~
Idea 1501 ~ 20 August 1998
If
I should die in a country away from Costa Rica and possessing
militaries and armaments, I request that my remains be transferred to
demilitarized Costa Rica and interred on Mount Rasur from which the
indigenous God of children, Rasur, prophecized that a civilization of
peace will extend to the entire world.
~
Idea 1502 ~ 21 August 1998
Parliamentarians,
the elected representatives of the people, must absolutely be brought
closer if not right in the middle of the world agencies. The fate of
the Earth and of humanity cannot be left one hundred percent in the
hands of national executives. This cannot continue. Given the
importance of global problems, parliamentarians must be well informed
and actively contribute to the work of these agencies. Rather than
wait for the creation of a United Nations Consultative Parliament,
the Inter-Parliamentary Union could be made immediately the
Parliamentary Assembly of the United Nations and its family of 32
specialized agencies and world programs. Let us aim at that for
adoption and entry into force during the year 2000.
~
Idea 1503 ~ 22 August 1998
I
highly recommend that all world religions submit to the United
Nations for the year 2000 their concrete proposals and ideas for a
better world in the next century and millennium. This could be a
remarkable, most useful, enlightening
documentation.
Please
religions, do not fail to do it, I beg you.
~
Idea 1504 ~ 23 August 1998
Humanity
has been able to progress and surmount the most incredible obstacles
in evolution: the horrendous climates in cold and in hot areas, early
death, wild animals, epidemics, wars after wars, conquerors, empires,
colonialism, slavery, racial hatred,
etc.
Our
conscious will for survival and progress, our learning have
constantly increased, but we have also encountered new obstacles and
problems to resolve in recent years.
Today
there is one major difference with all our past. The French historian
Michelet said in the 19th century that despite Hannibal, the Romans
and Napoleon crossing the Alps, the Mont Blanc had not changed a bit.
Well, today this is no longer true: there is a tunnel crossing the
Mont Blanc, its slopes have suffered damage as a result of climatic
changes and the Winter Olympics. For the first time in human history,
humans are changing substantially the Earth, its ozonosphere,
atmosphere, its waters, its biosphere, its soils, its vegetal cover,
its climate, its ocean currents, and are responsible for the
extinction every five hours of a species which it took millions of
years to form.
This
situation requires an entirely new thinking, new values, new
objectives, new preventions new behaviors, new healings and new
institutions. It also requires for the first time a sense of urgency.
I urge the creation of a World Ecological Emergency Committee. The
Earth Council created by the Rio de Janeiro Conference could become
it.
~
Idea 1505 ~ 24 August 1998
On
the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights on 10 December this year, we absolutely must begin to
speak of fundamental human rights to a clean air, to pure water, to
unpolluted cities, to a non-violent society, to a disarmed,
denuclearized and demilitarized planet, to a well preserved Earth, to
a rational use and conservation of nature and its resources. It is
not too early, it is most urgent to proclaim these
rights.
Beyond
human rights, duties and responsibilities, I recommend that the UN
should open up an entirely new chapter of work and international
conferences on imperatives of the 21st century and millennium. If I
were Secretary General I would create a new UN Department of Earth
Imperatives and Urgencies.
~
Idea 1506 ~ 25 August 1998
The
non-saving of the astronomic sums spent by 170 of 185 nations on
militaries and armaments must be considered one of the main
evolutionary aberrations in human history. These sums must urgently
be transferred to the salvation of the Earth and the continuance of
our evolution.
All
national security systems must be replaced by a world security system
the plans of which have existed since World War II but were not
implemented because of the cold war. That obstacle is now removed. It
must become the priority one item on the UN's agenda.
~
Idea 1507 ~ 26 August 1998
Readers
might exclaim when reading these 2000 ideas: "Why so many of them?
Are they really necessary? I am getting tired of
them."
Well,
just think for a moment of the tens of thousands of ideas which are
being produced around the clock and the world every day by government
officials to promote their government, to levy more taxes, to start
new projects, to spread their national influence in the world; and
how many are produced by businessmen, builders, architects,
engineers, marketing experts, advertisers, etc. to promote their
professions and businesses. This is what national schools, business
schools and Universities teach and prepare their students for. Think
of the thousands of humans flocking every morning into the
skyscrapers of big cities to do only
that!
And
who asks and prepares people to come up with ideas for a better world
and a happier, more fulfilled humanity? Almost noone. My 2000 ideas
are a mere drop of water into what must become a world wave of
proposals.
Please,
dear reader, begin to write down your ideas for peace, cooperation, a
better world, a happier humanity, and to prevent the destruction of
our beautiful home, planet Earth. Apply these goals to your
profession and you will see wonders happen, as I did with my
innumerable, incessant ideas during my forty years in the United
Nations and now as Chancellor of the first World Peace University in
demilitarized Costa Rica.
~
Idea 1508 ~ 27 August 1998
Darwin's
theory of competition for survival of the fittest was right in the
past. Today it must be changed to cooperation for the survival of the
Earth and humanity and for the continuation of evolution.
~
Idea 1509 ~ 28 August 1998
In
Idea 20 I proposed that the demilitarized countries should create a
world association and a group of demilitarized countries at the
United Nations. I would like to amend that proposal and change its
name to: world association and group of demilitarized, demilitarizing
and countries interested in demilitarization. The latter would learn
from the former, be encouraged to go ahead, and would see the
benefits of demilitarization and also how certain obstacles and
adverse situations can be overcome and satisfactorily
resolved.
~
Idea 1510 ~ 29 August 1998
We
must deeply rethink our world's and humanity's future. It would be
good to remember the fathers of the US Constitution who believed that
the function of good government was "to effect the greatest happiness
of the greatest number of citizens and to effect harmony between the
public and private interests." Today they would add harmony with the
Earth and a world-wide dimension to the attaining of
happiness.
I
recommend that the thinkers and leaders of this world return to that
down-to-Earth, common sense but correct philosophy of the founders of
the United States. It has always been my philosophy too and earned me
the nickname of "philosopher of the United Nations" which I must
continue to merit.
~
Idea 1511 ~ 30 August 1998
Sometimes
when I do something with my hands, I say: "It is not going to work,
it will fall, it will break." And indeed it does. I then exclaim:
"Well, I knew it, I was right."
But
in the back of my mind lingers the thought: "If I had held it better
and been more careful and optimistic, it would not have fallen and
broken." And I conclude that it was to a large extent my own
fault.
Well,
the same applies to social relations and to humanity. We all too
often say: "It will not work." When writing these 2000 ideas I
changed my attitude and said: "It will work. I and other people will
make it work." As a result I never give up and the spirits of the
universe visit me in the night and show me the
ways.
As
Immanuel Kant said:
"It
will be proved, I know not when or where, that the human soul stands
even in this life in indissoluble connection with all immaterial
natures in the spirit world, that it reciprocally acts upon these and
receives impressions and help from them."
~
Idea 1512 ~ 31 August 1998
Speaking
of demilitarized countries, here is a typical example of what they
could do in conformity with their philosophy and status in the world:
when earlier this year, there was a menace of an all-out attack by
United States military forces against Iraq, the US sent to Costa Rica
their permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador Elliot
Richardson to convince the Costa Rican government to support their
position at the UN. Costa Rica, mindful of their demilitarized
status, refused to go along and answered that they wanted the
Secretary General to be the mediator and go to Iraq. This position
prevailed and won the approval of the UN member-states, and as an
American neighbor said to me: "We thank the United Nations for having
prevented us from bombing again women and children." I told him that
his thanks should go to Costa Rica.
~
Idea 1513 ~ 1 September 1998
The
new President of Costa Rica, has announced that he will seek the
demilitarization of all of Central America and make it the first
demilitarized zone on this planet. The University for Peace
established by the UN in Costa Rica will show how many children can
be educated with the funds released by demilitarization in other
Central American countries. He will seek the establishment of a
demilitarization fund for the region, to which the rich countries
would be welcome to contribute.
~
Idea 1514 ~ 2 September 1998
Since
I will have completed my 2000 ideas and dreams well before the first
of January 2000, I have decided to continue writing ideas when they
are finished. The title will be "My Third Thousand Dreams and Ideas
for a Better World."
~
Idea 1515 ~ 3 September 1998
The
countries going fastest will be the first to be confronted with the
abyss. Wisest will be those taking it easy. The time will come when
people from the first countries will emigrate to the
second.
~
Idea 1516 ~ 4 September 1998
To
assist the rebirth of spirituality in the world, I propose that World
Associations of Spiritual Leaders be created in all walks of life:
scientists, business people, builders, educators, the media,
diplomats, heads of corporations, heads of states, etc. Not a single
profession or walk of life should be omitted. It would be a great
help to a better, well-preserved Earth and happier
humanity.
~
Idea 1517 ~ 5 September 1998
Please,
dear women of the world, remember the old saying: "Behind each great
man there is a great woman." I would rather say: "Behind each happy,
fulfilled man there is a great woman." It has been my case. My life
could have never been what it was without Margarita, my first life
companion, alas deceased in 1993, and now Barbara, another heaven
sent companion. With Barbara we recommend a thorough study of the
couple as a major cosmic phenomenon as the ancient Mayans believed.
The role of the wife is capital, evolutionary in that
relation.
~
Idea 1518 ~ 6 September 1998
Humanity
has many recognitions of valuable merits and contributions to a
better world: for example the Man of the Year award, the Nobel and
other prestigious prizes. This is good for human progress and should
be fostered, well studied and even become a field applicable to all
segments of human life, a science of rewards or meritology, a new
major human discipline. It could be taught in
Universities.
On
the other hand there should also be a science or discipline of
dishonors, disapprovals, demerits and condemnations. These could be
proclaimed both for individuals and for institutions. Philanthropists
could finance centers around the world which would make proposals for
honors and dishonors.
~
Idea 1519 ~ 7 September 1998
We
badly need a science, a strategy and methodology of love, because
love is the highest concentration and right direction of cosmic,
evolutionary energies.
~
Idea 1520 ~ 8 September 1998
As
part of a much needed World Spiritual Renaissance I recommend that
governments at all levels should not hesitate to help religions
financially, for example for the maintenance of religious buildings
and sacred sites. I would recommend that a part of the reduction in
military expenditures should go to spiritual expenditures. God and
the saints in heaven would rejoice.
~
Idea 1521 ~ 9 September 1998
Dear
reader, if you know any person or institution which might be
interested in one or several of these 2000 ideas, please do me a
favor and to humanity, bring it to their attention.
~
Idea 1522 ~ 10 September 1998
To
go to luxury hotels should definitely be included in the list of
unnecessary Earth-destructive western types of overconsumption.
Environmentalists and Earth-concerned people should never go to
luxury hotels.
~
Idea 1523 ~ 11 September 1998
Reading
again Idea 820 in which I speak of friendship between the families of
heads of states, especially their children, I recommend the creation
of a World Association of children of heads of states. These children
would formulate their dreams and ideas for a better world and submit
them to their fathers or mothers in office.
~
Idea 1524 ~ 12 September 1998
Similarly
a World Association of spouses of current and former heads of states
should be created to formulate their views, ideas, dreams and
proposals for a better world and submit them to the same. I am glad
that the wives of all Latin American heads of states will meet in
Costa Rica at the University for Peace during the Millennium
Celebration in January 2000.
~
Idea 1525 ~ 13 September 1998
I
suggest that the Union of International Associations which published
an encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential at my
suggestion, should also publish for the year 2000 an encyclopedia of
ideas for a better world collected from its 28,000 international
member associations.
(The
index to my 2000 ideas could be made available to them to guide their
work. Excerpts and lists of ideas could be sent to world conferences,
to world agencies, to heads of states, to the media and institutions
dealing with specific subjects.)
~
Idea 1526 ~ 14 September 1998
(All
international and world associations, not only those accredited with
the Union of International Associations, should formulate their
dreams and ideas for a better world, publish and distribute them
widely for the preparation and celebration of the year 2000,
especially the Millennium Peoples' Assembly.)
~
Idea 1527 ~ 15 September 1998
Seeing
the magnificent sculpture on forgiveness at the Casa de Maria
Conference Center in Santa Barbara, I dream that more sculptures
should be planned and inaugurated in the year 2000 on all the great
philosophical concepts which have helped humanity to progress on its
mysterious journey in the universe, concepts such as love, faith,
hope, peace, friendship, compassion, prayer, meditation, gratitude
and others. I could see a major sculpture inaugurated in 2000 on
Peace in San Francisco, the city where the United Nations was born
and a major sculpture on Love in Kansas City which considers itself
to be the heart of America and possesses already a Heart Forest near
the airport, etc. What beautiful, elevating, encouraging
contributions such sculptures would be to the celebration of our
entry into a new century and millennium!
I
was glad that we were visited by a famous sculptress, Edwina Sanders,
the granddaughter of Winston Churchill who offered us to build a
magnificent monument to the Bimillennium on the wonderful, sacred,
world grounds of the UN University for Peace in demilitarized Costa
Rica.
~
Idea 1528 ~ 16 September 1998
If
we could only have at least as many social, esthetic and loving ideas
as we have business, marketing and advertising ideas on this
planet!
~
Idea 1529 ~ 17 September 1998
We
must absolutely add overconstruction and overurbanization to the
destructive trends of our present society against the Earth, namely
overpopulation, overconsumption, overtransportation, overactivity,
etc.
Yes,
how many new buildings, hotels and houses are being constructed often
at sizes which are not necessary, require huge energy consumption,
water consumption, maintenance, and lead progressively to the
destruction of the Earth? For example the annual rate of new housing
in the US alone was 1,613,000 in 1998. In 100 years this would mean
161,300,000 and by the year 3000 1 billion 613 million new houses.
Can the Earth bear this?
More
generally how many new activities and products are invented every day
by the western society making people confused and doubtful about the
real, deepest, spiritual meaning of life?
~
Idea 1530 ~ 18 September 1998
I
am glad that three good things are happening regarding
democracy:
1.
the holding of a first international conference on direct democracy
in the Czech Republic in August of this
year;
2.
the establishment by UNESCO of a Panel of personalities on democracy,
headed by former UN Secretary General Boutros B.
Ghali;
3.
the holding of a Peoples' Assembly 2000, accompanying the UN General
Assembly 2000 at the heads of states level.
~
Idea 1531 ~ 19 September 1998
The
purposes of the International Conference on Direct Democracy in the
Czech Republic are well taken:
-
to reach a consensus on the general principles of direct citizen
participation in decision-making processes on which future political
systems are likely to be based.
-
to present and discuss reports on procedures of Direct Democracy
(citizen initiatives, referenda, citizen control and politicians'
accountability, direct personal elections, electronic voting) which
are already practiced in certain regions of the world.
~
Idea 1532 ~ 20 September 1998
Two
major conditions for the achievement of a new, proper world democracy
are:
-
an objective education of humans. National education programs them
into the nation's interests and not humanity's and the world's
interests. Like everything else democracy has to be global if we want
to take good care of our human brethren and sisters in other parts of
the world and of the well-being and preservation of our Earth. The
World Core Curriculum which I derived from the wonderful global
education I received from the United Nations should be considered as
a correct basis for education in all schools of the world conducive
to proper democracy. (see table in first volume of 500
ideas)
-
an objective information of all humans by governments at all levels,
from local to global, by the media, advertisement and business. This
is an absolutely fundamental condition to proper democracy and world
survival. (see table on Media in first
volume)
The
above conditions are so serious that I recommend the holding of a
world conference on democracy by the United Nations or the
establishment of a World Commission of Eminent Personalities on
Democracy.
~
Idea 1533 ~ 21 September 1998
A
Jewish American friend who expressed to me his happiness that the
United Nations was able to prevent the bombing of children and
mothers in Iraq by military intervention of the US said to me:
"Thirty years ago, when I said that the United Nations was not
treating Israel fairly, you said to me: 'the conflict in your region
involves several parties and politics plays a role in this. But
remember that thanks to the United Nations Israel was created, is
guaranteed unobstructed international postal services and
telecommunications, and other international freedoms guaranteed by
the UN.' I never forgot your comment."
~
Idea 1534 ~ 22 September 1998
During
the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
this year, the UN should place on its agenda the creation of a World
Court of Human Rights. There exists now a great international
precedent: the European Court of Human Rights which protects the
rights of all citizens of the 16 countries of the European Union. A
similar court is needed for all countries of the world if human
rights are to become universal in their application and
enforcement.
If
the UN does not take that decision, the European Union should
establish an informal international study group of countries willing
to work on the draft of such a World Court.
~
Idea 1535 ~ 23 September 1998
During
the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a
Draft Declaration of Human Responsibilities will be taken up, written
by 24 former heads of states under the leadership of former
Chancellor Helmut Schmidt of Germany. Among these duties should
figure prominently the responsibility of each nation to teach peace,
tolerance and non-violence.
~
Idea 1536 ~ 24 September 1998
I
recommend the creation of a World Commission of Eminent Personalities
on Human Unity and Diversity. Such a Commission would study, propose
and promote a large variety of means, policies, instruments and
legislations to foster humanity's progress towards unity while
preserving its rich, valuable diversity.
~
Idea 1537 ~ 25 September 1998
Armed
aggression is an international crime, the biggest of all. To kill
another human being as a soldier is a crime. To train soldiers to
kill other humans is a crime.
~
Idea 1538 ~ 26 September 1998
The
creation of the European Union is the greatest political achievement
and breakthrough of the second half of the 20th century, a real
blessing on the eve of the 21st century and 3rd millennium. It must
absolutely be used as a model for a World
Union.
What
I suggest the European Union should do for the creation of a World
Court of Human Rights should be extended to a whole series of other
issues relating to proper Earth government. For example the European
Parliament should open a permanent consultation between any
interested governments of the planet on the ways of creating a World
Parliament, first of a consultative nature, later with certain
legislative powers as is now the case of the European Parliament.
This would help world democracy and have the peoples' representatives
share in the shaping and governing of the Earth, not leaving it to
the exclusive prerogative and authority of national
executives.
~
Idea 1539 ~ 27 September 1998
When
an individual becomes conscious that he is sick he turns immediately
to the ways of healing himself, either through personal measures, or
through remedies or to seeing a doctor.
Now
that humanity has become fully conscious of its sicknesses, it must
also turn to measures of self-healing, to remedies and to the first
world doctors, namely the United Nations, its 32 specialized agencies
and the thousands of global healers and healing institutions that
have sprung up everywhere in the world. A new profession of world
healers should be recognized and trained.
~
Idea 1540 ~ 28 September 1998
Humanity
writes its biography in three
manuscripts
the
book of its deeds,
the
book of its words
and
the book of its art,
Not
one of these can be understood unless we read the two
others,
but
of the three the most truthful is the
last
(For,
as Plato said, beauty is the splendor of truth.) added by Robert
Muller
John
Ruskin
~
Idea 1541 ~ 29 September 1998
In
the 21st century United Nations the UN Regional Economic Commissions
should be transformed and conceived as the Continental Commissions of
the United Nations dealing not only with economic questions, but
political issues and all other vital segments of the human condition
listed in ideas 527 to 547. They should be headed by Continental
Deputies Secretaries General.
~
Idea 1542 ~ 30 September 1998
Mrs.
Gabriella Christopher Roncoroni, the founder of the Robert Muller
School in Buenos Aires, holds the view that education would deserve
an entire separate world agency devoted to it, and not to mix it with
science and art, as is the case in UNESCO. Perhaps indeed UNESCO
should be subdivided into a UNESCO I for education, a UNESCO II for
science, and a UNESCO III for art and culture.
~
Idea 1543 ~ 1 October 1998
I
would be thrilled if all countries having a Ministry of National
Education would drop the adjective national and call it Ministry of
Education, so that it can include also the vitally crucial global
education needed to save the Earth and give it peace.
~
Idea 1544 ~ 2 October 1998
Every
city in the world should have a Mayor of Happiness, the happiest
person in town to be elected to keep the happiness of that
town.
Barbara
Gaughen Muller
This
is an excellent idea which complements my idea that each government
should have a Ministry of Happiness, since the pursuit of happiness
should be the aim of government as stated so rightly in the US
Constitution. As for the United Nations, it should have a Department
of Philosophy, Ethics and Happiness.
~
Idea 1545 ~ 3 October 1998
I
strongly recommend the creation of a World Association of Dreamers on
the eve of a new century and millennium. The world badly needs
audacious dreamers to be healed and saved from obsolete thinking and
outdated institutions. The association should deal specifically with
seemingly "impossible dreams".
~
Idea 1546 ~ 4 October 1998
I
am infinitely grateful to Barbara, my wife, not only for having
suggested to me to write these 2000 ideas but for another splendid
idea: to have an index prepared and to excerpt from the computer
entire sets of ideas on any conceivable world subject, for example on
education, on children, on youth, on demilitarization, on democracy,
on human rights, on the natural law party, on ethics, etc. I can send
these excerpts to heads of states, UN delegations, institutions,
people actively engaged in these fields, conferences, the media,
universities, schools, etc. As a result, quite a number of these
ideas, blessed by God's help, have a chance of being implemented. The
two ideas of Barbara show what one person can do on this planet.
Please, dear reader, come up with ideas. Thought creates energy.
Ideas are cosmic energy which makes us co-workers with the designs of
the universe and God. The same is true of dreams, visions, prayers,
ideals, hopes and all other great philosophical and spiritual
concepts which have helped humanity to survive and progress in the
infinite universe and eternal stream of time.
~
Idea 1547 ~ 5 October 1998
One
great advantage of demilitarization is that a demilitarized country
acquires a special, higher level of morality and becomes a natural,
inspiring, peace-advocating country in the world. This is what has
made one of the earliest demilitarized countries, Costa Rica, a peace
model in the world and one of the best members of the United Nations.
It was recompensed for it by being selected as the seat of the first
University for Peace on the planet and of the Earth Council created
by the Rio de Janeiro conference on the environment. President Oscar
Arias of Costa Rica also received the Nobel Peace Prize for his
successful peacemaking in Central America, followed now by his
efforts to demilitarize more countries. Dear leaders of nations,
follow the example of Costa Rica if you want to be remembered by
humanity's new global history and be recompensed with major world
prizes.
~
Idea 1548 ~ 6 October 1998
It
was wonderful to attend today in Costa Rica a yearly event organized
by a Unity Church to honor 45 men and women, leaders of local
charitable and volunteer service organizations, media, musicians and
artists, with "peace constructors awards". It was a remarkable
opportunity for these people to meet, celebrate, inspire and network
with each other for good human and Earth causes. Speakers were heard
on peace efforts in the world, demilitarization of Central America,
non-violence inside nations and in
families.
I
recommend that similar encounters of peace, charitable and volunteer
organizations be held in every city or local community in the world.
Such meetings should be attended, sponsored and supported by the
local representative of the United Nations if there exists
one.
In
the 21st century, local representatives or offices of the United
Nations should exist in every city of the world.
~
Idea 1549 ~ 7 October 1998
I
dream that in the year 2000, proclaimed by the United Nations
International Year of Thanksgiving, the US Thanksgiving Foundation in
Dallas, Texas, will donate to the United Nations a primeval tropical
forest in peaceful Costa Rica to become the United Nations World
Thanksgiving Park.
~
Idea 1550 ~ 8 October 1998
The
Nazis invented gas chambers to take the lives of Jews. Today
industrialists and capitalists are making of our whole atmosphere a
gas chamber which might finish the human species and others. National
governments do not stop them, because they have become the servants
of industrialists and capitalists.
How
long will people accept this to continue? There is an urgent need for
a peoples' revolution against the present economic system if they
want to save themselves and their descendants.
~
Idea 1551 ~ 9 October 1998
I
have been called a Leonardo da Vinci who observes every aspect of the
Earth and of human life. Alas, I am a very imperfect one. I would
need to know infinitely more on all life forms living on this planet,
their interrelations and their changes. I hope that someday a World
University of Total Earth Science and a World University of all Life
Forms will be created next to the UN University for Peace in Costa
Rica.
~
Idea 1552 ~ 10 October 1998
A
few decades ago there was a very brilliant President of Costa Rica,
Daniel Uruez, who wanted to obtain more agricultural products for the
country and avoid the depopulation of the rural areas in favor of the
capital San Jose where there was insufficient employment. He came up
with this idea: he promised each peasant a free gift of a number of
bags of beans, corn or rice to sow in the fields. If they had a good
crop they were asked to give in turn free bags of those seeds to
other poor peasants. As a result a real agricultural revolution took
place which made Costa Rica self-sufficient in these
products.
~
Idea 1553 ~ 11 October 1998
Since
the Millennium Peoples' Assembly in the year 2000 will have the same
objectives as the United Nations General Assembly 2000 I hope that it
will come up with very concrete proposals for an upgraded second
generation United Nations or for a novel, proper world democratic
Earth government.
It
is becoming more and more urgent for governments to use the UN
General Assembly of Heads of State in the year 2000 to create a
proper system of Earth government.
~
Idea 1554 ~ 12 October 1998
Some
day, the servants of an infinitely stronger United Nations or of a
true Earth Government or World Union will read with astonishment and
disbelief the journals of UN officials of today like me. They will
ask: how could they achieve so much faced as they were by the most
incredible opposition and obstacles of political
retardedness?
Well,
dear UN officials and all peacemakers of today, please keep a
journal. Historians will look for them in a hundred years. As someone
said to me: in a hundred years people will exclaim: why didn't we
listen to Robert Muller when he spoke up a century ago?
~
Idea 1555 ~ 13 October 1998
I
am happy that military service is no longer compulsory in Italy and
that thousands of young people are taking advantage of this new
legislation.
The
United Nations should publish a yearly report, statistics and
legislation concerning military service, alternative service and
freedom from military service in member countries. Italy should
propose this subject as a new item on this subject on the agenda of
the United Nations General Assembly.
~
Idea 1556 ~ 14 October 1998
I
recommend that the Millennium Peoples' Assembly to accompany the UN
General Assembly 2000 should create a permanent World Peoples' and
International Associations Agency. The agency could be located in the
prestigious Peace Palace built in the Hague at the beginning of this
century for that purpose by Andrew Carnegie. The 1999 Centennial
Peoples' Peace Conference in the Hague could also take that
decision.
~
Idea 1557 ~ 15 October 1998
Speaking
of identities we should accept happily that we have a
poli-identity
Our
specific individual identity
A
family identity
A
local identity
A
provincial identity
A
national identity
A
continental identity
A
world identity
A
cosmic identity
An
eternal identity
The
future Earth and human government of this planet should take all
these diverse identities into account.
~
Idea 1558 ~ 16 October 1998
We
are fast moving toward a global, planetary consciousness. We must
next move to cosmic, evolutionary consciousness. This will be an
incredible new phase of life fulfillment on this planet in the
universe.
~
Idea 1559 ~ 17 October 1998
I
recommend that UNESCO and/or the United Nations convene a world
conference on love and happiness, love being the key to peace,
justice and good world government (see the Einstein and Freud
exchange of views in idea 1020) and happiness is the result. We
should never forget that the ultimate, highest objective of
government should be the pursuit of happiness as was so well
understood by the drafters of the United States
Constitution.
~
Idea 1560 ~ 18 October 1998
I
wonder how much waste is included in the so called gross national
product. In reality it is included twice, once in the production of
goods and services wasted then again as waste "services" such as
waste collection, transportation, disposal or recycling. Economics
really requires a very thorough revamping.
~
Idea 1561 ~ 19 October 1998
Some
cities, communities, states and neighborhoods should have a sign at
their entrance, "Developers go home."
~
Idea 1562 ~ 20 October 1998
More
and more communities in the world should decide that they will stop
to develop having reached the state of proper harmony with nature.
The concept of non-growth and harmonious stability with nature should
become normal in more and more places.
~
Idea 1563 ~ 21 October 1998
Governments
should begin to offer tax incentives to deconcentrate some of their
monstrous cities, to have people leave them and live in smaller
communities including rural areas which have been abandoned during
this century. A return of people to nature would be a great blessing
for humanity, for our future and for the Earth.
~
Idea 1564 ~ 22 October 1998
As
part of the people's trend to consume less in the rich countries in
order to save the Earth I recommend that they should no longer buy
magazines which contain advertisements.
One
reason is that magazines are highly paid for advertisement and will
therefore not publish articles critical of products or of business
malpractices.
The
price paid by the reader for the magazine should cover the costs of
its production plus a profit to the publisher. To get revenue from
business and advertisement is immoral and should be illegal. The
whole matter of advertisement which has become a major new, all
pervading phenomenon in modern society should be subject to very
close government scrutiny. It is closely linked with the question of
democracy and truth.
~
Idea 1565 ~ 23 October 1998
I
recommend that well to do retired people should buy a farm in their
own country or in a poor country and let the farmer or a hired young
man till the land, share its products and receive a salary that will
help him raise a family thus avoiding that he abandons the land to
seek employment in a city.
We
have done it in Costa Rica to the happiness and satisfaction of all
concerned. I could not have done better in my life.
~
Idea 1566 ~ 24 October 1998
United
Nations Day
Today
on this UN Day I give my special thanks to God for the creation of
the United Nations after World War II during which I saw so many
horrors and lost all my school friends of the year 1939, in
Alsace-Lorraine, killed in German or French uniforms. I also thank my
friends of Thanksgiving Center in Dallas for having fulfilled my
dream to see the Year 2000 declared International Year of
Thanksgiving by the United Nations, and to start that celebration
with a World Assembly "Spirit of a Thousand Years" from 12 to 16
March 1999 at the Center for World Thanksgiving.
~
Idea 1567 ~ 25 October 1998
Books
and publications with concrete proposals and ideas for a better world
and humanity should become the new literature of the 21st century.
There are all too many books in the world with endless pages and very
few concrete ideas. A book of ideas will be read by heads of states
and people of action. The others will not. I'm reminded of the
comment once made to me by Secretary General Javier Pérez de
Cuellar, "I like your books Robert because I can open them at any
page and I find an idea which stimulates my mind into thinking. I
cannot stand any more books where I have to read hundreds of pages to
find out what the outcome is. There is only one other author who is
able to do to me what you do, namely Charles Proust whose works I can
open at any page and he sets my mind and feelings on the sense of
beauty."
~
Idea 1568~ 26 October 1998
After
the great, global historic page of human rights opened fifty years
ago in the United Nations with the adoption of the fundamental
Declaration of Universal Human Rights on 10 December 1948, another
great, new historical period has been opened with the drafting of an
Earth Charter and the Rights of Nature, accompanied by a Declaration
of Human Duties and Responsibilities. Henceforth, humankind will
never be the same. The question of our life, survival and harmony
with the Earth, its elements and nature is now fully raise. Questions
such as the following are now ominous:
Is
it normal that we let a species die every five hours on this planet
when it took evolution millions of years to form that
species?
What
is the human race doing to safeguard further evolution of life on
this planet, save its elements, its vegetation and all other species
living on it including the human species
itself?
The
last surviving drafter and signer of the 1948 Universal Declaration
of Human Rights, Ambassador Feyroudin Hoveyda wrote to me recently
that the declaration was considered at the time to be a mere piece of
paper to be thrown into a wastepaper basket. And yet no head of
state, no government today wants to be accused for violation of human
rights. The same will happen with the new texts on the rights of
nature and of the Earth.
~
Idea 1569 to 1572 ~ 27 - 30 October 1998
On
the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Human
Rights I recommend the following:
Idea
1569 a review of all human rights texts adopted by the United Nations
since its creation in the light of the current state of the world and
our long-term evolution.
Idea
1570 a list of the gaps still to be filled for human groups not yet
covered by human rights declarations, namely the family, mothers, the
poor, the homeless, the handicapped, the newborns, youth, the elderly
and the dying.
Idea
1571 an examination of a new expanding group of rights to be
considered for the Earth, the commons, nature, vital elements and the
survival of species.
