and reconciliation in each country
help to resolve recent and longstanding conflicts between clashing cultures
both within countries and across national borders.
Periodic detailed assessments of progress toward the world we are envisioning
are widely publicized. Individuals, communities, governments and other
groups can then channel their resources and support in informed and effective
ways.
We, The World arises from the belief that translating the above ideas
into reality demands the creation of a truly worldwide ethics-driven movement.
Such a globally coordinated effort is needed to effectively engage people
in collective nonviolent compassionate action to create the caring world
that is everyone's birthright. A global effort is needed to address problems
such as poverty, violence, and ecological damage which are perpetuated by
systems and practices that transcend national borders and cultural ideologies.
We already have one important component of an effective world movement
Ð the caring millions of specific-issue groups, coalitions and individuals
who have substantial expertise, commitment and experience in their particular
areas. However, they often operate with little support or recognition. We,
The World seeks to strengthen such efforts by bringing them into each other's
awareness and the awareness of the general public.
We are receiving positive responses in discussing this strategy with
representatives from the following global initiatives that already understand
how intergroup cooperation can expand and enrich the work of all: The Hague
Appeal For Peace, The Earth Charter, the Global Peoples Assembly, The Parliament
of the World's Religions, The International Forum on Globalization, The
State of the World Forum, The Foundation for Ethics and Meaning, the War
and Peace Foundation, the World Movement for Nonviolence, Pathways to Peace,
United Youth International, the World Peace Prayer Society and many others.
We, The World is designed to weave together these and other currently
disparate efforts into a recognizable global network based on a compassionate,
nonviolent, and all-inclusive vision.
We, The World will bring together and promote those involved with: community
interests; human rights; ecology and animal concerns; challenging current
practices of economic globalization; promoting social responsibility; promoting
holistic health, spiritual renewal, and other meaning needs; encouraging
nonviolence; exploring ways to sustain peace; and many other areas concerning
the interests of people and other life around the world (hence the name "We,
The World").
Each group's special emphasis and expertise will be enhanced by being
part of a highly visible worldwide movement that cultivates the constructive
and healthy relations that lead to lasting peace.
Programs
Our initial endeavor is in the area of international collective action.
We anticipate that publicity and activities surrounding our Public International
Events will help to generate a "critical mass" of support around the world
large enough to sustain movement towards a new era of planetary consciousness
and conscience!
Public International Events We will start a new global tradition
to foster public awareness and involvement in the betterment of the world.
Every few months (and eventually once a month!) there will be a day for
global public concerts, rallies, conferences, media appearances, and celebrations
until our world is free from violence, suffering, and oppression! Discussions
and advertising on major media will bring each month's subject area to the
public's attention. During each event, special toll-free action hotline
numbers and email list-serves will be routed to the appropriate corporations
and other institutions' offices, so that people (from around the world!)
can comment about that month's particular issue.
Other programs of WE, THE WORLD include:
The International Truth and Reconciliation Hearings By listening
to and acknowledging the pain of their citizens, our world's societies can
begin to heal themselves. Inspired by the South African Truth & Reconciliation
Commission, the Hearings will be UN/NGO supported and will initially be
focused on one country or region at a time (where there is no major conflict
taking place). Cultures in that area as well as other countries which had
a colonial or other oppressive relationship with it will be represented.
The historical context within which the stories will be told may reveal
that it was largely individual rulers' drives for wealth or power (rather
than entire ethnic or religious groups) that brought cultures into conflict,
initiating cycles of violence, retaliation, distrust and hatred. These ongoing
hearings will become a public forum to increase understanding and will derive
the global support We, The World brings to all its programs.
World Communities Interchange This program will bring communities
together within and between countries to share information and support regarding
local issues in a context of global interconnectedness. Frequent arts and
cultural exchanges will also enable this program to help build community
and solidarity around the world. Community Interchanges will primarily
occur as an integral part of the Monthly International Events.
Ethical Impact Reports The actions of corporations, governments
and other institutions set the tone and the norms for our workplaces and
our societies. Developed by Michael Lerner and the Foundation for Ethics
and Meaning, these Reports will provide a means to measure what effects
our major institutions are having on us, based on the perspectives of each
stakeholder group represented. For example, if a large company is being
examined, the groups might consist of: the stockholders/owners, the employees,
the community/communities it affects, the consumers of its product or service,
and so on. One way to use the Reports might be to decide which of
10 otherwise equally qualified companies has the best record of social responsibility
and therefore will get a particular government contract. By merging and publicizing
Report information from regions around the world, using an "index"
similar to Stock Indexes, we can heighten the public's global consciousness
and reinforce the recognition of We, The World as being impartially concerned
with the well-being of everyone on the planet.
*****
Why not a more narrow focus? Our intent is to put much more emphasis
on working at the level of causation. We, The World grew out of the realization
that most specific issue groups lack the resources to end and prevent re-occurrences
of the problems they are concerned about. While performing important functions
like helping to raise awareness and relieving pain, these groups usually
can not address the global and historic reasons for problems like poverty
or ecological damage, and they can not adequately address the lack of collective
action necessary to effectively eliminate these problems. The issues may
be extremely complicated, yet if hardly anyone develops expertise at this
level of complexity, and no one incorporates that scope into their
organizing efforts, we will probably continue to have poor or mixed results
and never realize our vision for a peaceful world. We, The World is committed
to bringing global support and expertise to some of these seemingly intractable
problems.
While some people are most fulfilled and productive when they contribute
to society in a "direct" way such as by volunteering at a soup kitchen, or
running an anti-violence youth program, others, like many of us at We, The
World, prefer to work with and bring together numerous social concerns organizations
and individuals for the purposes of achieving greater and more lasting results
Ð even if it requires additional effort, takes longer, and is less immediately
"direct." Both styles of service are necessary in an effective global movement
to create a caring world.
What can you do? Financial support and volunteering are crucial at this
early stage. We are also seeking individual and organization endorsements
from those who are well-known or not-yet-well-known to the public. Please
contact me
about any of these possibilities.
We, The World will fulfill the hopes and dreams of the many groups and
individuals who see an organized well-publicized world movement toward healing
and peace as the means to end the suffering that plagues our planet.
I hope that I have ignited something in you and that we can work together
to bring about our vision of a truly peaceful and fulfilling world.
Please check back here to see updates. Meanwhile, check out The Foundation For Ethics And Meaning
where you'll learn about programs which are already helping to realize the
vision of We, The World, including the historic conference "Re-Imagining
Politics and Society at the Millennium: Creating a Just, Caring, and Sustainable
World".
Also, please click here to connect to The War And Peace Foundation to learn
about peace efforts world wide. There you can hear excerpts from our extraordinary Teach-In/Speak-Out
Peace In The 21st Century: An
Imperative For Survival.
Click here to return to top.
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