IOMR Proposal for Human Future
Preface
(Proposal of four common citizens)
1, Four of us are two Indians, a Japanese and a Portuguese common citizens. S. Chidambaresa Iyer (93) is a retired Railwayman living in Chennai, India. M.Ramya (30) is a housewife living in Chennnai, India. Kunio Oki (70) is a retired prefectural government officer in Chiba, Japan. Maria Mendes (56) is a Portuguese owner of a pilates studio in Lisbon and London. We are small citizens without any power, have joined and made the proposal to take this world to true prosperity, in unison.
(Giving a share of its own)
2, I witnessed a scene recently. A child. hardly three years old, was sitting alone, in a bench and eating the sweets given to her, by her mother. Another child, more or less of the same age, came and sat by her, and watched her eating the sweets. Before she could extend her hand, to ask for a share, the first child gave her some sweets and both were looking happy.
I thought that this willful partaking is a natural reaction in a human mind, in such a situation. I do not know if a grown up child will react in a similar manner. Most probably not. I began to think, what made this child react in the way it did? I thought that it must be the natural way. The first child would never have thought that it was rendering help to the second child, by giving a share of her own. It made me think that we are all like the first child to begin with, but change as we grow, and a sense of possession overtakes us then. I found the same reaction in birds and animals of less than the five senses which a man is endowed with, and I concluded that this is what the Nature has taught us when we were born and that we have learnt to forget such Nature as we grow up. Why? Here is one of the clue for our proposal. (S. Chidambaresa.Iyer)
(Barrier of modern private life)
3, We do not see such Nature reflected in our societies, in the East or in the West. We see that each of us, wants to fend for himself. Almost all of us are endowed with facilities, like good health, good surroundings, enough and more wealth, a comfortable living etc. We enjoy them all, with our kin, and leave some to our offspring. But we do not think of sharing some of them with others who are less fortunate. On top of it, we take efforts to add more facilities for ourselves, which will last for many of our own generations in future. We also think that such a course is perfectly normal. The idea of partaking our extra wealth and other facilities with others does not enter our mind.
Of course, a few people in the world have succeeded in doing this (sharing and working towards helping others) but almost the system is not "help friendly" and so they have had to struggle and fight the system in order to improve it.
(The serious gap between the rich and the poor)
4, We won't intend to reject our sense of possession or property. Being protected by the private ownership system and by the barrier of family, local community and nation, human beings have fought each other, have produced wealth and have constructed prosperity so far. But, now, we think we have reached to the epoch to redistribute enough wealth which we have build up so far to the have-nots to cancel efficiently the serious gap between the rich and the poor in the whole world.
(Small voice as the vast humanity)
5, Ours is a small, and a very small voice against the din of very loud display of power found in this world. But this small voice is that of the vast humanity, inhabiting this planet and as such, this cannot be thrown aside as irrelevant. The incentive we can offer is a safe and united world for our future generations.
For that purpose, we need a better world organization which is not influenced by some special nation's interest, than ever. Furthermore, we can propose a new model based on humanitarian reasons and will need it at hand for each project and aid program.
Ⅰ Our world today
(Light and shadow of Globalization)
1, Rapid Globalization is a phenomenon which characterizes our present world. Transnational companies or conglomerates have been struggling each other to seek for lower wages and natural resources all over the world in order to gain more and continuous profits. At the same time, an information-oriented society is even spreading over every corner of the world by the spread of the internet.
These phenomena show that we can know worldwide information rapidly. But, on the other hand, these show that local industries (compared to worldwide companies) and the regional solidarity (mutual aid with the neighbors) which fit essentially into our life are declining rapidly.
Furthermore, in spite of whether it's developed countries or developing countries, death from overwork, suicide and depression in the work place are on the rise because labors are obliged to work with excessive tension for the company from early in the morning till late at night.The current nations seem not to know this torture and not to try to make laws for remedying such situation.
(Widening gap between the rich and the poor)
2, The widening gap between the rich and the poor is the most serious problem which became clearer with globalization. As for the problems of terrorism and refugees, at that root, there are also a lot of people who can not escape from poverty. Almost young people in poor countries have no workplace. Narcotics are the revenue earners for some of the Eastern countries and in some African and South American countries.