Idea
1572 to open an extremely important new, historic evolutionary
chapter namely, the chapter of responsibilities of all individuals,
human groups and human institutions.
~
Idea 1573 ~ 31 October 1998
When
visiting Rome and its antique and art treasures the thought crossed
my mind that the preservation, presentation and development of the
world's art and antiquities would benefit enormously from a proper
Earth government. Military expenditures should be eliminated in favor
of art and antiquities expenditures.
~
Idea 1574 ~ 1 November 1998
The
phenomenon of globalization has such diverse, challenging and
controversial aspects varying from group of countries to other
groups, from country to country, from profession to profession, etc.
that it should be placed on the agenda of the UN General Assembly for
full debate and consideration. It is of immense importance for the
social and political future of humanity.
~
Idea 1575 ~ 2 November 1998
Since
the Earth and nature have become a major preoccupation of humanity,
it is imperative to reconsider notions such as liberty which was
correct in an earlier period but no longer is. For example, the
concept of free enterprise and full business freedom can now lead to
substantial destructions of the Earth, of its natural resources and
elements on which we live. This should become a major subject for
debate in the United Nations. What was a justified moral concept
yesterday may be today unethical and immoral. Many other
philosophical concepts must similarly be reviewed.
~
Idea 1576 ~ 3 November 1998
The
problem of overproduction and overconsumption in the western
countries is at least as preoccupying if not more than the problem of
overpopulation in the poor countries. Why? Because western
consumption habits are being ferociously marketed and advertised also
in the poor countries by giant western corporations. If the
consumption levels of the poor countries should ever reach those of
the rich countries their total number of 4.7 billion people today,
from the point of view of the Earth would have to be multiplied by
thirty meaning 141 billion people on this planet! Multiply their
future numbers of 6 to 7 billion by thirty and you will have a
staggering figure! Multiply also their number by the average waste
produced by an American during his lifetime (4,000 times his weight)
and you will see that the world would be confronted with an
unimaginable disaster.
~
Idea 1577 ~ 4 November 1998
We
have accepted the concept of sustainable development. We must now
also adopt the concept of sustainable consumption. This is very
urgent.
~
Idea 1578 ~ 5 November 1998
When
I look at stores in the western countries and see the incredible
variety of goods produced and displayed by a multiplicity of firms
I'm sure that they cannot all be sold and will be returned or thrown
away.
This
might be a phenomenon of such colossal magnitude unknown to the
public that things must be very basically wrong with the so called
western "economic" system. All this is at the expense of the Earth's
resources and nature. If it continues unchecked it might mean sooner
or later an economic catastrophe.
~
Idea 1579 ~ 6 November 1998
The
United Nations must absolutely publish as many statistics on
consumption as are now published on population and production. For
example the total value of cosmetics consumed on this planet is
equivalent to the total world expenditures on education. There is
something wrong with that. Also, the teaching of international
affairs in universities costs more than the total budgets of the UN
and of its 32 specialized agencies. This is not normal either.
Consumption, waste and uneconomics must become major new subjects of
information, study and correction on this planet.
~
Idea 1580 ~ 7 November 1998
I
think the time has come to replace the term ecology (oikos logos, the
science of our home) by Earthology (the science of the Earth) of
which we are an integral living part. To distinguish ourselves, to
separate ourselves from the Earth is a grave error which can cost us
our future evolution and possibly lead to our extinction.
~
Idea 1581 ~ 8 November 1998
Having
spoken at the Casa de Maria in Santa Barbara at the foot of the
famous monument on forgiveness I was asked by the sculptress, Francis
Jansen how I became interested in the concept of
forgiveness.
I
stretched my mind to remember it and discovered something that was
far back but deep in my memory: in the French underground during
World War II one day we had to take twelve French citizens who had
collaborated with the Nazis to the woods to be executed. Only one of
them, a woman, took it calmly. She did not resist or throw herself on
the ground as others did. She walked erect praying, her eyes directed
to the heavens. On the way I heard her murmur, "I forgive them." She
prayed the Hail Mary when the shots were fired. The shots cut her
prayer in half and she fell into the grave dug by them the day
before. Her words remained with me when I joined the United Nations.
I decided to network forgiveness with my poem Decide to Forgive. The
last words of Jesus and Gandhi were of forgiveness.
~
Idea 1582 ~ 9 November 1998
I
would like to see the United Nations and all its 32 specialized
agencies and world programs publish information on existing, planned
and possible world projects. For example, regional and world
engineering projects, international water pipelines, common world
hydro-electrical projects in the Andes and the Himalayas, regional
electrical grids and a world global energy grid (GENI) to take
advantage of the night and day time difference on this planet,
etc.
Insufficient
attention has been given to world cooperative projects which could
improve the overall efficiency of the world economy tremendously.
Thinking stops at the nation. Attention is given almost exclusively
to national projects when the whole outlook of humanity and the fate
of this planet have become overwhelmingly global. I cannot understand
it.
~
Idea 1583 ~ 10 November 1998
There
is an absolute urgent need to convene a world conference on
consumption, to create Ministries of Consumption in all countries and
a United Nations specialized agency on consumption. It has become as
important as the world population problem.
~
Idea 1584 ~ 11 November 1998
If
I were the Secretary General of the UN I would ask my legal affairs
department and other colleagues to collect all proposals made over
the years to reform and strengthen the United Nations as well as all
proposals for a new, better world organization and draft
constitutions for a true democratic world order and
government.
I
would submit that documentation to the General Assembly 2000 with my
personal views and recommendations regarding a proper, urgent
government and administrative system for the Earth and humanity as we
enter the 21st century and the new millennium. I would place national
governments squarely in front of their grave responsibilities toward
the future fate, evolution and survival of the Earth and of
humanity.
~
Idea 1585 ~ 12 November 1998
Earlier
this year I was asked to give advice to a 35 year old new prime
minister, the youngest prime minister ever in the history of his
country. This was my advice:
never
accept to deliver a speech which does not contain a concrete
idea.
address
yourself every morning to the entire population in a Good Morning
television program.
remain
in very close touch with the people by having televised fireside
chats with them on Saturday or Sunday
evenings.
create
a Vice-presidency for Global Affairs and the Future following the
example of the United States which has created a Vice-presidency for
Global Affairs.
consider
the United Nations to be your own affairs and not belong to a
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The latter should deal only with
bilateral relations with other countries but the United Nations
should be your direct responsibility.
keep
an open telephone line with all other heads of states, day and
night.
write
down every idea that comes to you in any field possible. Come up with
2000 ideas and try to implement them.
keep
a Journal of your philosophical thoughts, similar to Dag
Hammerskjöld's Markings.
follow
the example of President Kennedy and decide to open yourself every
thousandth letter sent to you in order to remain in touch with the
people.
in
your public appearances, Good Morning show and fireside chats
encourage the people to send you concrete ideas and complaints about
injustices or things which should be corrected. Give every month a
prize to the best idea or suggestion sent to
you.
I
learned that the young man had become the prime minister because
during three years he traveled all over the country speaking directly
with the people and acquainting himself with their problems, dreams
and ideas.
~
Idea 1586 ~ 13 November 1998
Examples
of the byproducts of these 2000 ideas: I gave to the UN official in
charge of youth matters an excerpt of ideas for youth from the first
1000 ideas to use and distribute to the first international
conference of youth ministers in Portugal this year. I sent to Mrs.
Mary Robinson, the former Prime Minister of Ireland, now the new UN
High Commissioner for Human Rights an excerpt with my ideas of new
human rights which should be considered and proclaimed on the
occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights on 10 December. Even if only a few of these ideas are
considered and implemented it will mean some progress.
~
Idea 1587 ~ 14 November 1998
Ideas
should have a main place in governmental affairs from local
communities to the top of the world. All public leaders in the world
should solicit and collect ideas from their officials and from the
public. This could become a new progressive people's democracy and
"ideology" for the 21st century. If industry, science and business do
it with an incredible intensity, there should be all the more reason
for public service to do it too for the social benefit of all
peoples. Let us open the 21st century with an era of social and
public visions, inventions, dreams and ideas.
~
Idea 1588 ~ 15 November 1998
I
am anxiously waiting for the time when I will have finished all 2000
ideas to see them indexed and submitted to the forthcoming Millennium
Peoples' Assembly 2000 which will accompany the General Assembly 2000
of heads of states. Who knows, perhaps they will have an unexpected,
welcome, even exciting impact on the year 2000 celebrations and on
our entry into a new century and
millennium.
This
is so promising that I have decided to finish the 2000 ideas by 31
December of this year. This will enable me to devote the entire year
1999 to their dissemination and implementation.
~
Idea 1589 ~ 16 November 1998
I
have been invited to speak at a major conference on the famous French
anthropologist and philosopher Teilhard de Chardin in France. The
subject proposed to me is Hope for Peace, a subject close to the
heart of that man. I am expected to lift the spirits and hopes of the
audience and participants with an optimistic visionary opening speech
of the conference. I wrote back that I would be happy to do so and
that perhaps the subject could be extended to Hope for Peace and for
an Better World. This would allow me to offer a design for a
peaceful, happy, fulfilled human family on our miraculous,
well-endowed, beautiful planet Earth.
~
Idea 1590 ~ 17 November 1998
The
subtle, invisible flows of cosmic energy in and among all humans and
between the entire Earth, nature, matter, all species including
humans are of incredible importance and power. If you open yourself
to them you will be magnified and merged with the universe and
eternity. You will feel ecstatic. And why should it not be so if this
entire planet, all its species and life form only one living entity,
one living cosmic body of which we are all parts. And that the same
way as all parts of our body are linked, cooperate and vitalize each
other so does the entire planet, its vegetation, all its living
species including the human species and perhaps the entire
cosmos.
~
Idea 1591 ~ 18 November 1998
We
must never cease to see possibilities in all impossibilities,
probabilities in all improbabilities, the visible in all the
invisible, the openings in all that seems closed. As we try we will
be astonished by the result.
~
Idea 1592 ~ 19 November 1998
There
are optical fibers, there are mental fibers, there a sentimental
fibers, moral fibers and spiritual fibers in the whole human being.
Use them all to the fullest and you will feel aggrandized to an
incredible degree. People around you will consider you a genius or a
saint.
~
Idea 1593 ~ 20 November 1998
Tansnational
is better than international. Global is better than transnational.
Cosmic is better than global.
Someday
soon everything on this planet will be at long last understood in its
cosmic, evolutionary nature. Then an entirely new page of human
civilization, a non-destructive, exalted, fulfilled and glorious one
will arise.
~
Idea 1594 ~ 21 November 1998
We
speak of the Earth as our planetary
home.
We
could also speak of it as our planetary garden, the garden of
Eden.
We
could even better speak of it as the miraculous temple of
God.
~
Idea 1595 ~ 22 November 1998
We
must make of this Earth a new Athens, a unique, miraculous paradise
in the vast, mysterious universe.
~
Idea 1596 ~ 23 November 1998
The
year 1999 will be the 50th anniversary of the demilitarization of
Costa Rica. The President of the country should call for a world
conference on demilitarization or at least hold a conference in Costa
Rica of all demilitarized countries to show the way to the rest of
the world for the 21st century. (see Idea 1390)
~
Idea 1597 ~ 24 November 1998
I
whole-heartedly support the idea suggested in the European Union that
the United Nations General Assembly should establish a new community
of the twenty to twenty-five regional communities in formation around
the world. It would be a substantial progress toward the creation of
a world community or world union.
~
Idea 1598 ~ 25 November 1998
Since
industries and business have provided immense benefits to humans but
often at the detriment of the Earth which was taken for granted and
unlimited, I recommend that industrialists, businessmen and
corporations who have become immensely rich engage into a vast world
movement of philanthropy (love for humanity) and gaiaphily (love for
Gaia, our Earth) to redress the inequities in the human society and
to insure the good preservation and restoration of the
Earth.
~
Idea 1599 ~ 26 November 1998
I
learned that a recent groundbreaking "Living Planet Report": from the
World Wide Fund for Nature and other groups, documents that human
beings have destroyed more than 30 percent of the natural world since
1970, and this destruction is
accelerating.
This
would mean that with an average yearly population increase of 50
million people and a continued worldwide increase of production,
construction, consumption, air, sea and soil traffic, the whole
nature of this PLANET MIGHT BE IN JEOPARDY IN SIXTY YEARS FROM NOW.
This is obviously not acceptable and would lead to economic and
ecological disaster. We must therefore declare a world emergency to
prevent it by all means.
I
would recommend to the Secretary General of the UN to establish a
World Committee on Environmental Emergencies.
~
Idea 1600 ~ 27 November 1998
Evolution
biologists tell us that most evolution proceeds as a result of
crises. The world economic and ecological crises looming ahead will
therefore force humans to adopt new values and institutions to permit
further evolution. But the more changes we can initiate now, the less
severe and less miseries-creating these crises will be. I pray God
that some of the changes I recommend in these 2000 ideas on the basis
of my fifty years of world experience will be seriously considered
and put into effect.
~
Idea 1601 ~ 28 November 1998
I
beg UNESCO to convene before the year 2000 or during the year 2000 a
conference on cosmologies, ancient and modern scientific ones. They
have much in common and will be able to offer humanity on the eve of
the 21st century and 3rd millennium a common, united cosmology the
same way as religions are in the process of defining the spirituality
they all have in common. A United Cosmologies Initiative should be
taken similar to the United Religions Initiative, to create a United
Cosmologies Organization.
~
Idea 1602 ~ 28 November 1998
What
a day it will be when all national militaries and armaments will
disappear from this planet thanks to the adoption by all nations of a
world and regional security system!
What
a delight it will be to reallocate the savings from three quarters of
a trillion dollars of military expenditures to major causes of
poverty, environment, climatic protection, literacy and the general
embellishment of our planet!
May
we soon see the day break and the sun shine upon an Earth when this
will happen. Let us devote all our efforts towards it.
~
Idea 1603 ~ 29 November 1998
I
recommend that universities should create entirely new Departments of
Earth Health in which students become Earth doctors who will deal
with the health of the Earth, with sicknesses created by humans and
develop a planetary medicine. They would absorb and expand the
faculties of the environment created in the second part of this
century.
~
Idea 1604 ~ 30 November 1998
In
idea 843 I speak of the need to have Earth designers or Earthscape
experts the same as we have interior designers and landscape experts.
The new profession would have the Earth, our beautiful and lovable
home, as their objective. I hope that universities will create
entirely new Departments of Earth design and Earthscape.
~
Idea 1605 ~ 1 December 1998
One
of the outcomes of the Millennium Peoples' Assembly parallel to the
United Nations General Assembly 2000 at the heads of states level
should be either the creation of a permanent Peoples' Assembly in the
United Nations or the transformation of the Union of International
Associations in Brussels into a World Peoples' Agency.
~
Idea 1606 ~ 2 December 1998
All
airlines on Earth which have already taken the decision not to allow
smoking in airplanes should also take the decision not to serve and
allow alcoholic drinks on flights. The reason is that in case of an
accident people having taken alcohol would not be in full possession
of their faculties, might have less chance to save their lives and
might be a hindrance to other passengers.
~
Idea 1607 ~ 3 December 1998
In
any reform of the United Nations or creation of a proper Earth
government a major institutional error in the current UN system must
be corrected: the existence of an International Atomic Energy Agency
while there is no world energy agency which would deal with all forms
of energy including the atomic one. The reason for creating the IAEA
was to make sure that atomic energy plants would be built with the
maximum security. But the world deserves to have the entire energy
situation constantly reviewed by a world energy agency.
~
Idea 1608 ~ 4 December 1998
I
wish that someone would establish a comprehensive list of all the
great people who have recommended world or Earth government. I have
cited several of them in these 2000 ideas. A systematic search would
be very important since it would show humanity how the greatest
humans have thought about this and it might make current heads of
state aware of their smallness and lack of vision by not taking
initiatives for proper Earth government.
~
Idea 1609 ~ 5 December 1998
A
lady taxi driver who took me to a New York airport blessed me for my
recommendation that all tolls on planet Earth should be abolished
because they are responsible for a large degree of pollution since
millions of cars are stopped and have to be put again into motion at
a cost of a lot of gasoline and pollution She said, "If you obtain
this you would become the patron saint of the taxi drivers because
you cannot imagine how we hate those tolls. I just do not see any
reason why I should stop at them four to six times a day and
sometimes more."
Well,
taxi drivers of the world, associate in an international association
of taxi drivers and address petitions to all heads of states,
Ministers of Transport and national parliaments to obtain the
suppression of all tolls. And if you get no results, go on
strike.
~
Idea 1610 ~ 6 December 1998
If
the UN General Assembly 2000 does not decide to hold a world
conference to redraft a charter written more than fifty-five years
ago I recommend that the 134 members which did not participate in the
drafting of the charter in 1944 sit down and write a new one more
appropriate for the pressing needs of today's and of tomorrow's world
government.
~
Idea 1611 ~ 7 December 1998
I
remember the excitement provoked by the initiative of the government
of Malta in the 1960's to prevent a fierce battle for the mineral
exploitation of the seas and the oceans and hold a Law of the Seas
Conference to make these seventy percent of the planet a world
commons under a common world law. Well, it took many years until the
Law of the Sea Treaty was drafted and ratified on 11 March 1988 by
the required number of governments. The treaty had been considerably
watered down to meet the objections of the United States but at the
last moment the US decided not to
ratify.
I
recommend that in view of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of
the International Maritime Organization, a world conference be held
to review the entire situation of the fate and management of the seas
and oceans, including a reform and upgrading of that organization's
role.
~
Idea 1612 ~ 8 December 1998
The
fate of the Law of the Sea Treaty and of the proposed International
Criminal Court shows that it will not be possible to create a world
order with the participation of the Untied States in such efforts.
The treaty of Outer Space, making it also a commons of all humanity,
has been violated by the United States by the launching of the
Cassini space capsule containing seventy pounds of plutonium which
upon reentry into the Earth to accelerate its speed might cost the
lives of millions of people in case of an accident. The treaty of the
Moon might be next to be violated by the United States, the President
of the United States being under strong pressure to renege it and to
let business establish itself on the Moon. On top of all this the
United States doesn't even pay its contribution to the United
Nations!
~
Idea 1613 ~ 9 December 1998
When
I received an invitation to be a member of an international advisory
board of a new Foundation for the Future which intends to look to the
year 3000 I was very excited. I wrote to them: "From today on the
world will no longer be the same." I said the same words when in 1970
the UN adopted the resolution to convene the first world environment
conference in Stockholm in 1972. I wanted to quote this here to be on
record and have the future generations judge whether I was right or
wrong.
~
Idea 1614 ~ 10 December 1998
The
objective of the Foundation for the Future is to hold in 2000 a major
conference of the best scientists, visionaries and futurologists of
this planet to give the world an idea of where we will be and could
be in the year 3000 if proper action is taken. The first advisory
board meeting I attended was extremely interesting and well taken. It
will convene four times a year until the conference takes place.
Their preparatory work is a magnificent example of how humanity can
proceed in the light of the enormous complexity of our knowledge,
diversity of views, opinions and images of what the world and
humanity should be. It was one of the most fascinating meetings I
have ever attended.
~
Idea 1615 ~ 11 December 1998
One
revelation of the work in which I participated was that the mere
target of what the world could be in a thousand years forces one to
think in the most global, holistic, daring, imaginative way possible.
One can no longer be lost in details or in a particular profession,
nation, ideology, philosophy or religion. It has mind-boggling,
radical effects on one's outlook.
~
Idea 1616 ~ 12 December 1998
Among
the many detailed proposals I just cite one namely to conduct a
world-wide poll of images of the future in 3000. This could be the
first world poll of the psychology of the human species. Does it have
confidence in the future, in the present structure of the world, in
what is being done internationally, globally by the United Nations,
or is it convinced that there is no hope? What a survey this will be!
I had proposed it to the Gallup Organization a few years ago. The
President of Gallup agreed but the idea was not implemented. A world
democracy implies numerous world polls on many issues. The
Millennium's Peoples Assembly will be such a world-wide public
opinion survey.
~
Idea 1617 ~ 13 December 1998
The
United States, in its efforts to reduce the United Nations to the
minimum role in the world, has obtained from the General Assembly
that the UN would hold no longer any world conferences. This means
that the UN no longer has the major drum it had to warn nations and
humanity of deep social injustices and of things that might go wrong
globally such as the population explosion, the environment, the
depletion of the ozonosphere, world water shortages, climatic
changes, etc. This reduces the United Nations to impotence. It might
be as well to transform and expand the much better European Union
into tomorrow's World Union.
~
Idea 1618 to 1619 ~ 14 to 15 December
1998
In
1970 US Congressman Gallager from New Jersey requested the creation
of a group of US Parliamentarians and American citizens to evaluate
the United Nations after twenty-five years of existence and the role
which the United Nations should play in the future. I recommend that
this idea should be repeated for the year
2000:
1618
each government member of the United Nations should establish a group
of parliamentarians and citizens to evaluate the United Nations after
fifty-five years, the role of that government in them and their
expectations for the future
1619
the Secretary General should undertake a similar reflection and
submit a report to the General Assembly in the year 2000.
~
Idea 1620 ~ 16 December 1998
The
main commissions of the General Assembly have remained the same since
1945 and the Trusteeship Committee has accomplished its task. History
and humanity would merit that these commissions be reviewed and that
proposals should be made to create new ones. I have made several
proposals to that effect in these 2000 ideas like replacing the
Trusteeship Council by a Council of the Future, creating main
commissions on the environment and on the climate etc. (see
index)
~
Idea 1621 ~ 17 December 1998
After
the one billion dollars donation by Ted Turner to the United Nations
and the adequate machinery established to that effect both on his
side and by the United Nations regarding the use of the funds, I
recommend again that the subject of world philanthropy should be
inscribed on the agenda of the United Nations. It is a social element
of such importance that the United Nations should publish a yearly
report on the magnitude of world philanthropy, its structure, its
destination and its effectiveness to respond to the major needs of
humanity and of the Earth.
~
Idea 1622 ~ 18 December 1998
On
the occasion of the year 2000, after fifty-five years of United
Nations existence I recommend that the overall structure of the
entire United Nations system be reviewed and re-evaluated. There are
several major ideas to that effect in these 2000 ideas. For example,
that the United Nations should have a major agency on energy, that
the work on population should be done by a full specialized agency
and that given the fact that overconsumption, needless, wasteful
consumption and the protection of consumers have reached vast
proportions, it is indispensable to create a UN specialized agency on
Consumption.
~
Idea 1623 ~ 19 December 1998
We
have two major explosions on this
planet:
-
the explosion of the number of humans, especially in the poor
countries;
-
the explosion of produced goods, activities, consumption,
accumulation and movements of humans, especially in the rich
countries.
Together
these two explosions mean a substantial destruction of nature and of
the normal functioning of the Earth. They are likely to lead to the
end of evolution on this planet, including of human life. The first
explosion is well understood. The second is negated by predominant
economic and business forces. The population explosion continues, but
at a slower rate each year. The goods, activities and movements
explosion continues to increase world-wide at an accelerating rate. A
new education, a new media, a new political system, a new economic
system, a new philosophy of values, etc. (see the 21 segments in idea
527 to 547) are too slow to be agreed to. Although thousands of
meetings are taking place around the world to look into this matter,
they will not have the necessary impact in
time.
I
therefore recommend the urgent creation of a UN World Emergency
Committee on the subject: How to Save Planet Earth. Are humans
putting an end to evolution?
~
Idea 1624 ~ 20 December 1998
We
call everything sold human "goods" and "services". Well, more and
more of these "goods" have become "evils" or "disgoods" for the Earth
and nature, and more and more "services" have become "harms" or
"disservices" to them. There is an absolute, urgent need to change
our language and to redefine what is good and bad in the new
colossal, global conditions of our planetary evolution.
~
Idea 1625 ~ 21 December 1998
Global
consciousness is not enough. Once one knows that one is sick, one
must seek healing. We urgently need global healing, a planetary
medicine, world healers and world surgeons.
~
Idea 1626 ~ 22 December 1998
Of
the population explosion and the products explosion, the second is
worse than the first. I have said before ( idea 505) that in the eyes
of the Earth, the rich population of 1.2 billion today in reality
represents thirty times more, since the rich consume 30 times more
than the poor. Well, suppose the 10 billion people we will be in the
future have the "ideal" consumption levels of the rich today,
advocated, idealized, marketed and advertised world-wide by big
business, in the eyes of the Earth this would represent 300 billion
humans consuming her skin and flesh!
~
Idea 1627 ~ 23 December 1998
It
is high time no longer to admire the rich peoples, their villas,
their luxury cars, their yachts, their airplanes, their lavish
Earth-destroying lives. In the new circumstances of today and
tomorrow the people with simple, frugal lives and the least
possessions are the truest, most loving and caring children of the
Earth.
~
Idea 1628 ~ 24 December 1998
Yes,
but all this will lead to unemployment, will you say. The answers are
easy to find. For example get the unemployed or artificially employed
militaries and armaments manufacturers for which the people have to
pay taxes of 3/4 of a trillion dollars a year, to be re-employed in
planting trees and saving nature. Let us devise an entirely new
employment policy for the people on this planet, including the saving
and good care of the Earth.
~
Idea 1629 ~ 25 December 1998
On
this Christmas Day I learned of the experience of a young American
who had graduated from one of the most prestigious universities in
the United States and intended to join the United Nations but decided
to join instead the New York police. After a couple of years he went
to visit several American universities and convinced 135 graduates to
join him in the police corps of New York City. He said to them, "If
you like to work for a good cause and know of the sufferings of the
people, you do not have to go to the poor countries. You will find
them right here in the streets of big US
cities.
Well,
this is why I proposed to transform all polices of the world into
peace and well-being agents.
~
Idea 1630 ~ 26 December 1998
Everywhere
in the United Nations system economic development is the first and
foremost subject. Would it not be good also to deal with the subject
of compassion, taking care of the miseries of the people in the world
by all kinds of means: by religions, by charities, by
non-governmental organizations, by philanthropists and so on and not
have everything rest on economic development and foreign aid whose
name should be changed into foreign love or compassion or a similar
word, excluding from it all military "aid" (see Annex to ideas 1501
to 1600 "Is It a Compassionate Society? a text which should be on the
desk of every UN servant).
~
Idea 1631 ~ 27 December 1998
One
of the most prominent, admirable former United Nations officials, Mr.
Jean d'Arcy from France, told me when he left the United Nations
about his impressions and proposals for reforms of the world
organization. He said that the most fundamental problem of the United
Nations was governments and the fact that they are represented at the
United Nations by officials of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs. The
Charter of the United Nations starts with the words "We the Peoples"
and not "We the Governments". It was a folly to believe that the fate
of the world could rest in the hands of governments who have no
interest in constructing a different world order. He gave the example
of Aldous Huxley who was a wonderful man when he was a member of the
executive board of UNESCO but when he was appointed Ambassador of the
United Kingdom to UNESCO that was the end of it.
~
Idea 1632 ~ 28 December 1998
Stanley
Kubrik the producer of the film 2001 once said that in fifty year the
world will wake up and become aware that the United Nations and its
institutions have been, are and will be the Earth
government.
~
Idea 1633 ~ 29 December 1998
The
word politics should be abolished and be replaced by something much
deeper: I like planetics, the management of our planet. But it is
even deeper than that. What is happening on our Earth is a whole
series of fundamental biological, evolutionary changes. We need to
consider the biology and evolution of the Earth in its entirety. This
should be the only concern of government. The collective
preoccupations of humanity should be for the state of the planet, and
the conditions and future of all life on it. The word politics must
be abandoned. Politicians should become Earth biologists and all
Faculties of Political Science Faculties of Earth Biology and
Evolution.
~
Idea 1634 ~ 30 December 1998
Human
history proves that there are always very great barriers, obstacles
to a peaceful, just and harmonious world. In the past it was
feudality, then the kingdoms and the empires. Today it is nationalism
and tomorrow it will be the big, multinational companies. It is a
mistake to hope that these barriers will disappear by themselves. All
human history proves that they have to be dismantled in order to be
replaced by something else. We have reached that point of modern
history when both nationalisms and big, multinational corporations
must be dismantled and replaced by something else. It has to come
from an outside force, a people's revolution or a revolution of the
scientists, thinkers, visionaries, prophets, globalists,
futurologists and synthesizers of this planet.
~
Idea 1635 ~ 31 December 1998
I
replace here an idea by a joke to finish this year on a cheerful
note. Apparently the father of Nehru, who was the president of
India's Congress Party which led to India's independence, liked to
smoke English cigarettes. One day someone reproached it to him and
said that this was contrary to the law which he got adopted
prohibiting all imports of English merchandise to India. Nehru's
father answered, "Yes, but you have not read the law carefully
because there is a paragraph that says, 'and if you find British
products in India, burn them'".
~
NOTE ~
The
remaining ideas to the year 2000 will appear without a
date.
~
Idea 1636 ~
I
wonder if humanity would not be entitled to obtain through the United
Nations a world survey and assessment of all the sites of nuclear
missiles, atomic bombs, other nuclear hardware and nuclear plants
located in places likely to suffer from earthquakes. Humanity is
entitled to know these risks.
Here
is the anecdote of a lady who, when she learned that a nuclear plant
was to be built in the neighborhood of Santa Barbara started a public
campaign against it since Santa Barbara is prone to have earthquakes.
The official answer was that she cannot prove this. So she asked all
the indigenous people from the region to assemble at the place where
the nuclear plant was to be built and to pray for an earthquake. They
did so for two days after which a small earthquake took place and the
atomic plant was not built.
~
Idea 1637 ~
The
Millennium Peoples' Assembly which will accompany the General
Assembly of Heads of State 2000 will have the opportunity to make a
whole series of proposals to ensure a people's representation at the
United Nations. One is that governments would not be represented by
ambassadors of a Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but by representatives
elected by the people during regular national elections. The European
Union has a European Parliament elected by the people. We must give
credence to the Charter's words "We the peoples of the United
Nations".
~
Idea 1638 ~
I
can try to rethink the present world situation in favorable terms but
it does not work. In a nutshell, governments no longer govern. They
are governed by big business. They support, promote and love big
business. They have become the servants of big business which was
born to exploit the resources of the Earth for the benefit of the
people. And it has done so for a long time with great success. But
now it has become to a large extent the destroyer of the
Earth.
One
way out: proper Earth government. This would avoid the need for
atomic weapons, atomic tests, huge armaments and military
expenditures which could be used for economic justice, the well-being
of humans and good care of the planet.
~
Idea 1639 ~
If
Plato and the Greek philosophers would came back to Earth, see how we
govern or misgovern ourselves and have a look at the structure of
national governments they would exclaim: you mean to say that you do
not have a Ministry of Philosophy? Philosophy embodies the highest
aims of humanity. Phil (love) and sophia (wisdom) is what you need
more than anything else on your human journey in the universe. You
got wild with development, production, scientific inventions whose
consequences can be disastrous for the world. So, we recommend to you
the creation of a Ministry of Philosophy in each government and a
Main Commission on Philosophy of the General Assembly of the United
Nations. The United Nations itself must become the central
philosophical body of planet Earth.
I
would answer: you are absolutely right. I had only thought of a
Ministry of Happiness but happiness is included in philosophy. Your
idea is much better. It includes compassion, faith, hope, prayer,
meditation, forgiveness, love and all the great philosophical
concepts which have allowed humanity to survive and to progress on
this incredible planet in the fathomless universe and mysterious
steam of time.
~
Idea 1640 ~
Margaret
Mead was right when she said that the world goes so fast that parents
can no longer be guides for their children. The children have to find
their own ways. There is another fundamental problem. It is that the
scientific, industrial, materialistic civilization has produced the
model of a human who has become a prime danger to the equilibrium of
life on this planet and to our continued survival and evolution.
