Global 2000

 Global Dialogue on
Earth Management - all Peoples together

This new global dialogue will be held August 1-22, year 2002
in Toronto, Ontario, Canada


The theme is
Earth Government for Earth Community
-   A grassroots process   -
 

NEWSLETTER

        Newsletter Volume 2                                                                                                                                                  Issue 02, December 2000
 

Earth Community Organization

Interim Earth Government

 Canada

Germain Dufour, President
Marielle Jansen, Minister of Social Development
Sue L.T. McGregor, Minister of Family and Human Development

 

Mailing address

Earth Community Organization
17A  Quebec Street
Guelph, Ontario
Canada  N1H 2T1

email
gdufour@globalcommunitywebnet.com
Phone
(519) 829-3629

Websites of the Earth Community Organization and of Earth Government
http://members.home.net/earthgov1
http://members.home.net/earthcommunity
http://members.home.net/global2000
http://members.home.net/vdufour2000/Index.html
http://members.home.net/gdufour99/Index.html
http://members.home.net/gdufour2000/


Table of Contents

1.   President's Message
2.  Our first global dialogue, the World Congress, was a success
3.   The Preliminary Program for the conference is now ready
4.   Discussion Roundtables and Issues
5.   Campaign to design the Earth Flag
6.    Letter from our newly appointed Minister of Social Development
7.    Letter from our newly appointed Minister of Family and Human Development
8.   Articles
*   Universal Values, the Scale of Human Rights and Earth Management
*   The Interim Earth Government
*   Voting System in Earth Government
*   Religious beliefs, Peace in the world and Earth management
*   The Sociocratic Method of Decision Making




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1.    President's Message.
The  World Congress on Managing and Measuring Sustainable Development -  Global Community Action 1 was a success. The Proceedings of the World Congress show our results: universal values, global concepts, the Scale of Human Rights, new local and global indicators, positive and constructive actions to sustain Earth and all life, a sense of direction for humanity, a campaign to design the Earth flag is well on its way, and the determination of the membership of the Earth Community Organization in forming a democratically elected Earth Government. The Earth Government will be formed when representatives have been elected. The Earth Community Organization will decide when there is a significant enough proportion of people throughout the world participating in this process. Countries will decide if they want to participate with this process or not. No one country will be forced to participate. It just means that if the government of a country does not allow representatives to be elected within their population then their will not be representatives from that country sent to Earth Government. It is a choice each country must make on their own.

Our job is to create a government model we prefer amongst others: an Interim Earth Government. We hope that the elected representatives will adopt the model as theirs and govern Earth. Other models can be discussed and we may even decide that one of them is a better idea. Send all your models or proposals. There will be Discussion Roundtables on Earth Government Models, voting systems, election procedures, and hundreds of other aspects or issues related to forming the Earth Government.

During the World Congress, I was elected by acclamation President of the Earth Community Organization and Interim Earth Government because no one else showed up. We will work together on a democratically elected Earth Government. Its foundation, values and principles, global concepts, will be taken from the results obtained during the World Congress. A short summary of the work done so far is found in the World Congress Proceedings at: http://members.home.net/gdufour2000/WebNet4/index.htm
Read the sections on universal values, Earth Charter, Vision of Earth in Year 2024. The fundamental global concepts are found in
http://members.home.net/vdufour2000/GlassBubble.html

There are 51 Ministries listed in one of the Articles of this Newsletter. Anyone of you may apply for those positions. I am asking you to choose a Ministry and start defining it completely: what it will do, why is it needed, the money needed to run it, the people needed, the work it will do all over the world, etc. Each and everyone of us (and new Participants) can pick a Minister's position and find absolutely everything there is to be found about your Ministry. You may create brain-storming exercises in your community to help you. I am doing the same thing as President (I also need a Vice-President). We will gather all our information and create a new Discussion Roundtable for each Ministry and do more discussion and research. The idea is to pass on to the elected representatives for Earth Government (assuming that they will be elected shortly after the Global Dialogue of August 2002) the work we have done to help them govern Earth. This way representatives will have an idea about what to do before they are elected as representatives to Earth Government. Once they are elected they may want to adopt our research work as a starting point for governing Earth.

I have discussed about the voting system in one of the articles. One representative per million people. If all countries in the world had decided to participate with this process we would have today 6,114 elected representatives to form Earth Government. They would form the Legislative body of Earth Government. They could actually all stay home to govern or from some place in their communities. Today communications are more than good enough to allow voting and discussing issues, etc. through the Internet and video conferencing. That would cut cost of governing down to a minimum, at least administrative costs. The Executive body would also govern in this way to cut cost down to a minimum. Ministers can administer their Ministries from where they live if they wish to. There will be a place for the Headquarters. We will show that it costs very little to administer Earth Government, and that we can achieve immense results. There is no limit to the good the Earth Government can achieve in the world. Think! What can do a unified 6.114 billion people determined to make things work to keep Earth healthy?

Those interested to become officers or ministers please submit your CV, three references, and a five page essay on why you want to become an officer or a minister. Several criteria will be taken into account: qualifications of the candidate for leadership, past record as a good citizen, no criminal records, your own financial support (we dont have any funds to pay anyone and for anything), and proven experience and competence in the position. Candidates work strictly on a volunteer basis. You are completely responsible for your own affairs. You are also required to have accepted in your heart and mind universal values, global concepts, democratic principles, and human rights as obtained and defined in the previous global dialogue. The immediate goals of the Interim Earth Government are to define and develop each Ministry as explained above. Details of Earth Government structure, goals and objectives, and Mission are available at
http://members.home.net/earthgov1/

The reason why I have decided to choose members of my Executive is because I am working on a specific Earth Government model, the democratically elected Earth Government. Some people may not agree on its foundation. They are welcome to propose their own model during the global dialogue in August 2002.

All of those who decide to join me will be part of a major research paper to be published on the Earth Community Organization and Earth Government websites. Our work will be an important part of the Proceedings. If it happens that our research was adopted by the elected representatives than we would become founders of Earth Government.


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2.    Our first global dialogue, the World Congress, was a success

The hope that we can create an Earth Society, a sustainable society, composed of sustainable communities, is not new. What's new is that we are doing it. It is no longer a talk, a hope or a concept. It is a reality! Sustainability is no longer a concept it is us, all of us,  now, today.  Human beings have the capacity to continuously adapt to their nonhuman environments by means of social organization. This is why the People aspects have been included in the definition of sustainable development. This is why sustainable development is essentially not about just the environment and economic development, but it is also about people. We the Peoples of the Earth will  find ways to protect and improve the delicate balance between human activity and our natural life support system. We are now working together, all of us, all Peoples on Earth, to keep our planet healthy, productive and hospitable for all human beings and living things.

