Robert Muller's
2000 Ideas & Dreams
For A Better World
Selected Topics

Capitalism

~ Idea 312 ~ 18 May 1995

There is much pressure from the rich countries for free world trade, because they have a distinct historic, economic, scientific and technological advantage to invade the poor countries with their products and advanced marketing and advertisement, often changing the traditional, more healthy, natural, better habits of these countries, where moreover advertisement is very cheap. The poor countries should raise the issue of free migrations, of the freedom of people to settle anywhere on our planet. People should claim this as a fundamental human right. Why only world free movement of goods, and no free movement of people? The United Nations must hold a world conference on the free movement, migration and settlement of all humans on this planet. It will have to be raised sooner or later. The sooner we do, the better.

~ Idea 557 ~ 18 January 1996

Since business was first to globalize itself world-wide, far beyond governments and religions, and since corporations are now for all practical purposes ruling the world, we should give them the opportunity, even request them to hold a World Conference on Proper Earth Government through the Free Market System

The world business community should be asked to answer how they would take care of the above complaints of the Earth, of humanity, of the past and of the future, how they would provide for a well preserved planet and the well-being of all humanity, the five basic harmonies and the long-term evolution of the planet.

Such a conference would bring together the heads of the major world corporations, banks and stock exchanges, the World Bank, the IMF, the GATT, the new World Trade Organization, the International Chamber of Commerce and similar organizations

~ Idea 617 ~ 18 March 1996

Instead of letting business and corporations wildly run ahead and progressively destroy our Earth, governments and thinkers should sit down and consider what a world government by private business and corporations would look like. The first discovery would be that freedom and democracy would disappear: the Earth and capital would be owned by capitalists and shareholders, i.e. by those who possess already capital and money and the rest of the people would not have a chance. All humans would be programmed by advertisement and marketing to buy what corporations decide. As for the Earth, it would be totally defenseless, neglected and brought to its ruin.

~ Idea 731 ~ 10 July 1996

I hear more and more voices saying that the soulless capitalism which now rules the world will end the same way as the second 19th century ideology, communism, already defunct. When I hear many voices from around the world expressing concern about an event to come, I open a file because the global brain of humanity has begun to function and to give us the first warning signals. But as distinct from the demise of communism which has not found a new way, we must face the above dismal hypothesis and do two things: get the best minds of the Earth to think what can be done to avoid a catastrophe which will hurt innumerable people; have all local communities think of the actions they will take locally to face the consequences of the catastrophe.

I am glad to learn that Elizabet Sathouris, the Greek geo-ecologist who was first to take the defense of Gaia, the Greek Goddess of the Earth, is working on plans to create local currencies when the current economic system will collapse.

~ Idea 735 ~ 14 July 1996

Most heads or chief executive officers of multinational, global or world corporations deal primarily with their firm's affairs on a global, world-wide basis and leave the internal markets for their firm's products and services to local, national subsidiaries. No wonder that as a result they rule the world. Governments do not do the same. They deal with national affairs and only subsidiarily with world affairs. They should therefore not be surprised that they have lost relevancy in managing the world for the good of all people and the Earth.

I recommend therefore that in all schools of government and political science, students should be taught how multinational corporations run the world often counter to the interests of the Earth, of humanity, often of their own nations and definitely of their children and grandchildren.

~ Idea 773 ~ 21 August 1996

Business is not interested in population control: they are interested in growing numbers of consumers and new markets.

But the white western world should be acutely interested, for within a few decades their children and children's children will be minimal in the world, close to disappearance.

~ Idea 774 ~ 22 August 1996

The greatest indictments of capitalism are firms like Coca Cola and Philip Morris and others in the same line of products. It is simply pathetic to see the disappearance of natural fruit juices in the poor countries, displaced by sugared, carbonated water. Parents with low incomes are bleeding themselves to buy expensive Coca Cola for their children who have been programmed by advertisement and marketing to crave for them. And I do not speak of the lottery tickets put in cigarette packets and behind soft drink labels in some poor countries to make people buy them. The history of such firms would be the most enlightening condemnation of the excessive "free market system".

~ Idea 775 ~ 23 August 1996

Capitalism and communism are two political and economic systems born from the industrial, scientific revolution. Capitalism has done wonders for human progress until recently, because it was based on the valid and prevalent view of evolution as competition and survival of the fittest. Communism was a failure because it did not respond to the basic, justified needs of humans at that time. Alas capitalism is no longer good today. It is not good for the Earth which has become preoccupation number one in our evolution. It is not even so satisfactory for humans anymore because of the excessive production of goods which are not really needed for the fulfillment of human life. This is why capitalism is in crisis and does not know what to do to continue to grow except through endlessly increasing marketing and advertisement. The entire economic system of this planet must be re-examined from scratch if we want to avoid an economic collapse in the next century.

~ Idea 832 ~ 19 October 1996

For millions of years we humans did not really change the basic functioning of nature, of the Earth. But now, with our sizable world population, insatiable consumption, incessant new inventions, technological and scientific changes, world-wide marketing and advertisement, we are changing the fundamental functioning of the planet. We risk destroying it and ourselves in the process. It is time therefore to listen to the wisdom of the indigenous people who have an immemorial, intimate knowledge of nature and take no decision without evaluating the effects on the seventh generation. They should be the wise leaders of the Earth, not the chief executive officers of the multinational and national corporations who have only one thing on their mind: how will the decisions increase profits, the power of the corporation, its world-wide market and its position in the stock-exchange. Since they are the dominant power and object of admiration, envy and imitation on this planet, they will mean our end as well as that of evolution. I sometimes think that the Roman Empire has not been as decadent as is this new empire. The title chief executive officer should be changed to chief execution officer. As someone said: the destruction of a work of art is called vandalism; the destruction of the Earth is called development.

~ Idea 859 ~ 15 November 1996

It is utterly wrong to make the poor countries envious of the rich ones, mostly for marketing and commercial purposes, and to give them western excessive consumption and living habits. This will not even be of benefit to the rich countries, because these habits multiplied by 9 to 10 billion people in the next century will mean the end of all life on this planet through the destruction of its natural elements.

~ Idea 883 ~ 9 December 1996

Socrates when he saw the Athens market exclaimed: "So many things which I do not need!"

What would he say today if he saw an American shopping center!

At least in his time the Athens market was not a danger to the future of the Earth, whereas today the shopping centers spreading around the world are.

Today, Socrates would ask: "And what will they do with all the goods they will not sell?"

Do we know? It would be fascinating to learn it.

As an author I once learned that when a US "best-selling" book is launched on the market say at 300,000 copies, easily 100,000 to 200,000 copies are returned by bookshops and shredded! What a world of waste! But it is included in the gross national product!

~ Idea 972 ~ 9 March 1997

I recommend that there should be as many ideas for the improvement of humanity's social and political conditions as there are for making new inventions, producing more goods, and devising endless new ways of advertisement, marketing and programming people to consume. What a difference it would make.

~ Idea 998 ~ 4 April 1997

From 4 to 6 April 1997 the Canadian International Foundation of Learning convened a Global Citizens 2000 Congress in Vancouver to mark the date of 6 April 1997 when there were 1000 days left to 1 January 2000. What better idea and time to launch a project encouraging youths to see themselves as global citizens. Young people from eleven schools were brought together as teams of creative energy, working with their teachers and community leaders to show how and what we all must learn to become global citizens in the 21st century. This included not only knowledge to bring economic success in the world's market place but also an appreciation for what must be done to assure sustainability and peace in an increasingly interdependent world.

I was invited to be the opening speaker and a participant in this three days Congress which culminated at midnight of 6 April in a launching of 1000 balloons to mark the countdown of 1000 days remaining until 1 January 2000.

~ Idea 1015 ~ 21 April 1997

It is good news that US citizens are beginning to react to the colossal overconsumption in their country, fostered in millions of ways by business, marketing, advertisement and the media.

A 1995 survey by the Merck Family Fund found that since the decade began, 28 percent of respondents have voluntarily reduced their income. Two-thirds said that they did so to reduce stress, increase personal time and restore balance in their lives.

Trends Research Institute named simplicity one of the 1997's top ten trends. "Never before, in the Institute's 17 years of trend tracking, has a societal trend grown so quickly, spread so broadly and been embraced so eagerly," TRI reports.

Unfortunately, big business knows that and is now targeting the developing countries for western consumption habits through marketing and advertisement which are very cheap in these countries.

~ Idea 1101 ~ 16 July 1997

Some of the great errors of our time were these:

- humanity rushed into economics, changing our home before ecology, the knowledge of that home;

- we accepted capitalism as the dominant ideal of the human society and not the environment or love and preservation of our Earth;

- we let business globalize itself and become the master of the world and of our lives, while governments, the entrusted defenders of justice, of the poor and the downtrodden did not globalize themselves and even became the servant of business;

- and religions did not globalize themselves at all.

These errors were not basically wanted:

- capitalism did wonders for humanity at the beginning when the world population was small and the resources of the Earth were unexploited and seemingly unlimited;

- governments were still in the era of consolidating nations recently born from ethnic groups fighting each other;

- religions still believed that their truths were absolute, immortal and meant to spread to the entire world.