Also in rich advanced countries, the gap between the rich and the poor is widening. Poor people there feel a sense of crisis that their workplaces are lost due to refugee's increase in their country.
Therefore anti-foreignism gains power in many countries.
The poor remain poor, but on the other hand, rich people in the world continue to amass wealth and lead a gorgeous life. As a result, they suffer from various illness such as cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney trouble, due to their excessive eating. Contrary, malnutrition among children in Africa and some eastern pacific islands is an urgent problem facing humanity, and needs redress.
Under such situation, unfortunately, most people are struggling to gain satisfaction with money in this globalized mass consumer society.
(Deepening Environmental problem)
3, Environmental problem is also a serious problem all over the world. A countermeasure to frequent occurrence of abnormal weather and sea level rise by global warming have become an argent problem. The increase in air pollution and nuclear fuel waste are the negative output produced by a corporate society which places a higher priority on its profit.
Also, destruction of nature such as chaotic deforestation in developing countries is mainly due to the global competition for getting of natural resources by companies.
As for environmental problem of our daily life, the new environmental philosophy of the 3 R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) has been spread in the world gradually. Its popularization has already started at the educational level, but companies aren't willing to pay the bill unless governments step in.
(UN as Unable to cope with global crisis)
4, The international organizations to solve such global problems are also not functioning well, affected with the interests of the great powers. As for religious, ethnic and national conflicts around the world, these organizations such as UN cannot find a clue for solution.
Today, no action is possible by the UN, without the consent of permanent members who have Veto, especially three members such as US, Russia and China. For some unspecified reason, all the other countries have succumbed to such a remnant after the Second World War. Political rulers of US, Russia and China are interested in forming their own zones of influence, with this power.
On the other hand, EU whose original aim is to get rid of the frame of the nation in the future seems to become nothing but the product of compromise between nations and economic bloc community.
In the midst of such international or European organization, nations where protectionist forces or right-leaning forces gain power have increased of late.
Under such situation, solution of terrorism and refugee issue, or realization of a world free of nuclear weapons has been more difficult than ever.
Ⅱ What should we now?
(Gandhi's simple life)
1, What should we think and do to get over a crisis of the world situation mentioned above? We think all the citizens of this world should make an effort for vanishing the gap between the rich and the poor all over the world. We cannot discuss about the better human being's future under the circumstances of severe poverty. At the same time, we cannot discuss about that under the circumstances of luxurious life.
M.K.Gandhi said, "There are sufficient things satisfying the necessity for all people in the world, but there is nothing to fill avarice of everyone enough in the world." He also said, "If people in the world are going to enjoy a life like the advanced nations of capitalism, it is insufficient even if there are no less than four or five earths." we always recall these sentences when we consider about human being's future. If people try to lead a simple life, enough wealth has been already accumulated on the earth. However, the wealth is used for the enjoyment of some partial people now. Therefore, it is important for the future of mankind how we distribute wealth on the earth effectively. We think as far as extremely poor people exist in this world, we cannot have the chance of peace of the world in the future.
(Redistribution of wealth)
2, In our present secular world, economic activity is performed based on a private ownership system. In such society, we ordinary people have worked, have made an effort, have got assets and have built a cultural and comfortable life in our own way. Nobody should reject such a life. However, we should think that Only two hundreds years has passed since the industrial
revolution started in full swing in our economic society. In thousands of years of human society before the Industrial revolution, social wealth was not necessarily based on private ownership system. A system in which a nation or a regional political organization collected wealth and redistributed them for the stable lives of people was considered at that time.
Today, with the development of technology, we have accumulated enough wealth incomparable with the past. But their wealth has not been redistributed enough to eliminate the extreme gap between the rich and the poor in the world.
Therefore, we should consider international organizations which can contribute to resolving the gap between the rich and the poor in the world even a little toward the future.
(Necessity of UN reform and citizens movement)
3, We should clarify the difference between nation and country. A nation has the power to maintain political and economical independence. On the other hand, a country means the area concept that a historical culture has been maintained by an identical race and language. A nation changes by the time, but a country keeps existing as cultural diversity of the world.
Now, the existence of nation as a political and economical independent body is questioned historically. In order to settle the worldwide critical situation which we mentioned above, an adjustment between the nation power might have been already limited. Therefore, a worldwide organization which transcends the framework of nation will be requested in the future.