We have created the Earth Community Organization, and now we are forming the Interim Earth Government, with the mandate of forming Earth Government from the grassroots. The  World Congress on Managing and Measuring Sustainable Development -  Global Community Action 1 was about establishing the foundation for a sound Earth Management. The Interim Earth Government has the mandate of forming Earth Government, its organizational structure, its voting system, the elective procedure, and promoting its creation all over the world. Once representatives from every country have been elected, they will form the Legislative body of Earth Government and will be governing Earth. They will decide how the Executive and the Judiciary bodies of Earth Government will be elected or chosen. For now the Earth Community Organization has chosen me as President, and I choose members of my team for the Interim Earth Government.

This is the first opportunity thinkers from all countries have had to pool their ideas, brain-storm their concerns and search for universal solutions to the problems at hand. The world surely will never be the same again. Collective human intellectual power will reach every country for the good of all.

We estimate that so far the World Congress and Earth Community concepts have made contact by 'ricochet' with at least a million people throughout the World. We have three mailing lists: the Participants list of about 500 businesses, NGOs, universities, professionals, and the public from 90 countries; an intermediate mailing list of 5,000 "interested" individuals (an 'individual' here may either be a person, a corporation, a NGO, a local community, a group of people, a business, or a government); and finally an extensive mailing list of 18,000 individuals from all countries of the world. Again by the effects of 'ricochet' and chain reaction after creation of new thoughts we will touch the hearts and the minds of the billions of people on Earth. This will happen very quickly. Most likely within a year.

The World Congress has broken new grounds in several other ways.

The World Congress has broken grounds not only in the number of interested participants but also in its new global dialogue on Earth Management. The hundreds of people who have sent us their research work from around the world represent only a part of a great ground-swell of concern for the future of our planet. It is quite possible the men and women who have produced this body of work will go down in history as major instruments of change. We now have 73 Discussion Roundtables divided into the four interacting quality systems: Social(37), Environment(16), Economics(8) and Availability of Resources(12). We went past previous Earth Summits organized by governments who have been focusing only on a specific issue without including the public throughout the world and without taking into account all impacts. We are proposing here to Earth Community that sound solutions to world problems can only be brought forward after analyzing all important interacting impacts, and by asking the participation of Earth Community in finding a sound solution.

This World Congress has broken grounds in its limitless well of new thoughts. We have created (and still thousands more to come) new thoughts, concepts, ideas, ways of doing things to sustain Earth throughout the coming millenniums. It was time for us to scrutinize our values and old thoughts. We did. We had to reach very deep in ourselves to succeed in this process. The next step is the creation of new thoughts, thousands of them. Healthy thoughts! The kind that will sustain Earth. Remember what we have been asking you all along: from the experience in your life and local community tell us:

What is most important?
What is very important?
Not so important?
Not important at all?
What should be let go?

to sustain Earth, and all of humanity.

This process will help humanity to think clearly and globally. Your research papers, brainstorming exercises, Vision statements, discussions, comments and recommendations were well appreciated and reviewed. They give us a sense of direction and purpose. The  end product also include universal values to connect us together as we are all belonging to Earth Community by birth.

Now we are asking to keep in touch with all of us and the organization. Participate in the new Global Dialogue to be held August 2002:

Earth Management - all Peoples together

 


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3.   The Preliminary Program for the conference is now ready


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4.   Discussion Roundtables and Issues

Discussion Roundtables were the main section programs during the August 2000 Global Dialogue World Congress on Managing and Measuring Sustainable Development - Global Community Action 1,  and they are again used in the Global Dialogue Earth Management - all Peoples together to be held August 2002. 

However we expect other types of sessions and presentations to be used in August 2002. 

 New Discussion Roundtables will be related to: Global Peace, Conservation, Earth Management, Earth Government, Voting System, Earth Constitution, Earth Charter, Judiciary,  Transboundary Agreements, etc.

Issues to be discussed or presented during the Global Dialogue will of the kind related to:

A)        Focus 2002
B)        GCAC’s objectives
C)        ISSUES related to:
Environment, Economic Development, Social Aspects and the Availability of Resources

            
D)        Earth Government
E)        Earth Charter
F)        Earth Management

All papers and/or discussions must relate to the idea of finding a sound balance amongst the interactions of the four quality systems: environment, economic development, availability of resources and people aspects.

When there is a need to find a solution to a problem or a concern, a sound solution would be to choose a measure or conduct an action, if possible, which causes reversible damage as opposed to a measure or an action causing an irreversible loss; that is the grassroots process.

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5.   Campaign to design the Earth Flag
A campaign to design the Earth flag for Earth Community is going on right now and I call upon and encourage students from all over the planet to participate in the design of the Earth flag. It will be their first unified achievement.  Children's education is also part of the theme for this global dialogue. There is a need to train the next generation in the skills of collaborating in the future management of global change, which will be vital to survival. Students of all levels (school, college, technical, university) are invited to participate in Earth Community projects. They are asked to produce any creative work of their vision of what  Earth Management - all Peoples together  can accomplish ~ in the fields of zoology, biology, on history, on geography, on social and political sciences, on agriculture, energy, earth sciences, forestry, communications, wilderness, pollution, on the water supplies of the world, poverty, employment, social justice, human rights, universal values, global concepts, business and economy, availability of resources and so on.

Have you contacted a school or any other educational institution in your community to encourage participation? Have you let parents, students and teachers (instructors, professors, etc) know of the campaign?


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6.   Letter from our newly appointed Minister of Social Development

Marielle Jansen
P.O.Box 411
Samford Qld 4520
Phone (07) 32985553
e-mail: sociocracy@aol.com


It is a great honour for me to be invited to introduce myself to the members of the Earth Community Organization (ECO). Since the mid eighties I have been involved in NGO’s that deal with issues of global governance, so I was quite surprised to find out about the ECO only one month ago, when a friend passed the previous newsletter on to me. What struck me as its most important feature was the expression of compliance with the Divine Will.

I have been involved in the work of World Goodwill since the early seventies. It is mainly through their publications and esoteric schooling that I experienced the spiritual growth that helped me become aware of what being a world citizen really means. World Goodwill has always supported the United Nations as the only organization we have at the moment to deal with issues on a global scale. Despite feelings of pain and disappointment about the apparent failures of the UN in dealing with important global issues, I was prepared to do whatever I could to contribute to the work of the UN.

My first question, after learning about the existence of ECO was: "Why aren’t these people willing to co-operate (e.g. with the UN), and: "Why must they form a different organization?" After studying the ECO web-site, however, this question had vanished and I knew why. Spirituality was the key. Of course there had to be a new organization, if spirituality was going to have its place! No money, but great results! That is why I wrote an email to Germain Dufour, telling him about the Sociocratic Method of Decision-Making as a tool for communication and co-operation. He is one of the very few people who recognized its potential for organization building immediately.