Well, today our objectives and efforts should be:

1. to see the religions globalize themselves urgently in order to give us a universal, cosmic meaning of life on Earth and give birth to the first global, cosmic, universal civilization; the recent initiative to create the United Religions can do that;

2. national governments must absolutely globalize themselves in a new, second generation Untied Nations with much more power, especially legislative power, or a United States of the world with proper balance of powers in a world democracy, or a World Union along the lines of the European Union;

3. business must be made the servant of the people's needs within a properly preserved Earth, and no longer be instruments of unlimited power, profit, enrichment and programming of the people's lives and consumption;

4. more generally we must put an end to the Darwinian theory of competition and survival of the fittest, and replace it by a new science, strategy and methodology of cooperation for our evolutionary survival and fulfillment on this particular planet in the universe.

~ Idea 1124 ~ 8 August 1997

In face of the rising world-wide criticisms against capitalism, I recommend that a World Commission of Eminent Personalities on Capitalism be established to look into this subject. It is high time to do that. Even the chief executive officer of Mitsubishi in a speech to the World Future Society says that it seems to him " that the global business community is driving quickly to a cliff, and we have our eyes closed."

~ Idea 1125 ~ 9 August 1997

We must fear that capitalism will bring this world to an end. It was born at the end of the 19th century like communism, when conditions were very different from today: the world population was small, except for China: the resources of the planet were barely exploited and seemed inexhaustible. Like communism, capitalism has become contrary to evolution and will collapse if it does not change course. As is shown by Toynbee in his study of past great powers, it is unlikely to do so because powers believe in their continuance and are unable to adapt to the new requirements of evolution.

This reminds me of the following: after the first world conference on the environment in Stockholm in 1972, the Ford Foundation hired a consultant to report to them on the meaning of that conference. One day he stopped me in the corridors of the UN and said: "Robert, you will be interested in my finding. The environment is basically a spiritual question." I expressed surprise, and he continued: "Yes, because if a businessman is only concerned about profit, he will not give a damn about the environment. But if he thinks of his children and grandchildren, he will be concerned."

~ Idea 1126 ~ 10 August 1997

Among the signs of capitalism's decadence is the frenzy of marketing and advertisement. Business does not know what to do anymore to continue to compete, to win markets, to make more profits, to change products, to make people consume more.

In airline magazines and in formerly serious magazines, the substantive articles are interwoven, cut up, drowned in advertisements which nobody reads anymore. But it all costs the Earth and our lungs entire forests.

Miniaturization is the latest device: offering any salable products in minuscule containers or flasks at the cash registers of supermarkets and in restaurants!

Signs of decadence are mounting everywhere. Why does not capitalism re-examine itself? Its business geniuses should sit down and ask themselves: where are we going? What will be next? What will be the end result?

~ Idea 1128 ~ 12 August 1997

The role and responsibility of the new United Religions Organization and of the World Parliament of Religions will be enormous at the end of this century: it will be no less than to give humanity a new spiritual, planetary, cosmic ideology to follow the demise of communism and capitalism.

The new Natural Law Party in which western scientists converge with eastern spiritualists can become the political arm of that ideology.

~ Idea 1161 ~ 14 September 1997

We speak of the building and population explosion. Why don't we also speak of the consumer explosion, the skyscraper explosion, the marketing and advertising explosion, the media explosion, the irreligiosity explosion, the materialism explosion, etc.?

~ Idea 1204 ~ 27 October 1997

Among the new Universities I would like to see established would be Universities of Consumption and Universities of Employment. This is in response to the fact that all Universities are concentrating on production and marketing, taking employment for granted as a result of the existing economic system. Since we have both underconsumption, overconsumption and wrong consumptions on this planet which destroy or diminish humans and the Earth, it is high time to deal seriously with this subject. And since a slowdown and changes of consumption habits are absolutely necessary in the world if we want to save the Earth, we should also study the concept and ways of proper, fulfilling employment in the western countries especially. I have a whole file of original ideas in this field. Someone should write 2000 ideas for fulfilling employment of humans on planet Earth. The environment, spirituality and voluntary service provide great possibilities in countries where the machines have made much employment dispensable.

~ Idea 1207 ~ 30 October 1997

Since business has gotten out of gear with the evolution of this planet, I suggest that business organize itself as quickly as possible to review the situation and to try to find adequate answers to it. In idea 557 I proposed that business should be requested to hold a World Conference on Proper Earth Government through the Free Market System. Perhaps the International Chamber of Commerce should change its name into International Organization of Business and hold such a conference or a series of smaller conferences, including regional ones, to bring forth much needed answers and changes in the business world. It might prevent a major world economic crisis, unavoidable if business continues on the same course, as was pointed out by Mr. Tachi Kiuchi, Chief Executive Officer of Mitsubishi Electrical, in a keynote address to the World Futures Society in July 1997.

~ Idea 1210 ~ 2 November 1997

If outer space beings would visit our planet they would ask us what we call it. We would answer: planet Earth, from the old Germanic goddess Eartha, and also Gaya, from the Greek belief that the Earth is a nebula, Goddess Gaya, which became the Earth.

They would comment: that is beautiful but from what we see around us you should change its name to planet Business and Marketing.

Our comment: well, this was thought of also by the Romans who called it planet Pluto (wealth) and planet Mammon (the God of money).

~ Idea 1285 ~ 16 January 1998

The private enterprise, financial, marketing, advertising capitalist system claims that it will bring prosperity to the entire world.

Well, the Secretary General of the UN reported to the last UN General Assembly that 100 nations on this planet have become poorer in the last fifteen years and that 1.3 billion people of this Earth have a daily income of only one dollar.

The UN also reports that world-wide and within all nations the rich are getting richer and the poor poorer.

When will someone at long last stand up and challenge the present free enterprise system?

~ Idea 1312 ~ 12 February 1998

I recommend that following the example of Costa Rica which had the courage to demilitarize itself, one country on Earth should be the first to de-advertise itself. It would be equivalent to demilitarization, since the main war is now the war against the Earth and advertisers and marketers are the new militaries. The UN must absolutely convene a world conference on advertising and marketing to put order in this new calamity.

~ Idea 1345 ~ 17 March 1998

People who invest in stock markets should increasingly think of the fate of their children and grandchildren. They might decide not to invest in business that destroys the environment. To help them, governments should devise new regulations for banks and stock-markets regarding proper reporting on their "results". Consideration should be given to daily ecology indexes together with the purely financial market quotations.

~ Idea 1364 ~ 5 April 1998

I sometimes take out one of my old journals or Markings from past years to see what I thought at that time. During the night I came across the following Marking in 1983, fifteen years ago:

"In a hundred years, capitalism and communism will be past history."

Well, it did not take 100 years for communism to disappear, and I wonder if it will take as much for capitalism. I think it will be much sooner. The collapse of the South Korean stock market last December was the first sign, but the US stopped it immediately with a donation of 10 billion dollars infinitely quicker than paying its past dues to the United Nations. Within days noone spoke about it anymore. But there will be other crises which will put an end to this second obsolete ideology of the 19th century or force it to change.

~ Idea 1374 ~ 15 April 1998

I claim also the fundamental individual human right of my children and grandchildren not to see this Earth on whose elements our lives depend destroyed by unending wasteful construction, industrial production, wasteful commerce, marketed and advertised unnecessary, harmful consumption, colossal built-in obsolescence, and other evils of the current materialistic economic system. This new right should also be put on the agenda of the UN Human Rights Commission, supplementary to the great new work on an Earth Charter.

~ Idea 1382 ~ 23 April 1998

Like the capitalists and communists did at the end of the last century, we should think hard and conceive how we can make the next century a true paradise. Since both communism and capitalism have failed and since we live in planetary conditions very different from those at the end of the last century, we must think afresh all our current beliefs, doings and institutions, and formulate an entirely new ideology or dreamology for an unprecedented future in all human history. Heads of governments, of corporations and of all human institutions should be excited by this new, wonderful challenge.

~ Idea 1499 ~ 18 August 1998

After communism and capitalism, frugalism might become the new ideology and rule of our behavior on Earth, demanding from us more frugal and simple lives in order not to destroy life giving nature. A new economic system must be born which will not produce colossal waste, unnecessary products, built-in rapid obsolescence, and colossal duplications between 185 nations. Frugalism and simplicity of life might become the salvation of the Earth and future generations.

~ Idea 1500 ~ 19 August 1998

In the nineteenth century when capitalism and communism were born, the world population was small and the Earth's resources were unexploited and seemed practically unlimited. Capitalism did wonders in those circumstances. It was the right obvious way for humans to progress in evolution, on the basis of the right Darwinian concept of competition at that time. Communism was the wrong way and had finally to give up after a century of vain efforts.

Today the situation is entirely different:

- the world population has exploded from about one billion in the last century to close to 6 billion today and at the present rate will stabilize only at around 10 to 11 billion.