Therefore only a new education, an education for a new generation of
humans can save us. This is why the Montessori Schools, the Steiner
Schools, the Robert Muller Schools, the Gandhi Schools should be
taken as the new education for this planet, transcending the national
educations we have now all around this Earth. An Ambassador to the UN
suggested that a comparative survey and study should be made of a US
public school and a Robert Muller school to see why in the latter
there is no violence.
~
Idea 1641 ~
In
a second generation United Nations or in a proper Earth government
there should be an entire ministry or agency devoted to children. In
the current United Nations I would recommend the transformation of
the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, (UNICEF)
into a full United Nations agency for children. They have so much at
stake in the future that they deserve an entire agency devoted to
them. So does youth which has no voice in world affairs.
~
Idea 1642 ~
How
can we expect the world not to be destroyed when every morning
millions of Americans and western people rush to their newspapers to
see if their shares in companies which are supposed to constantly
grow and to give higher dividends, even if it is at the expense of
the Earth, have increased or not? And when tens of thousands of
highly educated humans rush every day to skyscrapers or offices of
big companies to sell more, invent more, diversify more, render old
products obsolete and increase markets and sales through endless
increasing, sophisticated advertisements even at the price of
exaggeration, falsehoods and lies.
~
Idea 1643 ~
Since
it is mainly with the United States Congress that the United Nations
has difficulties may I recommend to do something which was done at my
time when I was assistant to Secretary General U Thant, namely to
have frequent visits to the UN of US Congressmen and Senators.
Sometimes we received groups of up to a hundred of them. I loved to
speak to them and instill in them belief and enthusiasm for the
United Nations basically created by their country.
~
Idea 1644 ~
I
wish, that the United Nations would publish one of the most
remarkable world's series of simple pocketbooks giving the people the
essentials of the world situation. For example, pocketbooks on the
peace, world population, the seas and oceans, outer space, the
climate, poverty, over-consumption, armaments, the military, etc.,
etc.
~
Idea 1645 ~
We
need a "cosmopause" in the evolution of this planet. Humans are going
too fast. We need a pause in the growth of population. We need a
pause in economic growth. We need a pause in the growth of cities. We
need a pause in the growth of consumption of the rich. We need a
pause in the destruction of nature. The human race is on a wrong
path. It is too growth crazy. If we remain hyperactive like that the
whole humanity will get heart attacks and strokes. There are global
diseases as there are individual ones.
~
Idea 1646 ~
At
the end of this century and millennium we should make a world-wide
inventory of our progress, successes, achievements, mistakes, wars,
misdoings, destructions and other major facts in our evolution. The
survey might not be perfect, but the mere fact of looking through a
glass window and of having electricity are such wonders that if
people from the middle ages would live today they would not believe
it. This is why I have obtained from the UN General Assembly the
decision to declare the year 2000 International Year of Thanksgiving
as expressed in my Dream 2000. Yes, I think that humans have every
reason to give thanks to God for our miraculous home and for having
allowed us to do so much progress. We should also promise to do
infinitely better in the next century and millennium and fulfill
finally His dreams and wishes to see a divine human family live
happily in His divine Creation. Our objectives can be nothing
less.
~
Idea 1647 ~
I
regret that in 1970 when the Club of Rome raised the question of the
limits of growth my suggestion to create a Committee of the Future in
the UN Economic and Social Council was not accepted. Today,
twenty-eight years later, I recommend that a Committee of the Future
be created as one of the main commission of the General Assembly. It
could replace the Trusteeship Council which has accomplished its
mission.
~
Idea 1648 ~
The
yearly reports to the General Assembly are concentrating mainly on
what is on its agenda, i.e. on what the United Nations was supposed
to do. If I were Secretary General I would conceive something much
more appealing. I would publish a yearly World Progress Report
covering all fields in which the United Nations and its specialized
agencies are engaged, propose their ideas and solicit ideas from all
governments and peoples to achieve further progress. Such a report
should be disseminated world-wide and become a major discussion among
the peoples of the world.
The
current world reports published by the United Nations, its
specialized agencies and other sources are not comprehensive enough.
They should cover all segments of the world core curriculum derived
from my experience in the United Nations and summarized in the table
on global knowledge published in Volume I.
~
Idea 1649 ~
All
human views of civilization, cosmologies, religions, ideologies,
philosophies including the most ancient ones considered the pursuit
of riches to be contrary to the true meaning of life. The Bible says
that it will be more difficult for a rich person to enter into heaven
than for a camel to go through a needle's
eye.
In
recent times the American Dream set the pursuit of profit, unlimited
wealth, acquisitions and consumption as the ultimate goal of human
life. That ideology was also adopted by many western and Asian
countries.
Where
will it ultimately lead to? That is the fundamental question we must
ask ourselves at the end of this century.
~
Idea 1650 ~
I
do not know why humanity speaks only or predominantly of developed
and underdeveloped countries? Could we not also speak of warm,
beautiful, paradise-like countries and cold, inhospitable, nature
destroying countries? Or of spiritual, God and life-loving countries
and materialistic, atheistic and power-loving countries? Or of
disarmed and demilitarized countries and hypermilitarized and
superarmed countries? Or of high nuclear risks and non-nuclear risks
countries?
Who
decided to have only the first distinction, in favor of the rich,
spoken of in the world and politics? An interesting question, isn't
it?
~
Idea 1651 ~
The
celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights will be a great event because that declaration was an
immense step forward in the concept and practice of justice in the
human family. But it will also reveal that more work has to be done
to other and new concepts of human rights which have become evident
during the last fifty years. The subject is of such importance that I
recommend the convening of a world conference on human rights
including new ones, by the United Nations.
~
Idea 1652 ~
Since
from experience the poor countries of the world have little if
anything to gain from the so called help from the rich countries and
on the contrary are being invaded by their capital ideology, private
firms, technology and see their cultures progressively destroyed, it
would be good if these countries would begin to think of creating
their own world government without participation of the western
countries. It is worth looking into it to see what effects it would
have. I feel compelled to launch this idea after a half century of
experience with a very imperfect, often hypocritical, self-interest
cooperation from north to south.
~
Idea 1653 ~
My
Dutch friend Jan Tinbergen, a wonderful consultant to the United
Nations who received the first Nobel Prize in Economics, told me once
that he would create a good number of world-wide public service
institutions, not only of multinational corporations and businesses.
Unfortunately this has never been done by governments. They have not
paid much attention to that need. I hope that the great thinkers,
visionaries, globalists and futurists of this planet will come up
with a good number of world public service institutions and joint
governmental projects which would deserve to be created.
~
Idea 1654 ~
The
ideal of the lawnmowers manufacturers is to cover the world with
lawnmowers, big and small.
The
ideal of the lawnmower gardening firms is to get lawnmowing contracts
wherever possible.
Result
for the Earth: not a chance for grass to grow and to give oxygen;
production of polluting CO2 from the gasoline of the lawnmowers and a
lot of unnecessary noise.
Reaction
from the people: nil. They are made to believe through advertisement,
that it is progress.
And
the same story is happening in innumerable other fields all around
the world.
~
Idea 1655 ~
I
was invited to participate and submit papers to a world congress on
water in Australia in 1999. I wrote to them that I convened the first
world water conference of the United Nations in 1967 and that they
should get its reports. The predictions were that between that time
and the year 2000 the world water consumption would increase
fourfold. The report contained many recommendations regarding ways of
reducing water consumption in industrial and private processes. I
recommended to them to have the government of Australia approach the
United Nations and offer that the world congress be a second world
water conference under the auspices of the United Nations.
~
Idea 1656 ~
The
Nobel Peace Prizes Foundation should create somewhere on planet Earth
a World Hall of Honors for Peacemakers, notably of all the Nobel
Peace Prize winners since the creation of the prize. Great
peacemakers who did not receive the Nobel Prize but made a
significant contribution to peace on this planet should also be
honored. I'm thinking for example of the Peace Pilgrim and of Jill
Jackson Miller who wrote May There Be Peace On Earth and Let It Begin
With Me . Such a hall could be ereated on the magnificent natural
grounds of the University for Peace in demilitarized, peaceful Costa
Rica.
~
Idea 1657 ~
1999
marks the twentieth anniversary of the first world conference on the
climate which I got the United Nations to convene in 1979 on this
new, emerging global problem.
It
predicted the climatic changes which we begin to see today. But why
did it take governments and the media twenty years to listen to the
warnings of that conference? Still today some major governments, the
United States in particular, say that there is no sufficient
scientific evidence. The second UN world climate conference was held
in 1987. The reports of both conferences should not be left in
libraries but should be on the desks of each head of state, head of
the media, business leaders and parliamentarians. Don't they want to
keep the Earth they are so eager to run? A third world conference on
the climate should be convened urgently.
~
Idea 1658 ~
One
of the climatologists at the first world climate conference predicted
that early in the 21st century the ocean currents of the planet will
begin to change course and that it would take thousands of years for
them to return to their original direction. Well, the newspapers are
filled with the phenomenon of El Niño but I have not seen a
single report that this is linked with a climate change.
~
Idea 1659 ~
Science
is considered with a great awe and respect as a kind of sacred affair
in human evolution. Scientists who disagree with certain findings are
usually a minority and not given a sufficient voice. I recommend that
there should be a new discipline challenging scientific findings and
their application to humankind when they can have negative effects.
For example, the scientific reasons which led to the launching of the
Cassini spacecraft which upon its return might kill millions of
people should be challenged not by a few individual scientists but by
a whole discipline whose major task would be to challenge such
science applications. Governments should finance and universities
should create departments for scientists whose main role would be to
evaluate the consequences of scientific findings and tell the world
whether they should be applied or not. This would simply follow the
good wisdom of the Iroquois Indians whose leaders were always asked
to think of the effects of any changes on the lives of the seventh
generation.
~
Idea 1660 ~
I
recommend a huge world Marshall Plan of the rich countries giving aid
to poor countries which do not destroy their forests and nature. The
developing countries still have large amounts of forests providing a
good part of the planet's oxygen. The same way as we pay for water
and other resources, the time has come when we should pay for the
oxygen we receive from the poor countries.
~
Idea 1661 ~
Further
to adversary scientific research I recommend adverse advertisement
research, adverse business research, adverse news and information
research and adverse institutions research. Units or Departments to
that effect should be created in governments and universities. It is
absolutely necessary that the negative effects of all glorified
discoveries and activities should receive challenging judgments. This
should become a major new means of government and proper education.
Nothing on this planet should ever be allowed to become
fundamentalist to the point of preventing and neglecting opposing,
challenging views.
~
Idea 1662~
I
am delighted to reproduce this statement of a great spiritual leader
in favor of a united world. I was glad to write the foreword to the
new edition of the Autobiography of a
Yogi..
Prayer
for a United World
by
Paramahansa Yogananda.
"May
the heads of all countries and races be guided to understand that men
of all nations are physically and spiritually one: physically one,
because we are the descendants of common parents the symbolic Adam
and Eve; and spiritually one, because we are the immortal children of
our Father, bound by eternal links of
brotherhood.
Let
us pray in our hearts for a League of Souls and a United World.
Though we may seem divided by race, creed, color, class, and
political prejudices, still, as children of the one God we are able
in our souls to feel brotherhood and world unity. May we work for the
creation of a United World in which every nation will be a useful
part, guided by God through human enlightened
conscience.
In
our hearts we can all learn to be free from hate and selfishness. Let
us pray for harmony among the nations, that they march hand in hand
through the gate of a fair new
civilization."
I
have advocated relentlessly a World Union or Untied World and I like
very much the idea of a World Spiritual League or League of Souls.
The United Religions Organization can become that.
~
Idea 1663 ~
The
world does not only need an Earth Council, it basically needs an
Earth Government. Perhaps the Earth Council created in Costa Rica by
the UN Rio de Janeiro Conference on the Environment will be the
stepping stone to it. I will work on it.
~
Idea 1664 ~
Our
present period of history is fundamentally different from all
preceding periods because of the massive increase of human population
and our ways of living and doings which change the basic elements and
structure of the planet. This requires a fundamental rethinking of
all segments of human life on this planet from politics to economics
to philosophy, to our individual lives. It requires changes in our
institutions, beliefs and ways of living and world laws to prevent
major catastrophes in the decades to come.
~
Idea 1665 ~
Humanity
has the means, the intelligence, the knowledge and the capacity to
make the fundamental changes required to save the Earth and humanity
and to make this a well-managed planet in the universe. It requires
an audacity from leaders which has never been seen before in history.
I beg you, o leaders of nations, have that audacity and be the savers
and builders of a new Earth era and humanity in the 21st century and
new millennium.
~
Idea 1666 ~
It
took ten years for the Constitutional Assembly in Philadelphia to
draft the US Constitution 200 years ago.
It
took forty years to get the European Union created in this
century.
How
many years will it take to get a World Constitution and World Union
created? Governments do not even dream of doing
it.
The
most likely result will be the end of the human species and of all
life forms on this planet.
When
will this obsolete political 20th century system finally wake up and
accept its defeat?
~
Idea 1667 ~
Arnold
Toynbee said: "The deeper, slower movements not apparent in passing
headlines, have been the ones to change human history over the long
span of time."
Alas,
this is no longer true today when everything changes so fast. By the
time the ecological movements will have won, the Earth will be
finished by insane economic growth and business. Let us remember that
every 5 hours a species becomes extinct on this planet. See in ideas
506 to 519 the minute by minute, hour by hour and day by day damages
inflicted upon this jewel of an Earth.
~
Idea 1668 ~
Perhaps
it would be good to re-establish the position of court jester which
existed in ancient times. In cabinet meetings of heads of states, in
parliaments, in United Nations meetings and in offices of the heads
of multinational corporations there should be court jesters who would
challenge the seriousness and righteousness claimed in such meetings
and remind the participants of the need for common sense and
consideration for the people and for the Earth.
~
Idea 1669 ~
I
am so glad that in the year 2000 we will proclaim the first political
saint of modern times, St. Robert Schuman, my compatriot from
Alsace-Lorraine, the founder of the borderless European Union. We
need many more political saints. The United Nations could, from time
to time, proclaim a United Nations Saint. But needed above all would
be business saints who demonstrated through their life that their
main purpose was not to make profit and enrich themselves but to
provide the best goods and services to the people, especially the
poor. Who will be the first business saint on this planet?
~
Idea 1670 ~
A
new fundamental human right is coming progressively to the fore: the
right of children to be given the right information about their home
the Earth and humanity their family. In other words, global education
before national education. How many times when I speak to children
and young people visiting the UN do I hear them say, "If this is so,
why didn't anyone tell us? We have a right to know." I think that as
we move into the 21st century this should be a fundamental right of
children and fundamental duty of educators.
~
Idea 1671 ~
When
my wife Barbara and I attended the graduation from elementary school
of one of our grandchildren, Roberto, I noticed that the first item
on the agenda was the Pledge of Allegiance to the US flag. I
commented to Barbara and another grandchild sitting by me, Adrian,
that such ceremony should start with a Pledge of Allegiance to the
Earth. Someone should draft one. They did it immediately. Here is the
Pledge to Planet Earth by Adrian O'Barr, eight years old, and Barbara
Gaughen Muller:
I
pledge allegiance to planet Earth
One
planet under God
Whose
nature I protect
Whose
people I serve
Whose
environment I care for
And
whose seas and oceans I cherish
Our
planet where all humans
and
creatures are protected
Planet
Earth is my home
To
be respected and loved by all
22
June 1998
Cold
Spring, New York
~
Ideas 1672 to 1674 ~
As
the graduation ceremonies proceeded I also had the following
ideas:
Idea
1672 After the pledge to the flag came the song America the
Beautiful. This should be preceded by a song Planet Earth the
Beautiful. Someone should compose one.
Idea
1673 There were a number of awards for physical education, sports,
music, art, technology and achievements. Since the United States
complains so much about violence in schools I expected also awards
for peace and non-violence but there were none. I am sure that the
children would also love to sing the song Let There Be Peace on Earth
and Let It Begin With Me.
Idea
1674 UNESCO should make a world survey of graduation ceremonies and
recommend changes in them beneficial to all humanity and to the
Earth.
~
Idea 1675 ~
Schools
that practice a United Nations model and are located in the New York
area should hold their graduation ceremonies in the UN General
Assembly Hall. During the beginning of the summer period that hall is
practically empty and could serve that purpose. The children would
never forget it.
~
Idea 1676 ~
I
further propose that UNESCO and the United Nations should give awards
during such graduations to teachers who have taught the children
about the United Nations, world affairs and peace or have organized
United Nations model programs.
~
Idea 1677 ~
I
consider that the creation of a world association of scientists and
thinkers concerned with long-range evolution is one of the most
important things to do at the end of this century. Such a world-wide
association would serve as a guidelight to governments and to all
segments of society regarding their actions, policies and long-term
plans and make sure that they do not contradict the needs of further
human and Earth evolution. This is vitally important. There is no
single world association that would be more important at this stage
of our history. I hope that as an outcome of the Conference organized
by the Club of Budapest in 1999 in Sardinia for such scientists and
thinkers, this association will be created. The preparatory work has
been done by Erika Erdmann and Professor Jean-Claude Léonide
as reported in ideas 526, 1278 and in the Introduction to ideas 1401
to 1500.
~
Idea 1678 ~
The
findings, forecasts and recommendations of such an association would
be a major input into the Ministries of the Future which I recommend
to be created in every government and the Commissions of the Future
to be created in the United Nations and in each of its specialized
agencies and world programs.
~
Idea 1679 ~
We
have become a throw-away, Earth-wasting species. We risk putting an
end to evolution and to all life on this planet, including our own
and preparing an unprecedented disaster for our descendants. When
will we wake up to that sad reality? Recycling is only postponing the
disaster. Non-consumption of unnecessary, non-natural, harmful and
overpackaged products is the answer.
~
Idea 1680 ~
The
industrial revolution which was perceived as a great blessing in
human history might soon turn out to be a great catastrophe leading
to the end of evolution on this planet. When will we wake up to
it?
~
Idea 1681 ~
Outer-space
being:
Why
don't you rename your planet Planet of Garbage? It seems that one of
your main activities is to produce more garbage, dispose of more
garbage, recycle more garbage and throw more garbage away on the
Earth. We see ever more garbage disposal equipment and
advertisements, including this surprising one: recycling a second
time makes it even better. And you call the whole thing industry and
production and include every stage of it into your so-called
"national product" which you would better re-name "natural
waste".
~
Idea 1682 ~
Willy
nilly we must recognize that an outright war is being waged against
the Earth. It is not the fault of anyone except the wrong belief that
the exploitation of Earth resources would be unlimited. Suddenly we
discover that this is not the case. To put an end to this war we need
a science, a strategy and a methodology.
The
science of peace with nature exists already since the 1970's and is
pretty well advanced. Its name is ecology. Regarding a strategy, this
is also beginning. Ecologists must sit down and develop a strategy
from outer space to genetics and the atom passing through all
segments of the planet and of human life. As regards a methodology,
we do not have a systematic one but there are innumerable methods
which are being applied, developed and advocated by many people to
respect nature and to restore it.
~
Idea 1683 ~
It
is henceforth essential to broaden the objectives of all peace
movements on this planet to include also peace with nature, the
biggest war ever on this planet. Peace movements should make it their
priority issue.
~
Idea 1684 ~
If
we had a UN World Transport Agency I would recommend that it adopt a
basic rule that along all the roads of this planet it would be
prohibited to place advertisements, the reason being that the
attention of the drivers might be drawn to the advertisement and
might cause an accident. In addition, it often destroys beautiful
sights of nature.
~
Idea 1685 ~
Yes,
we must absolutely create a UN World Transport Authority. We have an
International Civil Aviation Organization and an International
Maritime Organization but we do not cover all transports. This is
absolutely necessary for a better coordination of all world
transports and to deal with this increasingly important human
activity on this planet. In a World Cabinet for the Earth there is no
doubt that there would be a World Ministry for Transport.
~
Idea 1686 ~
Thirty
years ago I delivered a speech to the Caterpillar company in which I
begged them to slow down their production in order not to unduly
destroy the Earth. After my speech, some members of their Board
commented that I had made a point which should be given serious
consideration. Today, when I see the innumerable caterpillars in
action all over the world I cannot help remembering that speech and
regret that I was not heard. The proportion of unnecessary
caterpilling on this planet must be staggering.
~
Idea 1687 ~
If
I were the UN Secretary General I would request the United Nations
Statistical Office to collect and publish statistics on voluntary
services in the world. I learned in Italy that there are five million
Italians who give voluntary services without payment. The number for
the world would be staggering and probably continues to grow.
Statistics should also be published on private charities and
donations inside countries and international. International private
aid might be more substantial than foreign "aid" by governments paid
from taxpayers' money and often including armaments. This situation
should be reviewed.
~
Idea 1688 ~
Humans
often forget that we are just one life form perhaps the most advanced
and intelligent but that we are now involved in destroying nature and
the Earth of which we are the product. We must wake up urgently to
our true nature in the living kingdom, be respectful for nature and
redefine what we call "intelligence".
~
Idea 1689 ~
If
I were the UN Secretary General I would open a new page in my ways of
operating namely, to have a series of direct communications called
Personal Letters to Heads of States. One of the first would be to ask
them to submit to each General Assembly specific ideas and dreams
they would like to see fulfilled. At the internal governmental level
this would mean that the head of state would want to collect ideas
and dreams. Like Franklin Roosevelt, each head of state would
surround himself with idea men and women or at each cabinet meeting
ask every Minister to come up with concrete ideas for a better world.
What a change in the United Nations this would make!
~
Idea 1690 ~
Each
member government's report on ideas and dreams could be preceded by a
report on ideas and dreams that were fulfilled locally and on all
positive contributions made by that country to a more peaceful,
better world situation.
~
Idea 1691 ~
In
view of the numerous extensive forest fires which took place on the
planet, especially in poor countries during 1998 I recommend that the
United Nations create a rapid, effective, coordinated international
fire-extinction system to save vast areas of forests in unequipped or
insufficiently equipped poor countries. The United States as a
neighbor of Mexico is already giving substantial aid in this respect
but it would be good if this could be done internationally since some
countries are afraid that foreign help could mean in reality a
military occupations.
~
Idea 1692 ~
If
I were the people of the United States I would request my government
not to have any bilateral aid programs anymore to other countries.
Why should a taxpayer pay for that? Aid to other countries should be
international. All governments should cooperate and put the immense
resources and goodwill of this planet together. Then we could produce
miracles at the cheapest price, avoiding the duplications we have
nowadays between 185 nations. World security should be the first item
on such an agenda. There is no need to have 170 armies on this planet
and 34,000 atomic missiles. An inspection team from outer space would
give us grade F in planetary management.
~
Idea 1693 ~
I
recommend the creation of a United Nations International Mother's
Agency (UNIMA) which would foster cooperation between all mothers on
Earth, in particular (a) to allow mothers in rich countries to help
mothers in poor countries, (b) to have the work of mothers at home be
considered as a productive, valuable economic activity instead of
scandalously leaving it out of national income and (c) to get a world
alliance of mothers against the drafting of their sons into military
service and wars that kill the sons of other mothers, (d) to allow
mothers to have a major voice in world affairs. In the Iroquois
culture, it was the mothers who decided upon war.
~
Idea 1694 ~
I
have always been impressed that violence in labor relations has been
practically eliminated since the beginning of this century thanks to
the work of the ILO and that the worse laborers can do is to go on
strike if they are dissatisfied. This miracle should be repeated for
nations. There should be no violence between nations, no armies to
resolve them. All disagreements between them should be resolved by
peaceful means. Humanity should be against violence in all realms of
life. Violence between nations is the first and most important one to
eliminate. No human being on this planet should be forced to become a
murderer in the name of a nation.
~
Idea 1695 ~
If
you want to save nature, our gracious mother Earth and allow for more
descendants to live on this beautiful planet please want less,
consume less and waste less. I have recommended for years that it is
time to create a World Association of People who Want Less, Consume
Less and Waste Less. I stress this recommendation most
urgently.
~
Idea 1696 ~
I
am so happy that the government of Costa Rica has decided that all
families which use less than 400 kilowatts of electricity per pay
period will not have to pay for it at all. This applies to about 40
percent of the population. This could be done by legislation, because
electricity in Costa Rica is produced and sold by a state enterprise.
Which private enterprise would ever take such a decision in the
world? It has also the good effect that an effort will be made by
many households to reduce electrical consumption. The same should
apply to water consumption.
~
Idea 1697 ~
The
new government of Costa Rica should raise in the United Nations the
question: how could this Earth be best administered, managed,
governed? Costa Rica has an entitlement to do that since it has
demilitarized itself, has done enormously for its environment, for
the salvation of its forests and nature and has taken so many great
initiatives in the United Nations. Furthermore, it is the seat of the
first World University for Peace, first International Radio for Peace
and of the Earth Council created by the UN Rio de Janeiro Conference
on the environment. Costa Rica is admired all over the United States.
Many Americans want to come, visit and often live in this model
country, a "place of refuge" or an "island of sanity" as they call
it. Since we have a Club of Rome, a Club of Budapest, we could also
have a Club of Costa Rica which would deal with the question of how
the Earth should best be managed.
~
Idea 1698 ~
I
will recommend that in the Universal Declaration of Human Duties
which will be taken up during the 50th anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights the following duty should be included:
the duty of humans to consume less, to avoid unnecessary consumption,
to want less and waste less in order to save nature and our beautiful
mother Earth. This has to become one of the primary duties of
humanity which is now destroying the Earth and nature by
overpopulation and overconsumption.
During
the war governments asked people to consume less in order to help the
war effort. Since we have now a war against nature, governments of
the overconsuming countries should recommend the same to their
people. The UN should be asked to prepare and publish a survey of
consumption reduction measures taken during World War II in various
countries.
~
Idea 1699 ~
A
World Consumers Agency should be urgently created to protect
consumers who are helpless against the pricing and advertising
practices of producers.
~
Idea 1700 ~
The
cooperation between Ted Daley and Harold Stassen on a new Charter of
the United Nations reminds me of one of the fundamental proposals of
Stassen: that the United Nations should convene each year a
conference of religious leaders and also a conference of philosophy.
The religious conferences would help reduce inter-religious conflicts
and fundamentalism. This reminds me of an omission on page 65 of the
first 500 ideas where I give a timetable of events to the year 2045.
In 1999 I forgot to mention an important event, namely the Third
World Parliament of Religions in South Africa. This was a direct
response of Nobel Prize Winner Bishop Desmond Tutu to my appeal in my
keynote address to the World Parliament in Chicago in 1993 that they
should not wait another hundred years to convene a Third Religious
Parliament but should have one before 2000 to prepare the next
century. Secretary General Kofi Annan plans to convene a meeting of
the world's major religious leaders at the UN in the year
2000.
May
all heads of state and religious leaders meeting in 2000 elevate
their hearts, minds and souls to the rapid making of a peaceful,
happy, just, prosperous human family on a marvelous, well-preserved,
divine planetary home. So help us God and our own nature.
~
Idea 1701 ~
We
are accustomed on this planet to the notion of limits. We have speed
limits on many roads of the planet. Well, that is wise. Why should it
be so impossible to conceive also limits to economic activities and
to their speed? We could have a speed limit to pollution, a speed
limit to the growth of garbage, a speed limit to construction, a
speed limit to the growth of cities, a speed limit to the growth of
population, a speed limit to economic growth, to enrichment, to
endlessly increasing consumption, a prohibition to build skyscrapers
etc.
At
least the notion of sustainable development has been accepted; a
development that can be sustained by the Earth. The Earth has its
limits, the atmosphere has its limits, the soil has its limits, the
water supply has its limits, etc. But I would prefer the words
harmonious relations or development.
~
Idea 1702 ~
I
am dreaming that Costa Rica will become the new Athens of the world,
and bring humanity a philosophy that we have lost. Philosophy means
the love of wisdom. I would like to have Costa Rica give the world a
prestigious, magnificent, all encompassing new
philosophy:
of
peace
of
demilitarization
of
nature
of
love
of
beauty
of
spirituality
of
hope
of
faith
of
forgiveness
of
health
of
happiness
of
cheerfulness
and
of common sense
For
each of these values a science, a strategy and a methodology should
be developed as we do it for peace at the University for
Peace.
~
Idea 1703 ~
How
can anyone on this Earth dream of becoming a millionaire or a
billionaire when you can dream of a life contributing to a peaceful,
better, happier, healthier humanity and a well-preserved, more
beautiful Earth, an entire planet?
The
modern society and leaders should get their dreams
straight.
~
Idea 1704 ~
Looking
at the map of the world I am wondering why great places like Athens,
Rome, Paris, London, etc., which were high points of philosophy and
intelligent leadership have been unable to recover that role? In
reality there is not a single place on Earth that provides today such
leadership. All is economic, financial, business, materialistic,
scientific, far from philosophical, spiritual dealing with the depth
and breadth of the miracle of life and
creation.
The
new place could be Costa Rica, well located between North and South,
between Atlantic and Pacific. It is already a world model of nature
preservation and of demilitarization. Let us make it the country of
wisdom, of philosophy. We have the building blocks for it on Mt.
Rasur with its philosophical benches, meditation places, and
prophecies. Perhaps this is what God wants us to do: start a world
natural philosophical and spiritual Renaissance from Costa Rica, the
seat of the first University for Peace, the first International Radio
for Peace and of the Earth Council on this planet. They might be the
first steps to the proper Earth government for which I plead in these
2000 ideas.
~
Idea 1705 ~
Arnold
Toynbee, the British historian has shown that no empire of the past
has survived, for always the same reasons: non-adaptation to new
evolutionary requirements and the belief that power has the power to
remain in power whatever may happen.
Today
the human species is the biggest power of change on Earth. If it does
not adapt to the laws of nature and the requirements of further
evolution it will die as did the dinosaurs. We are already a good
distance on that road.
~
Idea 1706 ~
A
great thing rich persons can do is to purchase beautiful, natural
land and donate it during their lifetime or as an inheritance to a
local community, a city, a state, a province, a nation or to the
United Nations to be preserved forever in its natural state. A
wonderful example was given by a Costa Rican land owner who donated
to the United Nations thousands of acres of primeval land on which
the United Nations University for Peace was created and all forests
are to be preserved forever in their primeval state.
~
Idea 1707 ~
I
hope that some of my Decide to poems, e.g. Decide to be Happy, Decide
to be Peaceful, Decide to be Spiritual, etc. will become popular
songs.
~
Idea 1708 ~
Regarding
globalization, one could take my World Core Curriculum (see Vol. I)
and envisage the globalization and futurization of every segment of
it. An individual can globalize himself. Families can globalize
themselves. States, provinces, departments, i.e. local levels of
government could globalize themselves by creating world associations
for local communities, states, provinces, etc. It would be of benefit
to them to learn how other subdivisions like theirs are governed,
legislated and administered elsewhere in the world. It would be an
incredibly rich, reciprocal experience.
~
Idea 1709 ~
Henceforth
there will be more advantages for small and medium-size cities not to
continue to grow, to remain livable, to increase their nature and
beauty following the example of famous Santa Barbara in California.
Such cities increasingly attract people who love nature and want to
live away from noise, overcrowding and the pollution of big cities.
The value of their land and dwellings constantly increases. Here is a
typical case where non-development and the reaching of harmony with
nature is becoming one of the greatest values on this
planet.
~
Idea 1710 ~
In
Barbara Gaughen Muller's plan for an Earth government called United
Nature, the sovereignty of nations would be replaced by the
sovereignty of nature for the benefit of the health, happiness and
survival of the human species. What a wise, most timely change in
values!