"When communities, nations, or international bodies make decisions affecting sustainable development, there are many voices to be heard" (Barsky, Diepeveen, Wilson and Hanna).

Sociocracy is a tool to make sure this will happen!

I would like to tell you how my involvement with sociocracy started and give a little bit of background information for you to get a general idea about the method.

I worked as a volunteer for different NGO’s, dealing with issues such as refugees, development aid, education, and global governance. One of these contacts led me to the work of Pieter Kooistra, who conceived a plan for a basic income on a global scale. He introduced me to the sociocratic method, as he found that it was indispensable for his plan. The founder of the sociocratic method, Gerard Endenburg, derived his ideas from the educational method of his schoolteacher, who was inspired by the Quakers’ practice of involving all of the members of a group in important decisions. Endenburg developed these ideas further and applied them to his own business. From the fact that sociocracy started in a school environment, it is evident that the method is also suitable to involve school children in matters of decision-making. Sociocracy is sometimes referred to as "the next step in evolution after democracy". Its implementation, however, does not require abolishment of democracy, which makes sociocracy a suitable method for a gradual changeover to more refined patterns of participation. It is a fractal structure that offers a logical and uncomplicated way of reaching unity in diversity in organizations of any kind and any scale.

The four ground rules are as follows:

- The principle of consent ("no argued objection") governs decision making;
- The organisation is built up of "circles", (departments / functional groups) of a maximum of 25 people, who have a common aim and guide their own circle process of: leading, doing and measuring and who maintain their own memory system through integral schooling / permanent education);
- The circles are connected through a double link, in such a way that both the leader and at least one chosen representative from the circle take part in decision making on the next higher level (to ensure both top-down and bottom-up communication);
- Allocation of tasks and functions takes place through sociocratic elections, which involves application of the principle of consent to the election process. This means: open discussion within the group about the skills and knowledge of the proposed candidates.

I hope to explain these ground rules in more detail at a later occasion.

Sociocracy in world scale governance has been worked out in theory. I do hope that the ECO will take up the challenge of trying sociocracy in the practice of world scale governance, so that the imperfections of the democratic process will be ironed out and the ECO will guide democracy in its next evolutionary step.

These days I am spending all my free time on the Global Community’s web-site, reading up on the papers that have been presented and the transcripts of the round table discussions. I feel so much more optimistic now about the future for humanity and I feel grateful for all the hard work that has been done so far. I am also hoping to take part in what remains to be done. From the contributions that were published on the web-site it is obvious that here, finally, a community is forming of people who are not only highly intelligent, but who have opened their hearts to their fellow men and all the other creatures, great and small. This mode of working with "heart, head and hands" is what really appeals to me.

I am currently involved in a group that is looking into new ways of work and employment and we also study the requirements for integrity development. We have adopted the Earth Charter as a guiding principle. I do hope that one day the fruits of our labours will be part of the "collective wisdom" of the ECO.

Yours sincerely,

Marielle Jansen


7.   Letter from our newly appointed Minister of Family and Human Development

Formation of Democratically Elected Earth Government

Application for Position of Minister of Family and Human Development

Dr. Sue L.T. McGregor
Professor, Department of Education
Coordinator Peace and Conflict Studies Program
Mount Saint Vincent University

It is with honor, eagerness and humility that I apply for the position of Minister of Family and Human Development (FHD) within the Interim Earth Government. From the inaugural 2000 World Congress, the Earth Community Organization emerged and, with its birth, the need for a government model that will place democracy, people and the earth before profit, power and economic growth. One of the universal values emerging from the 2000 Congress is that "all cultures and nations value the family as the most important basic social unit". That is why I proposed that there be a Minister of Family and Human Development and that I would be a good candidate for this position.

I have been a home economist for over 30 years and my entire focus has been on individual and family well-being. The century old profession of home economics grew out of the Industrial Revolution in response to its impact on the quality of life, well-being and standard of living of individuals and families. The mission of the profession is to enable individuals and families to become empowered to help themselves reach their full potential and to continually improve the quality of their daily lives. The profession is concerned with the individual family unit (regardless of what it looks like) and the family as a democratic social institution (believed to fulfil the roles of socialization, procreation, consumption and production, social control, love nurturance and moral and maintenance of the household and daily lives). Indeed, home economists were the driving force behind the 1994 International UN Year of the Family.

In the early 80's, the profession embraced the human ecology perspective. This approach to practice, policy, research and education enables us to view the individual and family as living ecosystems comprised of separate but interrelated units that enter into two-way relationships with their near environments as they acquire, use and dispose of resources to meet five basic needs (food, shelter, clothing, family relations and human development and consumption). These near environments include home, work, play, school, worship, community, government, marketplace, nature, etc. Anyone embracing a human ecology perspective (including me) assumes that individuals and families affect their environments and their environments affect them. This reciprocal relationship happens in the local, provincial/state/territorial, regional, national and international levels. As the Minister of Family and Human Development, I will continue to embrace a human ecological perspective in my role in the Earth Government.

The home economics profession also values the concepts of synergy, integration and being holistic. Synergy refers to working jointly toward a common end (versus working separately). Integration refers to bringing disparate parts together in a totally new way that was not conceived of before - to bring parts together into a united whole. Holistic refers to seeing all things as interconnected, like a web - one part cannot be affected without affecting the other things that are tied to it. Taken together, this is a powerful approach to my role as Minister of Family and Human Development. I would approach interactions with other ministers and other institutions assuming that synergy is possible, more so if we take an integrated, holistic approach to managing the earth community.

The Earth Government is based on universal values as is the profession of home economics. Universal values were the focus of the 2000 World Congress
http://members.home.net/gdufour2000/WebNet4/Universal.htm

The document at this site profiles the collection of values identified by congress participants as principles for societal processes that can be life-restoring and life giving. These values include: ethics; sustainability; peace; freedom; social and economic justice; accountability; wellness, well-being and quality of life; community; spirituality; ecological integrity; human rights; human responsibilities; equality; intergenerational equity; relationships; cooperation; tolerance; respect for diversity; democracy; and, responsible choice (especially in our consumer choices). Home economics is also values based, embracing the same collection of universal values as does the Earth Government. My recent foray into the field of peace education prompted me to begin research on citizenship education, global education, human rights education and peace education and the synergy with consumer and family education. Some of my recent thoughts can be found at my website http://www.consultmcgregor.com. I am also writing a think piece for the honor’s society for home economics in the United States (Kappa Omicron Nu (KON)) about the links between peace, human reflective action and home economics. I will share this if anyone asks for it (it will soon be posted on the KON website at http://www.kon.org for public dialogue. I am refining my thoughts about the impact of consumer rights on human rights and the links between consumer responsibilities and human responsibilities in the global human family. I’ve also written a piece about citizenship education and consumer education and several papers on globalization consumer education and socialization (at my website above).