- the population explosion was recently accompanied by a consumption explosion, first in the rich countries and now spreading also to the rich and middle classes of the poor countries;

- the air, the waters, the soil, the biosphere, the climate of this planet which were all in equilibrium have been disrupted, endangering the normal functioning of the planet;

- the whole Earth, its life-systems and further evolution are in mortal danger, if humans continue on the same course.

Conclusion: capitalism has done its best and produced wonders but it must now capitulate too as did communism. The best minds and leaders of the planet must conceive the new indispensable ways and behaviors of humans in the coming new century and millennium.

That is the central, overriding issue to be put at the top of the world agenda during the year 2000. All the rest is secondary.

Children

~ Idea 42 ~ 21 August 1994

The United Nations should convene urgently a world conference on unemployment, to review and remedy the tragic current situation, to evaluate further effects of population increase, scientific and technological developments, the exodus from the land to cities, the changing age structure of societies, including a redefinition of employment and unemployment. For instance, how on Earth are mothers who take care of children, our new, all-important generation, considered "unemployed"?*

Note:

* This has been done. The ILO has recommended that henceforth women taking care of a family are considered employed.

~ Idea 53 ~ 1 September 1994

Children and students are graded for their performance and behavior. Why should not governments be graded too for their performance? A yearly performance report should be produced by the UN or by an outside organization similar to Amnesty International, a Performance International, showing for example the number of years a country has lived in peace with others, violence statistics, ratification of international treaties, implementation of UN recommendations on a host of subjects (human rights, labor relations, the environment, etc.), disarmament, shifting of military expenditures to peaceful, productive and social services, demilitarization, etc. Such a report would lead to a lot of good in the world.

~ Idea 56 ~ 4 September 1994

I dream that UNICEF or a global philanthropist will build a UNICEF Children's House on the magnificent, inspiring grounds of the University for Peace, to allow children to meet, to play, to be taught peace, to read peace books, to listen to peace songs, play with peace toys, etc. Meetings and festivals could be held at it by children from around the world.

Notes:

31 August 1995: Three Costa Rican young people came to see me presenting me with a request that a children's and youth house for peace and the environment be built on the grounds of the University for Peace. They represented an organization of thousands of children and young people of Costa Rica. I congratulated them and asked them to submit their request with my full support to the Executive heads of UNICEF and the UN Environment Program.

13 February 1996: I met at the Costa Rican Embassy to the UN, with Mrs. Grethel Obando, the wife of the Ambassador, with Mr. Chowdury, a Director of UNICEF, and Ms. Brooke Newell, an NGO, to launch the idea.

~ Idea 86 ~ 4 October 1994

A whole new field and era of global philanthropy and gaiaphily (love for the Earth) should be opened on this planet. Many world awards should be given to international agencies; global foundations should be established for the benefit of all humanity, for the poor, the handicapped, abandoned children, etc., and the preservation of the planet. Many international awards should be given in ceremonies at the United Nations and at the headquarters of its specialized agencies and world programs. This would provide maximum visibility to philanthropists and inspire others.

~ Idea 153 to 171 ~ 10 to 28 December 1994

On this Human Rights Day I recommend that the following fundamental human rights should be worked on for adoption:

Idea 158 -the right to a proper planning of the future for all newly born children,

by governments and world agencies

~ Idea 187 ~ 13 January 1995

By 1995 there will have been three world population conferences, four world women's conferences, two world aging conferences, a permanent institution for children (UNICEF), an International Year of the Handicapped. But there has been only one brief world youth conference in 1970 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the UN. Governments seem to be afraid of youth. And yet, youth is the most interested party, the most dynamic biological element of our evolution. There should be a world youth conference at least every 5 years to hear the young peoples' views and proposals for the world they want. A World Youth Agency should be created.

~ Idea 188 ~ 14 January 1995

UNICEF should be transformed into UNICMO, the United Nations International Children's and Mother's Organization, which would be concerned with the two thirds of humanity who need most of the world's care and protection: children and mothers. It would greatly expand UNICEF's capacity to do wonders.

~ Idea 229 ~ 24 February 1995

The United Nations is already the global brain of humanity. It is also the greatest school of love on this planet: love for all humans, love for our Mother Earth, love for the preservation of nature, love for the children, women, the handicapped, the aged, love for peace, etc. Still is missing love for God and the mysterious forces of the universe. This will come too when the United Nations will understand its right place in the universe and in time.

~ Idea 301 ~ 7 May 1995

The United Nations has done a great work for human rights. But the time has also come to raise the question of human duties and responsibilities. I am glad that an International Council of Human Duties has been created in Trieste, Italy, under the chairwomanship of Professora Rita Levi Montalcini. The Declaration will be submitted to a youth conference in San Francisco on the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter. I signed the Declaration with delight. I recommend that the UN celebrate in 1998 the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and begin work on the adoption of a Universal Declaration of Human Duties and Responsibilities.

DECLARATION OF HUMAN DUTIES

a code of Ethics and Shared Responsibilities

(The Trieste Declaration)

IT IS THE DUTY OF EVERY HUMAN BEING TO:

1. respect human dignity as well as ethnic, cultural and religious diversity.

2. work against racial injustice and all discrimination of women, and the abuse and exploitation of children.

3. work for the improvement in the quality of life of aged and disabled persons.

4. respect human life and condemn the sale of human beings or parts of the living human body.

5. support efforts to improve the life of people suffering from hunger, misery, disease or unemployment.

6. promote effective voluntary family planning in order to regulate world population growth.

7. support actions for an equitable distribution of world resources.

8. avoid energy waste and work for reduction of the use of fossil fuels. Promote the use of inexhaustible energy sources, representing a minimum of environmental and health risks.

9. protect nature from pollution and abuse, promote conservation of natural resources and the restoration of degraded environments.

10. respect and preserve the genetic diversity of living organisms and promote constant scrutiny of the application of genetic technologies.

11. promote improvement of urban and rural regions and support endeavors to eliminate the causes of environmental destruction and impoverishment which can lead to massive migrations of people and overpopulation in urban areas.

12. work for maintenance of world peace, condemn war, terrorism and all other hostile activities by calling for decreased military spending in all countries and of the proliferation and dissemination of arms, in particular, weapons of mass destruction.

signed on 7 May 1995

Robert Muller

Chancellor

University for Peace

~ Idea 323 ~ 29 May 1995

A decade ago, during a visit in Kansas City, I learned that the city considered itself to be the heart of America. They wondered how this could be better known. I suggested that they plant a forest of trees in the form of a big heart near the airport, visible from the sky.

Ten years later when I returned to the city, I was shown the Heartforest which expands each year thanks to additional rows of trees planted by children on each Earth Day.

My dream is that many heart forests will be grown in many places of the world, thereby expressing our love for trees and for our beautiful planet.

~ Idea 375 ~ 20 July 1995

I dream that next to the University for Peace in Costa Rica, a World Center for Robert Muller schools and the world core curriculum will be created to fulfill the prophecy of Gloria Crook, the founder of the first Robert Muller school in Arlington, Texas, that someday there will be thousands of such schools in the world. Since the land includes sacred Mr. Rasur, what a fulfillment of the prophecy of the indigenous God of children that would be!

~ Idea 381 ~ 26 July 1995

There exist already a few global flags for our planet: the UN flag, the Earth flag, the New Allegiance flag. I recommend that more global flags be designed and used in the world: A Universe flag, a World flag, a Seas and Oceans flag, an Atmosphere flag, a Biosphere flag, a Mountains flag, a World Water flag, a Forests flag, an Arctic flag, an Antarctic flag, etc. There exists also a European flag. Flags for all continents should be adopted: an Asian flag, an All-American flag, an African flag, a Middle-East flag. And why not local, family and personal flags?

An idea of Carolyn Hawkins:

The US Postal Services held a contest several years ago. They asked school age children to design stamps. At the end of the contest the Postal Service selected five designs and had them reproduced on the most charming series of postage stamps.

A similar contest could be run by the UN. School age children around the world could submit their design for flags for the Universe, Seas and Oceans, Atmosphere, Biosphere, Mountains, etc. At the end of the contest the UN could select the winning designs and have them reproduced as actual flags or UN stamps.

~ Idea 411 ~ 25 August 1995

The world would be better off if instead of reading, hearing and watching bad news, horror stories and lots of violence served by so many newspapers, radio and TV stations, the children and people would hear and see programs of the United Nations and of their world agencies, educating them and enlisting them in the healing of the world and of humanity. I propose the creation of a United Nations World Media Network to inform objectively and educate all world inhabitants, giving them hope and enlisting their help to achieve a better, happier world. The International Radio for Peace of the University for Peace is a great first example to follow.

~ Idea 419 ~ 2 September 1995

Today, as part of the Great Millennium Campaign of the City of Toronto in Canada, a lady, Mrs. Julia Morton-Marr informed me that she will start an association to create children's peace gardens in as many schools as possible around the world, and that in each such garden she wants to see a bench of dreams built.