So, we have to work on politicians who are engaged in international organization so as to reform the present UN or to create a new worldwide organization.
At the same time, we have to spread our proposal to citizens who intend to lead a simple and humble life, widely beyond the border of nation, even if we take a lot of time from now on. As Mahatma Gandhi often said, the rich must consider themselves as the TRUSTEES of the poor.
(Guardians of Planet Earth and ourselves)
4, We are guardians of our planet (the earth) and we have responsibility to preserve it. Furthermore, we are guardians of our body and soul.
We have to be true for oneself. Being true also means being spiritual and aware of development of our personality while being respectful of ourselves, others and everything else surrounding us, namely, animals, plants and objects, etc. that is, all things of our Planet.
(Spreading message through Internet)
5, We live in an information society where information is available anytime from all kinds of sources. It's up to us to know what is happening and to choose our sources in order to interpret information correctly. Therefore, we can't pretend anymore we don't know what happens in the world.
At the same time, our cultural activities utilizing wide area information devices are effective for us to spread our message. Of course, we are small persons and our reach today is smaller still. We shall have to spread this message to as many areas (apolitical) as possible even in a small way through internet media, written and visual.
(Veto Powers in UN)
1, UN is originally meant to make this planet for a peaceful living by reducing the divisions between the rich and the poor. Nevertheless, we find quite a gap between rich countries like the US, Japan and Germany and poor countries like Rwanda, Ethiopia and Sudan in the African continent suffering from hunger and penury. We had a League of Nations after the first world war, and this present UN after the second world war. One failed miserably, and the other is heading in the same route. This status is going to continue until and unless the Veto powers are taken away from the permanent members.
(New Security Council without Veto power)
2, Therefore, we have to review the present function of UN and to improve it. That may be impossible because some permanent members of the Security Council will reject such reform by Veto power. However, reform of the Security Council is one of the most important problem for most members of UN. For the time being, we should seek for the possibility of no Veto power in the Security Council.
Members of New Security Council without Veto power should be elected equally from each nation in the world. And there, they should discuss about eradication of terrorism, prevention of invasive territory expansion, extinction of a nuclear weapon and the functional enhancement of the UN forces to realize these tasks.
(Eliminating poverty and Sustainable Development)
3, We should respect Millennium Development Goals adopted by UN in 2000 for poverty of all over the world and environment protection, and Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the UN in 2015 with the aim of eliminating poverty and sustainable employment and economic growth, though these Goals have not been always achieved effectively by present UN.
We think that United Nations Economic and Social Council which is one of major organizations of UN, should play a major part for realizing these goals than ever. Especially, this organization must strictly assess the dividend and outcome of wealth to disadvantaged areas, in order to make efficient redistribution of wealth around the world.
Among such assessment, UN must pay attention so that the local people can live independent, with regard to promoting regional development such as agriculture and regional employment.
(Elimination of all weapons of Mass Destruction)
4, Under the power of New Security Council, all weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), manufactured so far, should be destroyed, and there should be a ban on manufacture of any WMD, war planes, and men-of-war, or Aircraft Carriers, by any nation, hereafter. No sale of any kind of weapon, small or big, to any other nation, will be allowed. The weapons used by the terrorists are sold to them by a few countries. The terror route starts from these sales. The nuclear devices manufacture should be stopped immediately. At any rate, the manufacture and sale of arms, fighter planes or Destroyers have to be stopped.
(Promotion of mutual cooperation on world health problem)
5, World health problem, in spite of the work of WHO, is not being addressed sufficiently. The powerful and wealthy nations are disinterested in tackling the health problems of poor nations except in pushing the sales of pharmaceutical products produced in their own nations. Health education is in the primary stage only. UN has to intervene here positively.
Ⅳ United world for future generations
(From each nation to a United Nation)
1, After the present United Nations reform mentioned above progressed, as a next step, we should seek a figure of the future United Nations. That is because we would not be able to achieve even the present reform if we did not have the figure of the future United Nations before us.
The frontiers of each country is sacred and should be respected by all other countries. In the same way, race and religion of every country must be respected. However, If the function of UN is carried out efficiently like above step, the frontiers of each country will gradually lose the meaning as the nation which has had independent power so far, in the future.