Before I close, I would like to speak a bit to the obvious parallels, but distinctions, between the notions of social development and the family and human development (there is a Minister of Social Development).While the former is concerned with promoting social progress relative to economic progress, the latter is concerned with the empowerment of individuals and family units that make up society and are the backbone of the economy. We would not have an economy without individuals working. Families are the main agents of social development because of their fundamental role as an intermediate body - the daily context - between individuals and society. In order to have social development, we have to have family and human development. This need is being compromised by the stance taken in UN initiatives. Even though the UN proclaimed 1994 the International Year of the Family, the 1995 Copenhagen World Summit on Social Development did not recognize the family as the basic social institution, did not recognize its indisputable social network and did not reflect the family’s vital contribution to individual development or its impact on society and the economy. Reports from the 2000 April Geneva World Summit on Social Development (designed to be a report card for achievements on the targets set in 1995) note that only a few (less than 15) countries include the family in their proposals for action. There must be a voice for individuals and families in these forums and this Ministry could be that voice.

The Earth Government agrees that globalization needs to be made responsive to family and human development needs as well as social development needs. This is a challenge given that social policies are losing ground to national priorities for economic growth. Imagine what is happening to the needs of families and individuals when most countries do not have any family policy departments in their government structure, let alone family policies that could loose ground to economic priorities. This Ministry could be a voice for families and individuals in the policy arena where transnational corporations are building amazing power at the expense of the national state, the family and the environment.

I look forward to future dialogue on the role of individuals and families in sustainable development and invite you to read my paper presented at the Congress at
http://members.home.net/earth2000/McGregor.html

The Earth Government needs a Minister who speaks for the voice of family and human development because their well-being, security and self fulfillment as members of the human family is central to the mandate of the Earth Community.

Dr. Sue L.T. McGregor
Professor, Department of Education
Coordinator Peace and Conflict Studies Program
Mount Saint Vincent University
166 Bedford Highway Halifax NS Canada B3M 2J6
902-457-6385 F457-6455
902-823-2625 Home F 823-1830
sue.mcgregor@msvu.ca
www.msvu.ca/pax
www.consultmcgregor.com (My CV is at this site)
c:/minister’s application



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Universal Values, the Scale of Human Rights and Earth Management

Primordial human rights are those that individuals have by virtue of their very existence as human beings: to live, eat, drink fresh water, breath clean air, and have shelter. Human rights represent an ideal and a supreme goal which can give meaning to life in society. Throughout the history of humanity, the rights of human beings have been defined and enshrined with reference to the values of the dignity of each individual and of freedom, equality and justice. These values are universal.The Earth Community Organization has accepted and enshrined them into its own ways of behaving and dealing with all peoples. Cultures and societies differ so much that their expression takes varying forms, but diversity does not affect the foundation of inalienable values constituted by human rights. Each individual is recognized as a representative of humankind. Human dignity resides in each of us, and this dignity must be recognized and respected by all.

It was shown during the World Congress on Managing and Measuring Sustainable Development - Global Community Action 1 held August 2000 that there is a close interdependence between the human health, the conduct of the people, the quality of their environment, the type of their professional occupation, the motives and objectives of their lives, their religious beliefs, the relationships with other people and with the natural elements.

The Earth Community Organization recognizes that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Freedom is both a principle and a value. Individuals have the freedom of decision and action to the extent that their actions do not interfere with the rights of others. It is because human beings are free that they are subject of law and are creators and holders of rights. Freedom and human rights are therefore basic to each other. Fundamental freedoms are far from being enjoyed by all but it is our common future, it is part of our Vision statement for year 2024. Human freedom is a value to be attained. Equality is a value, an ideal for people who live a hard day-to-day life of economic inequalities such as unemployment, and social inequalities caused by the privileges enjoyed by some people and the exploitation of others, and inequality of educational and health opportunities. Freedom and equality are both indispensable. Equality and freedom are therefore accepted and enshrined as universal values by which the Earth Community Organization will governed its affairs. As universal values they are concerned with our ability to decide, to choose values and to participate in the making of laws, and they are dependent on the recognition of other people. These values forbid any form of discrimination on the grounds of race, nationality, sex, religion, age or mother tongue. By accepting both values of freedom and equality we can achieve justice. One can be answerable for one's actions in a 'just' way only if judgements are given in the framework of democratically established laws and courts. Social justice is another universal value to which Earth Community aspires and accepts as a universal value. Social justice consists in sharing wealth with a view to greater equality and the equal recognition of each individual's merits. All persons within a given society deserve equal access to goods and services that fulfill basic human needs.

We also accept human rights as part of our universal values from which we base our decisions. Human rights and democracy are closely intertwined. Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is one of the characteristics of a democracy. The typical fundamental freedoms of a democracy (freedom of expression, thought, assembly, and association) are themselves part of human rights. These freedoms were present during the World Congress as we have dialogued and debated on the rights of different people and their accompanying obligations and responsibilities as human beings. These freedoms can exist everywhere. Democracy is a political system based on the participation of the people. It foresees the separation of powers among the judiciary, the legislative and the executive authorities, as well as free and regular elections.

The  Earth Community Organization promotes efficient forms of management and participation. The political rights of the organization define the conditions under which citizens exercise their responsibilities. For our organization to be democratic, we must organized our political and social life with the greatest respect of all peoples.

The  Earth Community Organization has developed a scale of human rights in order of importance with the ecological rights being the most important (they supersede all other rights; and so on down the scale). The scale is shown here.
 
 

*    Ecological rights
*     Primordial human rights
*    The ecological and primordial human rights of future generations
*    The right that the greatest number of people has by virtue of its number (50% plus one) and after voting democratically representatives to Earth Government
*    Economic rights (business and consumer rights, and their responsibilities and accountabilities) and social rights (civil and political rights)
*    Cultural rights and religious rights



The Universal Declaration of Human Rights resides in the fact that it gives equal emphasis to cultural rights, economic and social rights, and civil and political rights.  The Earth Community Organization asks how meaningful is the right to life or to participation in political life if the ecological base (the base of life) is seriously threatened:

*    wilderness is vastly disappearing
*    climate change affects everyone and everything
*    the ozone layer is dangerously damaged by man-made chemicals
*    global warming causes major local and global problems
*    our drinking(fresh) water is becoming more polluted and the increase in population requires much more fresh unpolluted water
*    clean air no longer exists; air contains chemicals affecting life all over the planet
*    farmers do not generally engage on their own in investment in soil conservation and despite all other efforts the world is loosing its best soils
*    everyone wants to consume more products, and thus use more of our resources, and no one seems to know what to do with wastes
*    wars destroy not only human lives but also other lifeforms and the environment