Well, this will give a new dimension to the number of benches of dreams built so far: in my peace park in Costa Rica, at the Casa de Maria in Santa Barbara, California, and at the St. Francis University in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

~ Idea 422 ~ 5 September 1995

Sometimes when I read the resolutions adopted by Model United Nations of children or youth, especially their Model Security Council, I am tempted to place these texts on the desks of the members of the Security Council as if they were official UN documents. Delegates would probably get a heart attack when reading them! But they would be great lessons, because children are the voice of truth, of common sense, while adults have acquired distorted minds, due to national interests and professional difformation. See therefore my ideas 39, 40 and 41. Perhaps all UN draft resolutions should be shown to children and youth for their comments and advice before being adopted. Moreover when a world constitution will be drafted, provision should be made for the voice of mothers, children and youth to be heard. After all, it is their future which is at stake, and so far throughout history adult males have been doing a pretty poor political job for humanity and for the planet.

~ Idea 428 ~ 11 September 1995

For the first time I have met a US businessman who has come to Costa Rica to buy land so that his children can have a livelihood, raising cows, chickens and having some agriculture when the western economic system will collapse. A better idea would be for governments to look into the viability of the monstrous economic system which creates more poverty than well-being and destroys the environment, endangering the entire future of humanity and of our Earth.

~ Idea 444 ~ 27 September 1995

We have now the report by the World Commission on Global Governance in the 21st century. Two further steps are needed: we should get the opinions and proposals of the world's religions and of the indigenous peoples on how they think the planet should be best governed. We should also hear the opinions of mothers, children and youth who are the primary interested parties in the world of tomorrow.

~ Idea 460 ~ 13 October 1995

I think that after 50 years, it is time for the United Nations General Assembly to redefine its Main Committees in the light of major world changes. Thus it should create Main Committees on Global Government, on the Environment, on Peace-building and Non-Violence, on the Future, on Women, Children and Youth, on International and Peoples' Volunteer Associations.

~ Idea 474 ~ 27 October 1995

Privatization as an all-out ideology conducive to human well-being and happiness is as fallacious and dangerous as was communism. There must always be public services defending the defenseless and helping the poor. Suppose all education is privatized. What will your children be taught? What the owners of the schools have decided. In, medio stat virtus, said the Latins. Virtue is a middle course. We need both private initiative and public protection. We must be free people driving private cars on public roads under public safety regulations and laws, and flying airplanes under world safety regulations and laws.

~ Idea 501 ~ 23 November 1995

It would be good if all human beings would express, write down their basic beliefs, commitments and dreams for their own lives and for a better world. It could be done at several points of life: as a child, as a youth, as a couple, at parenthood, at grand-parenthood, at retirement, even at the moment of death.

We should also leave behind us a record of our wisdom, beliefs, joys and achievements, a testament to those who will follow. I did that when I left to my children the books Most of All They Taught Me Happiness and What War Taught Me About Peace, to the religions New Genesis, Shaping a Global Spirituality, to the world The Birth of a Global Civilization, to educators my World Core Curriculum, to women my novels Sima Mon Amour and First Lady of the World, and to the United Nations my Testament to the UN.

And I continue to do it every day, in these 2000 ideas for a better world and other writings, correspondence, journal and numerous speeches.

~ Idea 502 ~ 24 November 1995

During my half a century of world service I have seen these three basic phases in human history since the end of World War II:

1945 to the early 1970's: a comprehensive, unprecedented period of Humanism (avoid wars, prevent early childhood deaths, increase the well-being of all humans, defend universal human rights, put an end to colonialism and apartheid, increase literacy, longevity and good health, etc.)

1970's: while the agendas of the preceding period were still incomplete and were overtaken by the world population explosion, a new major world concern came to the fore: the Environment (UNESCO's World Biosphere Conference in 1968 and the UN World Conference on the Environment in Stockholm in 1972), in other words: we humans on one side and the Earth and nature around us.

1980's: the new phenomena of the depletion of the ozonosphere and menacing climatic changes made the Earth priority No. 1 of our concerns and reduced humanity and economic development to second place.

This represents a fundamental change in the evolution of this planet. From now on the world will never be the same. This is why we should no longer speak of the need for World Government, but of Earth Government, the wise management, saving and preservation of our planetary home of which we are an integral part and whose further evolution now depends largely on us.

The UN Charter of 1945 does not use the words Earth, nature, natural resources and the environment. Why? Because at that time we considered the Earth to be unlimited in resources for a relatively small world population. The western countries also saw, and still see humanity as separate and superior to the natural world. This view has accomplished miracles for the human race. But humanity must now change its course, dominant objectives, values and institutions if we want to prevent disasters in the evolution of the Earth and of the human race.

~ Idea 503 to 505 ~ 25 to 27 November 1995

Once it is conscious of the imperative need for proper Earth government, humanity will have to respond to the following complaints by the Earth:

Idea 503 "Why did I have to take all of a sudden a population increase from

25 November 1995 2.5 billion people in 1952 to 5.6 billion today, more than a doubling in less than fifty years?"

We could answer as an excuse: It happened out of sheer ignorance. After the war the rich countries and the United Nations wanted to prevent the early death of innumerable children in the poor countries. They died young because of epidemics, bad health conditions, malnutrition and hunger. But having no population statistics for the world and for most of these countries, we did not tell the parents that they would no longer need to give birth to an average of six children per family to have at least two of them left to till the land and to take care of their old age. Until 1952 we did not even know what the world population was! When the UN organized for the first time in human history decent world statistics and world censuses, we discovered that women did not have more children, but that children no longer died early (the mortality rate per year fell from 34 per thousand to 14 per thousand). When this was discovered it was too late, the children were born and a young population is highly reproductive. The UN warned nations and humanity by means of world population conferences and every other possible means that a population explosion was upon us. But religions and other factors opposed it. Nevertheless, these efforts saved you from 2.2 billion more humans on your surface by the year 2000. Instead of 8.3 billion human beings in that year we will be only 6.1 billion.

Idea 521

13 December 1995 when no good mental lives have been provided to all the world's people: there are still 900 million adult illiterates, 130 million children without schooling and 100 million children abandon school prematurely.

~ Idea 567 ~ 28 January 1996

The Earth has always been our main teacher. This is why humanity wants an ideal Earth. We must never cease to try and we will succeed. It is our most sacred task in the next century to give our children the best teachers, namely nature, the creation of God, Goddess Gaia, our beautiful Mother Earth. Blessed be the recently created World Party of Natural Law.

~ Idea 585 ~ 15 February 1996

Expanding on the above idea there could also be an international fasting day. It would do good to our health. Money saved from this sacrifice could be sent to UNICEF to help feed hungry children and the homeless.

~ Idea 666 ~ 6 May 1996

A similar phenomenon is happening on television. It is almost impossible to see an announcement of a program or news in a still form. Everything has to jump, to move, to be a profusion of movements, criss-crossing and colors. How do people not get crazy, especially children and youth looking at such jumping, insane images. And every day it is getting worse, because the producers have to outsmart each other to draw attention. In reality more and more people do not pay attention anymore and become immune. My own decision, already ten years ago was to get rid of my television set, and I have lived happily ever since.

~ Idea 670 ~ 10 May 1996

I believe that all UN agencies and Departments should begin collecting ideas for a better world and publish them in popular forms. UNESCO could ask all school children and youth in the world to come up with their ideas. They might astonish the world.

~ Idea 671 ~ 11 May 1996

I invite people to do what I decided to do recently: each time I am tempted to buy something I ask myself: is it really necessary, do I really need it, what damage has its production and transportation done to mother Earth? What is her opinion? And in many cases I do not buy it. I write down the price saved and later with the savings I plant a tree or do something good for the Earth or for the poor who have real needs, especially children.

~ Idea 681 ~ 21 May 1996

We should abolish all military bases on this planet and transform them into world parks of nature or schools and playgrounds for children, peace museums and other good causes of humanity, including places of worship to the Creator of our beautiful Earth. Military bases are an antiquity and blemish to this divine planet.

~ Idea 752 ~ 31 July 1996

The World or United Nations Consumers Agency should also establish lists of products which should be avoided or dispensed with, and develop a world-wide strategy to get concrete results. The battle against tobacco and smoking has already begun, but there are many exceptions in poor countries, where even lottery tickets are inserted in cigarette packages. There are battles against other products to be waged in the interest of the people and of the Earth:

- against alcohol. The word Al kohol in Arabic means the devil; in Muslim countries alcohol consumption is a sin; its production, transportation and sale are totally prohibited. Well, it would be good if all countries of the world would imitate that good example. How many miseries and accidents would be avoided. China should join the ranks, since Confucius said: you drink the first cup of alcohol, and the alcohol drinks you.

- against soft drinks which displace natural fruit juices in the poor countries to a disastrous extent. They produce in addition billions of plastic and other bottles or containers which are strewn all over the world. If you add honey or a sweet syrup to water you have a cheap, safe, healthy drink for your children without carbon dioxide bubbles.

- window washing liquids and many household cleaning products. With plain water you wash windows as perfectly as with window washing liquids and you do not add chemicals to the environment;

- mouthwashes: they can be outright dangerous because they destroy useful, natural bacteria in our mouth etc., etc.

~ Idea 773 ~ 21 August 1996

Business is not interested in population control: they are interested in growing numbers of consumers and new markets.