~
Idea 1711 ~
In
addition to voluntary services dealt with in these 2000 ideas I would
like to propose a World Volunteer Service for elderly persons in
which retired people like doctors could offer their voluntary
services to poor countries or poor areas in their own country. As a
75 year old volunteer one-dollar-a-year chancellor of the University
for Peace I never get sick and I do not feel old. I have no time for
that and I am rewarded with good health and a lot of happiness.
Perhaps this is one of the secret laws of the
universe.
The
United Nations should create a World Peace Service for elderly
persons. Nations should create national ones.
~
Idea 1712 ~
The
United Nations should publish a yearly world report on all prizes,
awards, honors and distinctions given by the United Nations and its
agencies.
Philanthropists
should be encouraged to endow many more world prizes. They would have
a greater effect in inspiring and elevating larger numbers of people
world-wide if they were announced and given in the United
Nations.
The
Secretary General should create or a small Secretariat unit to deal
with the subject of world prizes and distinctions.
~
Idea 1713 ~
Since
World War II we have solved many great human problems as noted in
these 2000 ideas. Until recently there were no Earth problems. Now
they are mushrooming and becoming priority number one. We must
similarly solve henceforth and sometimes with even greater urgency
and speed, Earth problems. This is an entirely new chapter in this
Earth's history.
~
Idea 1714 ~
The
United Nations Environment Program or the United Nations Development
Program should follow the example of the work of the UN in the field
of population and collect laws, regulations and policies limiting
economic growth and reducing production and consumption around the
world. This has not been done so far but is now becoming essential
for further human survival and progress.
~
Idea 1715 ~
All
national constitutions and international charters like the United
Nations Charter must be redrafted in view of the fact that they did
not take the Earth into account at the time when they were drafted
whereas today the Earth has become our priority number
one.
These
constitutions should also take into account the overriding
preoccupation and obligation for peace. Only one constitution, namely
the Japanese Constitution adopted after World War II outlaws war as a
way of solving international problems. This provision should be
adopted by all constitutions on Earth.
Furthermore
there should be included in national constitutions the concept of
global duties and global responsibilities. Most of them were drafted
and adopted at a time when there was no concern about the global
world in its totality and responsibilities toward the Earth and the
whole of humanity. Another chapter should deal with non-rights or
prohibitions, e.g. no nuclear arms and tests, no projects endangering
other countries or the world commons (atmosphere, seas and oceans,
outer-space).
~
Idea 1716 ~
There
exist already two Declarations of Interdependence one written by
Henry Steele Commager, proclaimed in Independence Hall, Philadelphia
on 24 October 1976, United Nations Day, in presence of the Secretary
General and all heads of UN Agencies. The other is by Charlotte
Newsburg of the American Association of Retired Persons. These texts
(and there might be others) should be examined by a United Nations
Committee and a text submitted to the General Assembly of heads of
states in the year 2000 for adoption and universal
proclamation.
~
Idea 1717 ~
We
should have Declarations of Interdependence in a whole series of
fields: a Declaration of Interdependence in the educational field, in
the political field, in the medical field, etc. There should not be a
single field and segment of human concern without a Declaration of
Interdependence and a Code of Ethics. This would definitely enhance
human progress and world-wide
cooperation.
We
should also have a whole series of World Declarations of Cooperation
and Friendship. I could imagine a first great Declaration of
Cooperation between the rich and the poor countries in all fields of
life from development to the environment, from peace to non-violence,
the avoidance of terrorism, etc.
~
Idea 1718 ~
The
United States should get its democracy straight. It is not normal
that 70 percent of US citizens consider that the United Nations do a
good job and a minority of Congresspeople wage a campaign against the
UN and obtain that the US does not pay its legal dues to the
UN!
May
I repeat here the plea I addressed in 1996 to the American people in
the first Volume of these 2000 ideas, after quoting President
Franklin Roosevelt:
May
I reinforce this prayer that the US Congress pursue the American
dream to be the cradle and foundation of a new world order, and
consider a bold, visionary strengthening of US-born United Nations,
instead of letting their minds be poisoned by the thought of letting
the UN die by withholding US financial contributions. The non-joining
by the US of the League of Nations was an invitation to Hitler and
Mussolini to become dictators and provoked World War II. May America
not repeat that mistake, I beg you. See what Europe has achieved by
creating the seeds of World Union. Do even better since you are the
land of dreams. Love and concern of the American people for the world
and humanity find their highest expression in the United Nations. I
pray God to enlighten all Americans to that basic truth. Please
listen to the prayer of one who has suffered greatly during World War
II and was miraculously blessed with survival. I would be happy to
address the US Congress and all Parliaments in the world to plead for
a bold, visionary strengthening of the United Nations and for a
peaceful, better world.
~
Idea 1719 ~
I
think the time has come to create a United Nations Save the Earth
Emergencies Fund.
~
Idea 1720 ~
Short-sightedness,
not non-intelligence is the main default of the world's leaders. Rare
are those indeed who look into the future. And it is in the future
that most of our main problems lie. That short-sightedness
characterizes most of humanity. We rarely think of our death and
afterdeath, neither individually nor collectively. For every thousand
of historians there is barely one futurologist.
~
Idea 1721 ~
We
must make every human being, every tree, all nature, the entire Earth
a temple of God, a temple to the miracle of life, to the greatness of
Creation.
We
must do that for every couple, every family, every home, every place
on Earth. Even a prison can be made a temple of God (see my story,
Happy Even in Prison in What War Taught Me About Peace).
~
Idea 1722 ~
An
outer space team returning from our Earth and reporting to the
Council of Wise Elders of the Universe was asked this question: "Why
did life disappear on planet Earth?"
Answer:
"Humans invented money, which helped them to develop tremendously.
But then it went to their heads and they took money not as a means
but as the purpose of life, and that was their end."
~
Idea 1723 ~
People
who pollute the atmosphere should pay those who provide oxygen to
them. When President Clinton visited Costa Rica he proposed that the
United States might give subsidies of 5000 colones (twenty dollars)
per hectare (two and a half acres) of forests which the owners would
pledge not to destroy.
Later
the new Minister of Natural Resources of Costa Rica informed the
University for Peace that there will be a small additional tax on
gasoline and that the money levied will serve to give a subsidy of
25,000 colones (100 dollars) per hectare to owners of forests who
will not exploit them. As a result the University will receive each
year 24,000 dollars for 240 hectares of protected primeval
forests.
Well,
this is a marvelous new field for ecologists and economists to
cooperate: subsidies for non-development, and non-destruction of
natural resources for the benefit of human life and survival. A new
science or discipline of ecolonomies might finally see the birth.
They could deal with several other recommendations in these 2000
ideas, for instance: no longer any road tolls on this planet. Build
your bridges and roads with money coming from the government budget
or from what people pay for their
gasoline.
Which
University on Earth will be the first to have a Faculty or Department
of Ecolonomies or Ecolonomics?
~
Idea 1724 ~
I'm
very glad that the Earth Council created in Costa Rica by the 1992 UN
Rio de Janeiro Conference will be located on the sacred paradisiac
grounds of the University for Peace. As a result, dealing with peace
and with the entire Earth we can become an important center of the
world, a new Athens.
~
Idea 1725 ~
It
would be important to revise the basic charters and constitutions of
all institutions on Earth: world and international institutions,
regional institutions, national constitutions, universities, basic
charters of corporations, of transport agencies, etc. The Earth
changes so quickly these days that one cannot continue to operate on
basic texts which are twenty, thirty, fifty or a hundred years old. A
new science or discipline should be developed for the updating and
revisions of the basic charters, constitutions and founding texts of
all institutions on Earth. One could consider a new university
department to deal with this subject on a cross-discipline basis to
make sure that up-revisions would take place in all human
disciplines.
~
Idea 1726 ~
I
recommend that more and more world conferences should be held because
there are more and more world subjects that need to be considered. At
each General Assembly the Secretary General should make proposals on
world conferences he considers essential including repeat world
conferences ten or twenty years after the first conference in order
to see where we stand. From the list of these conferences circulated
to all governments, some of them would take the initiative of holding
such a conference on their soil under the auspices of the United
Nations. The results would be submitted to the General Assembly of
all nations.
~
Idea 1727 ~
I
will propose to the UN Secretary General to send an appeal to all
member governments reminding them of the early resolutions of the
United Nations on the return of works of art to the countries of
origin, hoping that there will be a large number of such restitutions
during the year 2000 in order to celebrate the advent of a new age of
humanity on this planet.
~
Idea 1728 ~
I
recommend that the countries which benefited from the US Marshall
Plan should announce in 2000 the creation of a new World Marshall
Plan on a reimbursable basis into which they would put the equivalent
or more of the aid they received after the second World War. That
that aid should go to needy countries in the world who, when they
will be prosperous would in turn repay the money received to be
reused for the needs of other peoples in the world. This would be the
realization of the early idea we had in the United Nations to have a
permanent World Aid Revolving Fund but which was unfortunately turned
down by the western countries.
~
Idea 1729 ~
On
the occasion of this years 50th anniversary of the International
Maritime Organization, governments should ask the UN Secretary
General to produce a comprehensive report on what is being done for
the seas and oceans by various United Nations agencies, in particular
the International Maritime Organization, the Law of the Sea Treaty,
the Sea Tribunal, etc. It would be good after so many years to have a
comprehensive review of the progress made and see if there are any
major gaps missing in the proper management of our seas and oceans
which represent 71 percent of the surface of the Earth.
~
Idea 1730 ~
I
got a soft drink advertisement sign removed from the entrance of the
guardhouse of the University for Peace and decreed that there would
be no commercial advertisements on the land of the University. It is
undignified. So called soft drinks are a catastrophe for the poor
countries where they eliminate natural, local fruit juices. I
recommend that in all natural parks of the planet there should be: no
newspapers for sale, no advertisements, no fast food or western soft
drinks, only natural foods, only natural lawns, no lawns with grass
cut constantly with lawnmowers, many fruit trees from which people
and children can pick the fruits directly when they are still fully
alive.
~
Idea 1731 ~
It
is time that other member nations consider the non-payment of the
contributions of the United States to the United Nations budget as an
additional veto. By not paying as a condition for certain reforms the
United States now is directing by and large the United Nations and
there is no guarantee that they will change this policy because it
seems to succeed. Twice already the Secretary General has introduced
reforms requested by the United States and the result each time was
that the US still did not pay. There might be behind that more than a
dissatisfaction with the procedures and structures of the United
Nations but a total dissatisfaction with the United Nations which is
an obstacle to the US policy of wanting to rule the world. I think
that it is the duty of the rest of the membership of the UN to look
very seriously into this situation to protect their interests and the
interests of humanity and of the Earth. The persistent non-payment of
the US contribution should be placed as an item on the agenda of the
General Assembly for full debate.
~
Idea 1732 ~
Regarding
means to slow down the population explosion, it would be worthwhile
to consider the concept of non-children's allowances and subsidies
for small numbers of children in certain countries. So far we have
lived with the principle of giving children's allowances because we
wanted to have more children on this planet which was sparsely
populated except China and a few Asian countries. This has changed
very dramatically. In developing countries with a high rate of
population growth the Untied Nations, the rich countries and the
local countries should give "small number of children's allowances"
which would be stopped after a given small number of children. The
parents would be incited to look for or be given means of controlling
the result of their lovemaking. The UN should also consider
population policies according to countries and regions that would be
based on bio-regional considerations, namely, what can each country
or region take in numbers of population? A proper Earth government
would certainly have to raise such questions.
~
Idea 1733 ~
When
talking with a colleague about non-children's allowances to stop the
population explosion he even came up with the idea of a Non-birth
World Fund, a United Nations Fund that would give allowances for not
having children or having only a small number of them.
~
Idea 1734 ~
This
opens a new field. So far all subsidies, plans and efforts are toward
growing, more of everything, more sophisticated goods, greater number
of goods, greater purchasing powers, bigger national products,
greater fortunes etc., etc. Perhaps we have entered a new age of
humanity when, in order to save the Earth, we must devise a whole
series of funding, subsidies and incentives for non-activities. Why
not create a World Fund for Slow or Non-development? A first example
is given by the Costa Rican legislation which gives subsidies for the
non-cutting and non-exploitation of forests. There is need for many
similar measures which will benefit and save the Earth and our
descendants.
~
Idea 1735 ~
There
could also be a World Fund for Non-consumption and measures to
promote non-consumption. People could get a tax reduction if they
submit their electricity bills and show that for a family of a given
number of members their electricity bills didn't go beyond a certain
limit, that they have done everything possible to reduce their
electricity consumption. The same thing could be done for water. This
may have been crazy in the past but now we are living in a completely
new world where this is should be considered a new reality, an urgent
reality if we want this planet not to go under.
~
Idea 1736 ~
At
long last and after the pressing efforts of many non-governmental
organizations at the United Nations the question of a direct people's
representation in the United Nations is raised. There will be a
Peoples' Assembly in the year 2000. May it open a new page in United
Nations history and democracy. I will put my full weight behind
it.
~
Idea 1737 ~
I
agree with Filipino economist Sixto Rojas who says that it is not
during the eighteen century that the market economy was invented.
Market economy has existed for millennia. The radical innovation of
the eighteenth and nineteenth century was not market economy but
company economy; gradually the company, an institution organized for
the production of salable products or services, imposes its vertical
coherence thus provoking the disintegration of the past horizontal
coherence of largely autonomous local markets. The word free market
has become an illusion. On the contrary, corporations, money and
wealth rule the world. The consumer is being programmed in
innumerable ways by the big companies. Even governments are
manipulated by them or have become their servants. The question
should be placed on the agenda of the United Nations so that all
countries, cultures and people's organizations can express their
opinion about the existing economic field.
~
Idea 1738 ~
It
is the same with democracy. There is no true world democracy. The
people in the poor countries have no real voice in world affairs. The
big countries with their vetoes are ruling the United Nations and
other countries with their foreign aid. I am glad that UNESCO has
appointed Mr. Boutros Ghali, the former Secretary General of the UN
to look into the whole question of democracy world-wide and that a
first conference is being held in Czechoslovakia on that
subject.
~
Idea 1739 ~
It
would be good on the occasion of the 1999 International Year of the
Elderly to seek the opinions of elderly people on what values have
unnecessarily been lost since their youth, to make proposals for a
better and more peaceful world in the 21st century, and give advice
to the younger generation which will take over. This could be their
contribution to the celebration of the year 2000. The United Nations
should organize such a consultation with the elderly associations
around the world.
~
Idea 1740 ~
Once
during a meeting between American visitors to the University for
Peace and students at the University for Peace an American gentleman
raised the question, how can you afford being demilitarized in Costa
Rica when one of your presidents could be assassinated? A Costa Rican
student answered him: Dear sir, we are demilitarized in Costa Rica
and we never got one of our presidents killed and the United States
has the biggest army on Earth and you've got three presidents
assassinated.
~
Idea 1741 ~
I
recommend that at the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the following major subjects
be taken up:
1.
the legal enforcement and protection of human rights through
national, regional courts and a Universal Court of Human Rights.
Precedent: the Court of Human Rights of the European
Union;
2.
a whole series of new basic human rights outlined in these 2000 ideas
(consult Index);
3.
work towards the adoption of a Universal Declaration of Human Duties
and Responsibilities;
4.
the rights of nature, of all other living species' and life
manifestations on Earth, the adoption of the Charter of
Nature;
5.
taking up the subject of non-rights, e.g. the non-right of
Governments to enlist young people into military service and force
them to kill other human beings; the non-right to spike the Earth,
the seas and oceans, the atmosphere and the heavens with nuclear
arms; the non-right to launch space vessels like the Cassini vessel
with plutonium on board; the non-rights of institutions, e.g. of
giant multinational corporations and big business to act against the
interests of humanity and of the Earth.
~
Idea 1742 ~
From
a speech I made to educators at the Institute for Ethical Leadership
in Vancouver, Canada: "Do not let the children despair about the
world. Tell them it is through their participation, through their
will and action that things will change. If you let them drift and
say that the whole situation is hopeless because of governments,
because of institutions you are not helping children. You have to
tell them it is a matter they will have to take in their own hands,
that it is going to be their world and the securing of peace is a
great challenge. Tell them they will be the peacemakers and good
managers of our global world, of tomorrow, the first generation ever
in human history."
~
Idea 1743 ~
I
call my wife the most perfect earthly manifestation of heavenly
forces. Well, I think that all humans, all creatures on this planet
are that. We are all miracles of the cosmic, heavenly forces of the
universe. Our whole Earth is condensed cosmic energy. The energy of
our food is solar energy which is cosmic energy. How wonderful if we
would tell our children that they are perfect earthly manifestations
of heavenly forces and show them the consequences of that for their
lives, for the lives of all other humans and for the entire
Earth.
~
Idea 1744 ~
Since
the United Nations is no longer supposed to hold world conferences, a
fact that diminishes its value and effectiveness, it would be
advisable to create in the Carnegie Peace Palace in the Hague,
Holland, a World Association of Peoples' Movements and Associations
which would convene world conferences to warn humanity of new global
problems and take necessary action.
~
Idea 1745 ~
On
the occasion of the year 2000 governments and the diplomatic
community should pay attention to the proposals for a better United
Nations offered by Harold Stassen, one of the last living members who
signed the Charter. He sees the UN change from a place where meetings
on political, economic and social issues are held into a creative
center where ideas on religion and philosophy are exchanged for a
better future. Among his proposals are a central cabinet of
administrators, a universal environmental institute, a United Nations
Legion, an inspection corps, a world panel of mediators, a world
board of arbitration, a world court of equity, a world-wide
conference on religions and a research institute of people and
government. His book should be read by every delegate to the UN, by
every head of state before coming to the year 2000 General Assembly,
and in all political science faculties of universities throughout the
world. *
*
It is available at the United Nations Bookshop, published by Learner
Publications. The title, United Nations, a Working Paper for
Restructuring by Harold Stassen.
~
Idea 1746 ~
The
United Nations should keep an honor role of great world
philanthropists and founders of world voluntary people's services.
One of the first on the list should be Henry Dunant, a Swiss
businessman who was so horrified by the unattended wounded at the
Solferino battle that he created the International Red Cross which
has rendered immense services to humanity since
then.
Also
to be honored should be Madame Bouchardeau, the lady who created the
League of Nations Women's Guild which, after World War II led to the
creation of UNICEF and continues to render services around the world
as the United Nations Women's Guild formerly headed by Margarita
Gallo Muller and now headed by Mrs. Kofi Annan, the wife of the
Secretary General .
~
Idea 1747 ~
All
great scientists and visionaries of this planet should sit down and
outline their visions, blueprints, ideas and dreams for a better 21st
century and millennium, a happy, fulfilled human society on a
well-preserved, most beautiful, stabilized, harmonious planet. Their
proposals should be communicated to the Secretary General and to all
heads of states meeting at the Year 2000 UN General
Assembly.
~
Idea 1748 ~
Since
cosmic evolution has made humanity the most knowledgeable species on
this planet, I am sure that the cosmos will not let our species go
under. It will, on the contrary create a wave of new consciousness in
many people around the world as well as eye-opening crises. That will
be the next phase of evolution, namely the ability of our species to
perfectly manage our planetary home, to continue evolution in its
diverse, manifold forms and to achieve the fulfillment and happiness
of all its members and other living species. That is the new page
which is opening. All those who hold contrary beliefs, who think that
wealth and power are the objectives of life, will disappear, the same
way as slavery, as wars, as racial discrimination, as sex
discrimination and all other errors in evolution have disappeared. It
is just not conceivable that the cosmos or God have taken such a pain
to create humans only to let a wealth discrimination and a small
minority of humans destroy the result of millions of years of
evolution. It is not possible.
~
Idea 1749 ~
As
I shared this view with Barbara and told her that there is one woman
on Earth, an evolutionary scientist, Elizabet Sathouris who is
closest to that truth she exclaimed, "But you know, a miracle has
happened. Her new book Walk in Time has been accepted by a major
publisher in San Francisco."
I
remembered how excited I was when she sent me from Greece many years
ago the draft manuscript of her book on the Gaia hypothesis, how I
blessed her for this book. It is she who is at the origin of the Gaia
hypothesis, the name of the nebula Goddess that whirled in the
universe and became the Earth.
~
Idea 1750 ~
A
glimpse into the newspaper garbage: one day at a railroad station on
the Hudson Line, Croton Harmon, where I had to change trains, I had
the curiosity of counting the newspapers at the end of the day which
would no longer be bought. There were 23 copies of the New York Times
each with 50 pages (a total of 1150 pages), 22 copies of the Wall
Street Journal with 74 pages (a total of 1630 pages), 10 Daily News
with 83 pages (total 830 pages) and the New York Post 20 copies of 71
pages (a total of 1420 pages). So in this little station alone there
were at the end of the day 5030 pages of newspapers that would have
to be recycled. Can you imagine what this means in the New York area
alone? And I'm not speaking about the Sunday edition where the New
York Times has hundreds of pages with sections that many people do
not even look at. And all this goes into the gross national product
when it is produced, recycled and reused in other forms. And it is
beginning to be imitated by newspapers in other countries. It just
cannot go on that way. We speak of stopping deforestation. Better
stop buying newspapers.
~
Idea 1751 ~
A
good news is that in many train stations there are now on the
platforms bins for recycling with this appeal: dear people, when you
throw away papers, packages and other discarded materials into us,
please ask yourself the question, could I have avoided buying this in
the first place or bought something less packaged or less damageable
to the environment and natural resources to this planet?
~
Idea 1752 ~
I
hope that in advance of the UN General Assembly 2000 at the heads of
states levels, all 185 chiefs of government will submit their
visions, blueprints, ideas and dreams for a better world, a happy,
fulfilled human society on a well-preserved, most beautiful planet.
The Secretary General of the United Nations should send them each a
personal letter inviting them to do that.
~
Idea 1753 ~
When
I visit a US or western supermarket I just cannot believe the
incredible multiplicity, sophistication and calculated attractiveness
of the endless and often so needless merchandise they offer. To the
concept of sex-appeal we should add that of consummation-appeal. The
exclamation of Socrates when he visited the Athens market comes to my
mind: "Why so many goods? Who needs
them?"
If
he were alive today I would tell him that in the United States today
there are more supermarkets than schools. He would be horrified and
swiftly return to his tomb not to see the rest of the
world.
~
Idea 1754 ~
At
the entrance of a US supermarket I saw this sign: "Enjoy instant
savings." Look out for our savings notices. In my mind I replaced it
by the announcement: Please enjoy instant non-buying. Look out for
things you do not need to buy.
~
Idea 1755 ~
If
I were the government of Costa Rica I would have all official
stationary bear these words:
Costa
Rica, seat of the UN University for
Peace,
of
the International Radio for Peace and of the Earth
Council.
If
I were the President of the United States I would have all official
stationary bear these words:
United
States of America, seat of the United
Nations.
If
Franklin Roosevelt were alive, he would do it.
~
Idea 1756 ~
The
same should be done by every country which has the honor of being the
seat of one of the United Nations specialized agencies or world
programs. For example, Italy the seat of Food Agriculture
Organization, France, the seat of UNESCO, etc.
~
Idea 1757 ~
The
preceding could induce countries which do not have a seat of a United
Nations agency to express the wish of being selected for one.
Whenever a new office or agency is created preference should be given
to a country that has no such seat. A list of them should be
established by the Secretary General and circulated to all member
governments before a decision is taken.
With
time we could have a world government by the world itself, in all its
diversity.
~
Idea 1758 ~
Every
country that has the benefit and honor of being the seat of a United
Nations office or agency should make every effort to be worthy of
that honor. This should become part of the national policy at the
highest level. Each year the president of the country should receive
a report on what was done during the year to honor that agency and
inform the peoples of his country, especially the schools and the
media of its work. This alone would be a contribution to a better
world and give more hope and belief in world cooperation. If I were
the Secretary General of the Untied Nations I would like to receive a
yearly report on what was done by each country having the seat of a
United Nations agency. The report would be communicated to all
governments to enhance greater world cooperation.
~
Idea 1759 ~
Consideration
should even be given to the complaint by Premier Chou En Lai to
Secretary General Waldheim when we visited Beijing that most agencies
of the United Nations are located in the western world and none of
them in the vast continent of Asia. There are places like Geneva
which are overcrowded with United Nations agencies. Consideration
should be given to transferring the seats of some of them to
Asia.
~
Idea 1760 ~
Premier
Chou En Lai also complained that UN conferences and meetings, in
particular of the Security Council, were all held in the western
countries and that it would be normal that the Security Council would
meet once in a while away from headquarters, in Asia in particular. I
would add that the Security Council should meet at the very places of
conflicts or nearby.
~
Idea 1761 ~
An
enormous progress should be made to show United Nations meetings
directly to the world public through television. This would give the
public a better idea of what world problems we have, how difficult
they are to resolve, what the different opinions of member nations
are and how they can be resolved. This is a very important civic
education. I have, in these 2000 ideas, recommended that the two
meeting a year between the Secretary General and all the heads of the
32 specialized agencies under the name of Administrative Committee of
Coordination, which are in reality world cabinet meetings, should be
televised world-wide. World public opinion polls could be conducted
after them.
~
Idea 1762 ~
I
recommend that henceforth there should be yearly national,
continental and world reports showing the surface of non-destroyed
nature and destroyed areas of this planet so that we know where we
go. We have world building and construction statistics. We need also
world nature destruction and conservation statistics.
~
Idea 1763 ~
I
learned from a meeting of experts at the University for Peace on
buffer zones around national parks that the number of national parks
was not increasing in the world. Perhaps new UN statistics should be
published including world, continental, provincial, state, municipal
and private parks. This would give us a better picture whether
natural parks are increasing or not. My belief is that they are
increasing even if national parks do not.
~
Idea 1764 ~
Special
legislation should be adopted regarding private, family natural
parks. Under present French legislation, I could not declare that I
do not want the inheritance of my land to be sold for construction
but should be maintained forever in a natural state. Any heir could
sell it at will. The Costa Rican legislation is better: an
inheritance cannot be sold as long as all heirs have not agreed to
sell. So my land here has a better chance to survive in a natural
state than in France. Also in Costa Rica one can make a will in which
a land one owns can never be sold but any descendant will have the
right to live on it. It is a subject worth to be looked into
world-wide. It could even be a new, fundamental human right to decide
that a land one owns cannot be sold after one's death and that its
nature should be preserved by the heirs.
~
Idea 1765 ~
Yes,
there should be a new concept, protection and legislation of family
parks in addition to municipal, state and national parks. It would be
interesting to develop also the concept of international and world
parks. There exists already a Costa Rican - Panama International
Park. Also the law adopted by the Costa Rican Parliament regarding
the legal status of the land of the UN University for Peace as a
world park is something that should be studied and considered by
other countries.
~
Idea 1766 ~
I
believe that since World War II the concept of neutrality has lost
enormous ground on this planet. It is not conceivable anymore that in
such an interdependent world, any country should have as a permanent
policy to be neutral and to keep out of all involvements. I think
therefore that a country like Switzerland, should revise its policy
of strict neutrality. It would be a great contribution to the year
2000 if Switzerland would decide to give up its principle of
permanent neutrality and become a full member of the United
Nations.
~
Idea 1767 ~
There
is also the question of income and expenses to be considered
regarding the seats of the United Nations offices. The city of Geneva
in Switzerland is the seat of the European Office of the United
Nations and of several of its specialized agencies. This represents a
substantial income for Switzerland which is not even a member of the
UN and hence does not have to pay a contribution. The expenses of the
United Nations and of the permanent missions of the 185 member
nations to the UN in New York would probably show that the US has a
surplus of income over its contributions since 1945 and especially
during the last few years when it did not even pay its dues. Such
information should be assembled and made public every year to keep
the public, parliamentarians and all member nations well
informed.
~
Idea 1768 ~
If
I were Secretary General of the United Nations I would publish a
study of what New York City would lose as income if the Untied
Nations would leave the United States. It would create an uproar in
New York City.
~
Idea 1769 ~
I
will suggest to the Nobel Prizes Committee in Oslow to create a Hall
of Fame of all Nobel Peace Prize winners at the United Nations and at
the UN University for Peace.
~
Idea 1770 ~
I
like the project which began in Canada, Our Planet in Every
Classroom. Thirty thousand posters have been distributed to
classrooms in Canada in the past years showing simply the photograph
of planet Earth. This idea has been also adopted by twenty other
countries including Russia and the United States. The idea is simple,
namely that a photograph of the Earth in the classrooms of the world
helps prepare the next generation of all countries to live together
on a small, endangered planet. The quotation which they use is by
Fred Hoyle the British astronomer in 1948, "Once a photograph of
Earth taken from the outside is available an idea as powerful as any
in history will let lose." I suggested to the people who started this
movement to celebrate the 50th anniversary of that statement in 1998.
The photograph is displayed in all the Robert Muller Schools together
with the inscription: "Our planetary home, our human family, our
place in time and the miracle of individual life." Indeed it would be
good to have a picture of planet Earth displayed in every classroom
on Earth.
~
Idea 1771 ~
A
great hope for humanity is the fact that more and more heads of
states want to be remembered as
peacemakers.
As
a direct aide to three UN Secretaries General I have met many heads
of states at dinners or official functions and I continue to meet
some of them visiting the University for Peace. I always manage to
ask them this question, "Do you think that you could become famous by
conquering another country or winning a war?" And they look at me as
if I was an idiot to ask such a
question.
Then
I put my second question, "Would you like to be remembered as a
peacemaker and receive the Nobel Peace
Prize?"
And
they smile, their face gets illuminated. Well, this is the best proof
that the times of Alexander the Great, of Atilla, of Julius Caesar,
of Napoleon, of Stalin, of Hitler and Mussolini are
gone.
Thanks
be to God.
~
Idea 1772 ~
Perhaps
a similar question could be asked to billionaires, "Do you think that
you will remain famous and be admired in human history for having
become a billionaire?" They might not give an answer or look a little
puzzled. Then you ask them the second question, "Do you think you
would be remembered in human history if with your huge money you
would do something very good for humanity like Henry Dunant who after
the Solferino battle decided to create the International Red Cross to
help wounded soldiers in wars and now also accidented people all over
the world?" And they would probably smile and put it on their mind to
do something similar.
~
Idea 1773 ~
Since
my youth I always had a very useful, popular multi-purpose, red
pocket knife which I still have today in my briefcase and which is
called a Swiss Army Knife. Well, I propose that it should change its
name and be called henceforth a Swiss Peacemakers Knife, as I
do.
~
Idea 1774 ~
At
a US airport I saw a man wearing a T-shirt with this inscription, "My
son is a US Marine."
I
hope that a T-shirt will be produced in Costa Rica and in all other
sixteen demilitarized countries with the inscription, "I will never
be a soldier. I am a citizen of demilitarized Costa
Rica".
More
generally, people should wear T-shirts with uplifting, moral,
spiritual exhortations such as Decide to be peaceful, Decide to be
happy, I am a global citizen, I love peace, I trust in God, etc.
Every person could state his/her belief or dream. People should
refuse free headgears and T-shirts giving free advertisement to
businesses like Coca Cola, or request at least 100 dollars to wear
them.
~
Idea 1775 ~
I
recommend that the International Labour Organization (ILO) should
offer the world a new, unprecedented world employment policy based on
the fundamental changes and new needs and ideals required by our
rapidly evolving society. Thus, military expenses, arms production
and the number of military must be soonest suppressed as being
totally in contradiction with our new needs. These resources must be
shifted to environmental occupations and tasks of which there are
innumerable and very urgent ones world-wide if we want to save this
Earth and its vital elements. The ILO should also exploit the
wonderful employment opportunities offered by voluntary international
and global youth services, as illustrated in Ideas 701, 702 and 703
of Volume II.