The Earth Community Organization found evident that the ecological base is the essential prerequisite for the effectiveness and exercise of all rights recognized for human beings. The stewardship of the ecological base has to be given priority before the fulfilment of various economic and social wishes. Demands resulting from the socio-economic system of a particular country have to find their limits in the protection of the global ecosystem. Vital interests of future generations have to be considered as having priority before less vital interests of the present generation. Supply chains have to be designed in a way, that the goods can enter after usage or consumption into natural or industrial recycling processes. If serious damages to persons, animals, plants and the ecosystem cannot be excluded, an action or pattern of behaviour should be refrained from. A measure for supplying goods or services should choose a path which entails the least possible impact on the ecological and social system concerned. This way functioning proven systems will not be disturbed, and  unnecessary risks will not be taken. Supply strategies consuming less resources should have preference before those enhancing more resource consumption. The Earth Community Organization has also extended the idea of sustainability to be a moral and ethical state, as well as an economic and environmental state, wherein sustainable consumption patterns respect the universal values of peace, security, justice and equity within the human relationships that exist in Earth Community. When there is a need to find a solution to a problem or a concern,  a sound solution would be to choose a measure or conduct an action, if possible, which causes reversible damage as oppose to a measure or an action causing an irreversible loss. The existing and future uses of water are constantly challenged; balancing supply and demand is made even harder by the amounts of pollution found in the air, land and waters. A large part of our body is made of water, and we cannot live without water; therefore water is a primordial human right by our very nature. In order to avoid conflicts and wars over drinking (fresh)water, fresh water has been categorized as a primordial human rights. Industrial pollution plays a major role in the deterioration of nature but this time the level of pollution is above the carrying capacity of the ecosystem. Pollution also affects significantly human health and all lifeforms on Earth. Every person needs Oxygen to live so clean air is certainly also a primordial human right by our very nature.

Morally right actions or policies are those that result in the greatest number of people. The Earth Community Organization asks how meaningful is the right of the greatest number of people if they agree to the challenge or 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.

The Earth Community Organization asks 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 Earth Community Organization found evident that 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. This was the reason for organizing the World Congress: to find the best ways to sustain us all. 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. During the World Congress, you were asked  to list universal values that were the most important, very important, important, not so important, and values that should be let go in order to sustain all life on Earth. The Earth Community Organization is aware that traditional customs and standards could burden the sustainability of all life on Earth. They could burden Earth society or any society forever, and holds individuals in a straitjacket. We cannot accept that. No one can! There are choices to be made and you must make them. Cultures can develop and can go on developing. Even religious beliefs may evolve (read the article 'Religious beliefs, Peace in the world and Earth management'). We are living now and we are able to create these changes. We are at least as bright, most certainly brighter, than the people who were living thousand of years ago.  As far as the Earth Community Organization is concerned, cultural and religious differences cannot be a reason or an excuse or a pretext for not respecting human rights including and most importantly the ecological rights. Quite the contrary, all kinds of cultures may promote human rights and especially cultural rights. They are different in their achievements, but they are equal in dignity where they are expressions of  freedom. At any time or in any given place, men, women and children use their culture to invent new ways of making human rights a living reality. Diversity enriches us if it respects the dignity of each individual, and if it takes account of  human rights as a whole.

The Earth Community Organization is concerned with the sustainability of current levels and patterns of consumption and with the economic, political, personal, environmental, availability of resources, societal and spiritual impact of excessive, run-away consumption. The goal of the World Congress was to find a balanced, sustainable global consumption. About 20% of Earth’s people account for 80% of the world's total consumption. Globalization of the world economic system is proceeding at a very rapid pace, and is generally promoted as being welfare-improving.

Globalization is a process interaction which involves growing economic interdependence of countries worldwide with implications and impacts on social, cultural, political, environmental and familial aspects and rights. With the globalization of the economy comes now the task for defining the obligations that go with the rights.This phenomenon is also present in the arena of international finance. In this area, however, the presumed virtues of globalization are far from being materialised. Until now, no orderly or stable financial system has been implemented. Furthermore, the current financial system does not succeed in channelling sufficient funds to finance crucial world problems such as adequate social development in poor countries. We have assigned ourselves the task of defining a set of rules to balance consumption, consumer rights and responsibilities :

*    Socially responsible and sustainable to future generations
*    In line with the universal values defined above
*    In line with human rights and responsibilities defined above

Consumers' rights impinge on the rights of other humans living in  Earth Community. The right to choice is the consumer right that refers to the right to have a range and variety of goods and services at competitive, fair prices and variable, satisfactory quality. In order to assure choice in the developed country markets, governments have implemented trade laws to facilitate cross border transactions and transnational corporations (TNCs) have set up business off shore so they can lessen the cost of the production process. The goods that are available in the developed country markets are provided by slave labour, child labour, sweatshops or in countries that allow the TNCs to forego adhering to pollution or ecological concerns and human rights in pursuit of profit. Labour rights are abused in efforts to earn more profits. This leads to abhorrent working conditions, job insecurity and low living standards (all human rights). Consumers in developed countries have been socialized to want more and more things to consume but have not been socialized to appreciate the impact of their consumption choices on the human rights of other people; that is, they are not being responsible for their decisions.

The Earth Community Organization found a way of dealing with globalization: global ethics. In the past, corporations rule without checks and balances. For now on global ethics will be a basic minimum to do business, and there will be checks and balances. Our judgement will be based on global ethics. Global ethics must always be grounded in realities. But realities are changing constantly and are different in different places. We live in a world that makes progress toward democracy. Ethics and morality exist only when human beings can act freely. In our free society, rights are tied to responsibilities. Corporations are committed to improvement in business performance and want to be seen as 'good corporate citizens' on a local and a global scale. Corporations have social responsibilities as they are an integral part of society. Global ethics recalls that those realities, on which others build upon, have to be protected first. The Earth Community Organization found that universal values and human rights as described above were the foundation of global ethics.

The Earth Community Organization has now at hand the method and framework to conduct societal checks and balances of a global sustainable development. A more balance world economy will result of annual checks and balances. Corporations will take their social responsibilities and become involved in designing, monitoring, and implementing these checks and balances. Several corporations have already done so.  Results will be taken into account in the evaluation of sustainable development. Corporations are required to expand their responsibilities to include human rights, the environment, community and family aspects, safe working conditions, fair wages and sustainable consumption aspects.

Global consumption is a very important aspect of globalization. Consumers should be concerned with the impact of their decisions on the environment but also on the lives, human 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.

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  Earth Community is a goal for all of us and one of our universal values.

The Earth Community Organization found that an adequate level of health care is a universal value as well as a human right. We expect adequate health services to be accessible, affordable, compassionate and socially acceptable. We believe that every individual of a society is co-responsible for helping in implementing and managing health programmes along with the government and the public institutions.
 