But the white western world should be acutely interested, for within a few decades their children and children's children will be minimal in the world, close to disappearance.

~ Idea 774 ~ 22 August 1996

~ Idea 794 ~ 11 September 1996

There will soon come a time when humans will not be able to be happy as long as there is so much poverty and suffering in the world. More and more well-blessed people will look for poor people, especially children, they can help. One can observe the beginning of this new moral, individual and family philanthropy at the end of this century. UNICEF at the United Nations is the most lovable, gratifying example of it. In reality the United Nations is the first great UNICEF for the alleviation of all human miseries on this planet, including the miseries of the Earth itself.

~ Idea 803 ~ 20 September 1996

The following fundamental statement has not yet been taken into account by the adult politicians of this planet:

"Until modern times young people could anticipate a future rather like that of their parents. Social change was that slow. Now young people face futures for which their parents' culture cannot prepare them. The young must create the future themselves."

Margaret Mead

In reality youth has barely any voice in national and world affairs. Adults should therefore not be surprised by the frustration, often despair of youth, their frequent addiction to drugs, alcohol and violence. Let us give a strong voice to youth, a participation in the building of a better world, a hope and enthusiasm for the future. In these 2000 ideas I give several of them for youth, e.g. to hold parallel youth parliaments next to national parliaments, parallel youth ministries next to national ministries, to create Youth Ministries in all countries, to hold parallel youth conferences next to United Nations and other world conferences. Philanthropists of the world, please listen to this appeal. The future of the world might depend on it. It is your children's and grandchildren's world too.

Note: I was delighted to learn at the end of 1997 that a first World Conference of Ministers of Youth will be held in Lisbon, Portugal, in August 1998. I plan to attend it or to sent them a long list of proposals.

~ Idea 815 ~ 2 October 1996

I applaud the initiative taken in the US State of Kansas by a volunteer organization to give children a voting opportunity in national, state and local elections. It is good for candidates to hear the voice of children. For information contact the office of Kids Voting, Kansas Inc. c/o the Topeka Capital Journal, 616 SE Jefferson, TOPLON, KS 66607.

~ Idea 820 ~ 7 October 1996

The frequent encounters and reciprocal visits of heads of states of this Earth are a substantial progress in human affairs, peaceful relations and world cooperation. I would suggest that such visits should include their families. Often, their spouses already accompany them and become friends. But even more important would be that their children, the future generation, could meet, become friends and give their ideas and dreams to their heads of family. Why not create networks or associations of spouses of heads of states, and networks or associations of their children? Great ideas might come from them.

~ Idea 860 ~ 16 November 1996

Since we all want our children and grandchildren to be happy, why don't we request that happiness should be taught in all schools and be put on the agenda of all governments and world organizations? How many schools and institutions do it? Very few, I am sure.

We forget the wise ideal defined by the drafters of the US Constitution: the pursuit of happiness. This should henceforth be our world ideal. The recently coined concept of sustainable development should be replaced by happiness ensuring development.

~ Idea 881 ~ 7 December 1996

United Nations world conferences have been a monumental blessing in giving the world's people renewed consciousness of old, still unresolved world problems and new problems due to our accelerating global age (e.g. the population explosion, the environment, the world's climate, etc.)

Alas, the US Congress instead of being grateful and pleased, no longer wants any world conferences, arguing that they are costly and useless.* I propose that on the contrary we need more of them on global problems and dangers confronting humanity. If other governments agree with the US and no longer want new world governmental conferences, I recommend that the people should do them. There should be continued World People's Conferences on population, children, women, the aged, human rights, indigenous people, the world's climate, the environment, demilitarization, disarmament, world security, violence in all its forms, the world commons, the seas and oceans, outer-space, etc. Perhaps a better United Nations and world democracy would ensue.

*In reality, it is because the US wants to promote its own ideas and leadership of the world's future.

~ Idea 914 ~ 10 January 1997

Since the truth comes from the mouth of children, I recommend that UNICEF arrange for the drafting by children of a new Charter of the United Nations, starting with the words: We, the children of the world,..."

The UN Secretary General should similarly arrange for the drafting of a new UN Charter by youth, starting with the words: "We, the youth of the world,..."

The two texts would be an expression of the hopes and dreams of the next two generations who will be adults in the 21st century. They should be made known world-wide in the year 2000.

~ Idea 926 ~ 22 January 1997

During our trip to India Barbara and I were often dreaming of Costa Rica and came up with the idea that all Central America should be made a protected world park or region, reforested, with people living in rural communities, loving and protecting nature, with no more than two or three children, happy to see their basic needs fulfilled, protected from consumerism and advertisement, living profoundly spiritual lives, grateful for the miracle of life and of God's wonderful nature.

Back in Costa Rica I asked if the Culture of Peace program for Central America of our University had a plan for peace with nature. I was told that it did but that not a single government was interested in it. They wanted foreign investments, industries, trade, tourism, more trucks, cars and transportation, airplanes, etc. It was a good illustration that what is wrong on this planet is the basic philosophy, ideology and values of our time. As long as this will not change, as long as there is not a new education, a new spirituality, a renewed relation with nature, especially of the leaders, the present course will not change. The whole economic system of our world and society must be rethought from scratch. If not, it will collapse.

~ Idea 954 - 957 ~ 19 to 22 February 1997

At a meeting of 24 visionaries which I attended in Washington, the following proposals were made:

Idea 954 that a Grandparents Foundation be created to which grandparents would contribute funds in order to leave to their grandchildren a better world:

~ Idea 975 ~ 12 March 1997

God Rasur said to the children that the divine was in each tree, every flower, every bird, every animal, every butterfly.

He should have added: and in you, in every child and human being.

Indeed, we are all made of earth, water and air which are concrete solar, i.e. cosmic energy. We are not human beings distinct from the Earth and from the universe, we are made of the Earth, of the sun, of the universe, we are live universe on a particular cosmic planet, endowed with a cosmic, universal consciousness. Jesus and all sacred emissaries from the heavens told us that.

In a proper Earth government, every human being should therefore be considered unique, sacred, divine. No human should be forced to kill other divine, miraculous cosmic units for the "greatness" of artificial nations or the "truth" of any religion, nor of any other entity, institution or philosophy.

To its splendid human rights work which is truly of cosmic inspiration, the United Nations must now add an identical work on human responsibilities and duties particularly towards our mother Earth its wonderful nature and the universe.

~ Idea 976 - 981 ~ 13 to 18 March 1997

From two Canadian visitors to the University for Peace to whom I gave a copy of my fascicle of first 100 ideas, I got the following ideas:

From Ms. Shirley Farlinger:

Idea 976 Write a UN Marriage Certificate for the next Millennium.

A couple would agree:

- to have only one or two children

- to raise their children peacefully

- not to work for the military

- to settle arguments by peaceful resolution

- to make all decisions together

- to manage their money so that local industry which is ecologically sound is supported and other industries are boycotted.

~ Idea 996 ~ 2 April 1997

Example of what one person can do: in the 1920's when the League of Nations was created, the wife of a French League official, Mme Bouchardeau, created a League of Nations Women's Guild, of wives of League officials. Her idea was that they could be active, collecting funds with their handicraft products and use these funds to help children in poor countries, on the advice and recommendation of women of League officials working in those countries. As a result, the aid was guaranteed to go directly to projects and children who needed it. The Guild was the origin of the creation of UNICEF after World War II, but Mme Bouchardeau decided that this was not a reason to go out of existence and she created the United Nations Women's Guild which performs the same service. They have a sales counter in the UN visitors area and sell UN towels, T-shirts and various other products. The profits are channeled to projects in poor countries. I tell this story because today I received a letter and two checks from the UN Women's Guild of 600 and 1000 dollars respectively for a school of poor indigenous children which I had recommended to them near the University for Peace, the other for a Catholic school in Chile dealing primarily with alcohol and drug addiction. The donations are in memory of my dear deceased wife from Chile, Margarita, who was President of the UN Women's Guild for several years. A stone will be laid as the foundation of a future library in the name of Margarita Gallo de Muller, and the money will be used to build a refectory for the indigenous children.

Yes, what one person can do. May the spirit of Madame Bouchardeau and of Margarita Muller inspire numerous women in the world to have dreams and take similar initiatives for a better world.

~ Idea 1002 ~ 8 April 1997

All twinned cities in the world should prepare and celebrate together the year 2000. Not yet twinned cities should find a partner-city to twin with. A World Community of Cities should be created to increase the love and cooperation between all city people on Earth. It is hard to believe what a little money from people in the rich cities can do for poor, hungry, homeless and illiterate people, especially children, in poor cities.

~ Idea 1037 ~ 13 May 1997

I hope that someday all people will receive a Yearly Good Deeds Declaration to fill out when they receive a Yearly Tax Declaration.

It could include such items as:

PEACE:

What good and peace did you teach your children?

What peace did you contribute to your family, to your neighborhood, to your workplace?

What peace association did you belong to or support?

THE ENVIRONMENT

What did you do for a better environment, a reduction of garbage, of gasoline consumption, of water and energy consumption?