~
Idea 1776 ~
Since
the destruction of the Earth' nature and of its life-providing
elements is continuing at a dangerous rate I recommend the
following:
1.
The immediate creation and World Association of Long-term
Evolutionary Scientists which would give the world their evaluation
on where we stand in terms of putting an end to evolution on planet
Earth and what should be done to avert this
course.
2.
The creation by the United Nations of a World Emergency Council to
Save Life on Earth which would propose emergency
measures.
3.
The creation of a World Commission of Eminent Persons to propose a
system of proper Earth government.
~
Idea 1777 ~
Someone
said, "Do not have little dreams. They have no
magic."
I
say, "Have little dreams and big dreams, have local dreams and global
dreams. Together they are artisans of a better world."
~
Idea 1778 ~
The
lack of proper global government of this planet is so dangerous, so
preoccupying that it might help if the name of the United Nations
were changed into United Governments. It would increase the
consciousness of governments of their global
responsibility.
~
Idea 1779 ~
Writers
can have a great influence on the coining of new words. Here is an
illustration.
Franklin
Roosevelt and Winston Churchill met in Washington in December 1941 to
begin to think of what kind of World Organization should be created
after the war. Franklin Roosevelt proposed to create an Associated
Powers. Churchill quoted to him a passage of Byron's Child's Harold
Pilgrimage where United Nations drew the sword to defeat Napoleon in
Waterloo. He proposed and Roosevelt accepted it for the planned
organization.
As
a writer and elder of world affairs, I propose that we must now
create an Earth Government as we enter the next century and
millennium I hope that one or several heads of state like Churchill
and Roosevelt will plan a new world organization for the Earth and
humanity in the 21st century and new millennium.
~
Idea 1780 ~
Why
not create a World Association of Idea and Dream People for a Better
World and Better Humanity?
~
Idea 1781 ~
As
a remedy to the problem of unemployment on this planet why not
consider setting a limit to work. For example, once a person has made
so much money or has reached a sufficient retirement income that
person should leave and enjoy life and leave his or her place to
another human being. What is wrong with doing nothing and enjoy
simply life and nature and be of voluntary service to other people?
This could be the best part of one's life when one has no longer to
work. Let us give further thought to this and make it a new virtue of
the modern society as distinct from earlier times.
~
Idea 1782 ~
The
word retirement should be abolished and be replaced by a new word
like fulfillment age. I have retired from an active profession, from
making a living and have entered the age when I can fulfill my
dreams, do what I always wanted to do: tell stories, write, come up
with ideas and dreams, travel and visit the world, take good care of
nature or just do nothing with increasing enthusiasm.
~
Idea 1783 ~
Whether
big power groups on this planet love it or not, whether they are
opposed to it or want to prevent its growing influence and role in
the world, the United Nation is the first institution in the whole
human history which is in charge of protecting and speaking for the 6
billion people of this planet and for the Earth itself. This is of
incredible importance. The people should remember it and support it
because it is their best guarantee to be heard world-wide. It is the
greatest chance the Earth and humanity ever had. Not even the United
States with all its powers will ever reach the level of vocation of
the United Nations. There should now be a people's representation at
the UN Support the UN by every possible means. Never neglect to do it
despite all the adverse publicity, propaganda and campaigns financed
by the powerful and the rich against it.
~
Idea 1784 ~
I
highly recommend that the principal overriding objective of the
Peoples' Assembly 2000 should be to begin the drafting of a new
Charter for humanity and for the Earth.
~
Idea 1785 ~
After
the three Declarations of Human Duties and Responsibilities
reproduced or mentioned in Ideas 301, 418 and 1214*, I received also
a fourth one from the second United Peoples' Assembly of San
Francisco in June 1998.
I
am glad that the subject is spreading. I pray that there will be soon
Codes of Ethics, professional oaths and Declarations of Duties and
Responsibilities for all professions, human groups, entities and
institutions on planet Earth. Together they would represent an
important new progress in our evolution.
The
fact that a second United Peoples' Assembly was held in San Francisco
to take up the subject of human responsibilities could be a model for
a new world democracy. United Peoples' Assemblies could be held
everywhere in the world and would submit their views, wishes and
recommendations to the Peoples' General Assembly 2000 at the UN and
later to a World United Peoples' Organization to be created. I have
proposed earlier in these 2000 ideas that the Union of International
Associations in Brussels should be transformed into such an
organization and be transferred to the largely empty Carnegie
Peoples' Peace Palace in The Hague. The organization could be made a
specialized agency of the UN.
*There
is also a very valuable Declaration of Responsibilities of the
present generation towards future generations by UNESCO.
~
Idea 1786 ~
I
suggest that the organizers of the Peoples' Assembly 2000 should
collect and publish all the draft world constitutions of the World
Federalists and of other world movements as a background document for
the creation of a new world organization better than the weak,
powerless United Nations.
~
Idea 1787 ~
Can
you imagine what North America would be today if instead of creating
the United States they had kept to the Articles of Confederation? It
would be a great mess on Earth. Each state would have its army, New
York state and California would have nuclear weapons, etc. It would
be unthinkable. Well, this is what we have in the world with 185
sovereign nations. Who are the leaders, who are the great
personalities who will have the courage to stand up as a new George
Washington and create a United States of the World? That is a
fundamental question in all these 2000 ideas.
~
Idea 1788 ~
In
view of the recent primacy of the Earth over human affairs on this
planet I recommend that in the Secretary General's Office of the UN
and in each specialized agency an indigenous elder should be
appointed as a wise man to always remind us that we are a part of the
Earth, how important she is to us and how damageable we can be to
her. These people have still an intimacy with the Earth which we have
lost. They have also an enormous common sense and follow the rule
that for each decision that is made one has to think of the effects
on the seventh generation to come. Almost noone does that in the
western world!
~
Idea 1789 ~
I
am inclined to recommend that the next Secretary General of the
United Nations should be an indigenous person, man or woman. The
world needs to regain common sense and am sure that a Secretary
General of indigenous background would be able to give the world a
guidance, a light and a common sense which most of us western people
have lost.
~
Idea 1790 ~
Every
world conference convened on this planet should include indigenous
people and receive the input of indigenous peoples. Parallel
Indigenous Peoples' Conferences could also be held next to each world
conference.
~
Idea 1791 ~
I
would love it if the indigenous people could take an interest in my
World Core Curriculum derived by a long experience in the United
Nations and in the Robert Muller Schools. It would allow them to
acquire the vast western knowledge without losing their cosmology,
quite the contrary, indeed confirming it as was the case already with
the Panajachell Robert Muller School and the Mayan Cosmology. Yes,
they might see their cosmologies confirmed by the cosmology emerging
from the United Nations.
~
Idea 1792 ~
Reading
my first volume of 500 ideas I came across idea 158 in which I say
that international and bilateral aid should be made inversely
proportional to the expenditures of the receiving countries on
armaments and the military. Premium aid should be given to those who
reduce their armaments and demilitarize themselves. Well, I would go
a step further and recommend that this principle be applied by the
United Nations and all its agencies and world programs. There is no
doubt that demilitarized and disarming countries should receive
premium United Nations aid.
~
Idea 1793 ~
The
United Nations Charter is, very much behind the modern times. If the
present leaders of nations do not revise the Charter future
generations will not forgive them. The year 2000 cannot pass without
a decision to revise the Charter or to write a new one more
commensurate with the current needs of the Earth and of humanity. I
warn you leaders of nations: if you do not do this you will go down
in history with a lot of blemish as dwarfs instead of great men and
women of the year 2000. Young people especially will not forgive you.
They will not understand that their elders did not have the vision
and courage to prepare for them a better world, century and
millennium.
~
Idea 1794 ~
I
just received from Barbara the news that a strong campaign for a new
United Nations Charter has been started in California by a man called
Tod Daley as a project of Community Partners in Los
Angeles.
The
campaign works
-
to build support for global citizenship, planetary
patriotism;
-
to redesign the United Nations to meet global challenges such as
environmental regeneration, human rights enforcement and the
governance of transnational
corporations;
-
to democratize the United Nations to provide a voice in the affairs
of the world beyond the five victors of World War II, including both
developing and non-state actors;
-
to empower the United Nations to protect not just "national
interests" of individual states but the long-term interests of our
common human community.
I
asked Barbara to attend a meeting held on that subject in Los Angeles
and to promise these people my full support.
~
Idea 1795 ~
Barbara
attended the meeting and told me that Harold Stassen, the last living
signer of the United Nations Charter has also become a supporter of
this movement and has communicated to them his own redraft of the UN
Charter published in 1996. Mr. Daley, in his speech proposed among
others the creation of a volunteer United Nations Peacekeeping Force.
This is a wonderful idea because one of the objections of national
parliaments to get involved in the solution of foreign conflicts is
that they do not want to be criticized by their citizens for sending
young people of their country into wars in which they might be killed
for foreign causes. A United Nations Volunteer Peacekeeping Force
would escape such criticism.
~
Idea 1796 ~
Barbara
sent him immediately an excerpt from my first 1500 ideas of all ideas
related to a United Nations Charter reform. This shows the usefulness
of this goldmine of 2000 ideas and dreams.
~
Idea 1797 ~
I
have suggested to Mr. Daley to have someone prepare a collection of
all ideas for Charter reform which were proposed since the adoption
of the Charter and also a survey of proposals which were rejected
during the preparation and finalization of the draft UN Charter
because in the meantime they might have become more appropriate and
acceptable. I will also suggest to him to write to all living former
Secretaries General namely Mr. Waldheim, Mr. Pérez Cuellar and
Mr. Boutros Ghali and ask them what their major recommendations for a
new Charter or Charter reform would be. Scholars could collect for
him the ideas expressed by former Secretaries General Trygve Lie, Dag
Hammarskjöld and U Thant in their memoirs.
~
Idea 1798 ~
The
world received with joy the great news announced by Secretary General
Kofi Annan in a speech in San Paulo that he invited all the leaders
of nations to meet in a summit conference in the year 2000 to review
the last 100 years, the successes, the failures including some
barbaric events and thus make a general overview of the state of the
world on the eve of a new century. I am delighted that he made this
great proposal.
~
Idea 1799 ~
I
will offer my volunteer services to the Secretary General to help him
prepare the Summit Meeting 2000 and in particular to have for the
meeting one of the greatest, most imaginative collections of ideas
for a better world in the entire human history. My 2000 ideas are
only a drop of water. There are thousands of people around the world
who have great ideas and must be heard. It is an occasion to make
this the first, world-wide democratic peoples' consultations on
planet Earth.
~
Idea 1800 ~
Being
a member with Barbara, of the preparation of the 1999 Centennial
Peoples' World Conference in The Hague to commemorate the first
Peoples' Conference on Peace in history in that city in 1899, I will
propose there that ideas for a better world should be one of the main
objectives of the conference and that a full report on such ideas
should be submitted to the Secretary General for distribution to the
Summit Meeting 2000. The first step will be a collection of ideas
which were already formulated at the 1899 conference and later by
some prominent people like Charles Otlet and La Fontaine who drafted
the statutes of the League of Nations, of which a number of important
provisions were not accepted by the signatory members at the time.
These ideas, in particular relating to a people's representation in
the League of Nations should be made known to the summit meeting.
They might have a better chance to be accepted at the beginning of a
new century and millennium.
~
Idea 1801 ~
I
support a hundred percent the proposal of Harold Stassen that the
United Nations should become the supreme philosophical organ of
humanity, the place where philosophy, meaning the love of wisdom, the
wisdom of life, will continue to be worked out through dialogues and
all kinds of means as part of the evolution of the human species and
of this planet. Yes, the United Nations is the meta-biological,
holistic institution of all human phenomena, the central path of
cosmic, terrestrial evolution of all life forms on miraculous planet
Earth.
~
Idea 1802 ~
Barbara,
when she communicated to me the announcement of UN Secretary General
Kofi Annan that he proposed a world summit of heads of states in the
year 2000 to look at the past century and at the future said to me,
"You must continue to write to him because I have the impression that
he listens to you." Yes, I will write to him and offer to help him
prepare this unique event in human history, a meeting which can and
must be a breakthrough towards an infinitely better managed,
well-preserved Earth and happy humanity.
~
Idea 1803 ~
When
the Director General of the Spanish Red Cross visited Costa Rica to
sign an agreement of cooperation with the University for Peace. I
asked him how many young Spaniards served in the Spanish Red Cross
instead of the army. He answered 8000 and that he was in the process
of obtaining legislation that would allow him to send such young
people abroad. I expressed the hope that the International Red Cross
will publish yearly information on how many young people in the world
can serve in the Red Cross instead of an army.
~
Idea 1804 ~
I
hope that a philanthropist will send as a gift the four volumes of my
2000 ideas to all 185 heads of state who will participate in the
summit conference 2000. They might find in them ideas that they would
like to implement for a better world. The total cost would only be
14,800 dollars. This should not be too much for one of the 400
billionaires of this planet who would get the credit for doing
it.
~
Idea 1805 ~
Consideration
should be given to electing a Secretary General of the United Nations
for only one term and not be re-eligible. I say this because it is a
wonderful top position in the world and the man or woman who is
elected might really dream to be re-elected and in order to achieve
that might be careful not to hurt any of the five permanent members
of the Security Council who will take the decision. We need a
Secretary General who has the audacity to speak up even at the risk
of displeasing one, several or all five permanent members of the
Security Council. He is the Secretary General of the Charter of the
United Nations which starts with the words, "We the Peoples".
Therefore he is the Secretary General and servant of the people and
not of the permanent members of the Security Council. Knowing that
there is no chance for re-election, he or she will work for the
progress of humanity and for the reputation and fame left behind in
world history. In peace matters it is as in war matters: there is no
chance of becoming famous if one lacks audacity.
~
Idea 1806 ~
Rather
than moving towards catastrophes in the 21st century as is the
predominant view these days, I am convinced that we are entering one
of the most incredible periods of all evolution, a period of
tremendous success and fulfillment of the human species as a major
factor of evolution on this particular planet in the universe. It
will rest on the change from a period of competition which had its
great value, to an age of intensive, of working together: between
individuals, between man and woman, cooperation in a family, in a
community, between all human communities, all institutions, all
religions and last but not least, cooperation with nature, with our
Earth and beyond that with the universe, with the cosmos. An age of
cooperation with the cosmic energies of the universe will be the
miracle of the 21st century. We have every reason to believe we can
make it the greatest century ever in the evolution of this planet.
This is what the universe has in mind for us, we who are its most
advanced, evolutionary species.
~
Idea 1807 ~
The
preceding evokes in me three personal remembrances: the fact that
Buckminster Fuller, the genius of engineering considered his body to
be a perfect cosmic unit not allowing any malfunctioning through
smoking or taking alcohol. Pablo Casals who considered life and each
human being to be a miracle. And U Thant who often said to me,
"Robert, I do not understand you western people who confine
spirituality to an hour in church on Sunday. For me, all my life is
spirituality from morning when I wake up to evening when I go to
rest." Yes, here are three persons who knew how to cooperate with the
universe and to contribute to a new, exalting period of evolution on
this planet.
~
Idea 1808 ~
In
its simplest form, the preceding means that humanity will now enter
in an age when the most incredible fulfillment's of human life and
harmonies with nature and creation can materialize. Our minds are not
audacious enough to understand it yet. But we will see undreamt
miracles on this planet. It will produce its own very special results
as did all earlier periods of human history despite our mistakes and
disbeliefs. We are now doing unnecessary harm to nature and to the
Earth itself, but this will be overcome as were all our errors in the
past.
~
Idea 1809 ~
The
older I get and the more I have lived an entire adult life in the
United Nations and in the first world peace university of this planet
the more I become optimistic about the human fate. My optimism has
become incredible. If I could hear me when I was age eighteen I would
hear: this old man is crazy. You will not even be alive at the age of
seventy-five. You will not live in a demilitarized country. You will
never be the Chancellor of a University for Peace. You will not write
fifteen books, and have any successes in your life. At the age of
seventy-five you will not gain the love and cooperation of one of the
most beautiful women on Earth, eighteen years younger than you. And
yet, how did it all happen? It did, because I kept my dreams alive
and dreams are the greatest force on Earth.
~
Idea 1810 ~
On
the way to Boston to create and inaugurate a World Commission on
Spirituality during the 20th World Congress of Philosophy, the idea
came to me that we also need a World Commission on a New World
Philosophy. The United Nations and UNESCO should convene a World
Conference on a New Philosophy for the 21st Century. In the revised
United Nations Charter prepared by Harold Stassen the United Nations
would become the world's central organ of philosophy. How right he
is. I share fully his view after my many years of work in the United
Nations.
~
Idea 1811 ~
The
Secretary General of the UN wants the Summit Meetings of Heads of
State in 2000 to look into the last 100 years and what good and also
barbaric things we did during that century. I feel that the future
should be even more important. In Idea 356 I suggested that the UN
should write an Inventory of Hopes for the 21st century and 3rd
millennium and that all nations and social groups and entities should
do the same. What an elevation of the human journey this would be!
Yes, let us publish a United Nations and many other Inventories of
Hope during the year 2000.
~
Idea 1812 ~
The
Earth Council created by the Rio de Janeiro Conference in Costa Rica
could implement idea 381 in which Carolyn Hawkins, a co-worker of
these 2000 ideas suggested that a world children's contest for the
design of stamps should be organized. The contest could be called
Love the Earth Stamps. The best designs by children would be
recompensed and issued during the year 2000 by the Untied Nations
postal service.
~
Idea 1813 ~
The
21st century will be a century of spirituality, philosophy and ethics
or there will be no 21st century.
~
Idea 1814 ~
In
idea 399 I mentioned that there is a House of Freedom in the United
States which surveys and ranks all nations according to the freedoms
they uphold or deny. I would like to see more such houses created in
the world for other great human ideals and concepts: a World House of
Peace which would rank nations according to their peace, a World
House of Justice, a World House of Cooperation, a World House of
Understanding, a World House of Forgiveness, a World House of Beauty,
a World House of Love, a World House of Faith, a World House of
Optimism, and so forth to cover all the great philosophical concepts
which have helped humanity to survive, to progress and to always look
towards better times in our long journey on this particular planet in
the vast universe.
~
Idea 1815 ~
During
the entire year 2000 the facade of the UN building should be lit
every night with the number 2000, leaving lights on in certain
windows as was done for the fortieth and fiftieth anniversaries of
the UN.
~
Idea 1816 ~
On
1 January, the world will celebrate One Day in Peace all around the
planet. I was given the honor of being appointed the honorary
Chairman of that campaign, in fulfillment of my dream
2000:
I
dream...
That
on 1 January 2000
The
whole world will stand still
In
prayer, awe and gratitude
For
our beautiful, heavenly Earth
And
for the miracle of human life...
I
hope that there will be a world-wide CNN coverage of the celebration
on 1 January 2000, without a single bad news of a war, conflict,
violence, scandal, or accident, a CNN ONE DAY OF PEACE.
~
Idea 1817~
I
suggest the creation of forest cemeteries, areas where people would
be buried under a cover of trees which would be nourished by their
remains. They would thus live again in another life form, in a tree
receiving the cosmic energy from the sun. My wife Barbara suggested
to the people of Kansas City, who created a Heartforest near the
airport as a symbol of their being the heart of America that they
should plant more rows of trees with that purpose. It would be a good
feeling for the departed to be buried in a heart forest, to continue
to be nourished by cosmic solar energy and to be reborn in other life
forms.
~
Idea 1818 ~
I
am surprised that US cigarette companies do not apply for the United
Nations population prize. Why? Because through their intensive
advertisements in the poor countries they provoke lung cancer which
kill many people, especially young people who are highly
reproductive. As a result they help alleviate the world population
problem! I am astonished that no advertising firm has suggested it to
them.
~
Idea 1819 ~
One
of my secret dreams and wishes is that these 2000 Ideas for a Better
World I will start a whole world-wide literature and movement of
ideas and dreams for a better world. It would be marvelous if every
human being would formulate and network his/her ideas. It can be done
so easily now with Internet and other means of communications. Please
read "Decide to Network" in Volume I.
~
Idea 1820 ~
All
governments should follow the example of Sweden and impose "green
taxes". Taxes on sulphur dioxide emissions resulted in a 20 percent
reduction of acid rain in Sweden between 1989 and 1995. The tax on
chemical fertilizers has led to an estimated 10 percent reduction in
their use.
~
Idea 1821 ~
My
insistence in these 2000 ideas that overconsumption is as much, if
not a greater danger than the population explosion will be remembered
when my following prophecy will come true: within ten years
governments will enforce laws requiring people to consume less. It
will finally be realized that what is happening on this planet is a
global, world war against nature. Governments don't want to recognize
it today because they continue to believe in the illusion of endless
economic growth, enrichment and power. But they will remember that
during the first and second world war, people were asked to reduce
their consumption because of the war effort. It will be the same
situation once they recognize that there is an all out , possibly
terminal war against the Earth.
~
Idea 1822 ~
Extra-terrestrials
would express many puzzlements at the way we do things on this
planet. Here is one:
How
come that you want a world-wide free movement of goods and
merchandise with no obstacles whatsoever and you do not let people
move and settle where they want? Are goods and merchandise more
important than people? We didn't know that there existed an inhabited
planet in the universe which was so wrong in its
judgments.
~
Idea 1823 ~
I
woke up one day with an idea which hit me very strongly: namely, why
is there a law of constantly wanting to be bigger if you are big? Why
do big cities have big projects? Because they are big, they have lots
of financial resources or they have institutions that have been
created for a big project and then do not bring in money anymore so
that new big projects have to be invented to bring in money.
Practically all governments on this planet are in big cities. The big
fairs have to be in big cities. The municipalities of all cities ask
themselves and their boards what new big projects they can undertake.
Nowadays, big conferences, are the way of getting bigger. You cannot
have a world conference in nature. You need transport facilities,
airports, hotels, etc. The bigger you get the bigger your
infra-structure and the bigger the new projects you have to invent.
Well, many world conferences should be held in the middle of nature
to be reminded of the laws of nature. There should be a world
conference on "Why bigness?" It should deal with billionaires as well
as with big powers and big, giant corporations. All this runs against
the planet This Earth, from a governmental, political, economic point
of view has become unrunnable. We have to re-think from scratch
bigness and smallness, the proper size of things. This should be an
important item on the world agenda.
~
Idea 1824 ~
Perhaps
we need a World Peoples' Movement against Bigness, the bigness of
governments, of corporations, of our houses, of our collections of
goods which we really do not need, and go back to smallness and
simple and frugal lives not to destroy this planet. Bigness is one of
the major forms of destruction of this planet. It is not done on
purpose. It is a wrong human law which developed over time and whose
time is over. We cannot go on with values, beliefs and admiration for
things which had their time and now destroy our planetary home. We
should study them as historic curiosities. We should build museums
for them but reject them as our ways of life.
~
Idea 1825 ~
There
was a man called Schumacher who became famous by launching the idea
that small is beautiful. There exists a Schumacher Institute in
England. I would add to it the motto: simple and frugal life is also
beautiful, perhaps the most beautiful.
~
Idea 1826 ~
I
highly recommend the urgent creation of a World Commission on Simple
and Frugal Living and the creation of a World Commission of a New
Philosophy for Our Survival and Future Evolution in the 21st Century
and Third Millennium.
~
Idea 1827 ~
The
most important duty and responsibility of every human being,
especially those of the rich countries, is towards the preservation
and salvation of the Earth. We should think of that every day of our
life.
~
Idea 1828 ~
Ideas
might not have a chance of succeeding but they have the merit of
raising fundamental questions regarding our current behaviors,
institutions and philosophy. Once the question is raised and a
discussion and examination takes place nobody really knows what the
end result will be.
This
is perhaps why new ideas are considered dangerous except if they are
of benefit to those in power, to big corporations and institutions.
We are possibly in a period of evolution when fundamental questions
are not raised because existing powers and institutions do not want
them to be raised. As a consequence we might perish. It is the role
of visionaries, prophets, audacious personalities and dreamers to
shake up this dangerous situation by raising fundamental questions
and ideas.
~
Idea 1829 ~
The
idea of a World Peoples' Assembly 2000 took a long time to germinate
but it is now in the world limelight. Its mere proposal to be held
has aroused a whole series of new, revolutionary ideas. For the first
time also it challenges the non-democratic world in which we live and
will provoke a discussion, review, re-defining and restructuring of
democracy at all levels of human society from the top of the world
down to the local communities. The people will come to realize that
democracy does not function the way they would like it to function
and to be organized. The Peoples' Assembly 2000 will open a big, long
overdue world-wide popular debate.
~
Idea 1830 ~
Millions
of ideas float among humans on this planet, most of them if not all,
dealing with one particular segment of the human society or one of
the five thousand religions or one of the thousands of corporations
or one of the twenty-eight thousand international associations.
Perhaps my 2000 ideas have one merit, namely they are all aimed at
only two subjects: a better Earth and a better humanity. This is due
to the fact that I worked all my life for the world and
humanity.
~
Idea 1831 ~
The
League of Nations statutes were drafted in New York by two Belgian's,
Mr. Otlet and La Fontaine who had been brought over to the United
States by Andrew Carnegie during the first World War to draft a world
institution that could prevent war on the planet. They conceived the
League of Nations to consist of governmental representatives of all
nations, representatives of the people and several specialized
agencies like the Universal Postal Union, the International
Telecommunications Union which existed already in the 19th century
and the International Labour Organization born in 1919 with
tripartite representation of governments, employers and employees. A
peoples' representation was turned down by governments. People
received no representation. They were represented by their
governments. Someone should bring forth the exact proposals of how
the people were to be represented in the League of Nations. It would
be a very important background document for the People's Assembly in
the year 2000. So would be the debates on the question of people's
representation when the United Nations Charter was born. A little
compromise was made at that time for people's representation through
non-governmental organizations accredited with the UN Economic and
Social Council. They were permitted to follow the meetings and submit
papers to that Council on economic and social matters but not on
political affairs. The question of peoples' representation at the UN
will be an important issue of the People's Assembly 2000.
~
Idea 1832 ~
Dear
readers, if you wish to do something good for the Earth and humanity
on a world-wide scale please write to the Union of International
Association, 40 Rue Washington, Brussels, Belgium and ask them for a
list of International Associations existing in your field of interest
with their addresses. You can then write to those which attract you,
become a member either of the international association or of one of
the affiliated associations in your country or if there is none, take
the initiative of creating one.
~
Idea 1833 ~
I
recommend that the Union of International Associations in Brussels
should publish a general subject index of the international
associations registered with them (more than 28,000) and offer it for
sale to the public.
The
public can then order excerpts from the UIA's yearbook on those
associations in which they are interested.
~
Idea 1834 ~
I
recommend that the Interparliamentary Union publish excerpts from all
national Constitutions dealing with the electoral procedures,
conditions, and mandates of parliamentary elections. These rules
should be made uniform for all nations. It would greatly help the
political functioning of this planet.
~
Idea 1835 ~
The
time is ripe to think of means of action in the year 2001 to keep the
momentum of the year 2000 going. One of the first tasks of the UN
would be to evaluate the results obtained in the year 2000 from all
the activities, celebrations and conferences that took place. The UN
should also begin to keep track and publish information on the
activities scheduled in 2001.
~
Idea 1836 ~
I
suggest that all governments and the United Nations should conduct
public opinion polls and ask the people for their ideas on existing
problems and the attainment of a better and happier world. A World
Public Opinion UN Agency could organize this world-wide. What a
tremendous new world democracy this would mean!
~
Idea 1837 ~
There
is one fundamental problem to be solved on this planet: how should we
humans govern properly this Earth for its preservation and for the
continuation of human life on it. All the rest is
secondary.
Please,
dear readers, pray for the attainment of this next higher level of
our human evolution.
Please
pray for the elevation of national leaders to world
leaders.
Please
pray for the elevation of all religious leaders to global, spiritual
leaders.
Please
pray for the elevation of all educators to global
educators.
Prayers
can lead to miracles. Pray God and all the saints in heaven to help
us.
~
Idea 1838 ~
On
our farm in Costa Rica there is no garbage pickup available. We solve
our problems as follows:
Everything
that the Earth recycles herself like vegetable peelings, food wastes,
etc. is put into a compost and yields after a time excellent black,
highly fertile soil.
We
listen to the news on the radio and do not buy any newspapers and
magazines.
We
refuse most packaging when we buy
products.
Waste
to be burned is burned in an outdoors stove and the ashes are used to
fertilize flower bushes and vegetables.
Most
metal cans are collected by school children. Other items which cannot
be burned are thrown into an open ditch which is covered with earth
when it is full.
We
have an outhouse inherited from ancient times which has a most
magnificent view of nature.
Result:
garbage produced almost nil. Public garbage collection:
nil.
~
Idea 1839 ~
When
we are in our apartment in Dobbs Ferry in the Hudson Valley in the US
my wife Barbara, during the winter puts into the flower boxes on the
balcony all food waste or vegetable refuses and covers them with
ground. In the spring she has a good black, fertile soil to plant
flowers.
~
Idea 1840 ~
My
recommendation that elders of wisdom and peasants with common sense
be appointed in the councils of world affairs, national affairs and
big businesses was born from this remark of Albert Einstein: "The
world will not evolve past its current state of crisis by using the
same thinking that created the situation."
~
Idea 1841 ~
The
only thing necessary for this planet and humanity to go to economic,
ecological, evolutionary catastrophe is for people, especially
leaders, visionaries, thinkers and spiritual people to do nothing, to
give up hope and consider that it is impossible.
~
Idea 1842 ~
The
most colossal, gigantic problem humanity faces today on this planet
is the incredible amount and complexity of the knowledge it has
acquired. We are lost and bewildered in that knowledge. The main
values that are offered to us are those which are spread by the
tenants of power and wealth. The situation seems almost hopeless to
emerge from. And yet it is possible, even wonderfully
possible.
I
have learned from my many years at the United Nations that the
totality of this knowledge makes very good sense and can be presented
in a very simple form:
1.
Our knowledge of the universe from the infinitely large to the
infinitely small with our total knowledge of our planetary home in
the middle.
2.
Our total knowledge of our human family, from the total human
population and its natural classifications down to the family, and
all humans groupings and institutions.
3.
Our knowledge of the place in time of all the
above
4.
Our knowledge of the miracle of individual human
life
physical
mental
affective
moral
spiritual
This
holistic knowledge acquired by humanity gives the individual the
sense of being part of the entire universe and eternity, of feeling
as a cosmic unit, a very important, active part in the evolution of
the totality. If one looks at our problems classified according to
this framework there is no longer confusion. Everything is at its
place. Everything can be understood as a part of the totality and all
of it appears miraculous, especially human life. If we educate the
children of this planet on the basis of this curriculum they will
find their right place in the universe and in time. They have the
necessary diverse talents to make a valid contribution and be
recompensed by happiness. This is the immense hope I have derived
from my experience in the Untied Nations reflected in the following
table.
See
Framework for A World Core Curriculum found in the table of contents
on the main page.
~
Idea 1843 ~
There
is a second rule of proceeding which we must follow, the one adopted
by Napoleon, a general, who did not like long reports and big books
and theories but who wanted a synopsis, a visual presentation of the
objective. This is what we must do. We must visualize the future we
want. I try to do this in these 2000 ideas, namely show almost
visually how great and beautiful the results can be. Once on the
basis of an analytical situation you make a synopsis you do not have
to write innumerable pages. You put it into a dream, into an idea,
into a vision, into a prophecy, as all religious leaders and
indigenous people have done for time immemorial. This is why the year
2000 should five us the vision of a peaceful, better, well-preserved
Earth and a happy, fulfilled humanity.