 

Germain

President
Earth Community Organization
and
Interim Earth Government
 
 
 
 

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The Interim Earth Government

Earth has long been waiting for a truly global governing body based on universal values, human rights, global concepts and democracy. Earth Government might as well be created now, there is no longer any reason to wait. We are the Earth Community and we will form the Earth Government. Earth management is a priority and is a duty by every responsible person. A democratically elected Earth Government will now be formed, and we want you to reflect on future effects of such an event on the history of humanity. Certainly one will expect extraordinary changes: a reorganizing of human activities all over the planet; participation by all societies on the planet in solving local and global problems; new alliances forming; north meeting with south (eradication of poverty will be the price to pay to get votes from the south) in order to gather more votes within the newly created Earth Government to satisfy power struggles between European, Asian and Western countries; adoption of democratic principles, human rights, global concepts, and universal values by every human being; expansion of consciousness; gathering and coordinating of forces to resolve social and political problems in a peaceful way (no more conflicts or wars); gathering and coordinating of forces (technologies, scientific research, exploration work, human resources, etc.) to resolve global problems such as global climate, environment, availability of resources, poverty, employment, etc. Thousands more changes!

Let your heart and mind reflect on 'the good' of a democratically elected Earth Government. Everyone is part of Earth Community by birth and therefore everyone has a right to vote. Everyone should be given a chance to vote. If you live in a developing country this time you will have a vote, human rights like all of us, you will be part of Earth Community, and we will stand by you. Decisions will be made democratically. You will finally have a voice and a friend, many friends, within Earth Government and Earth Community. Your lives have values just like all of ours.

Between now and August 2002 we will have created the interim Earth Government for Earth Community. The interim Earth Government for Earth Community will govern for as long as necessary to create the democratic structure of the government and put in place the voting system that it requires. Officers and Ministers of Earth Government will be required to work as a team. Mr. Joseph-Germain Dufour was elected the first President during the World Congress. Those interested to become officers or ministers please submit your CV, three references, and a five pages essay on why you want to become an officer or a minister. There is an urgent need to fill the following positions:

*    Vice-president
*    Secretary-General (this position was created and reserved for the Secretary-General of the United Nations)
*    Minister of Finances (Expenditures and Revenues)
*    Minister of World Monetary Institutions
*    Minister of Peace
*    Minister of the Earth Flag
*    Minister of Youth
*    Minister of Human Rights
*    Minister of Global Ethics
*    Minister of Environment and Ecological Protection
*    Minister of Fisheries
*    Minister of Forests
*    Minister of Soil Conservation
*    Minister of Mining
*    Minister of Resources
*    Minister of Economic Development
*    Minister of Trade
*    Minister of Social Development
*    Minister of Family and Human Development
*    Minister of Cultural Protection
*    Minister of Education and Training
*    Minister of Health
*    Minister of Urbanization and Rural Development
*    Minister of Earth Negotiations
*    Minister of International Treaties
*    Minister of Earth Council
*    Minister of Earth Charter
*    Minister of Research & Development
*    Minister of the GCAC
*    Minister of Communications
*    Minister of Transportation
*    Minister of Heritage Protection
*    Minister of Election
*    Minister of the Judiciary
*    Minister of Laws, Regulations, Guidelines, Codes and Standards
*    Minister of Social Services
*    Minister of Rescues and Emergencies Due to Natural Disasters
*    Minister of Refugees
*    Minister of Energy
*    Minister of Consumption and Production
*    Minister of Business Development
*    Minister of Human Resources
*    Minister of Aboriginals and Natives
*    Minister of Wastes
*    Minister of Agricultural Development
*    Minister of Food Production
*    Minister of Oceans and Coastal Areas
*    Minister of Infrastructures and Facilities
*    Minister of Science and Technology
*    Minister of Eradication of Hunger and Poverty
*    Minister of Industry and Manufacturing Products
*    Minister of Bank and Loans
 

Other minister and officer positions may be created as well. We expect suggestions to come forward between now and August 2002. Several criteria will be taken into account: qualifications of the candidate for leadership, past record as a good citizen, no criminal records, your own financial support (we dont  have any funds to pay anyone and for anything), and proven experience and competence in the position. Candidates work strictly on a volunteer basis. You are also required to have accepted in your heart and mind universal values, global concepts, democratic principles, and human rights as obtained and defined in the previous global dialogue.

The immediate goals of the Interim Earth Government are to define and develop each Ministry as explained in the President's Message section.

The reason why I have decided to choose members of my Executive is because I am working on a specific Earth Government model, the democratically elected Earth Government. Some people may not agree on its foundation. They are welcome to propose their own model during the global dialogue in August 2002.

All of those who decide to join me will be part of a major research paper to be published on the Earth Community Organization and Earth Government websites. Our work will be an important part of the Proceedings. If it happens that our research was adopted by the elected representatives than we would become founders of Earth Government.

Proposals will start to be assessed January 1st, 2001. The deadline is August 2002 at which time the Interim Earth Government will have been completely formed.

 

Germain

President
Earth Community Organization
and
Interim Earth Government
 
 

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Voting System in Earth Government

There is a need to develop a voting system to elect representatives to form a democratically elected Earth Government. Every person in the world can claim the birth right of electing a democratic government to manage Earth: the rights to vote and elect representatives to form the Earth Government. They are our human rights! Each and everyone of us on Earth was born free and equal in dignity and rights. Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is one of the characteristics of a democracy. The typical fundamental freedoms of a democracy (freedom of expression, thought, assembly, and association) are themselves part of human rights. These freedoms can exist everywhere. Democracy is a political system based on the participation of the people. It foresees the separation of powers among the judiciary, the legislative and the executive authorities, as well as free and regular elections.

The  Earth Community Organization has developed a scale of human rights in order of importance with the ecological rights being the most important (they supersede all other rights; and so on down the scale). The scale is shown here.

*    Ecological rights
*     Primordial human rights
*    The ecological and primordial human rights of future generations
*    The right that the greatest number of people has by virtue of its number (50% plus one) and after voting democratically representatives to Earth Government
*    Economic rights (business and consumer rights, and their responsibilities and accountabilities) and social rights (civil and political rights)
*    Cultural rights and religious rights

The political system of an individual country does not have to be a democratically elected government that is, the political rights of a country belong to that country alone. Democracy is not to be enforced by anyone and to anyone. On the other hand, representatives to Earth Government must be elected democratically in every part of the world. An individual country may have any political system at home but the government of that country will have to ensure (and allow verification by Earth Government) that representatives to Earth Government have been elected democratically. This way, every person in the world can claim the birth right of electing a democratic government to manage Earth: the rights to vote and elect representatives to form the Earth Government.