What did you do for a more frugal and simple life, for a lower consumption of Earth resources?

HAPPINESS

What did you do to cultivate your own happiness?

Happiness in your family?

Happiness all around you?

Happiness in your workplace?

What philanthropy, what voluntary services did you provide?

GOOD HEALTH

What good health practices did you foster in your family?

What were your own good examples of good health?

Did you stop smoking?

Did you stop consuming alcohol and tell your family that it is an Arabic word (al kohol) which means the devil?

SPIRITUALITY

Did you give thanks for the miracle of life and the beauty of this Earth?

What did you do for your soul?

Did you pray, read good spiritual writings and precepts?

Did you go to spiritual services?

And one could conceive other items: Love, honesty, truth, morality, fidelity, forgiveness, etc.

The result of such a questionnaire would be as important if not more than the contribution of taxes to government expenses. A better society would ensue. A whole system of tax exemptions could be built on such a questionnaire. There could be for example tax deductions for voluntary services.

~ Idea 1032 ~ 8 May 1997

Hitler, the German dictator, created in the 1930's a Bund der Deutschen Mütter, a League of German Mothers who were to excite their sons into killing enemies of Germany.

From 19 to 21 June 1997, in Vienna, Austria, the country of birth of Hitler, a World Summit of Women, including several women Nobel Prize winners, women who are or were heads of states, and wives of heads of states, will meet in a conference called "Mothers of the Earth for World Peace Summit sponsored by World Centers of Compassion for Children."

I recommend that this conference create a Bund aller Welt Mütter, a World League of all Mothers, or United Mothers Organization, which will labour to put an end to all wars, armaments, military service, military "academies" and armed forces, and claim a new fundamental human right:

- the sacred right of all mothers of the Earth not to see their sons, the flesh of their flesh, kill or be killed by other sons of mothers in the name and glory of a nation, religion, nor of any other entity, cause or institution.

~ Idea 1038 ~ 14 May 1997

I signed today with delight a petition to the United Nations by a Swiss Organization called Global Initiative. It asks for immediate disarmament in all countries in order to save the planet ecologically. This is a right approach at this juncture of our evolution and on the eve of a new century and millennium. School children were asked to go on strike on the third Tuesday of September, day of opening of the UN General Assembly and International Day of Peace. A Swiss newspaper reported: "That was not strike day, that was a huge school celebration."

Address of Global Initiative: Roland Schutzback, Ins, CH 3232, Switzerland.

~ Idea 1040 ~ 16 May 1997

In line with my recommendations that there should be more world universities, I proposed that the conference undertake the creation of a World Indigenous University, possibly located on the sacred indigenous grounds of the University for Peace. Such a University would study world-wide the linguistics of all indigenous people, their views and relations with the Earth, their spirituality and such remarkable cosmologies as the Maya, Aztec and Inka ones which were represented at the conference. The western world is in dire need of an appropriate cosmology and could be inspired by them. For instance, it is interesting that the world core curriculum for a new presentation of all our knowledge to children (inserted in the volume of the first 500 ideas), which I derived from my experience in the United Nations, is almost identical to the Mayan cosmology.

During the conference I received a remarkable paper proposing the creation of a University of Mother Earth (Madre Tierra) in Costa Rica to complement the work and efforts of the Earth Council created in that country by the UN as one of the outcomes of the Rio de Janeiro Conference on the Environment. The text of the proposal has been circulated to the Costa Rican Parliament to have it studied and proposed officially to the United Nations for implementation. A wonderful idea. I will do everything to get it accepted.

~ Idea 1062 ~ 7 June 1997

We have learned of late to love the sky, the sun, the seas and oceans, the birds and all nature. Why should we not learn to love also our human brothers and sisters world-wide? Aren't we all children of the same Earth? Are we not created in the image of God, a cosmic phenomenon of the first order?

~ Idea 1073 ~ 18 June 1997

The date of 18 June always reminds me of the French underground group to which I belonged during World War II. It was named the Group of 18 June, date of the appeal by General de Gaulle to the French people. Remembering all the killings I saw, I am reminded of the idea in which I recommend that all mothers should claim the fundamental human right not to see their sons, the flesh of their flesh, kill or be killed by other sons of mothers, not in the name of a nation or a religion or of anyone else. Conflicts between all groups must be settled by peaceful, non-violent means.

Someone should collect cases when mothers were able to prevent their sons from being drafted into military or war service. I have heard of two: some US mothers decide to give birth to their children at home and not to register their sons, but to do it only after they are 25 years old, i.e. beyond the age of military service.

Another case was when American mothers went to Viet-Nam, took off the uniforms from their sons, dressed them in civilian clothes and took them home. The military authorities did not challenge them in order not to draw attention to the act.

As a pretending civilized human species we should solve all conflicts by intelligent, civilized and non-violent means. Even better: let us have a disarmed and demilitarized planet with a good world security system at the top. This is what the United Nations were created for, and now that the excuse for not doing it, namely the cold war, is gone let us do it instead of extending military alliances like NATO and SEATO.

~ Idea 1099 ~ 14 July 1997

I attended today the reception by the Embassy of France for the celebration of the French Revolution on 14 July 1789. I went there only because the Ambassador was new and I left him a documentation and an invitation to visit the University for Peace where we will try to convince him to get France to ratify that University. I was shocked by the lavish party for the local diplomats and Costa Rican high officials. A party like that costs money which would have fed several hundreds of poor children. And I was reminded of one of my favorite subjects: the need for the publication of a world budget showing the expenditures of all nations. Just the cost of 185 countries giving parties to each other on their national holidays and other occasions would create a shock in world public opinion.

I was thinking also that if the young French revolutionaries who were celebrated were alive today they would blast the bottles of champagne against the walls because it is exactly against such practices of the powerful aristocracy of their time that they made the revolution. What about simplicity and frugality of governments? The UN and its 32 specialized world agencies should give the good example and suppress all receptions. It will be the last reception I attend in my life.

~ Idea 1105 ~ 20 July 1997

Robert Silverstein, founder of People for Peace, who is putting my 2000 ideas on world-wide web, presents me as follows: "Robert Muller says that his greatest honor is not the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education, or being decorated by the Pope, or even his nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, but the remark of a custodian at a school named after him who said: "In all my years here I have never seen two children fight."

I dream that all founders and principals of schools around the Earth will receive some day the same compliment.

~ Idea 1113 ~ 28 July 1997

Someone asked me this question: "Mr. Muller, after having written more than one thousand ideas, which one or two would you consider the most important?"

1. The absolute, urgent necessity for proper Earth government;

2. That every person on Earth, from children to the elderly, from East and West, from North and South, from individual families to the United Nations and its world institutions, from leaders of nations, business, religions, Universities, professors and people from all walks of life and professions, would write down their truest, innermost, deeply felt dreams and ideas for a better world. It would be the greatest world-wide democratic survey ever held in all human history. All these dreams should be sent to the United Nations and on their basis a great action plan for our successful evolution towards a peaceful, non-violent and happy world society should be drawn up.

~ Idea 1125 ~ 9 August 1997

~ Idea 1130 ~ 14 August 1997

The preceding idea leads me to propose that the United Nations conceive a World Plan of Direct People to People, Family to Family Aid. Now people in rich countries are taxed by governments to provide governmental foreign aid, which is costly to administer, cause of bureaucracy and often misdirected towards purchases of armaments and other goods which the giving government or big firms want to sell.

It reminds me of my mother, a poor milliner who was so happy whenever she looked at the photos of a poor African orphan whom she had adopted at the recommendation of a priest. She loved and supported that child with her modest means until she died without ever meeting the little boy.

~ Idea 1132 ~ 16 August 1997

In the United States there is now a peoples' and parents movement of "One week without television." The results are apparently very positive: the children speak more to each other and with the parents; they undertake activities of their own and are more creative. But when the week is over, the children rush back to the television set in order to catch up with their favorite programs.

I propose that there should be a world movement "Families without television." I can list the magnificent benefits in terms of personal life, happiness and creativity I have derived from giving away my television set years ago. And with my remarriage, we have maintained this rule: no television ever as long as we will live, be it in our home or outside. We have never missed anything, only gained a lot of more intensive personal, happy, creative life.

~ Idea 1135 ~ 19 August 1997

It is a strange world in which women at home and raising children, the most important task in the world, have been considered until recently unemployed. Thank God, the International Labour Organization has finally decided that they are employed. Hopefully this will be accepted in all countries of Earth. It is also strange that people who are no longer employed due to age are considered "retired". Retired from what? Many would rather consider themselves liberated. Personally I did not consider myself retired from the United Nations in the last eleven years. I am involved in it even more, since I have no longer any daily office obligations. I accepted with delight the position of one-dollar-a-year Chancellor of the first University for Peace on Earth. Please, dear "retired" people all around the world, refuse to consider yourself retired. Do more than when you were active in your profession, do what you would have dreamt to do if you hadn't been forced to be employed. It is never too late. I will not even retire after death. When I appear before God I will ask Him to use me as one of His instruments and workers as a spirit on Earth.

