“ If humankind is to survive there has to be a substantially new manner of thinking ” Albert Einstein
We currently live in very dangerous times. There is not only vast inequity between the developed and developing world– there is also a general poverty of spirit. We are suffering severe environmental degradation and the irreversible destruction of living and non living resources and a massive extinction of biodiversity.
In our Post Modernistic world, things are changing and there is a marked feeling of gloom and doom post September 11th. The world is governed more and more by economic rationalism and the military machine.
The Global Peace Centre covers the following topics
Economics and Politics Human Rights
Paradigm shift What was peripheral becomes central
Bringing consciousness back into the equation
Participatory democracy Exploring New Economics
Communication and Conflict Resolution The nature of the Global monetocracy, and exploring the nature of all forms of fundamentalism and their causes
Environmental degradation, inequity and exploitation are a vicious circle How do we treat poverty and inequity
Environment and Resources Is environmental degradation a reflection of people’s lives like the shadow follows the body
Unity in diversity In favor of pluralism
Higher creativity-integrating science and spirituality In favor of progress
Open forums and openness of dialogue In favor of ordinary words and listening to others as much or more than talking to others
Against the exploitation of illness by the pharmaceutical industry and unnecessary medical intervention The creation of a healing culture- self responsibility and self healing
Against corporatization of education Education as a quest for realization and creativity
Against misinformation and media which is tied up with government The creation of freedom of expression and pluralism and multiculturalism
Against fascism and neo conservatism in all its forms and agenda For freedom, equality, altruism and mate-ship
Against inequity and poverty in the community The social determinants of health are intimately tied with a supportive community and a health environment
In favor of a renaissance in consciousness, conscience and thinking Think cosmically and act globally
The loss of values and loss of dreams
In our media there is sensationalism in the newspapers and there is no integration of news or proper analysis as news tends to serve political purposes and is therefore politically biased. There is no public voice. Even in Universities there seems to be no integration between different specialties and information is narrowly focused.
It is a fragmented schizophrenic society.
The Global Peace Centre advocates new ways of thinking, acting and being, placing priority on the interconnectedness of all life. This realisation means that any loss of life affects us as the ripples are bound to affect the whole family of human kind. In this paradigm, suffering and loss of life diminishes us as the collective human psyche.
The rational, irrational and suprarational
In our society people express themselves in rational, irrational or supra-rational ways. Generally the establishment frowns on the irrational and the supra-rational. The aim of The Global Peace Centre is to find those group of people who are willing to be visionary enough to stand up and be counted and affect positive change in their environment by linking through the common ground. This is the new turn of the spiral and emphasises wholistic and new ways of thinking and being.
Our politicians are power crazy. The political mood of the world is conflict and confrontation. Problems are analysed to the nth degree with weighty thoughts. But despite our rationalism and technology our lives as human beings are controlled mainly by the emotions of the lower and mid brains creating a global crisis of greed, exploitation, anger and stupidity, which the Buddha called the three poisons.
Governments are maintaining economic growth at any cost and there is vast inequity in the world where millions and millions live in poverty and illness and others in comparatively excess wealth and material benefit. In our Western society we need to be informed as to the truth of what is actually occurring and we need a new awareness and new consciousness or spirituality which understands how everything maintains itself at the expense of everything else. This new paradigm is based on cooperation and openness.
There are huge changes occurring in our global society. At the World Economic Forum in February 2002, the scientists predicted a grim future replete with unprecedented biological threats, global warming, and the possible takeover of humans by robots. The Quantum Revolution which has given rise to the biogenetic engineering and the computer could also create a two tiered world with an artificially created genetic super race ruling over the masses somewhat like the scenario envisaged in Brave New World. We also have to realise that, as David Suzuki has said, we have taken over 40% of the major biological imprint on the planet which can be a recipe for species extinction.
Our future generations
It’s no wonder our young people are angry. Their lives are changing, but they feel there is no future as they feel there is nothing left. There are no values to live by. There is nothing stable, congruent or certain. Our young people nowadays grow up so quickly due to the influence of the media, particularly television. Parental care is lost as parents go out to work under the increasingly stressful working environment.
The conservative values once upheld by religion, are gone. People do not believe in institutions that dis-empower them. As Erickson, the psychologist has said, it is the political and theocratic elite which take advantage of the masses through manipulating their infantile desires.