Once representatives to Earth Government have been elected democratically they will govern and manage Earth as per the scale of human rights shown above. They will give the greatest priority to ecological rights, and so on down the scale.

The right that the greatest number of representatives has by virtue of its number (50% plus one) is to govern and manage Earth as they wish but only after they have reasonably and successfully taken care of

*    Ecological rights;
*     Primordial human rights; and
*    The ecological and primordial human rights of future generations.

The general idea and philosophy of this system was described in the section "Universal Values, the Scale of Human Rights and Earth Management". When there is a need to find a sound solution to a problem or a concern,  a sound solution would be to choose a measure or conduct an action, if possible, which causes reversible damage as oppose to a measure or an action causing an irreversible loss.

Then the right that the greatest number of representatives has by virtue of its number (50% plus one) supersede all the other following rights:

*    Economic rights (business and consumer rights, and their responsibilities and accountabilities) and social rights (civil and political rights)
*    Cultural rights and religious rights

In order to elect representatives to Earth Government it is proposed (as part of a Discussion Roundtable of the August 2002 conference) the following:

A.    Each individual government in the world will administer the election of representatives to Earth Government with an NGO and/or members of Earth Government be allowed to verify all aspects of the process to the satisfaction of all parties involved.

B.    Representatives be elected every five years to form a new Earth Government.

C.    It is proposed here that there will be one elected representative per 1,000,000 people. A population of 100 million people will elect 100 representatives. This process will create a feeling of belonging and participating to the affairs of the Earth Community and Earth Government

D.    Earth population is now 6.114 billion people. If all representatives had been elected this year there would be 6,114 representatives to form Earth Government. They would be the Legislative elected body of Earth Government. They would participate in some ways in choosing the Executive and Judiciary bodies of Earth Government. All these aspects will be discussed during the global dialogue in August 2002.

E.    All representatives will not have to be meeting in Headquarters. The Interim Earth Government and later on, Earth Government, will meet and make decisions, including voting of day to day affairs, through the use of the Internet and other communications devices.

The actual voting procedure will also be discussed during the conference.

Germain

President
Earth Community Organization
and
Interim Earth Government
 
 
 

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Religious beliefs, Peace in the world and Earth management

Religious beliefs and Peace in the world are issues to be discussed in Discussion Roundtables during the global dialogue to be held August 2002. In many ways religious beliefs and Peace in the world affect Earth management, and we want to discuss their importance. We started this discussion during the World Congress, and we will continue it in August 2002. During the World Congress the Earth Community Organization has extended the idea of sustainability to be a moral and ethical state as well as an economic and environmental state. We may find that religious beliefs and Peace in the world have always been beneficial. I dont know! We invite everyone and every organization to participate openly without fear.  We have asked everyone throughout the World Congress to scrutinize all of our values. No exception! You were asked to create new thoughts that will sustain Earth. Remember what we have been asking you all along:

From the experience in your life and local community tell us:

What is most important?
What is very important?
Not so important?
Not important at all?
What should be let go?

to sustain Earth, humanity and all life.

This process will help humanity to think clearly and globally. Your research papers, brainstorming exercises, Vision statements, discussions, comments and recommendations will be well appreciated and reviewed. They will give us a sense of direction and purpose. The end product will also include universal values to connect us together as we all belong to Earth Community.

From the experience in your life... well!...  let start this process by telling you about the experience in my own life. No one will want to say anything until someone starts the process. So I will start first! I will mainly mention about my own religious beliefs. They go along with the movement for Peace in the world. These are my own personal thoughts and are not to be confused with any other religious beliefs that may seem similar in essence.

For a long time, I have debated with myself  about whether or not religious beliefs should be part of the discussion on Peace and Earth management and why. How strange! Global climate, conservation, ecological protection, ozone layer, global warming, resources management, energy management, waste management, pollution, social aspects, economic development, globalization, global ethics, and all these other issues (hundreds of them) we have discussed during the World Congress and now, religious beliefs. How could religious beliefs be of importance to sustain Earth, humanity, all life, our environment on the planet? How strange indeed! This discussion is at the stage of a brain-storming exercise and therefore I ask you to start sending your comments. Your comments and recommendations will be made part of the August 2002 Discussion Roundtable on those issues.

Searching for ways to sustain Earth and all of humanity have lead me to question all of our values even and especially the ones we accept without questioning. Our upbringing and educational system have made demands on everyone ever since we were born. If something could not be understood or answered we were asked to have faith. We have all heard the words 'Have Faith'. The meaning of these words are probably used in every country. The very fact that today we are searching for ways to sustain the planet and all of humanity is an indication that there is a need for more than just faith, or at the least there is a need to ask what that implies to have faith. In fact there is a need to question all of our values especially the ones we were told not to question. This is a very tough subject, and it may means a lot to the survival of life on Earth. It is tough because we fear to be looked down by others in our community. For some people it means fear of the Fear of God that has been put in your mind by others in the community! Fear from our ancestors and those people who fought so hard and even gave their lives for so important values in our societies. I respect our values but I have the right to question them freely, it is a human right,  I am exercising that right today, and this is the time and the place to do it in a Discussion Roundtable where everyone can express their own thoughts. I ask you all to do the same. Societies from all over the world have created their own special values, their social protective shields, their ways, their beliefs, their laws, and today we want to examine religious beliefs with respect to Peace in the world and Earth management. It is my choice to find better ways and sound solutions. It is my choice to let go old ways and beliefs that dont make any sense at all to my own experience in life, old ways and beliefs that have allowed and are still allowing the destruction of life. These old ways and beliefs have to go, and they will be gone soon most probably within a generation. Each and everyone of us on Earth was born free and equal in dignity and rights.  All of those who will participate in this global dialogue are asked to exercise the same human rights - to come forward and express their thoughts.

Let us first define what we mean by managing Earth. Earth management was also a part of the World Congress. Participants have proposed ways and sound solutions to manage Earth and a list of all recommendations was made available in the Proceedings of the World Congress at:   http://members.home.net/gdufour2000/WebNet4/index.htm
What do we mean by finding sound  solutions to help manage and sustain Earth? Everyone can help assess the needs of the planet and propose sound solutions for its proper management, present and future. Everyone can think of better ideas to sustain all life on Earth and realize these ideas by conducting positive and constructive actions. When there is a need to find a solution to a problem or a concern, a sound solution would be to choose a measure or conduct an action, if possible, which causes reversible damage as opposed to a measure or an action causing an irreversible loss; that is the grassroots process. The Earth Community Organization can help you realize your actions by coordinating efforts efficiently together. This grassroots process is what allows me to express my own beliefs freely. I will not claim here to know all about religions or be an expert about the fine words writen by past famous religious leaders. They are not my religious beliefs, and it is not up to me to talk about theirs. I think of myself as a humble person and as such I will express my own religious beliefs, and how they may affect Peace in the world and Earth management. I do not belong to a Church or a religious organization and will never do so. I believe in God and more, as you will see next. I deal with God and my religious beliefs in the most satisfying ways that makes a lot of good sense in my life. I am very happy about my discovery.