At that time, UN should be the sole sovereign owner of this world. It will then be possible to be called a true UNITED NATION as a common brotherhood of all races and of all ethnic origins. Nuclear weapons, all forms of small arms and all Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) have all along been used for Terrorism, international conflicts and internecine wars. However, such weapons will vanish completely at this stage.
(The citizens federation and the organization of UN)
2, We should make the UN General Assembly(UNGA) the parliament of the world. The parliament members at this stage will no longer be representatives of each nation but will be the representatives of the citizens federation, such as the city federation, the rural community federation and the cultural organization federation, etc, which have overcome the nation, though these federations should be chosen according to each country’s area. And we should found the governing body based on various organizations such as new UN Security Council and new UN Economic and Social Council. The headquarter of this governing body should be in a poor country like Ethiopia, Sudan, Rwanda, Chad or any other country located in Africa which is the least developed continent among Five continents and not in New York like now.
(UNO as a world single currency)
3, If the independent economies of each nation did not make sense, the currency of each nation would disappear and only the single currency, UN Currency would be distributed in the world. That might be named UNO. UNO reflects the real economy in the world because it is not used for individual speculations which create unreal value. So, it will be suitable for efficient redistribution of the world's wealth.
(Esperanto and Sanskrit as a common language)
4, In the future, each nation cease to exist as a independent power and its border will remain as a country mainly based on race and language. So, we will need the world common language which respects each country's or race's culture. Esperanto was founded as a common language to the world by Zamenhof in 1887. Esperanto speakers oppose the fact that a specific and strong language rules the world. They aim to esteem each race's language as a valuable culture no matter how small the race is, and aim that Esperanto is a bridge of an equal, cultural exchange between races. They are convinced that such their action can contribute to world peace. So, in the future, elementary school students including English speaking countries should learn Esperanto because it's grammar is quite easy for people in the world to understand.
Also Sanskrit can be advocated alongside. It is well-codified and it was universal as ancient noble thought and has come through generations after generations. So, Sanskrit will be helpful in developing noble thoughts, which would contribute to a high level of understanding between the prevailing different cultures.
UNESCO should promote usage of these two languages, for establishing better understanding between countries, and for propagation of noble thoughts among them.
Ⅴ Our expectation in spite of various problems to the future ,
(Aiming at the one world union)
1, There are various problems to achieve our above mentioned proposal ( for the present or for the future). Nations have struggled each other to gain power not only in economy but also in military from old times. And people have found their identity in their nations. Therefore, it is quite difficult that a nation surrenders its sovereignty power to the one world union. However, looking at current world critical situation, some people will think that present conflicts among nations would not come to end without realization of one ideal world union.
Regional know-how with its human quality can be put to use at a global level uniting people and causes at much more efficient level.
Maybe the world should come under the planet called EARTH and should be ruled under all the categories by every single nation together for the sake of everyone. It will be called just the ultimate true globalization!
(New stage of Mankind)
2. Development by Globalism which has made capitalist commercial economy spread all over the world has plunged us into busy and noisy competitive society.
In these situation, some people have come to seek not for noisy mega city but for local community where simple and small reciprocity still has been left. They want to lead a simple and humble life outside of endless power struggle among nations. And as their request and voice become bigger and bigger, we human beings may enter the new stage.
Under such situation, main changes in the world should go through education by implementing ethics and religion as well as promoting inter-change for better understanding and no-prejudice culture.
(A little proposal for the general good of the world)
3, This proposal is so novel, and the idea so revolting that people may throw it wholesale as total rubbish. We expect such a thing to happen first. Each nation's sovereignty which has enjoyed through centuries, is almost impossible to remove it from the status quo. But, later on, based on deeper thinking, some people will try to change the mind-set. Also some of the existing world leaders in UN, may think that they have to spread such idea as this proposal first, and have to make other world leaders see the overall picture and have to convince them that this proposal is significant for the general good of the world and gives a meaning to the united world organization or new UN. Maybe, it may not happen in one go, but to start with, it may happen in parts and perhaps in a slightly variegated form also.
We believe in such progress and would like to continue our steadfast activities toward a brighter human future in order to herald an everlasting peace in this planet which may be on the brink of total destruction while we are not aware of many.
Chidambaresa Iyer
Kunio Oki
Maria Mendes
M. Ramya
01/Aug/2018