~ Idea 1138 ~ 22 August 1997

Under a world policy aiming at the preservation of the Earth and a restriction of the number of humans on it, one could consider that families who live simple, frugal lives and consume less Earth resources would be entitled to have more children than those who consume lavishly.

~ Idea 1168 ~ 21 September 1997

No further undue development should become the ideal and rule in several places of Earth. Costa Rica is a good example: one-third of the surface of the land consists of national parks, biological reserves, provincial parks and protected areas where no forests can be exploited and trees cut. I am glad to live in one of these areas, on a sacred hill on which Rasur, the God of the indigenous children appeared to them, asked them to take good care of all nature and prophecized that from that hill a civilization of peace will extend to the entire world.

~ Idea 1216 ~ 8 November 1997

Seeing today a bus of American Elderhostels tourists pass by a group of several dozens of poor Nicaraguan men, women and children come to Costa Rica to earn some money as coffee pickers and living in an abandoned former milking station, I was reminded of Barbara's idea 1129 of an "adopt a family program". Yes, why don't those elderly Americans instead of traveling to see preserved primeval forests stay at home, cultivate their gardens and plant trees in their area. With the money saved from not traveling they could adopt one of these poor families in Nicaragua and create a lot of happiness, vastly superior to the happiness of traveling around the world.

I hope that someone will take the initiative of creating an Adopt a Poor Family Program. We have a marvelous UNICEF program. Why not have also a World Adopt a Family Program (WAFP) from which mothers, children and old people in poor families, at home and abroad would receive friendship, help and happiness?

~ Idea 1239 ~ 1 December 1997

I applaud the following appeal which adds to the strategy for a non-violent world which I submitted to the State of the World Forum in San Francisco in 1995 and reproduced as Introduction to ideas 601 to 700:

AN APPEAL FOR CHILDREN OF THE WORLD

From 23 Nobel Peace Prize Laureates Fall 1997

In every single country throughout the world many children are silently suffering the effects and consequences of violence. This violence takes many forms &endash; physical, psychological, socio-economic, and environmental.

In order to reduce the suffering of children these Laureates are addressing an appeal to all Heads of State of all member countries of the General Assembly of the United Nations, for the UN General Assembly to declare:

b That the first decade of the new millennium, the years 2000-2001, be declared the "Decade for a Culture of Nonviolence."

b That the year 2000 be declared the "Year of Education for Non-violence."

b That non-violence be taught at every level in our societies, to make the children of the world aware of the practical meaning and benefits of non-violence in their daily lives.

Together, we can build a new culture of non-violence for humankind which will give hope to all humanity and in particular, to the children of the world.

With deepest respect,

The Nobel Peace Prize Laureates

~ Idea 1257 ~ 19 December 1997

The main purpose of education should not be to give children skills to "compete" and to "succeed" in life, but to lead a happy, fulfilled life. But where on Earth is that taught? It is at least in the handful of 33 Robert Muller schools.

~ Idea 1262 ~ 24 December 1997

I love to remember on Christmas eve this comment of Napoleon to his aides when he was an exile and prisoner on the island of Elba: "I conquered most of the world and I am sitting here as a prisoner, having lost all my power and conquests. And tonight the people are celebrating the birth of someone who had no power, no army, no wealth, was a total destitute, and is still remembered after more than a thousand years."

Well, most heads of states, of world institutions and of big firms you better prepare yourselves to hold the same reflections on Christmas eve 1999 and 2000: have I lived a life which will be remembered in the hearts and annals of humanity? Will at least my children and grandchildren celebrate the fact that I was born?

~ Idea 1266 to 1267 ~ 28 to 29 December 1997

Idea 1266 Recently an author called Barbara to say that her husband wanted to tell everyone on the planet one thing each person could do before the year 2000 to make this world a better place and as hard as he thought he could not think of one. Barbara suggested that if each person would plant a tree we would have 5.9 billion more trees on the planet and if they planted a fruit tree, countries like India would have more food. I agree with this idea and suggest that each person, adults and children alike, plant a tree before the year 2000.

Idea 1267 She suggested that every birthday of the 5.9 billion persons of this planet should also become their own Earthday to celebrate the Earth which is their mother, to give thanks for the miracle of life and to promise to take good care of the Earth. If a tree would be planted on the birthday of each person on Earth, 5.9 billion trees would be added to our capital of trees every year.

We promised to do it on each of our birthdays and will recommend it to our children and grandchildren. Eighteen trees will thus be planted by us in 1998.

~ Idea 1283 ~ 14 January 1998

Dear Friends and Readers,

As an update to my ideas and New Year's letter, I am glad to inform you that on 20 November 1997, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming the year 2000 International Year of Thanksgiving as suggested in my Dream 2000. It decided to hold in the fall of 2000 a General Assembly 2000 which is to focus on means of solving our primary global problems and to reform the means of global governance in order to meet the challenges of the 21st century. This heads of states Assembly will be accompanied by a World Peoples'' Assembly 2000 serving the same purpose. Former Presidents of the UN General Assembly adopted another of my 2000 ideas and created a Council of former UN General Assembly Presidents which will assist the UN with its views, proposals and ideas.

To all of you I address this appeal: may every institution, every nation, every peoples' association and movement, every university, college and school on Earth, every religion, every province, city and rural area, every indigenous, ethnic and linguistic group, every corporation and business enterprise, every profession, and why not every family and individual on Earth formulate their dreams, proposals and ideas for a better world. It would be a unique unprecedented state of the world and humanity, global, world-wide public opinion survey and poll. The submissions should start with an assessment of perceived achievements in the twentieth century, of failures, disappointments, losses, mistakes, wrong avenues and beliefs, untruths and unwarranted destructions, thus producing a momentous, world-wide assessment of our stage of evolution on this unique life-endowed planet in the vast universe and eternal flow of time.

I am recommending to the Secretary General of the UN to provide such an assessment, survey and agenda for the future together with the 32 specialized agencies and world programs of the UN, as a State of the World and Humanity Report 2000 to the General Assembly 2000 in the fall of 2000. Please send to Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary General, Room S 3800, United Nations, New York, NY 10017 your report, assessment, proposals, plans, dreams and ideas. Let us make this a unique event in all human history, perhaps applauded and supported by God, the saints and mysterious forces of the universe concerned with our doings on this miraculous planet and with our fate on it as the most advanced, most knowledgeable, conscious and capable of all living species. Let us make this magnificent Earth a Garden of Eden, inhabited by a miraculous humanity, a first-class success of the will of God and of the universe, a true paradise of fulfillment and happiness for our children and grandchildren.

~ Idea 1289 ~ 20 January 1998

I suggest that all former Ambassadors, Permanent Representatives of nations to the UN should create a world association and offer their views to the General Assembly 2000 on how the UN should be strengthened, transformed or replaced by a better world organization. They should do that thinking for the future of their children and grandchildren.

~ Idea 1345 ~ 17 March 1998

~ Idea 1367 ~ 8 April 1998

During a night, after a crisis of pessimism provoked by the remembrance of the crucifixion of Jesus and the assassinations of Gandhi and Martin Luther King, I woke up with this message from God Rasur, the indigenous God of children:

"Be what the Hopis named you: Kogyun Deyo, Spider Boy. Make a vast spider web to catch all evil in the world and throw it far away into the universe from this hill where I appeared to the children and where you have the privilege to live."

I listened and decided to return to my 2000 ideas, dreams and prophecies which I had neglected for a while. And I regained happiness, God's recompense.

~ Idea 1374 ~ 15 April 1998

~ Idea 1390 ~ 1 May 1998

The newly elected President of Costa Rica, Miguel Angel Rodriguez, announced that he will make an effort during his mandate to see the military expenses of all Central America substantially reduced. His aim will be the total demilitarization of that area, following the example of Costa Rica, demilitarized since 1949, the most peaceful and prosperous country in the area. His project will be executed by the UN University for Peace which will show how such demilitarization would permit providing more education facilities for more than a million children. He will call for an international conference for demilitarization at which the rich countries would be asked to participate in that effort.

~ Idea 1391 ~ 2 May 1998

A young man in New York, Sandy Hinden, who took it as his ideal to create peace gardens for children, wrote to me: "I feel crippled, except when working for peace and a better world."

This reminded me of Pablo Casals who said: "I feel crippled except when playing music."

May there be many more Sandy Hindens and Pablo Casals* in the world.

Dear reader, how do you feel?

*Addition by Barbara Gaughen-Muller and Robert Muller

~ Ideas 1399 to 1400 ~ 10 to 11 May 1998

Idea 1399 A reader from England whose father died in Auschwitz, wrote to me proposing that the United Nations institute an International Day of Repentance and Atonement, "as an annual event to be kept as a holy day by every nation to become united in the spiritual task of facing and teaching its children the truth about their history &endash; the sins of the fathers &endash; so that they may be fully understood by future generations. All our misdeeds economic, cultural, military, and those done in the names of religion should be truthfully shown, illustrated and explained in exhibitions in every town and country. The need for atonement and restitution should be made clear."

I fully support that proposal.