~
Idea 1844 ~
The
same way as a man is attracted by a beautiful woman and a woman is
attracted by a handsome man we are attracted by a beautiful world.
The more beautiful and peaceful we make this planet, the more people
will be attracted to it and will feel happiness by being in union
with it, by contributing to its beauty, feeling the immense
satisfaction of having done something that is right, that is of
service to the Earth and to humanity.
Beauty
and love are the two most important feelings of a right objective
wanted by evolution and no longer, power, money and competition. When
we recognize beauty we know that we do the right thing and we are
recompensed by happiness. This is how evolution works. Without the
beauty and love of male and female there would be no reproduction,
without the love of mothers for their children we would not have
children , without love for a beautiful Earth and a happy humanity
there would be no progress.
The
same is true of the great concepts of peace, generosity, kindness,
forgiveness, gratitude, compassion, happiness. All these concepts
form what the Greeks called philosophy, the love of wisdom. This is
what the philosophy of the 21st century must be, not the continued
drive and competition for wealth and power. We are entering a great
new age of evolution, the age of peace, love, beauty, cooperation and
philosophy.
~
Idea 1845 ~
In
his last public statement in 1955 Albert Einstein said, "We appeal as
human beings to human beings. Remember your humanity and forget the
rest."
This
is a very profound statement. In my last public statement I would
say: "Remember this beautiful Earth is a paradise and each human
being is a miracle." Love of humans for humaneness and for this
beautiful Earth must be the agenda of the next stage of our
evolution. Next will be to reach a total union with the universe and
the eternal stream of time and do what is expected from us by God, by
the Great Spirit, by evolution, by the universe, or whatever you wish
to call it.
~
Idea 1846 ~
In
Idea 1290 I recommend the creation of a World Court of Human Rights.
In addition I recommend the creation of a World Court of Human Duties
and Responsibilities and a real legal authority for the International
Court of Justice to condemn non-permissible acts of nations, what I
call non-rights, a third great new page to be opened in the field of
human rights.
~
Idea 1847 ~
I
hope that in all regional efforts to create regional unions of
states, consideration will be given to the creation of Regional
Courts of Human Rights. Since the United States is the great champion
of human rights, it should call for creation of an All-American Court
of Human Rights which would guarantee the human rights of all the
peoples of the Americas from northern Alaska to Tierra del
Fuego?
~
Idea 1848 ~
It
is not conceivable that evolution which has created so many miracles
on this planet including the human species would let us remain unable
to manage in an orderly, harmonious and renewable fashion the nature
and resources of this planet. We will receive the necessary signs,
warnings and crises to do the right things and will be astonished by
our future successes. The 21st century will be the greatest in human
history.
~
Idea 1849 ~
There
are already two groups of people in the United States who are
gathering and publishing wonderful collections of statements for the
21st century:
Invocations
for a New Millennium by Elias Amidon and Elizabeth Roberts in
Boulder, Colorado:
Voices
on the Threshold of Tomorrow by George Feierstein and Trisha Lamb
Feierstein.
Both
kindly published my Dream 2000 in their
texts.
What
is still very much needed is an institution, group or movement who
would collect, solicit and publish very concrete ideas, proposals,
plans, dreams and prophecies for a better 21st century and 3rd
millennium.
I
have done my best in these 2000 ideas but many more are needed from
all around the world so that things will at long last really change
for the better in a new, incredibly progressive quantum jumps of
humanity into the 21st century and 3rd millennium.
~
Idea 1850 ~
Handgun
Control, Inc. a Citizens Campaign Against Community Gun Trafficking
1225 Eye Street, NW, Room 1100, Washington DC 20005-3991, has this
text in large letters on its mail
envelopes:
In
New York you'll find
517
McDonalds
3099
Licensed Gun Dealers
And
you thought you were safe from
Handgun
violence in New York?
~
Idea 1851 ~
There
is a project to make of the Presidio in San Francisco a second world
center for the United Nations on the US West Coast I suggested to the
sponsors that they could also consider making it a center the Pacific
Community. Earlier in these 2000 ideas I have expressed the view that
we should go beyond what the military have done with NATO, with
SEACOM and other regional military alliances. We should create peace
and cooperative alliances of all the riparian countries of the seas
and oceans of this planet: a PACOM, Pacific Community, a NACOM, North
Atlantic Community, a SEACOM, South East Asia Community, a MEDCOM,
Mediterranean Community. This could be the basis for a new world
community tomorrow. The military themselves could consider
transforming their military regional alliances into peace
communities, because soon they will not have anything to do anymore
in an increasingly peaceful world.
~
Idea 1852 ~
The
special United Nations General Assembly held in 1998 five years after
the Rio de Janeiro Conference to review what progress had been made
on the environment noted a notorious failure in the implementation of
the Rio decisions by governments. In view of this, I recommend that
the proposal of the European Parliament to see an International
Environmental Court created by the United Nations be placed on the
agenda of the General Assembly 2000 at the heads of states
level.
~
Idea 1853 ~
The
recommendation of the European Parliament to see a World Environment
Agency created by the UN of which the European Environment Agency
would be a regional branch should also be considered by of the UN
General Assembly. All other continents of the Earth should create
their own Regional Environment Agencies which would similarly become
regional branches of the World Environment Agency.
~
Idea 1854 ~
The
fundamental wrongness, the dead alleys, the uneconomics, the
disparities, the discrepancies, the crass injustices, the
mismanagement, the monstrous wastes and duplications created by the
current economic and national political systems of handling human and
Earth affairs are such that I recommend the urgent establishment of a
UN World Committee to Save the Earth and
Humanity.
Its
first task would be to establish the list of fundamental
wrongnesses.
The
second list would be the irreparable damages committed right under
our eyes to the Earth and to normal, healthy human
lives.
A
third list would cover the even worse, crazier plans, ideas and
projects on the mind of certain people and nations such as genetic
engineering, the Cassini Project, the US Outer Space Nuclear Space
Command for immediate retaliation on any place on Earth if something
happens that is not to the liking to the United States, and there are
many others.
~
Idea 1855 ~
Gary
Davis, is a US pilot whom I saw camping at the Bridge of Kehl between
France and Germany in Strasbourg in 1948 refusing to show a passport
because he considered himself a world citizen, dismayed as he was for
having bombed German cities in World War II. I proposed to his World
Citizens Foundation to create a world-wide alliance of all
organizations, associations, and citizen's movements which are in
favor of world government. And since world government has been
downgraded by a systematic campaign of extreme right parties claiming
that it would lead to dictatorship, I recommend to use the words
proper Earth government. I also proposed that there should be an
honor roll of world personalities who throughout history have
recommended world government and global citizenship. He sent me the
following impressive list which should be widely
known:
Advocates
of World Government/World Citizenship
The
following prominent individuals have advocated world government
and/or world citizenship in their writings or
speeches:
Jane
Adams
Mortimer
Adler
John
Anderson
Percy
Barbevik
Stringfellow
Barr
Pierre
Bergé
Lord
Beveridge
Ernest
Bevin
Sir
Adrian Boult
Claude
Bourdet
Chester
Bowles
Lord
Boyd-Orr
Heather
Brandon
André
Breton
Gro
Harlan Bruntland
Albert
Camus
Brock
Chisholm
Grenville
Clark
Sen.
Joseph Clark
Norman
Cousins
Alan
Cranston
Walter
Cronkite
Dante
Justice
William Douglas
Katherine
Dunham
Albert
Einstein
Erasmus
Clifton
Fadiman
Douglas
Fairbanks Jr.
Thomas
Finletter
Charles
Frankel
Benjamin
Franklin
John
Kenneth Galbraith
Mahatma
Gandhi
André
Gide
Mikhail
Gorbachev
Mike
Gravel
Hugo
Grotius
Oscar
Hammerstein
Václav
Havel
Edouard
Herriot
Arthur
Holcombe
Robert
Hutchins
Immanuel
Kant
Adm.
Gene LaRoque
Georgia
Lloyd
Lola
Maverick Lloyd
Thomas
Mann
Marcel
Marceau
Lord
Menuhin
Akio
Morita
Edgar
A. Mowrer
Lewis
Mumford
Robert
Muller
Jawaharlal
Nehru
Paul
Newman
Robert
Oppenheimer
Tom
Paine
Ronald
Reagan
Walther
Reuther
Emery
Reves
Owen
Roberts
Elliot
Roosevelt
Franklin
Roosevelt
Joseph
Rotblat
Bertrand
Russell
Andrei
Sakharov
Kory
Sanford
Jean-Paul
Sartre
Robert
Schuman
Rosita
Schwimmer
Louis
Sohn
Harold
Stassen
John
Steinbeck
Gloria
Steinem
Patrick
Stewart
Strobe
Talbott
Lord
Tennyson
Hans
Thirring
Arnold
Toynbee
Henry
Usborne
Peter
Ustinov
Carl
Van Doren
Mark
Van Doren
George
Wald
H.G.
Wells
E.B.
White
Harris
Wofford
Joanne
Woodward
Richard
Wright
Wendell
Willkie
~
Idea 1856 ~
"Looking
at nature from our terrace on sacred Mount Rasur in Costa Rica I see
nature as the model for the world, a United Nature where all humans
and other species live and strive like nature. We need a United
Nature Government where all species are honored and respected."
Barbara Gaughen Muller
~
Idea 1857 ~
It
would be providential if the United Nations would convene early in
the 21st century a World Conference on Proper Earth Government
preceded by a World Public Opinion Poll on such government. The
conference would be preceded by regional conferences to obtain on
each continent the people's views and ideas. I pray that the UN
General Assembly 2000 at the heads of states level will take that
decision.
~
Idea 1858 ~
World
alliances should be created and world conferences convened on the
great philosophical concepts which helped humanity to survive, to
have faith and to progress over the eons of time of our evolution on
this particular planet in the universe, concepts such as hope, love,
happiness, faith, optimism, gratitude, forgiveness, charity,
compassion, philanthropy, gaiaphilly, repentance, cooperation, etc. I
plead also for the creation of World Universities on all these
concepts. The example of the University for Peace in demilitarized
Costa Rica should be followed by the creation of universities of
happiness, hope, faith, cooperation etc.
~
Idea 1859 ~
"The
sense of wonder is our sixth sense and it is the natural." J. H.
Lawrence
Yes,
because nature, our Earth, our life and the whole universe are
incredible wonders. Wonder has been a permanent part of my being
during all my life. In my elderly years it has reached its maximum.
This is why I offer so many ideas and dreams for a better
world.
Please
dear reader, have a sense of wonder for your magical, divine life and
for all the miracles that surround you. Express your wildest dreams,
ideas and visions for a still better world which is meant to be by
evolution, and by God.
~
Idea 1860 ~
The
time is long overdue for governments and the United Nations to look
into the problem of advertisement. The rich companies of the rich
countries are flooding the poor countries with their advertisements
for which they pay little in these countries, while the poor
countries cannot afford any advertisements in the rich countries. One
can see western cigarette advertisements bigger than a house in
cities and on highways of the poor countries. Advertisement of
smoking should be prohibited world-wide. The UN should convene a
world conference on advertisement and marketing. The World Health
Organization should take up the subject of smoking and alcohol
advertisement.
~
Idea 1861 ~
The
UN Secretary General should inform each year member governments which
world conferences he considers important for the fate and future of
the Earth and humanity. He should ask which government would like to
sponsor one or more of these conferences to be held under the
auspices of the United Nations and with the cooperation of the United
Nations specialized agencies and world programs.
~
Idea 1862 ~
I
recommend that a United Nations Inter-agency Committee on World
Conferences be established to which each UN main department,
specialized agency and world program would submit recommendations on
which world conferences they consider urgent and important for the
fate of the Earth and humanity.
~
Idea 1863 ~
Become
and Earth Trustee
The
Actions That Can Do The Most For You And Your
Planet
by
John McConnell, founder of Earth Day
The
first view of Earth from Space inspired the idea of Earth Day. "We
set out to explore Space and discovered Earth." From this came the
idea that we should all think and act as Trustees of
Earth.
Presaging
the future on March 20, 1998, outriders of Planet Earth celebrated
Earth Day in Space. At the Mir Space Station there was a brief
ceremony that included the special moment when the Peace Bell at the
United Nations was rung as Spring began (2:55 p.m. in New York).
Astronauts, Cosmonauts and people on Earth joined at that time in a
brief dedication to be responsible trustees of
Earth.
The
Earth Trustee idea appeals to people of every creed and culture. It
is very simple and powerful. All that is needed is for every
individual and institution to think and act as a trustee of Earth,
seeking in their own way to, "Make choices in ecology, economics and
ethics that will eliminate pollution, poverty and violence, awaken
the wonder of life and nurture people and
planet."
We
can now halt the awful record of history with its injustice, wars and
violence. Napoleon once said, "Imagination rules the world." Internet
opens new opportunities to capture the imagination of the world with
solutions that can appeal to all. Projects and efforts that are
achieving Earth Trustee goals can be posted and verified by experts
on the web.
Let
every person who receives this message decide to be an Earth Trustee.
Follow this with Earth Trustee commitment and action personally and
in any group you belong to. Forward this to a few friends and suggest
they do the same. Let's circle the world now with positive Earth
Trustee visions that can save and rejuvenate our planet.
~
Idea 1864 ~
It
is now quite possible even probable that capitalism, the second
economic political system born from the 19th century Industrial
Revolution will soon collapse and give up the same way as did
communism. Both were born at a time of a relatively small world
population in the midst of quasi-unexploited world resources and in a
hyper-nationalistic political system. Communism failed in its effort
at globalization. Capitalism did wonders for a time. Both with their
fundamentalism didn't pay attention to evolution and to the potential
and actual destruction they were inflicting upon the Earth and social
justice. Public service, public institutions, public enterprises,
public entities and government from the local to the regional to the
world level have been decried and put on the defensive while they
should be the highest, most sacred Earth-conscious and
peoples'-conscious services. If this is allowed to continue it will
lead to great disaster on this planet.
This
is why I recommend so stubbornly a complete re-assessment of the
current political and economic systems, two of the twenty-one major
segments of human aims, activities and institutions on this Earth
needing total re-appraisal.
The
Proper Management of our Earth must be the priority item on the
agenda of the Summit UN General Assembly of Heads of States in the
year 2000. May God and the people's of this world hear me.
~
Ideas 1865 to 1872 ~
The
Summit UN General Assembly in the year 2000 should be the most
incredible, unprecedented world meeting ever held in the entire human
history. All heads of states should begin to prepare it right now. I
propose therefore:
1865
each head of state should appoint a national preparatory committee to
assess the world situation, the successes achieved and the dreams,
ideals and plans still to be fulfilled for a better
world.
1866
the UN Secretary General and all heads of the 32 specialized agencies
and world programs of the UN should do the
same.
1867
the heads of all regional organizations of this planet should do the
same.
1868
the heads of all major business corporations should do the
same.
1869
the leaders of all major world religions should do the
same.
1870
the leaders of all major labor organizations should do the
same.
1871
all prominent intellectuals, visionaries, scientists, philosophers,
furturologists, evolutionary experts and sages should do the
same.
1872
all people's movements and international associations should do the
same for the World Peoples' Assembly
2000.
The
tasks of this unprecedented, ominous world-wide assessment, thinking,
planning and dreaming for the Earth' and humanity's future are so
vast and mind-boggling that I recommend it to be an on-going
instrument for quite some time perhaps even a permanent new
millennium method of proper human and Earth government. Since the
heads of state have to return to administer their nations, I
recommend that they should all appoint a deputy head of state who
would be permanently stationed in New York to continue the work of
the Summit Assembly 2000 until it is accomplished.
~
Idea 1873 ~
Pope
John Paul II should participate in the Summit Meeting 2000 and call
for a world-wide spiritual Renaissance and a universal, spiritual
civilization in the 21st century and 3rd millennium. He should
announce at it the sainthood of Robert Schuman, the father of the
European Union and should ask for nominations of more political
saints.
~
Idea 1874 ~
I
pray the UN Secretary General to make arrangements that my four
volumes of 2000 Ideas for the Year 2000 and its index be communicated
to all heads of state as a goldmine of ideas to bring about a better
world and happy humanity. They should be published as United Nations
documents and translated into the working languages of the UN. I
would not request a single penny of author's rights. The volumes are
the children of my fifty years of experience in the United Nations
and a gift of gratitude for all I owe to that wonderful organization
which made me a knowledgeable, passionate, global, citizen of the
Earth and humanity.
~
Idea 1875 ~
I
recommend that for the Summit Meeting of Heads of States in 2000 each
member government prepare a list of ideas they have proposed in the
UN since its foundation or since their membership in the
organization. The ideas should be listed in four
categories.
1.
Ideas implemented
2.
Ideas partly implemented
3.
Ideas which did not obtain agreement
4.
New ideas for the 21st century
The
same should be done by member governments for all the UN specialized
agencies, by past Presidents of the UN General Assembly, by past
Secretary Generals, past heads of UN specialized agencies and present
ones, by retired and active world servants of the UN and of its
agencies and finally by all the non-governmental organizations
accredited to the United Nations and to the specialized
agencies.
What
a maelstrom of ideas and dreams for a better world that would
represent! It could change the fate of the Earth and assure our
future evolution.
~
Idea 1876 ~
During
the year 2000 there should also be a record of the betrayals by
government of the great people who wrote the UN Charter and whose
ideas were not implemented.
Highest
on the list would be non-compliance by the five permanent members of
the Security Council to establish a Military Staff Committee at the
Chiefs of Army level to design a world security system and then
proceed to the disarmament of the planet. This was never done, not
even tried.
Instead
of that we have today 34,000 nuclear missiles around the world, NATO
and SEACOM and an Outer Space Strategic Command of the United States
equipped with nuclear plutonium to intervene instantaneously on any
spot of Earth if it is in the interest of the United
States!
~
Idea 1877 ~
Every
head of state should write philosophical thoughts which can be quoted
in the world as coming from an eminent personality with great
responsibilities. Today of the 185 heads of states I see only one
quoted in many writings, magazines and non-governmental
organizations, namely Václav Havel, the President of the Czech
Republic. They are very profound. They are heart lifting. Here is a
statesman who is also a philosopher and who will be remembered in
history while others will not.
Among
the Secretaries General of the UN, the one who has left the
profoundest thoughts is Dag Hammarskjöld. His Markings will
remain for ever a classic of world
literature.
I
recommend that every responsible person on Earth, of any institution,
of every walk of life, especially fathers and mothers and
grandparents should leave behind philosophical (wisdom) thoughts
about the meaning of life and give advice to their descendants. As a
result they will never be forgotten.
~
Idea 1878 ~
A
popular radio station in Costa Rica, ECHO, plays at six o'clock in
the morning the Ave Maria of Gounod and at six-thirty the Ode to Joy
of Beethoven. This is a wonderful way of starting the day. It made me
regret that I was unable to obtain that the Ode to Joy by Beethoven
be adopted as the hymn of the United Nations. The latter was composed
by Pablo Casals which never reached great popularity. I propose that
the Ode to Joy, with the beautiful words of Schiller on human
brotherhood translated into many languages, should become the Ode of
the Third Millennium and that many radio stations should begin the
day by playing it.
~
Idea 1879 ~
The
best of my 2000 ideas was to marry Barbara Gaughen who was the person
who suggested to me to write them. But there were many other very
lovely reasons for falling in love, marrying her and being inspired
by her.
~
Idea 1880 ~
I
met a remarkable American lady, Mrs. Mary Morrissey who created an
Association for Global New Thought in Chicago, Illinois. I told her
that we needed not only new thoughts but also new visions, new
dreams, new ideas, new loves, new values, new actions, new behaviors,
new policies, new laws and new institutions. We will meet to discus
these proposals.
~
Idea 1881 ~
The
real capital of this Earth is not money, capital, shares, stock
markets and banks. its real capital is the air, the water, the soils,
the animals, the plants, the tree covers, the weather, the climate
and the rays of the sun we receive. We better remember this as the
Bible, Koran, Upanishads of the 21st century and 3rd
millennium.
~
Idea 1882 ~
After
the industrial revolution we are now entering the natural revolution.
Capitalism should more appropriately be called kaputalism from the
German word kaput, destroyed because it is on the way of destroying
the Earth.
~
Idea 1883 ~
There
are in my view only two persons on Earth who have a world-wide
visibility and a deep faith in their destiny which is to change the
course of this planet and avoid its destruction. They are from the
two main ideologies born in the last century and the two biggest
powers on Earth, the United States and Russia. I have in mind Mr.
Gorbachev and Ted Turner. They should get together, offer the world
their concrete ideas and become the new George Washington and Robert
Schuman of the world by offering a bold new plan for the next
century.
To
both I have written and sent my paper on the Absolute Urgent Need for
Proper Earth Government (see Introduction to Ideas 1501 to 2000). I
am glad that Ted Turner is thinking of becoming a candidate for
President of the United States.
~
Idea 1884 ~
The
old generations never believed that peace was possible on this
planet.
Youth
believes it today and therefore peace will now be
possible.
I
hope that the first World Conference of Youth Ministers in Portugal
will produce a comprehensive list of the beliefs of youth. These
could be:
-
there will never be any more world and international wars on this
planet
-
religious and ethnic wars will also vanish in the 21st
century
-
violence will be substantially reduced on this planet in the years to
come
-
we will see the birth of a proper Earth government in the 21st
century
-
a decent well-being will be assured to all humans on
Earth
-
the world population will soon be
stabilized
-
people will live more frugal, simple and happy lives, and our
miraculous Earth will be respected, preserved and beautified to an
incredible degree
-
humanity will see a spiritual Renaissance and transcend itself into a
spiritual union with the universe and
time
-
we will live in harmony and cooperation with the Earth, with each
other, with the past and the future and with the
heavens
-
alcohol, drugs and smoking will disappear from this
planet
-
our planet will be demilitarized and denuclearized; its security will
be assured by a proper world central security
system.
-
we will make it the most fabulous century of human history, the
ultimate success of evolution, of the universe and God, the
attainment of paradise to Earth
~
Idea 1885 ~
Numerous
foundations are being created on this planet. I personally would
create "Unfoundations" to review from scratch the foundations of all
existing institutions and disciplines and reform them into new ones
responsive to the needs of further human progress and
evolution.
E.g.
an Unfoundation to revise the current political system of the world
and create at long last a world union.
E.g.
an Unfoundation to reform the current educational systems and create
a new global, world, cosmic, spiritual
education.
E.g.
an Unfoundation to revise from scratch the media of this planet and
transform them into real global, Earth and one humanity media, etc.
(do the same for all other 21 segments listed at the end of Ideas
1900).
~
Idea 1886 ~
A
few years ago at a conference held at Lake Mohonk, a Quaker Retreat
in the Hudson Valley, I read and copied this beautiful
text:
"A
Declaration from the Harmless and Innocent People of
God,
called
Quakers, to Charles the Second (1660)
We
utterly deny all outward wars and strife, and fightings with outward
weapons, for any end, or any pretense whatever; this is our testimony
to the whole world. The spirit of Christ by which we are guided is
not changeable, so as to command us from a thing as evil and again to
move unto it; and we certainly know and testify to the world, that
the spirit of Christ, which leads us into all Truths, will never move
us to fight and war against any man with outward weapons, neither for
the Kingdom of Christ nor for the kingdoms of this
world."
It
is after reading this text that I wrote for the first time the new
fundamental human right for all humans on this planet "not to kill
and not to be killed, not in the name of a nation or a religion nor
anyone else."
~
Idea 1887 ~
We
have now a world-wide economy.
And
why not:
a
world-wide government
a
world-wide humanity
a
world-wide spirituality
a
world-wide philosophy
a
world-wide justice
a
world-wide cherished, well-cared, magnificent earthly
home
etc.
while
keeping our incredible, cherishable, precious diversity?
~
Idea 1888 ~
What
an incredible planet in the universe this will be when we will be one
human family living in justice, peace, love and harmony with our
divine Earth, with each other and with the heavens.
~
Idea 1889 ~
One
thing humanity must learn according to my observations in the last
fifty years at the UN is the fact that we cannot let a period of
twenty to thirty years elapse until a major new global phenomenon is
acted upon by governments. This was the case of the population
crisis, the environment crisis, the climate crisis, the aging crisis
and now the governance crisis of the planet. We cannot loose twenty
to thirty years each time. The reaction must be much faster and less
time lost in excuses that it should not be done, that everything will
be fine. If this continues, we will soon be in terminal
trouble.
~
Idea 1890 ~
To
a professor of environment from a Canadian University I said that one
of my recommendations was that no student of economics should be
allowed to enter that field without having studied first ecology.
Before you change your home, the planet, you should know your home,
the planet. He said that this has been solved, that he was teaching,
Economic Ecology. I would prefer Ecological Economics or
Ecolonomics.
~
Idea 1891 ~
One
of my main reasons for hope is that God or evolution can not have
taken all the pains to create this marvelous Earth with its
incredible diversity of life to let the most advanced of all species,
humanity destroy it. It just cannot be. Humanity will now discover
that the end purpose of God or evolution was not to make money and
flood ourselves with material possessions but to take good care of
this marvelous, miraculous Earth and of its further evolution. We
have entered a new era of this perhaps unique living planet in the
universe. The quicker all people see this, the less damage will be
done to life and to the Earth itself.
~
Idea 1892 ~
In
the declarations of duties and responsibilities which are now coming
strongly to the fore in the United Nations there should be the
fundamental duty of every nation not to undertake anything that might
endanger populations outside of their own territories. The most
glaring example is the launching by the United States of the Cassini
Space Capsule with eighty pounds of plutonium on board as a source of
energy, return to the Earth, twirl around it in order to accelerate
its speed and be able to reach more distant areas of the universe. If
there is an accident, millions of people will die on this planet from
nuclear radiations, many of them outside the United States. I
strongly support the people's request to the President of the United
States that the capsule should be redirected into the sun which would
absorb it.
~
Idea 1893 ~
The
UN Human Rights Commission should begin to establish a novel list of
Universal "No Rights". One would be that no nation has the right to
undertake activities putting in danger populations of other nations
or the basic elements of life on which all humans depend. The Cassini
Space adventure would be one of the first typical examples of "No
Rights". But there are many others. After rights, responsibilities,
no-rights should become the third great area of action of the United
Nations.
~
Idea 1894 ~
Closely
linked to the preceding is the question of nuclear testing and
nuclear arms and stockpiles. To have nuclear arms and to make nuclear
tests should be placed on the same list of "No Rights". Nations can
assure their security by a Central World Security System as is
foreseen in the Charter. They have no rights to endanger neighbors
and the entire Earth with nuclear tests and missiles.
~
Idea 1895 ~
One
of the greatest obstacles to a better world is the built in pride,
stubbornness and power obsession of institutions. A nation is never
wrong. A religion is never wrong. A private firm is never wrong. One
could count on one's fingers the nations, religions and firms which
have acknowledged that they did something wrong. Has Germany asked
forgiveness from the Jewish people? Has the US asked forgiveness for
Hiroshima and for Viet Nam? Have manufacturers of land mines asked
forgiveness for the killing of so many innocent
people?
The
United Nations Secretary General was therefore right when he asked
for a convening in the year 2000 of all heads of states to review the
last one hundred years including some barbaric actions committed
during that period.
I
pray that in 2000 many governments will acknowledge their barbaric
actions, ask for forgiveness and offer some repair or compensation,
for example to forgive the debts of the harmed countries.
~
Idea 1896 ~
Another
subject which should be raised at the beginning of a new century and
millennium is to challenge a political, economic and social system
which gives particular value to those who are in power and makes the
ordinary, humble people admire them. There are endless examples. One
should tell people not to admire undeservedly such and such people or
such and such countries. For example, no one on Earth should admire
the United States for launching the Cassini outer space craft at the
risk of millions of people on this planet. No one should admire
countries which posses nuclear arms or are armed up to their teeth.
No one should admire multi-millionaires and billionaires. Nobody
should admire big, enormous, powerful companies for having that
power. Noone should admire militaries. We should turn our back on
them because they are people who are ready to kill. We should
remember the definition of the military by Tolstoy reproduced in idea
1284. Noone should admire big cities like New York, Bombay, Chicago,
San Francisco, Los Angeles and so many others which have lost most of
their oxygen. Noone should admire people who have mansions far beyond
their needs, filled with endless amounts of things. Noone should
admire families who have children whose rooms are filled with toys.
Noone should admire people who have two or three automobiles or
yatchs. Noone should admire people who have private airplanes, and so
on and so forth. This might perhaps bring about a better world.
Governments are paying huge sums to make foreign countries admire
them. The United States is the best example. In every poor country
there is only one wish of the people, it is to be admitted as an
immigrant to the United States because they admire the United States
as a paradise. Everything that comes from the US is by definition
admirable and is presented as such by the public relations of the
American Embassies and corporations. And then they complain about
illegal immigrants!
~
Idea 1897 ~
Since
the end of the last century, starting with the first World Peoples'
Peace Conference in 1899 in the Hague, the phenomenon of world
conferences has reached an incredible degree of influence, affluence
and breadth of coverage for the further progress and journey of
humanity on planet Earth. This new fundamental, global social
phenomenon must be very thoroughly used and studied by humanity, as
we enter the next century. Such stock-taking is essential in the
general review of the world situation and of our further evolution in
the next century and millennium. It is a very vital new social,
anthropological, evolutionary phenomenon.
~
Idea 1898 ~
To
forgive all or most foreign debts during the Jubilee year 2000, to
poor countries, would be a classical means of pumpriming the world
economy, especially now that the world economy begins to be in
crisis. I am surprised that the classical economists of our time do
not think of it. It would simply be a new Marshall Plan: no
interests, no reimbursements, except voluntarily some time in the
future, preferably to a world revolving aid fund (see Idea 435 in
Volume I).
~
Idea 1899 ~
With
the creation of the United Religions Organization, the holding of a
regular World Parliament of Religions and many other new means of
inter-religious cooperation we are at long last emerging from our
past religious chaos and conflict and on the verge of a world
spiritual Renaissance around the common spirituality of all religions
while maintaining their precious
diversity.
This
will be of immense help to our 21st century evolution, giving again
spirituality a first place in human affairs. It concerns one of the
21 basic segments of human life which I consider to be in need of
reconsideration and rethinking from scratch,
namely:
-
a spiritual Renaissance and inter-religious cooperation (see Volume
I, Idea 538 and the following idea.
~
Idea 1900 ~
"The
world will not evolve past its current state of
crisis
by
using the same thinking that created the
situation."
Einstein
What
will happen when there will come a world economic crisis? Well, the
smart economists of the dying American dream of endless economic
development will resort to the old means of pumpriming thousands of
billions of dollars into the world economy, including this time to
poor countries, in order to stimulate consumption, i.e. production
and employment. And the result will be a world ecological disaster, a
quicker death of our nature, and of the
Earth.
Why
not hold urgently a world economic conference to rethink the whole
obsolete economic and monetary system? Europe is creating a European
currency. Why not create a world currency? The world conditions have
changed so fundamentally with the population explosion, the
consumption explosion, the destruction of nature, the climate
changes, the disruption of the normal functioning of our planet, that
I constantly return to my request that we must rethink from scratch
the 21 fundamental segments of human life listed in Ideas 527 to 547
of Volume I.
Let
us therefore convene urgently the following 21 world conferences on
these subjects:
a
new political system for planet Earth
a
new economics
a
new education
a
new media and communications
a
new democracy
a
new global leadership
a
spiritual Renaissance and inter-religious
cooperation
a
non-violent human society
a
well-preserved planet
a
decent well-being for all humans
a
stabilization of the world population
right
human settlements on the planet
the
disarmament, demilitarization, denuclearization and global security
of the planet
a
new science and technology
a
new anthropology, sociology and new ways of
life
a
new human biology
a
new philosophy, cosmology and long-term view of
evolution
a
new world ethics and justice
a
new world psychology
a
new science and art of planetary
management
an
art and culture Renaissance
~
Idea 1901 ~
It
is a rare privilege for humanity to stand on the eve of a new
millennium. It provides a unique opportunity to measure the road
covered and to chart the road ahead.
