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Politics and Justice without borders Global Dialogue 2007  theme Building global communities for all life
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Section 4, Community Rights, on the Scale of Human and Earth Rights includes 'direct democracy' 
We can no longer perceive ourselves as a People who could survive alone and a People who does not need anyone else. We belong and depend to this much larger group, that of the Global Community. The 21st Century will see limitless links and interrelationships with the Global Community. Every single human being must deal responsibly with the affairs going on in his (her) own 'global community' ~ when a person takes personal responsibility for his own affairs ~ he becomes empowered as a person. He can then reach beyond his own property and family, and help to work with others living in and around, even a part of the local community he lives in ~ the villages, the town community, the surrounding territory, and so on. The key is personal responsibility. Therefore the individual is the important element, one who takes responsibility for his community. This individual cares about jobs, homes, streets, the welfare and success of his community. When a group of ordinary people realized they, personally, will make the changes they need in their fields, in their village. They can then find ways to bring these changes for all. There is a wisdom in the ways of very humble people that needs to be used. Every humble person deserves to have ideas respected, the courage to develop his own life for the better and for the good of all. Sound solutions to help manage and sustain Earth will very likely be found this way. Everyone can help assess the needs of the planet now and propose sound solutions for its proper management, present and future. Perhaps now we should introduce some important members of the Global Community: the global civil society, the Earth Community, the human family, all different ways of expressing the same people. Most of the time many politicians representing their citizens at the United Nations have no knowledge, experience, and understanding of global problems. They seek advise from others, and these 'others' are always memebers of the global civil society. Yet politicians make global decisions or the lack of them during meetings. Politicians become actors on the world scene. Actors taken jobs they are not always qualified to take in reality. They make decisions and they dont understand consequences. In effect, politicians are threatening the security of all people and all life on Earth. The global civil society is made of people from all aspects of life who have a greater understanding of the problem whatever it may be. The global civil society is the mind, heart and Soul of humanity, the human family. They maybe NGOs, businesses, agencies, scientists and professionals, religious groups, or other groups. They should have a voting right during all meetings of the General Assembly and Security Council of the United Nations. They are given an important status in the Global Community. During Global Dialogues 2000, 2002 and 2004 we have found why each member of this Global Community is important ~ and how all work together to create a good place to live. Now is time to assign rights to these working communities. What rights should be assigned to 'a global community' and to the Global Community? All life on Earth is part of communities and, therefore, every human being has a responsibility toward all lifeforms.  To determine rights requires an understanding of needs and reponsibilities and their importance. The Scale of Human and Earth and the Charter of the Global Community are the best guidance for continuing this process. The Scale shows social values in order of importance and so will help us understand the rights of a community. What are the universal needs of a person, family, a community? All families need shelter, food, parents, language, body of
knowledge, certain skills, a source of income. Security of the home is an important aspect for any family and the global community
it belongs to. The needs of a community raise the question of interacting universal responsibilities. In terms of parenthood,
parents must raised their children mentally and physically healthy. It
is a responsibility to do so. Which also means each local community must have an educational
system to help parents rasie the child. Morally right actions or policies are those that result
in the greatest number of people. How meaningful is the right of the greatest number of people if they agree
to damage the ecological base of the Earth. The greatest
number of people cannot and will not be allowed to supersede the rights
of the ecological base of Earth.
How meaningful is the right to life or to participation in political life if
poverty, gender inequality, destitution and epidemics prevent individuals
from enjoying freedom of movement, freedom to vote, to marry and so on?
The economic and social rights are the essential prerequisite for the effectiveness
and exercise of all other rights (other than ecological rights) recognized
for human beings. The developing countries are having
a harder time than others to achieve the exercise of these rights on a
lasting basis, with the problems of economic globalization presenting new
challenges. We must therefore beware of enforcing economic rights alone
to the detriment of individual civil rights and the rights of all individuals
to decide their own fate and the future of their country, their political
rights. The universality of human rights recognizes the right of all individuals
to participate in the cultural life of their community and of other country,
to receive education and training, and to be informed. Global consumption is a very important aspect of
a community's needs. Consumers should be concerned with the impact of their decisions
on the environment but also on the lives, human and Earth rights and well-being of
other people. Since one of the key functions of families as a social institution
is to engage in production (selling their labour in return for wages) and
consumption (using those wages to buy goods and services), then the role
of families has impacts on sustainable consumption and development. This certainly limits the rights of a family and of a community.
Just as corporations have social responsibilities
and so do consumers in societies. Consumers are socialized to improve the
quality of their lives. Quality of life is a multi-dimensional,
complex and very subjective concept. For instance, someone who has changed
their consumption habits to better ensure that their choices will make
a better quality of life for themselves, the environment and future generations,
may be seen by others as having a lower or inferior quality of life since
they have removed themselves from the materialistic mainstream characteristic
of our consumer society. Someone may feel that an absence of violence and
abuse in their life leads to a higher quality of living even though they
have fewer tangible resources, money, or shelter; peace of mind and freedom
from abuse has increased the quality of their daily life relative to what
it was like before. There are universal quality of life values which lead
to 'human betterment' or the improvement of the human condition. In addition
to the value of species survival (human and other living organisms), they
include: adequate resources, justice and equality, freedom, and peace or
balance of power. A better quality of life for all people of the Global
Community is a goal for all of us.
The effect of such change in our ways will be acceptance of being a
part of the global community and that each one of us is doing things for
the good of all. In this way, the heart, mind and spirit of the Global
Community will be in the forefront of positive actions to ensure
our survival. |
What rights should be assigned to 'a global community' and to the Global Community? All life on Earth is part of communities
and, therefore, every human being has a responsibility toward all lifeforms. 