~ Idea 1410 ~ 21 May 1998

I recommend that the Arab countries introduce action in the United Nations, the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization for the world-wide prohibition of alcoholic beverages. They would be qualified to do so, since they prohibit the production, transport, sale and consumption of alcohol (an Arabic word, Al Kohol, meaning "the devil"). The good it would do the world would be incalculable: less drugs consumption associated with alcohol, less violence due to alcohol, less health problems, less miseries and poverty in families and violence against children. The UN has calculated that if beer alone were prohibited in the world, the land released for other food products would be sufficient to feed the entire world population. It was also shown that the production of a can of beer requires four gallons of water! And I speak elsewhere of the longevity of a beer can thrown into nature.

Dear people, wake up. At least you have one power which I exercise: I decided in recent years not to touch a drop of alcohol in any form for the rest of my life.

China could join the Arab countries in this fight, since Confucius recommended a similar prohibition. He said: you drink the first cup of wine and the cup drinks you.

As for smoking it should urgently be prohibited world-wide. Non-smokers should protest that their contributions to health insurance are used to help smokers. They should as a minimum obtain a reduction in their contributions. The same for non-alcohol consumers.

~ Idea 1413 ~ 24 May 1998

I also asked myself: why are there no more villages on these lands? Where are the villages which existed in my youth? Alas, their children have moved to multi-storied buildings in big cities deprived of nature and seeking happiness making money through producing more and more often useless goods. What a world! And this is called progress!

Much of what I saw around me reminded me of Mark Twain's statement: "Man was a creature made by God after a whole week of work, when He was tired."

~ Idea 1440 ~ 21 June 1998

In the vast, modern Conference Center where the Club of Budapest met in Paris with business people to consider ways to a better world, I saw a European Union Information Center for the public, exhibiting an impressive documentation of books, pamphlets and even children's games on this new, very welcome political miracle on planet Earth. I asked if they had a book on the European Union as a model for the construction of a World Union. I was told that there was no such book. I recommended therefore to Ervin Laszlo, the head of the Club of Budapest, to hold before the year 2000 a conference on that subject.

~ Idea 1443 ~ 24 June 1998

Observing the incredible diversity, proliferation, complexity and creative explosion of the fauna and flora of a tropical country like Costa Rica and other similar countries, I wonder how the western world had the nerve to call them underdeveloped countries. From an arrogant human point of view perhaps, but not from the point of view of God's nature and tremendous Creation. The West was saved from starvation in the Middle Ages with the discovery of the potato brought back to Europe from America by the explorers. How much more we could learn from the tropical countries, from their peoples, in particular the indigenous people who found a right, harmonious relationship with nature. What wealth is hidden in the biology of these countries! One evolutionary theory claims that it is the weakness of the human body to fight against wild animals which gave birth to the development of our brain to survive. Well, this might be true of humans who lived in cold, adverse climates. But how can they now come and tell the rest of the world that they are undeveloped or underdeveloped? It is the North which has not yet found its right relationship with nature. What we need is a new civilization and understanding in which all regions of the world will contribute their knowledge and wisdom to our survival and fulfillment. And since humans are children, products and parts of nature, I submit that henceforth we speak of a new era in world evolution: the era of United Nature, a far step beyond United Nations, our first but now insufficient global enlightenment after World War II.

~ Ideas 1455 to 1466 ~ 5 to 16 July 1998

I have been invited to attend again a Findhorn conference in England but am unable to go. To support the advocacy work of that splendid environmental organization, I reproduce here the following text:

Transcript of short talk by Robert Muller

to the Ecovillages and Sustainable Development Conference

in Findhorn, in October 1995

In my 40 years in the UN, I have seen three very basic changes. From 1945-70 the UN was focused on humanism and humans; on avoiding war, on preventing children dying, and on The Declaration of Human Rights. The Charter of the UN does not mention the Earth. Why? Because in our belief the Earth was limitless. This continued until the late 60's when poets like Rachel Carson and advanced countries like Sweden began to notice that something was wrong with nature around us.

A completely new period of history thus started with the First World Conference on the Environment in Sweden in 1972. There was continuation of the preoccupation with humans, but also a new preoccupation with the world around us. It was only in the late 60's that we realized that we had a population problem, because the fertility rate continued at about the same level, while the mortality rate was declining. The population explosion intensified the problem of the environment. In 1980 we began to get warnings from climatologists that something was going wrong with the world's climate.

As a result since 1980 we have entered a third period &endash; from now on the Earth is number one, and humanity is number two. Humanity is number two because we wish humans to decline on this planet. And we have begun to question the consumption of resources by Western countries which is 30 times the amount consumed by developing countries. Believing that the world was unlimited, we started with the discipline and science called economics, (from Greek, oikonomos, the management of the home), before ecology, (the Greek, oikologos, the knowledge of the home). We began to manipulate the home before we knew what we were manipulating. Economics should have been and should become a sub-science of ecology.

The prospect of the third millennium has an incredible effect. Humanity is preparing itself for a new millennium and century. I have pages and pages of events which will take place even beyond the year 2000.

There is reason for optimism. Humanity is really trying. But we are only in the kindergarten of the global age. We have not yet learned to be the careful managers of our planet. We are still its exploiters.

I have just attended the Gorbachev meeting on the State of the World in San Francisco, and I have gained a lot of hope. They had the courage to get some of the best world experts to look into the state of the world and into the future, to create a vision of the society we want in the next millennium...and then do it. They want to implement the population plan, support simple and frugal lives, and get multinational corporations to acquire global consciousness. This gives me hope. From a pessimistic young man, when I entered the UN immediately after World War II, I have become an optimistic elder.

Let me give you some very specific recommendations and ideas:

Idea 1455 Create a World Association of Eco-Communities to be NGO-accredited by the UN.

Idea 1456 Support the UNESCO Planet Society Program.

Idea 1457 Create a world ecological university at Findhorn.

Idea 1458 Hold a meeting or conference of long-term evolutionary scientists, because they are now switching to thinking that it will be local and global consciousness which will save humanity, and will install humanity as the most advanced species on this planet.

Idea 1459 Mobilize any groups that are in favor of simple, frugal living in the developed countries.

Idea 1460 Ask the UN to hold a conference on garbage, built-in obsolescence, and waste.

Idea 1461 Ask Gorbachev to create a world commission on the denuclearization of this planet.

Idea 1462 Request a world conference for rural development and the stabilization of the villages.

Idea 1463 Demilitarization: ask for the closure of the RAF base next door to Findhorn.

Idea 1464 Support the World Commission on the Oceans.

Idea 1465 Look into the errors of transferring Western values and technologies into the developing countries.

Idea 1466 Celebrate World Environment Day, Earth Day and other days that support a global consciousness of nature and of our miraculous Earth.

To finish, when you speak of eco-villages, oikos &endash; the home, I would develop a whole strategy which would go from the 'eco-individual', the management of my own person, to the 'eco-family', the 'eco-school', the 'eco-village', the 'eco-neighbourhood', the 'eco-city', the 'eco-region', the 'eco-community', the 'eco-nation and finally, an 'eco-earth' in the 'eco-universe'. This would lead to a strategy to clean our home of all the past errors and values which have become wrong today.

We need to actively practice good public relations, spread the word. Last year I decided to write down every day an idea that would help bring these changes about until the year 2000. These ideas may seem crazy, but then you meet someone who will be very happy to implement them. Out of my first 500 ideas more than 50 have been implemented. Remember Margaret Mead's saying, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has."

~ Idea 1484 ~ 3 August 1998

I wish that UNESCO or the International Labor Organization would begin to publish statistics of employment in peace service. I have signaled that there is only one world servant per 100,000 inhabitants of the planet, compared with 556 militaries. When I returned from the French Resistance after World War II my father asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I answered: work for peace so that my children and grandchildren will not see the horrors I saw in this war. He shrugged his shoulders and said: "There are no peace jobs in this world. You can forget it." Well, fate and a good essay on world government opened to me the doors of the United Nations and an entire adult life devoted to peace. I think the time has come to have more peace professions and jobs at all levels of society. It should be a new category in world and national employment statistics.

Climate

~ Idea 48 ~ 27 August 1994

It is not normal that after holding two world conferences on climatic changes, the UN World Meteorological Organization should still keep its antiquated name. It should be renamed the UN World Climate Organization.

~ Idea 49 ~ 28 August 1994

The first world environment conference was in reality the Conference on the Biosphere convened by UNESCO in Paris in 1968 at the request of the government of Sweden. Its concept was right, namely to see the thin spherical membrane, or sphere of life, surrounding this planet, only a few miles into the atmosphere and a few miles into the oceans, containing all life of our solar system. The Conference had no impact and Sweden came to the UN Economic and Social Council to express its concern about the acid rain affecting their forests and the loss of life in their lakes. Sweden requested the UN to hold the first world conference on the environment in Sweden in 1972.

It would be good to return to the concept of the biosphere and to hold a new world conference on the biosphere in 1998, thirty years after the first one, to see how the thin layer of life around our planet

Robert Muller's 2000 Ideas & Dreams For A Better World Selected Topics

Capitalism

Children

Climate

Robert Muller's
2000 Ideas & Dreams
For A Better World
Selected Topics