On
the eve of the year 1000 humans feared the end of the world. Pest and
cholera were sweeping over Europe. The people took refuge in churches
waiting for the moment of the Apocalypse. But nothing happened and
the people expressed their gratitude to God by building
cathedrals.
Today
we have our scares too: the scare of an atomic holocaust, the threat
of possible deterioration of our planet's environment and climate to
the point that it might become unlivable. This is therefore a time
for reflection, for stock-taking, confession, forgiveness, foresight,
rededication and an evolutionary vision of the
future.
It
would be criminal to enter the third millennium with
business-as-usual. We must absolutely use the year 2000 to undertake
an unprecedented, comprehensive evaluation of our journey on this
planet, of our progress, our mistakes and foolishness, of our
failures and growing pains, and of our hopes, dreams and ideals of
the future.
We
must hold an extraordinary world-wide celebration of life in the year
2000, preceded by unprecedented thinking, action and determination to
solve our remaining problems in order to enter the Third Millennium
with a clean slate.
The
United Nations, the world's global organization, is at the center of
this celebration. It stimulates and coordinates numerous world-wide
activities in preparation of the celebration and events during the
celebration. The UN will hold a Millennium General Assembly at the
heads of states level accompanied by a Peoples' General Assembly
2000.
Several
governments have created national commissions for the year 2000, to
coordinate national activities and events. Religions, professions,
institutions, media, businesses, local authorities, citizens
organizations, the arts, and last but not least individuals and
families are active in the preparation and advent of a better,
peaceful third millennium.
For
the first time in history we can enter a new millennium with our eyes
wide open, with all the basic information available about our planet
and human condition, with a host of proposals, ideas and visions for
our further successful evolution on this perhaps unique life endowed
planet in the universe.
The
1st of January 2000 has already been declared One Day in Peace and
the entire year 2000 International Year for a Culture of Peace and
International Year of Thanksgiving. I hope that the 1st of January
will also be declared World Day of Love to be celebrated every year.
On that day there should be innumerable manifestations of love for
peace, for all our human brothers and sisters, for our miraculous
nature and for everything that is good in the heavens and on
Earth.
~
Idea 1902 ~
Delegates
to the UN should use more often the word love in their speeches which
are too political, too intellectual. Former Secretary General U Thant
regretted that he seldom heard the word spirituality in UN meetings.
I regret that I seldom hear the word love. Every UN delegate speaking
should have before him a "heart stick" as the indigenous people have
to remind them that they should speak from the heart. I use such a
stick.
~
Idea 1903 ~
When
will we see at long last on this planet the first Ministry of Peace,
Love and Non-violence? Its founder would find a whole agenda and a
host of ideas in these four volumes of 2000 ideas. The computerized
index would produce them automatically. The first leader on Earth who
had the courage to create a Ministry of Peace was a general,
President Eisenhower, after World War II. Harold Stassen, one of the
signers of the United Nations Charter was the US Secretary of Peace.
The ministry was later abolished when the cold war came. It would be
interesting to return to the files and see how this ministry was
organized. Mr. Harold Stassen is still alive. I will write to him and
see if he could send us documentation on it.
~
Idea 1904 ~
I
recommend that a totally new world organization should be considered
for our Earth and humanity, a World Organization of Evolution into
which the United Nations could be incorporated.
This
organization
would listen to evolutionary scientists who look at evolution in its
multiplicity of forms from the smallest bacteria to the evolution of
humankind within the basic elements of the planet, its airs, its
water, its climate etc. and who have a long-term view of what the
future evolution of this planet is likely to be. This is
indispensable because henceforth everything on this planet has to be
seen in terms of a long-term future evolution . Our species is now in
charge of the Earth's future evolution. If we stick to obsolete
values we will put an end to it. If we adopt new values, new
objectives, visions, institutions, and laws, evolution will continue.
This is henceforth problem number one on this planet. Everything else
has to abide to it.
~
Idea 1905 ~
The
New World Organization of Evolution would issue yearly reports on the
state of evolution of our planet, review the prospects of the future
and recommend corrective actions, including emergency measures and
world laws.
~
Idea 1906 ~
The
most important single step that could help save the Earth and
humanity would be to create in each government a Ministry of the
Future and in the United Nations and in each of its agencies a
Department and Commission of the Future. It would be the first step
towards the creation of a World Organization of Evolution. It is good
that the European Union had the vision to create a position of
Commissioner for the Future. May this good example be followed by
many institutions around the world, public and private.
~
Idea 1907 ~
When
one considers the vital importance of the future evolution of this
planet and of humanity, it would be also important to create a World
University of Evolution and the Future, or at least Faculties of
Evolution and the Future in all Universities.
~
Idea 1908 ~
When
rethinking from scratch the 21 basic segments of human life listed in
ideas 527 to 547 in Volume II and in the Introduction to this volume,
one of the principal thinking processes and foresight should deal
with the future of each segment.
~
Idea 1909 ~
When
Barbara and I got married, people called us the Cosmic Couple. We
took it as a nice nickname and compliment. But we would have never
expected that two years later we would be the prophetic couple of a
new age in humanity's journey on planet Earth: the age of cosmic
consciousness, evolution and
spirituality.
Thirty
years ago I was already called the prophet of a new global age and
the father of global education. It is good after such fatherhoods to
be now also the co-worker with the feminine, the next new age of
humanity in the 21st century, the cosmic, spiritual age.
~
Idea 1910 ~
The
UN Summit General Assembly 2000 at the heads of states level should
be a unique, unprecedented World Peace Assembly, aimed at settling
once and for all the few stubbornly persisting ancient international
conflicts prevailing on Earth (especially the Middle East, Cyprus and
Kashmir). All mediations, negotiations, behind the scenes efforts of
heads of states during 1999 should be aimed at that goal. It would be
the greatest anniversary gift to humanity of all
times.
The
Assembly should then decide the holding of a World Conference on
Violence (see idea 5 in Volume I) which would deal with all other
remaining forms of violence on this planet and formulate a world
strategy of ways and means to eliminate them.
~
Idea 1911 ~
The
poor countries when accused by the rich ones of their overpopulation,
one of the main adverse factors in our future evolution, should
retort:
You
caused it because no one asked you to come and save our children from
early death. Smart as you claim to be you could have told us that it
was no longer necessary to have six children to have at least two
left to till the land and take care of our old age. You could also
have offered us a world old age security system or opened your
borders to allow the immigration of our surplus youth to your own
countries.
Yes,
when will we see the first world-wide old age security system on this
planet? It could be done by a proper Earth government with the
savings from military expenditures which would no longer be necessary
if we had a central world security system as is foreseen in the
Charter of the United Nations.
~
Idea 1912 ~
The
creation by the Rio de Janeiro Conference of an Earth Council is a
great step ahead in human history. One of its first tasks is to draft
an Earth Charter. An admirable text of that Charter is now in
circulation among Non-governmental organizations for their comments.
It opens a completely new chapter of world charters. We also need a
charter for the seas and oceans, a charter for outer space, for the
air and atmosphere, for the world's waters, for the mountain areas,
for arid zones, for the world's forestry covers, for the world's
vegetation, for other species, for human settlements, etc. A vast new
field of human philosophy, behavior and future evolution has been
opened: the fundamental rights of the Earth.
~
Idea 1913 ~
Similarly
the three existing Draft Declarations of Human Responsibilities which
are mentioned in these 2000 ideas have opened a completely new
chapter too because I can see the rapid emergence of requests and
work on declarations of human responsibilities and
duties:
Toward
the Earth as a whole
Toward
the seas and oceans
Toward
outer space
Toward
the air and atmosphere
Toward
the waters of the Earth
Toward
its forest covers
Toward
vegetation
Toward
other species
Toward
human settlements, etc.
Toward
evolution, etc.
And
another great chapter will be opened by my recommendation in Idea
1892 that there should be Declarations of No-rights, the rights not
to do harm and unnecessary damages to people and to the
Earth.
~
Idea 1914 ~
The
Director of the Robert Muller School in Buenos Aires, Mrs. Gabriella
Roncoroni Christeller, claims that existing human rights are
incomplete and will remain inefficient until humanity recognizes the
first and foremost human right of each individual to be transcended
by a new education to our total planetary home, to the total human
family, to the universe, to the heavens and to our role and
fulfillment in the eternal stream of time. In her view, the World
Core Curriculum provides for such an education and should be applied
in all schools of the world.
~
Idea 1915 ~
We
have on this Earth a top level of institutions dealing with the world
and humanity as a whole, a host of economic organizations like the
United Nations Economic and Social Council, the International Bank,
the Regional Economic Commissions, the International Monetary Fund,
the General Agreement Tariffs and Trades, the World Trade
Organization, the United Nations Development Program, the World Food
Program, the Food and Agricultural Organization, etc., but we do not
have a single organization that deals with the most fundamental
problem of all, namely the meaning and fulfillment of human life. I
recommend that as we enter the 21st century and 3rd millennium a
World Agency of Philosophy should be created. The Greek word
philosophy means love of wisdom. It is about time that we deal not
only with the materialistic side of life. At our stage of evolution
we must ask ourselves very basically about the meaning of human life
on this planet, in the universe and evolution of time.
~
Idea 1916 ~
A
World Agency of Philosophy would put on the top of its agenda the
attainment of happiness not only through economic means. One can be
happier with a frugal, simple life than a life of affluence imposed
on us by marketing, advertising and the media. The drafters of the US
Constitution were very wise when they declared that the pursuit of
happiness was one of the main purposes of government. So let us have
governments on this planet from the local to the top of the world
which will bring peace and happiness to all humans admitted to the
miracle of life.
~
Idea 1917 ~
After
I have finished these 2000 Ideas and Dreams for the Year 2000 I will
return to the main subject that occupied all my life, namely the
subject of happiness and the art of living. This should not only
condemn all our errors of the past mentioned in the 2000 ideas but it
should also aim at eliminating forms of making people unhappy for
purely economic motives. I'm speaking of the damages made to human
happiness by over-selling, selling the wrong products, fostering
overconsumption, reducing the personal life of the human being to be
a pure materialistic consumer.
The
Joy of Living in the 21st Century will be my Testament to
humanity.
~
Idea 1918 ~
It
would be good for the world to return, during the 50th anniversary of
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to the proclamation made
by President Franklin Roosevelt at the beginning of World War II when
he was very preoccupied with the violation of human rights in a
number of fascist countries and said that we should build a world
founded upon four essential human
freedoms.
The
freedom of speech and expression everywhere in the
world.
The
freedom of every person to worship God in his own way everywhere in
the world.
The
freedom from want which translated into world terms means economic
understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peace-time
life for its inhabitants everywhere in the
world.
The
freedom from fear which translated into world terms means a
world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a
thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an
act of physical aggression against any neighbor anywhere in the
world.
These
are very beautiful human freedoms enunciated by one of the most
remarkable men of this century. We should look how they fare today
and perhaps expand them. I propose to
add:
The
freedom of any human being to settle in any location of this planet
which is our common home
The
freedom from military service which teaches young men how to kill
other human beings.
The
freedom of planet Earth from any military establishments and
armaments on its soil, in and on its waters, in the atmosphere and in
outer-space.
~
Idea 1919 ~
I
hope that in the 21st century there will come a day when there will
be hundreds of world servants and hundreds of doctors and not a
single military for each 100,000 inhabitants of the world, the
reverse situation from today when there are 556 militaries, 85
doctors and only one world servant per 100,000 Earth
inhabitants.
~
Idea 1920 ~
I
recommend that the Earth Council, the new body created by the Rio de
Janeiro Conference on the Environment should give every year a number
of great prizes to people and institutions who have done something
very remarkable to preserve the environment, to beautify the Earth,
or who have come up with remarkable, impactful, successful new ideas.
They should be tantamount to Nobel Prizes for Peace with the
Earth.
More
generally: why don't the 185 governments of the United Nations create
substantial world prizes to recompense major advances in peace and
world cooperation? A small contribution of 100,000 dollars a year per
nation would represent a total of 18.5 million dollars for United
Nations Prizes. They could be a major instrument for world progress
in many fields such as peace, human rights, the environment, etc. I
suggest that the Secretary General or a member government inscribe
the subject of World Prizes on the agenda of the General Assembly
2000.
~
Idea 1921 to 1923 ~
To
Robert, the man of my dreams and Dreams for a Better
World,
Here
are three ideas for you from me for a Better
World:
Barbara
Gaughen Muller
Idea
1921 The best seller book Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler speaks of
personal courage of the heroine, to leave her confused, meaningless
life and start over with nothing but the clothes on her back and
$500. The process of the benefits of simplicity to find one's meaning
for life is summed up when she moves to a new home with her thought
on page 171, "she liked the notion of a life no larger than a single,
compact box."
What
a beautiful idea that each of us could have a more meaningful life,
as Gandhi did when all his possessions at this death were gathered
they took less space than one compact
box.
Idea
1922 As Robert and I listen to the radio in our simple cabin on Mt.
Rasur, so many songs reflect the peace and justice humanity seeks.
This morning the song, 'If I Had a Hammer', speaks to the theme of
justice: "I'd hammer out justice, I'd hammer out love for all people
all over the world." Beautiful ideas, in fact once while riding in a
taxi to the airport in New York, I asked the cab driver what two
songs he remembers learning first and he said, 'If I Had a Hammer'
and 'Let There Be Peace on Earth'.
There
could be two new songs 'The Cleanest Mile on Earth'* to show how one
person can make a difference and the Hopi word, Kogyun Deyo for
'Spider Boy' given to you to remind you to capture all evil on planet
Earth and toss it into outer space.
*See
Annex to ideas 1401 to 1500.
Idea
1923 David Cooperrider and Jim Lord inspired the following idea.
Children of Planet Earth can become the new vision keepers using the
technique of imagining a perfect world and asking their parents,
teachers and clergy as well as elected officials of their communities
three or four questions that both renew the dreams of the one being
interviewed as well as inspire the younger generation. The questions
could be as follows:
1.
"As you reflect on your career, can you tell me the story of a
highpoint, a time when you felt most alive, most impactful, most
successful in terms of contribution to this school, community,
etc.?"
2.
"So what was it that made it a highpoint? Can you tell me what you
value the most about yourself?"
3.
"What one thing are you most proud of?"
Thus
the connection of generations and inspiration begins with a shared
vision of hope and joy.
~
Idea 1924 ~
Never
give up if you have an idea in which you believe profoundly, an idea
that will improve the peace, the happiness and the living conditions
of your human brothers and sisters. I will narrate here an anecdote
from my own life:
Many
years ago in the 1960's a proposal was made by two great Latin
American UN people, Raul Prebish from Argentina and Hernan Santa Cruz
from Chile. It was to create a United Nations Marshall Plan of a
revolving nature. Poor countries would repay interest free, long-term
loans at a time when they would be developed. The debates on this
took years. Both Raul Prebish and Hernan Santa Cruz returned to their
countries. I remained one of the lone fighters for this idea that was
staunchly opposed by the United States because they said nobody on
Earth should get loans at fuzzy or no rates of interest or for
long-term periods of time. This would disrupt the normal banking
system. The proposal was known as SUNFED, Special UN Fund for
Economic Development. At one point the US State Department sent a
former colleague of mine who said to me: Robert, we are sick and
tired to get all these cables about what you try to do. You should
stop. We and our western allies will never agree to this proposal as
you perfectly know. I answered him: Well, I will stop only when you
give in. The earlier you give in the less cables you will receive.
After that, a last determining meeting took place for a final voting
on the proposal. To the astonishment of everyone, the German delegate
instead of voting against it voted in favor! The western delegations
withdrew for consultations and after a while came back and voted in
favor of it, including the US. The plan was passed. After the meeting
was over I asked the German delegate why Germany changed its vote. He
answered: Germany did not. I did. I was commander of a German tank
Division in the second World War. When I heard a man like you who had
the courage and tenacity to continue his fight for an idea he
considered a blessing for the world, I broke my instructions and
voted in favor. I salute you from the bottom of my
heart.
My
own heart is full of joy when I remember that today. This is how the
United Nations Development Program was born first named Special Fund
for Development, one of the biggest aid programs on Earth which
otherwise might not have been created.
~
Idea 1925 ~
I
recommend that the World Peoples' Assembly 2000 should most
forcefully recommend that UN world conferences should be reconvened
at certain intervals and that a permanent item should be included on
the agenda of each UN General Assembly, "New world conferences or
repeat world conferences needed to keep peace, well-being, social
justice, the environment and the further evolution of this planet on
a positive course."
~
Idea 1926 ~
As
one of the major new UN world conferences I would recommend a
conference on more frugal, simple and less Earth destroying lives in
the rich countries and the urgent improvement of the consumption and
well-being of the people in the poor countries.
~
Idea 1927 ~
Another
urgent UN world conference should be held on marketing and
advertisement in the world. There are many negative and detrimental
aspects of these two new, giant modern activities . They promote in
the poor countries lifestyles and types of consumption which are
detrimental to these countries and are exported to them for pure
profit motives.
~
Idea 1928 ~
My
dream is to see a World University of the Art of Living created on
the campus or near the University for Peace in Costa Rica. The
magnificent world land of the University is vast enough to
accommodate several world universities.
~
Idea 1929 ~
Are
we really an intelligent species? Suppose the astronauts brought back
from another planet a plant, a flower, a bird, an insect or a
butterfly? What excitement it would provoke with humanity! And yet
the same humanity lets die every five hours one of our own miraculous
species formed over millions or years!
Are
we an intelligent species when we bomb mothers and children of our
own race in big cities because our government dislikes a leader or a
particular country?
Are
we an intelligent species spiking our miraculous, infinitely precious
home with 34,000 nuclear arms, the accidental explosion of which
might create havoc?
And
what will we answer when the youth of tomorrow will ask us: "What do
you leave us to live on and to administer? You have recklessly
destroyed 30 percent of the nature of this planet in the last thirty
years?"
~
Idea 1930 ~
The
UN General Assembly 2000 at the heads of states level must absolutely
measure up to its historical tasks and be remembered for its audacity
and long-term views of the future. It should above all decide to
embark on the writing of a constitution for proper Earth government.
If it does not, future historians will not forgive its
members.
~
Idea 1931 ~
At
this stage of our evolution the concept of competition and survival
of the fittest must be abandoned in favor of the concept of
cooperation. The whole future evolution of the Earth and of humanity
depends on it. Only cooperation will save the Earth and humanity.
From now on cooperation must be the supreme law of Earth and human
survival. We must aim at a United Earth and Nature.
~
Idea 1932 ~
What
a strange world in which the five permanent members of the UN
Security Council (US, France, UK, Russia and China) account for
eighty percent of the world's arms exports! No wonder that there is
no progress in the disarmament of this planet. Given this condition I
suggest that a people's movement, a world non-governmental
organization be created to request the abolishment of the veto power
given to these countries. An outer space inspection team visiting
this planet would declare that we are politically completely out of
our minds. They would recommend that the veto power be given to
demilitarized, disarmed countries. Why give a premium to bigness,
power and the possession of horrendous means of violence against
humans and the Earth?
~
Idea 1933 ~
I
hear more and more voices and read more and more articles that slowly
but surely the economic system of this planet is going towards
disaster. I suggest that someone should have the courage like
President Roosevelt to speak of a new deal and that the United
Nations be requested to convene an unprecedented world economic
conference to review entirely the situation, to see what is wrong, to
pinpoint the dangers, to correct our course and system, and to
provide for emergency situations. I have at least a dozen books that
were sent me by people who propose new ways in the economic and
monetary systems for the planet. The conference would probably get
many more.
~
Idea 1934 ~
I
am glad that at the opening of the 20th World Congress on Philosophy
in Boston the creation of a World Commission on Spirituality has been
announced. Together with the creation of United Religions
Organization similar to the United Nations it will bring about a much
needed spiritual Renaissance.
~
Idea 1935 ~
At
the same World Congress on Philosophy I proposed the creation of a
World Agency of Philosophy. We very much need a new world philosophy
for our behavior and ideals on this planet.
~
Idea 1936 ~
For
the same reason at the Conference of Long-term Evolutionary
Scientists which will be held by the Club of Budapest in Cagliari,
Italy in 1999 I will recommend the creation of a World Association or
Organization of Long-term Evolutionary Scientists.
~
Idea 1937 ~
My
main message in these 2000 ideas is this: Humans from now on must
understand that the fate of the whole Earth and of our future
evolution is at stake. This world-wide evolutionary challenge has
never existed before. It requires from humanity new values, new ways
of life, new institutions and new laws.
~
Idea 1938 ~
It
is an irony that at the end of this century when it would be so
essential to review the role and structure of the first world-wide
organization ever created on this planet, the United Nations is
placed on the defensive instead of upgrading it to cope with the
colossal, numerous global problems facing this planet and humanity.
It is totally incomprehensible especially from an enlightened country
like the United States. I feel compelled to say it and to beg all
nations to do with courage, audacity and vision what is right and
necessary for the Earth and humanity, irrespective of the US
position.
~
Idea 1939 ~
Dear
reader,
Send
me your ideas and dreams. Send them to the President of your country,
to your elected parliamentarians, to the Secretary General of the UN,
to the heads of UN agencies, etc. Big, urgent problems and
emergencies are facing humanity. The future of our descendants
depends on our actions of today. Proclaim your ideas and dreams for a
better world. It is your sacred duty. God and humanity will
recompense you beyond belief.
~
Idea 1940 ~
Governments
at the General Assembly 2000 should request the United Nations to
submit a report on the most economical ways public services could be
provided for the common good of humanity and of the Earth. Such a
report should be prepared by the top economists of the world.
Governments would be surprised by the number, costs and duplications
of the same public services in 185 nations. They would be appalled by
the almost non-existence of common services for humanity and for the
Earth as a whole, for the seas and oceans, for our air and
atmosphere, for our waters, for transportation. An infinitely more
rational, cheaper and more effective system of common public services
must be adopted for the world.
~
Idea 1941 ~
For
every new human-made gadget, instrument, invention comes along an
instruction manual. But for the biggest, most incredible, most
mind-boggling invention we live on and depend on, namely the Earth,
there is not even an outline for an instruction manual! This is why
the Earth is in trouble and why we need so urgently, so absolutely a
proper Earth government: it will be the beginning of creating, at
long last in our checkered, often dismal history, an instruction
manual for our planet. Without it we are bound to destroy it and to
be doomed ourselves. Anti-Earth government thinking and advocacy
towards the Earth is criminal.
~
Idea 1942 ~
Two
of the worst principles and words still used on planet Earth are:
fundamentalism and infallibility.
Examples:
my
nation, right or wrong
my
religion, right or wrong
my
business, right or wrong
the
infallibility of religious leaders, etc.
The
two words should be eliminated form human language. No human person,
no human institution can be totally right and infallible. We are all
imperfect, if only in minimal ways Human progress can continue only
if we learn from each other and cooperate. After the era of
competition we are entering the new, evolutionary era of adaptation
and cooperation which will produce wonders.
~
Idea 1943 ~
The
world sociology has fundamentally changed since the 1920's when the
League of Nations was created and since the 1940's when the UN was
born. The New 21st Century UN must reflect the world society of today
and not of past times especially in a period of evolution which is so
rapid. There should be every ten years a new San Francisco conference
of all nations to review, update and modernize their first global
instruments for world cooperation.
~
Idea 1944 ~
The
proper representation of peoples' and of their associations must
henceforth be placed as an item on the agenda of the UN General
Assembly. A 96 year old gentleman sent me anonymously a Peace Plan in
which he proposes the creation of a world humanitarian government
elected through a plebiscite conducted by a union of all the world's
humanitarian associations. Perhaps the human society has reached the
point when such associations have become indeed the skeleton and
backbone around which the world of tomorrow should be organized and
governed.
~
Idea 1945 ~
Since
the multinational corporations have by far been the greatest
beneficiaries of the work of the United Nations which has opened to
them the whole world to trade and invest, to the minimum of customs
controls and other obstacles, it is high time that these
multinational corporations be taxed to provide financial resources
for the United Nations to do other good work for the planet. An
inspection team from outer space would be astonished that this is not
yet done. The people of Earth should express the same astonishment
and request that this major anomaly be corrected. With increased
financial resources the United Nations and its 32 specialized
agencies could do more wonders.
~
Idea 1946 to 1947 ~
To
my ideas 557 to 564 (Volume II) on proper Earth government, I want to
add the following:
Idea
1946 A conference which would contribute to thinking and planning of
proper Earth government by reviewing the entire range of problems and
solutions that would allow the provision of the most economical
public services and means for the common good of the Earth and of
humanity from the local to the global
levels.
Idea
1947 A world Earth and human government in which people would be
represented by international and world peoples' associations and
movements.
~
Idea 1948 ~
I
consider my proposal for a world conference on Proper Earth
Government through the Free Market System important. Indeed the most
remarkable businessmen and executives on Earth have given a lot of
thought, imagination and work to achieve the highest and most
economical profits for their enterprises. If these people were called
upon to exercise the same talent on how to govern the Earth and
humanity including the provision of common public services, an
entirely new world political system might emerge. For example, it is
not impossible that they would recommend that the financing of common
services should not come from taxation of the people and consumers
but would come from taxation of the business world itself.
~
Idea 1949 ~
Following
the creation of the United Nations Organization and the forthcoming
United Religions Organization I highly recommend that a United
Philosophies Organization be also created. Philosophy is love for
wisdom. We sorely need a common, recent, global, new wisdom for our
further evolution on this planet, a wisdom which includes the care
and preservation of the Earth itself, its nature and the elements
which sustain our lives. Such an organization would have a permanent
inter-philosophical world staff the same way as the United Nations is
serviced by a permanent international world staff and the United
Religions Organization will be served by a permanent inter-religious
world staff.
In
idea 1151 I proposed that the United Religions Organization and a new
United Peoples' Organization should be made specialized agencies of
the United Nations. So should the new United Philosophies
Organization whose task it will be to give humanity a new global
meaning adequate for our current stage of evolution.
~
Idea 1950 ~
There
are constant, numerous mergers, fusions and partnerships between
larger businesses and multinational corporations. Why don't we see
mergers, fusions and partnerships between nations? At least, don't
complain that the corporations rule the world.
~
Idea 1951 ~
The
International Chamber of Commerce should also be transformed into a
United Business Organization serviced by a permanent world business
staff and also should become a specialized agency of the United
Nations.
~
Idea 1952 ~
Many
more United World Organizations should be created with world servants
provided by their various members and become specialized agencies of
the United Nations. As a result the major association phenomenon of
our current stage of evolution on this planet would receive a
concrete, positive and contributing form. The diversity of our planet
and of humanity would be building blocks of a world unity and proper
Earth government.
~
Idea 1953 ~
The
Inter-parliamentary Union should be transformed into a United
Parliaments Organization with a permanent inter-parliamentary staff
from all parliaments of the world.
~
Idea 1954 ~
As
proposed before the Union of International Associations in Brussels
should definitely be transformed into a United Peoples' Associations
Organization with a permanent inter-associational staff and should
also become a specialized agency of the UN.
~
Idea 1955 ~
New
world universities should be created next to all united
organizations. We have already a United Nations University and a
University for Peace. We similarly need a World Spirituality
University, a World Business University, a World Parliamentary
University, a World NGO's University, and several others. The whole
university system of this planet must be upgraded from
scratch.
~
Idea 1956 ~
And
why not a World Heads of States University fulfilling the dream of
Confucius and my own that there should be at least one place on Earth
where heads of states could be properly trained to take good care of
the world? And why not create also a United Heads of States Network
connected by instantaneous communications between all of them and
with the Secretary General of the UN?
~
Idea 1957 ~
I
hope that students in local, national, regional, international,
transnational and world affairs or planetics will read these 2000
ideas and decide to write a host of new, audacious, path-breaking
theses and ideas to bring about the new world order so urgently
needed for our further successful evolution.
~
Idea 1958 ~
I
hope that the International Association of University Presidents will
bring these ideas to the attention of the faculties of politics and
world affairs around the globe. They should produce by the year 2000
a major report of their ideas concerning university education in the
21st century.
~
Idea 1959 ~
I
hope that all elderly people in all walks of life will write down
their ideas for reform and progress in the world and in their
respective fields as I have done at the age of 75 for mine. It is
your absolute duty. Do not let them get buried with you in your
tombs.
~
Idea 1960 ~
The
UN was able to put an end to political colonialism within a short
period of forty years. But colonialism, the spread of power always
resurges in other forms. Today we have Pluto-colonialism, the
colonialism of money. We have Coca Cola-colonialism, the sales power
of products displacing natural local products. We have the
media-colonialism, the domination of those who own the media. We have
atomic-colonialism, the imposition of power through the threat of
atomic weaponry. We have Martial-colonialism the colonialism of the
big military powers.
A
new item should be placed on the agenda of the United Nations General
Assembly entitled, Survey and Inquiry into New Forms of Colonialism
in the World.
If
there is no agreement in the United Nations to take up that subject I
recommend the creation of a World Commission of Eminent Personalities
on Neo-colonialisms.
~
Idea 1961 ~
Most
existing political parties in the world are becoming obsolete:
conservative, labor, socialist, republican, democrat, etc. They are
part of a past period of our evolution. Since the gap between the
rich and the poor is increasing world-wide, there should be a World
Party of the Poor and since the Earth has become a major
preoccupation, the new parties must be ecological parties like the
Greens and World Party of Natural Law which recommends that we follow
the laws of nature in our government of the Earth. Also a World Peace
Party, the Golden Party.
In
this connection I have an idea for the Green Parties that might seem
silly: the Hindus wear a red dot in the space right above the middle
of their eyebrows. They call it the third eye. The people who believe
in nature should wear a green dot at that spot to show that they love
and care for nature and the preservation of the Earth.
~
Idea 1962 ~
Economy
(oikos, the home, nomos, the management) has received a shock from
ecology (oikos, the home, logos, the knowledge) which should have
come first. I propose a few new words and philosophies, namely
ecophily (the love of the home) and ecocracy, the voice of the home.
And since the Greek word Gaia means the goddess Earth we could also
speak of Gaiacracy or Geogracy, the voice, the power of the Earth, or
of Terracracy (from the Latin), or Earthcracy (from
English).
~
Idea 1963 ~
Young
men of this world: when you are adolescents be faithful to the
dream(s) of your childhood planted into you by God, evolution, nature
or the cosmos. Express it in your life, beliefs, words and studies.
This will attract to you a loving life companion who will help you
remain faithful to your dream(s) and not fall prey to false values
offered or promoted by society. It has happened to me twice in my
life. Without Margarita Gallo, my wife from Chili and Barbara Gaughen
of Hungarian origin my life would not have been the magic, incredible
fulfillment of my childhood's dreams it has been.
~
Idea 1964 ~
The
Secretary General of the UN and the heads of the 32 specialized
agencies and UN world programs should prepare a comprehensive mind,
heart and soul-boggling report for the year 2000
entitled:
Major
Challenges to the World and Humanity in the 21st
Century
That
report should review major evolutionary challenges to peace,
education, well-being, good health, justice, the environment,
democracy, human rights and other major subjects on the human
agenda.
~
Idea 1965 ~
The
yearly State of the World Conference held by the US Gorbachev
Foundation in San Francisco should similarly deal with the major
challenges to the Earth and humanity and publish a pathbreaking
document for the year 2000.
~
Idea 1966 ~
As
early as 1960 Norman Cousins and I recommended to the Secretary
General of the UN that a yearly report on the state of the world
should be published by the UN and by all United Nations agencies and
world programs. The idea was turned down. It was too daring, too
political. The practice was continued to submit to the General
Assembly and to other UN bodies like the Economic and Social Council
only reports requested by governments in these bodies. I propose that
our idea should be implemented from the year 2000 on every year and
by all UN agencies and world programs.
~
Idea 1967 ~
There
is a new, important factor we must take into account on this planet:
on the one hand the acceleration of many phenomena, such as new
scientific and technological developments, new productions, new
constructions, new transport, new marketing, new media, etc. and on
the other hand the slowness, the lagging behind of changes in values,
institutions and laws. Values: it took humanity twenty years to
become concerned about the population explosion, twenty years for the
environment, twenty years for the climatic issue, and not yet concern
for the consumption explosion. Institutions: it took twenty years, a
world war and sixty million deaths to create a second, slightly
improved international institution over the League of Nations, the
United Nations; it took forty years to create the European Union.
Laws: no real, world laws were adopted in this century; it is a field
in which there is no progress practically, due to the stubborn
opposition of national sovereignties; as a result most
recommendations for the survival of the Earth have not been
implemented.
Here
are a few outstanding recognitions of the
preceding:
Values
According
to a survey of long-term evolutionary scientists, both a number of
astrophysicists (e.g. Eric Chaisson) and biologists (e.g. Nobel Prize
winner Christian de Duve) have come to the conclusion that on any
planet in the universe on which there is life, one species develops
sooner or later to the point of gaining a total knowledge of its
planet. At that point a change of values must take place to permit
further evolution; if that species sticks to its earlier values,
evolution on that planet will end.
According
to these scientists we have reached that crucial point on planet
Earth (see Introduction to Ideas 1401 to 1500 in Volume
III).
Two
opinions from statesmen:
Mikhail
Gorbachev
We
are in dire need of redefining the parameters of our society's
economic, political and social development. The conflict between man
and the rest of nature carries the risk of truly catastrophic
consequences. We are suffering a loss of fundamental spiritual
values, the anchors that are indispensable for normal life worthy of
human nature.
Vaclav
Havel
There
are good reasons for suggesting that the modern age has ended. Many
things indicate that we are going through a transitional period when
it seems that something is on the way out and something else is
painfully being born. It is as if something were crumbling, decaying
and exhausting itself, while something else still indistinct were
arising from the rubble.
Institutions
In
a pathbreaking second world report Beyond the Limits, published in
1992, twenty years after the first famous report The Limits of Growth
in 1972, the authors offer a series of computerized futures of
humanity and of the Earth, taking various assumptions of population
growth, economic growth, consumption growth, etc. Only one set of
assumptions point to both the survivability of humanity and
conservation of the Earth's vital natural elements. But the authors
conclude that even that hypothesis is unlikely to succeed because
existing institutions will not change in time to avoid the
catastrophe. Hence the absolute need to change our institutions and
to urgently create a proper Earth government as I recommend
repeatedly in these 2000 ideas.
Laws
Recent
examples regarding the attempt to create new world law and world
legal institutions, were it only in the field of world criminality
and human rights, have shown the stubborn opposition of the United
States in particular against any world legal system or laws, such
systems and laws being contrary to American sovereignty and
constitution.
Some
hope rests in the 1999 World Peace Conference in The Hague, sponsored
by the World Federalists to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of
the first World Peace Conference held in Holland in 1899 at the
initiative of the Czar of Russia.
~
Idea 1968 ~
What
a historical, moral irony it is that the United States, the great
enlightened country of this century, has become the most powerful and
stubborn obstacle to the further evolution of this planet with its
fundamentalist belief in the freedom of profit-making and endless so
called economic development, a correct American dream at the end of
the 19th century but now a disastrous ideology. The United States, if
it does not change its basic philosophy will become responsible for
the end of evolution on this planet. Why is that? It is because like
all great empires in human history the US believes in its power,
nourishes and increases it by every possible means and does not adapt
to the new requirements of evolution. The British historian Toynbee
has shown this to be the case of the demise of all great empires of
the past. The only difference is that this time, the US might bring
along with its own demise the demise of most of life on
Earth.
~
Idea 1969 ~
From
a beautiful, equilibrated, harmonious, interdependent natural Earth
ours is becoming a severely ill, dying Earth. We have innumerable
hospitals to care for sick people, but we have no hospitals to care
for this sick world. Healthcare must be extended to the world! The
United Nations should be renamed the World Health
Organization!
~
Idea 1970 ~
Work
on an Earth Charter undertaken since the Rio de Janeiro Conference on
the Environment is extremely useful but too slow, a period from 1993
to the year 2002 being much too long.
I
recommend that work be immediately undertaken on a whole series of
particularly important aspects of the Earth such
as:
A
Charter for our Solar System and
Outer-space
A
Charter for Future Evolution
A
Charter for the Atmosphere
A
Charter for the Seas and Oceans
A
Charter for World Water
A
Charter for World Species
A
Charter for the Earth Forest Covers and
Vegetation
A
Charter for Top Soils
A
Charter for Mountain Areas
A
Charter for the World's Great Lakes
A
Charter for the Arid and Semi-arid Zones
A
Charter for the Arctic and Antarctic.
The
same procedure was followed after the adoption of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights when Charters for Children's Rights,
Women's Rights, Indigenous Rights, Racial Equality, etc. were
undertaken.
~
Idea 1971 ~
A
prophecy: The time will come when humanity will rejoice when learning
that the so called gross national product has declined as well as the
world population, that world tourism has declined, world
transportation has declined, that consumption has declined, that
prices have declined, that waste and garbage have declined and that
as a result the Earth and nature have been less destroyed. Once this
will happen a new era will be born.
~
Idea 1972 ~
The
time has come when governments should give tax incentives, financial
subsides, encouragement and recognition to people who preserve
nature, who do not allow natural lands and grounds they possess to be
developed, or sell them to developers to pay for the high-cost
education of their children in Universities where they are taught to
further "develop", i.e. destroy the Earth as business people,
architects, marketing and advertising experts,
etc.
And
why do we humans speak of developed and underdeveloped countries? Why
not overdeveloped countries and underdeveloped countries? Overflying
the Untied States one sees below several ecological disaster areas
and yet the US continues to offer itself as a model to be envied and
imitated by all countries in the world.
I
recommend a new classification of countries
into:
Still
livable countries
Increasingly
unlivable countries
Many
western overproducing and overconsuming countries would be in the
second category together with the overpopulated countries of the
world. Each country should establish a basic distinction between its
natural still livable areas and its overpopulated, overdeveloped
unlivable areas.
~
Idea 1973 ~
To
help the birth of a proper Earth and Humanity government, it would be
useful to see created a number of new world movements and
international non-governmental organizations: e.g. to disarmament and
demilitarization there should be added desecretization and
decorruption movements. They would pinpoint and denounce the many
secret agents planted by big powers in other countries, in world
organizations, non-governmental organizations and the media, as well
as their corruptive practices through monetary bribes and other
rewards. No nation on Earth should have secret services and
corruptive practices. The taxpayers are entitled to get full
information on what such so-called "services" cost. This should
become an important item on the subject of world ethics which is
coming strongly to the fore in UNESCO and the UN. Simon Bolivar was
right when he recommended the creation of a Moral and Ethical
Department in national governments.
~
Idea 1974 ~
The
Secretary General of the United Nations and the heads of all 32
specialized agencies and world programs of the UN should publish for
the year 2000 a document in which they would list and elaborate
on:
1.
The main subjects and world issues on which they are hopeful and
optimistic.
2.
The world problems and issues which give them major worries and
concerns.
Each
regional organization should prepare the same report for the various
continents and regions.
Each
member government of the United Nations should do it for their
country.
This
could be of ominous help in planning appropriate actions, behaviors,
policies and legislations in the 21st century to assure our future
evolution.
~
Idea 1975 ~
Since
disarmament talks have taken place since 1899, during the first
Peoples' Peace Conference in The Hague, continued during the entire
twentieth century under the League of Nations and the United Nations,
and the situation today is worse than ever, I suggest that
consideration be given to suppressing disarmament from the agenda of
the United Nations and that governments which enjoy continuing the
debate should hold conferences and meetings on it outside the United
Nations. It would be a substantial saving for the UN
budget.
~
Idea 1976 ~
I
dream that out of the United States, which was the result of a dream
and had the dream of a progressive, just and prosperous world a host
of new dreams will be born for the 21st century. At the top of these
should be the dream of a United States of the World, a well governed
world. Humanity is anxiously awaiting a renaissance of the United
States as a country of dreams and visions for a better world and not
to remain entrenched in its current, materialistic, soulless,
Earth-damaging moneycracy.
~
Idea 1977 ~
Dear
reader,
Do
not defer, do not postpone your hopes, your dreams, your ideals, you
ideas. Write them down and work for them right away and constantly.
This is an essential part of your cosmic or divine nature as the
religions call it, and role in life. Put your joys and passion into
it. It will bring you untold happiness and unexpected rewards. They
mysterious forces of the universe will help you as they did me,
making my life a magic, miraculous story which I could have never
imagined in my wildest dreams.
~
Idea 1978 ~
The
UN is in my view and experience the most mind-boggling effort ever in
human history to come to grips with all of humanity's and of the
Earth's problems and further successful evolution. It does this in
three ways:
-
the fight against all evil, errors and
injustices;
-
the fulfillment of our dreams: peace, justice, well-being, human
rights, literacy, the environment, the preserving of the Earth,
continued evolution, etc.
-
the promotion of great philosophical concepts and ideals such as
hope, faith, dreams, visions, prayer, gratitude, forgiveness,
etc.
Is
it not astonishing that the problem of climatic changes which was
signaled to humanity in a first UN world climate conference in 1979,
followed by a second on in 1987, took almost twenty years to get the
attention of the world media and of many governments? I will never
forget how in the late 1970's a number of climatologists (a new
profession born in the wake of meteorology, i.e. weather forecasting)
flooded the UN Secretary General and my office, as his assistant,
with warnings that something basically wrong was going to happen to
the world's climate. We convened the 1979 world conference because we
believed that their warnings deserved attention. The conference
predicted that around the year 2020 we will see changes in the ocean
currents which would bring havoc to the climate of a number of
regions. Well, we have already today the problems created by the
Niño current. The US also reports that the last fifteen months
had the highest temperatures in recorded history. But many articles
say disparagingly that this is a pet-project of Vice President Al
Gore who prefaced the first major, classic report of 1990 Climate in
Crisis, by Albert K. Bates (The Book Publishing Co., Summertown, PO
Box 99, TN 38483) which names some of the climatologists who sent us
their warnings (Stephen Schneider is a name I remember because
Schneider was my mother's name.)
Well,
I am glad that at least one country on Earth has a vice presidency
for global affairs. In a recent letter to Al Gore on the celebration
of the year 2000 I mentioned to him that in my 2000 ideas I recommend
the creation of the same vice presidency for global affairs in all
countries on Earth. A draft treaty to prevent a further climate
deterioration and increase in world temperatures is waiting for
ratification by the US Congress which has its severest doubts about
it. Of course because capitalism is not ready to accept such an
obstacle in its ideology.
~
Idea 1979 ~
With
regard to world water, the United Nations convened the first world
water conference in 1967. The experts forecast at it that world water
consumption would quadruple by the year 2000. At that time there
existed barely any Ministries of Water on the planet. We hired the
one from Argentina, Guillermo Cano, as the Secretary of the
Conference. Today there are Ministers of Water in most countries of
Earth. Thirty years having passed since 1967, the UN should urgently
convene a second world water conference.
Let
us remember that thanks to the UN World Population Conferences of
1954, 1965, 1974 and 1984 an increase of the world population of 2.2
billion people by the year 2000 was prevented (see Idea 503, Volume
II). The convening of further climate and water conferences could
have similar beneficial effects for the world.
~
Idea 1980 ~
Another
fundamental element of human life merits urgent attention world-wide:
air, the oxygen we must breathe to keep alive. The UN has a World
Atmospheric Program but has never held a world conference on the air
or atmosphere. I recommend that one should be convened urgently. The
content of oxygen in the Earth' atmosphere is diminishing in
particular over big cities and industrial areas. This merits a close
world watch. I regret that the World Meteorological Organization has
not yet been transformed into the World Climate
Organization.
~
Idea 1981 ~
To
the group of 14 demilitarized countries of this planet (see idea 20
in Volume I) I would like to see added another group: countries which
have abolished war in their constitution. The only country which has
done it so far is Japan in its postwar constitution (Article 9).
Japan should take the leadership in inducing and helping other
countries to amend their constitution the same way. Such dispositions
in national constitutions would be a first step towards the
limitation of national sovereignty, an example to be followed in
other fields, such as the environment and preservation of the
Earth.
~
Idea 1982 ~
In
Idea 502 (Volume II) I listed the three main periods through which
the Untied Nations and humanity have gone since 1945: 1) humanism; 2)
the environment; and 3) the Earth as number 1. In these last 500
Ideas I mentioned a fourth period: our future
evolution.
It
suddenly occurs to me that the UN is still structured according to
the needs and philosophy of the first period, namely humanism with
the objectives of peace, well-being, health, labor, food, education,
culture, human rights, etc. The structure of the UN system does not
reflect adequately the other three recent and equally fundamental
preoccupations, except the environment. A basic, restructuring of the
UN and its specialized agencies must therefore be considered, to make
it the principal, central Organization of the Earth and of Future
Evolution. We should create a World Air and Atmosphere agency, a
World Water Agency, a World Climate Agency, a World Ocean Agency, a
World Outer Space Agency, etc. Within these fundamental aspects of
the Earth we should consider the place, actions and fulfillment of
the human species.
This
reform should become a priority item on the agenda of world affairs
at this beginning of a new century and millennium.
~
Idea 1983 ~
I
have underlined before the fallacies in the existing world political
and economic systems under which the rich countries and the rich in
those countries are getting richer often without any work while the
poor countries and the poor in all countries cannot get out of their
poverty despite all their work and efforts. I kept a document of 6
October 1976 in which Mr. Robert McNamara, the President of the
International Bank underlined that there were 900 million people in
the poor countries who lived in desperate poverty. In 1997, 20 years
later the UN Secretary General, at the Conference on the World Social
Situation held in Denmark reported that there were 1 billion 300
million people in the poor countries who had an income of only one
dollar a day. When will the world community at long last try to
correct this situation in an effective, humanitarian, right economic,
social and political system for this Earth and the entire
humanity?
~
Idea 1984 ~
I
pray that someone will create a World Association of Reformers for a
Better World. I would be happy to be one of its first members. Would
anyone on this planet have ever imagined that some day billions of
bottles of water would be shipped from Evian at the foot of the Mt.
Blanc in France to far away countries, when nature has provided most
of humanity with pure water in most places of the
Earth?
Soon
we will probably also see bottles of compressed pure air shipped from
Costa Rica to be sold in the United States and in overpopulated
cities.
Crazy
will you say?
Well,
remember my words in a few years.
~
Idea 1985 ~
I
recommend that starting in the year 2000 the UN and all its agencies
and world programs should publish yearly reports on two major
subjects not or insufficiently covered by world organizations
namely:
1.
Actions of love, compassion, generosity, volunteer services,
philanthropy and gaiaphily to bring about a better Earth and human
condition on this planet.
2.
A report on spirituality in the world.
~
Idea 1986 ~
A
Pilot's view of polluted Earth
Here
in Europe, we pay up to five times the US price for fuel. It is very
highly taxed for sure, but it does have the effect of making us a
little more responsible in the field of energy consumption. In fact,
the motor-fuel tax in the United Kingdom is being increased expressly
for this purpose.
Global
warming is fact, not fiction. There are dreadful floods in
Bangladesh, and the world's climate is changing I read in the UK
newspaper that dragonflies the size of small birds have been borne
across the Atlantic Ocean from the US and appeared in the British
Isles for the first time.
I
am a British Airways airline Captain who has been flying for 30
years. And I can tell you from my position high above the surface of
the Earth how much worse pollution has become during my career. No
longer do I enjoy such wonderful views of the Alps, the Rockies or
Mount Kilimanjaro. No longer can I see Mount McKinley from 200 miles
away.
When
I began my career, Purple Haze was a Top 10 hit song. Now,
unfortunately, it is often a reality.
Come
on, America. Catalytic converters aren't the answer. Get real, get
walking or at least get more efficient power
plants.
Michael
D'Alton
West
Sussex, England
USA
Today, 19 October 1998
~
Idea 1987 ~
In
my view the two main purposes of government should
be:
-
to make the Earth a paradise
-
to render humanity happy.
Well,
since we have already words like humanizing, civilizing, pacifying,
why don't we coin two more words: paradizing and happinizing, to
create paradise and achieve happiness on Earth. A landscaper or a
person tending a beautiful garden would be a paradizer by beautifying
a little corner of the Earth. A philanthropist would be a happinizer,
a gaiaphilist a paradizer. Why not? It is all a matter of starting a
new custom. After a while it would be accepted as common sense. Did
not God give us this message and duty when he placed Adam and Eve in
paradise Earth?
How
exciting will be the day when we will be able to say: we did it, we
have made the Earth a Paradise, a garden of Eden inhabited by a happy
human family! And how exciting this task will be for the 21st
century!
~
Idea 1988 ~
After
the appearance of global crises on this planet, we will now see the
appearance of evolutionary crises.
After
the birth of global institutions for this planet we will now see the
birth of evolutionary institutions.
After
the need for global education we will now see the need for
evolutionary education.
After
the birth of global media we will now see the birth of evolutionary
media.
After
the appearance of global conferences we will now also see the
appearance of evolutionary conferences,
etc.
~
Idea 1989 ~
Global
consciousness and evolutionary consciousness will now be the two keys
to our survival and further evolution. We must rethink everything
within the global character of our planet and its further evolution.
Only then will we succeed and will everything make sense. This is a
new, very exciting era in humanity's journey and fate on this planet.
It will lead to the most unexpected, marvelous results, held
impossible today. Of course old beliefs, values, institutions and
interest groups will oppose it, but their opposition will not hold
against the inexorable imperatives of evolution which will show up in
major crisis and emergency situation, if we do not act in
time.
~
Idea 1990 ~
In
1975 I was asked by a British magazine, The New Era, to contribute an
article with my views on education. I wrote it on The Need for Global
Education. Given the birth of a global consciousness to humanity at
that time, it had profound effects and earned me the title of Father
of Global Education and let to a new education in 34 Robert Muller
Schools around the world.
Twenty-two
years later a new consciousness is being born to the human species:
an evolutionary consciousness, a growing concern for the future of
the Earth and humanity. I would therefore write today an essay on The
Need for an Evolutionary Education. We teach history but no
futurstory. I am sure that not a single school on Earth teaches the
children what the world is likely to be when they will be adults.
This is as irresponsible as was the absence of a global education in
1975. And in a few years, I will have to write a third essay on The
Need for Cosmic Education, because a cosmic consciousness will be
born next to humanity.
~
Idea 1991 ~
Since
Barbara and I were brought in mysterious, unplanned ways to meet,
become husband and wife, and to live on Sacred Mt. Rasur in Costa
Rica where Rasur, the indigenous God of the children appeared to them
and prophecized that peace will extend from this hill to the entire
world, we consider ourselves to be his messengers too, day and night,
day after day and wherever we go on this
planet.
The
demilitarization of Costa Rica was born on this
hill,
The
first University for Peace on this planet was created on
it,
The
first International Radio for Peace is located
here,
The
first Earth Council created by the 2nd UN Conference on the
Environment in Rio de Janeiro will have its seat
here.
Please,
dear friends, add to the above.
And
please dear reader, come and sit on one of our benches of dreams,
visions, ideas, hope, faith, love, forgiveness, gratitude, or build a
BENCH OF DREAMS wherever you live and become messengers of Rasur,
helping him to fulfill his prophecy.
~
Idea 1992 ~
As
part of a world spiritual Renaissance I hope that a best-selling,
widely distributed world report and book will be published on the
world's religions' basic environmental beliefs and recommendations to
their faithful: e.g. to respect Gods' Creation, to protect nature, to
live simple, frugal lives, fasting etc. I have come across many of
them in my work around the world. The indigenous spiritualities are
probably the most environmentalist religions of all and would merit a
world report of their own. A coordinated world-wide effort by the new
United Religions Organization could have very beneficial effects. I
am glad to learn that Harvard University has held ten conferences on
the environmental contributions of the world's religions and has
submitted the finds to the United Nations.
~
Idea 1993 ~
It
should become a world law and law of every nation that each city
publish a daily air quality report, indicating the CO2
content.
Similarly,
at the end of each flight of passenger airplanes, the amount of fuel
consumed and CO2 emitted in the atmosphere should be announced to the
passengers. The International Civil Aviation Organization should
publish every month the total tonnage of CO2 emitted into the
atmosphere by aviation. The time will soon come when air traffic will
be limited.
~
Idea 1994 ~
The
current political and economic "system" of planet Earth is a
disastrous, chaotic, unjust, illogical, unacceptable humanity',
Earth' and evolution damaging system. It is surprising that it could
last so long. If not rethought from scratch, it will lead to
auto-destruction and untold havoc, similar to what happened in a
Russia unprepared for the end of communism. Please, leaders of
nations, lift yourself beyond your states and become the artisans of
a much needed novel, political and economic world system adequate for
the new conditions prevailing on this planet and required by our
further evolution.
~
Idea 1995 ~
I
hope that during the UN General Assembly 2000, one head of state will
have to courage to stand up and say to his assembled peers: "The
world of sovereign nations has created an unbelievable chaos; the
powers given to economists and business are leading us to disaster;
the Earth, its vital air, its waters, its nature, its vegetation and
many species which it took millions of years to form, our climate are
all in jeopardy. We live in a World War III against the Earth, our
home. All this will end in a global disaster without
precedent.
I
appeal to you, I beg you, I implore you, let us put aside all other
items on our agenda and keep only one fundamental one: to have this
General Assembly of heads of states remain in permanent session day
and night if necessary, until we give birth to a new political and
economic system for this miraculous planet and its sacred human
family. Please stand up, delegates of the world, hold each other's
hand and let us swear together that we will accomplish this
historical miracle before it is too late: to save this Earth, to save
humanity with a new world constitution. All the rest is secondary.
Let us create a United States of the World or a World Union like the
European Union. Let us perform this miracle in the House of Mica, on
the shores of the River of the Rising Sun, wherefrom our indigenous
brethren prophecized that a civilization of peace will extend to the
entire world."
~
Idea 1996 ~
If
Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill were alive and members of
the UN Assembly they would be the first to request that the UN
Charter be reviewed and updated to the new conditions and needs of
the Earth and humanity. Who in that Assembly will be the new Franklin
Roosevelt and Churchill and be remembered by future
generations?!
~
Idea 1997 ~
I
pray that on the occasion of the year 2000 celebration, the United
Nations and its member nations will produce an ominous report on the
achievements and progress of humanity during the 20th century, along
with the miseries and errors we have still committed. On the basis of
such reports we will be able to make a fresh start and accomplish
more miracles. If I have learned one thing in my half a century at
the United Nations, it is that when humans decide to achieve a great,
noble objective, they always succeed. We must pray with our American
indigenous brethren:
"Great
Spirit, grant us the strength and dignity to walk a new trail closer
to our Creator."
~
Idea 1998 ~
Twenty
years ago I wrote an essay on The Need for Global Education. Today I
would write an essay on the need for evolutionary education. Tomorrow
I would write an essay on the need for cosmic
education.
After
World War II humanity acquired beyond national consciousness a global
consciousness. Today humanity is acquiring an evolutionary
consciousness, a consciousness of the future. Tomorrow humanity will
acquire a cosmic consciousness.
After
World War II, the United Nations was born as the planet's first
global organization. Today the United Nations is becoming the
planet's evolutionary organization. Tomorrow the United Nations will
become the planet's cosmic organization.
With
humanity's transcendence into cosmic consciousness in space and in
time, the sciences and religions well converge into an
all-encompassing, holistic, spiritual age dreamt of by our ancestors,
prophets, visionaries, saints and earthly incarnations of the divine,
cosmic forces over eons of time.
Our
future is incredibly bright and hopeful if we hasten these processes
and think in time of ways to face very likely
emergencies.
It
is good that the UN has been thinking ahead of time by establishing a
UN Trust Fund for Preventive Action.
~
Idea 1999 ~
What
is my last, most important dream, my Dream of Dreams after these 2000
ideas and dreams written at the end of fifty years of United Nations
experience?
It
is to see this Earth well preserved as a unique paradise in the
universe, inhabited by a miraculous, deeply loving, spiritual, happy
and peaceful humanity, fully enjoying the miracle of human life in
that paradise.
~
Idea 2000 ~
From
our current world pessimism we can be saved and uplifted by this
personal conclusion I arrived at in Idea 552,
namely:
Perhaps,
out of my passion for life and for this miraculous Earth, a new
theory of evolution can be shaped, namely that with our recently
acquired tremendous human knowledge of the universe and of our planet
we will henceforth be more than the mere preservers and savers of the
Earth, but will be her instruments, her most advanced evolutionary
agents, her children endowed with the evolutionary task to make it an
even more astonishing planet and cosmic evolutionary success, perhaps
the most advanced, ultimate masterpiece of the universe and God.
Since each species born from nature is a miracle, we are certainly a
miracle too.
What
great excitement it will be when in the year 2000 humanity will
accept this as its new, all-encompassing, common objective for the
21st century!
To
make this Earth a paradise
To
make humanity a miracle
Think
of what a world we could build if the power unleashed in war were
applied to constructive tasks! One-tenth of the energy that the
various belligerents spent in the World War, a fraction of the money
they exploded in hand grenades and poison gas, would suffice to raise
the standard of living in every country and avert the economic
catastrophe of world-wide unemployment. We must be prepared to make
the same heroic sacrifices for the cause of peace that we make
ungrudgingly for the cause of war. There is no task that is more
important or closer to my heart.
Albert
Einstein
AMEN
Ideas
2001-2500
An
Agenda for the Future
Part
I
Introduction:
A Great Historic Decision
Ideas
2001 to 2100
Annex:
Sample of Letter to People in High
Positions
Part
II
Introduction:
A Great New Step in Evolution
Ideas
2101 to 2200
Annex:
Rashmi Mayur, famous Hindu peace
activist
Part
III
Introduction:
What One Idea Can Do
Ideas
2201 to 2300
Annex:
A Point in History
Part
IV
Introduction:
An Appeal for the United Nations
Foundation
Ideas
2301 to 2400
Annex:
Encouragement from a Young Man
Part
V
Introduction:
Never Give Up
Ideas
2401 to 2500
Annex:
Common Sense from a Famous US President
Epithets
New
or Unusual Words Used or Coined
An Agenda For The Future
Our
absolute priorities and objectives
for
the 21st century and the third millennium should be:
1.
To make this planet a paradise
2.
To stop destroying nature at all cost
3.
To eradicate from it all the poverty, miseries and errors engendered
by power, greed and egotism
4.
To make out of all humans one united, cooperating
family
5.
To create a new social, political world order for the centuries to
come
6.
To attain a life of fulfillment and happiness for all
humans
7.
To achieve a human family in harmony with the Earth and the
heavens
8.
To be the ultimate cosmic success of the Universe and God.
No dream is too big
Barbara
Gaughen Muller and Dr. Robert Muller
A
Cosmic Couple
See
the world with global eyes
Love
the world with a global heart
Understand
the world with a global mind
Merge
with the world and the heavens through a global soul.
Media
21
7456
Evergreen Drive
Santa
Barbara, CA 93117
(805)
968-8567
Fax:
(805) 968-5747
Email:
Barbara@rain.org
IDEAS
"Is
there a doubt whether a common government can embrace a larger
sphere? Let experience solve it...It is well worth a fair and full
experiment."
George
Washington
"The
world no longer has a choice between force and law; if civilization
is to survive, it must choose the rule of
law."
President
Dwight D. Eisenhower
"I
like to believe that people in the long run are going to do more to
promote peace than are governments. Indeed, I think that people want
peace so much that one of these days governments had better get out
of their way and let them have it."
President
Dwight D. Eisenhower
"If
the money spent on armaments was spent on education, there would be
no more wars."
President
Dwight D. Eisenhower
"It
will be just as easy for nations to get along in a republic of the
world as it is for you to get along in the republic of the United
States."
President
Harry S. Truman
"...a
genuine world security system...capable of resolving disputes on the
basis of law, of insuring the security of the large and the small,
and of creating conditions under which arms can finally be
abolished...This will require a new effort to achieve world
law."
President
John F. Kennedy
"No
difficulty in the way of a world government can match the danger of a
world without it." Carl Van Doren
"There
is no salvation of civilization, or even the human race, other than
the creation of a world government."
Albert
Einstein
"Today
the universal common good poses problems of world-wide dimensions,
which cannot be adequately tackled or solved except by the efforts of
public authorities endowed with a wideness of powers, structure and
means of the same proportions; that is, ...on a world-wide
basis."
Pope
John XXIII
"Internationalism
does not mean the end of individual nations. Orchestras don't mean
the end of violins."
Golda
Meir
"The
whole future of the Earth, as of religion, seems to me to depend on
the awakening of our faith in the
future."
Teilhard
Chardin
"Imagination
rules the world"
Napoleon
(Yes,
but he had the wrong imagination of conquering the world. Humanity
must have the right imagination.)
A
vision of the third millennium: "When the lion will lay down with the
lamb and nations will learn war no
more."
The
Bible
"Blessed
be the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of
God."
Sermon
on the Mount
"Science has made unrestricted national sovereignty incompatible with human survival. The only possibilities are now world government or death." Bertrand Russell
"Unless
some effective world super-government for the purpose of preventing
war can be set up...the prospects for peace and human progress are
dark...If it is found possible to build a world organization of
irresistible force and inviolable authority for the purpose of
securing peace, there are no limits to the blessings which all men
may enjoy and share."
Winston
Churchill
"The Universe is not to be narrowed down to the limits of our understanding, which has been man's practice up to now, but the understanding must be stretched and enlarged to take in the image of the Universe as it is discovered." Francis Bacon
"If governments fail to seize the opportunity of the year 2000 to provide for a better government of planet Earth, history will not forgive them - if there is a history." Robert Muller
PART I
IDEAS 2001 TO 2100
Introduction
A Great Historic Decision
The UN General Assembly 1998 has decided "to hold in the fall of 2000 a heads of states Assembly to focus on means to solve our primary global problems and to reform the means of global governance in order to meet the challenges of the 21st century."
This great historic decision is one of the timeliest and broadest decisions I have ever seen adopted by the UN General Assembly.
May the whole humanity applaud it, look up to it, pray for it and contribute to it its ideas, dreams, visions and active cooperation.
On 11 July 1994, my beloved wife Barbara drew my attention that there were 2000 days left to the year 2000 and that I should write down every day one idea for a better world to reach a total of 2000 by 31 December 1999. I happily began writing and finished them already by 20 December 1998. So many others came to my heart and mind, generated by my fifty years of world service, that I continued to write them down. I thus produced 1000 more ideas bringing the total to 3000 which I dedicate with my love and prayers to the ominous, historic world meeting of heads of states in the year 2000, to all workers of the United Nations and to all those individuals, groups, movements and institutions around the planet working for a new better world, new century and millennium.
May God and the saints in heaven descend to Earth, be actively present amongst us and help us create at long last a just, peaceful, happy human family on our beautiful, miraculous planetary home, our loving, generous Mother Earth, the only planet endowed with life discovered so far among the billions of planets circling around the billions of suns of our galaxy, among the billions of galaxies of the universe.
So help us God and the invisible forces of the universe.
Robert Muller