Let me first describe what I will try to achieve here. I believe that each and everyone of us, all lifeforms and Earth itself have Souls. I believe that the Soul of Humanity exists and is a Being who includes the Souls of every human being, that of every other lifeforms on Earth, and of Earth itself. This is what Souls do best, and it is to unify to better serve God. Souls can evolve as well,  and they did. They have formed a new Being, the Soul of Humanity to better serve God. I will show that the Soul of Humanity is helping to bring about the event of Peace in the world , and I will also show the place the Earth has in the universe. Knowing that Earth is a spiritual entity as well as a physical entity in space and time in the universe we will begin to have a better relationship with Earth and with all its living inhabitants. This way Earth management will become a spiritual and a natural process whereby each person is responsible and accountable for its management the best they can. Peace in the world and Earth management have for too long been in the hands of and affected by government and business leaders, in the hands of a few people on the planet, as oppose to be in the hands of all of us (6.114 billion people on Earth) working together to keep our planet healthy. Earth is all what we have that is truly real.

To manage Earth is a spiritual thing. Earth is the most beautiful object of the universe. Once I observed stars in the sky through the lenses of very powerful telescopes one of them being connected to a spectrograph. Very often, after bringing a single star to a focus, I have realized that a star was the most beautiful object I had ever observed. It was so brillant, like a million diamonds of perfect shapes, or as brillant as the heart of Divine Love. Once I decided to find out more about one of the objects I was observing which in fact was a double-star system with several planets. Luckily the plane of the double-star system was in line of sight with us. I used different types of telescopes to study the double-star system. So I observed the spectra of the two stars as they circulate on their orbital path in my line of sight. I observed the most amazing phenomena. One of the stars had planets circulating around it. I counted two planets but it is very likely that there were several more planets away from my line of sight, even slightly away and which could not be observed as they could not affect some of the spectrum lines. This was the most wonderful experience in my life. I have seen the sky as full of wonders and magnificient star systems. Then I started to observe star clusters, globular clusters, the dynamics of the centre of our galaxy and, later on,  galaxies in an expanding universe, the Big Bang. I have also studied energies and fields, group theories, high energy particles, black holes and many other special objects, as well as the structure of the universe and its fundamental forces, and what they all do. I wish I could express my feelings about my observations. Then I have realized the place of our planet in the universe, my place on Earth, and my place in Earth Community. All sorts of new feelings appeared in me. Feelings of not being alone in the universe, of greatness, of love for Earth, passionate love for all lifeforms on Earth. I found it easier to answer all my questions about our place in the universe, religious beliefs and God, value systems in our societies, every question was answered. Actually not every question as my mind is still wondering about a million other things. But I found a focus in my life, a place where I can stand on my own two feet and look at the universe with certainty about myself and about what to think and what to do,  and with certainty about humanity and all lifeforms on Earth. Let me share with you my thoughts as they will help in sustaining us all on Earth. They are very powerful new thoughts. Actually it is wrong to say that they are my thoughts as they were given to me by my Soul. I have created a new relationship with my Soul whereby I let my Soul to know me and the physical universe I live in, my environment and, in return, my Soul let me know what it means about being a Soul, and about the other Souls, Beings, my Spirit, Divine Love and Divine Will, and help me make contact with God and live a Soul life. My Soul learns from me, and I learn from my Soul. Souls are way more intelligent then we are and are very creative. We both appreciate one another. Our learning is never lost. We are sharing a lot. This is how I discovered the Soul of Humanity, a wonderful loving Being made of all the Souls of humanity, the Souls of all lifeforms on Earth and the Soul of Earth itself. Now we all see the place the Earth has in the universe, and that it also has a Soul, the Soul of Humanity. Earth has a Soul just like each and everyone of us. Obviously the Soul of the Earth is different than the Soul of a person, and the Soul of each person is different than that of another person. Just like the D.N.A. of each person is different. No one person is the same as no one person has the exact same D.N.A. No one Soul is the same.

For over fourty four years of my life I have been trying to find God in the universe. I believe my mind was too impregnated with scientific laws and facts that blinded me to see the obvious. Let me explain! Science is great and has countless positive effects. Science gives a person a set of rules, a way of thinking, a philosophy to look at the physical universe, to observe and analyze it, and to discover its making, its functioning, and its structure. The scientific method is very reassuring to oneself. Science is everywhere in our industrial societies. Because of science, new technologies and techniques are developed and used in the market place. The products of science are everywhere in all aspects of our lives and save lives every second. So science is good in millions of different ways! Science has also negative aspects and is being used to destroy all life on Earth. We have found too many ways to destroy ourselves, and I will just refer you to the Proceedings of the World Congress to see the negative effects of science in our societies. As a scientist, when I studied the universe, from the fundamental particles to the molecules, to lifeforms, to Earth and the stars and the entire universe, I always had a wonderful feeling of the divine in all of this. I have never questioned or investigated this feeling. I was very 'shallow' in a way.  My thinking was focused on the outside world and my environment. I had no deep thoughts and feelings within myself. I never did! It is only a short while ago that I have truly discovered God. Not through the lenses of a telescope or of any other scientific instrunent! Not in a church! Not through the eyes of other human beings who existed a long time ago! Not through any religious beliefs of any religion on Earth!  You can connect with God just by yourself! Just think of God, and there is God for you. Simple! And I have discovered my Soul. My Soul can also help me make contact with God. God does not belong to any particular religious institution. God does not belong to anyone in particular. God belongs to himself! The physical universe is a part of God. God is conscious of us through our Souls.  In a way, Souls are 'his plumbing devices', his ways to communicate with the physical universe, his medium to connect with us. Souls are way more intelligent than the most powerful human minds. There is no comparison here. All Souls are independent living beings, and they exist together elsewhere. And they dont resemble our physical forms. There is a Soul in everyone of us. The same Soul stays with us throughout our life. A Soul is a beautiful, wonderful entity who loves us completely. A Soul can have a soulmate. I do!  A Soul will not try to control us. A Soul accepts us as we are. We can have a close relationship with our Soul and live a Soul life. Every lifeform on Earth has a Soul as well. All minerals and plants, every particle in the universe has a Soul. This is because God exists everywhere in the universe and in every particle of all galaxies. God is conscious of the universe through his Souls, and we are conscious of God because of his Souls. There are many unanswered questions about Souls and God, and the human heart and mind are still exploring many possibilities. We will never found all answers.

Because God is so powerful, and because we are so human and so weak, we try to make demands on God. I have done so many times myself. God let us live and die, and it is up to us to have a relationship with Him/Her and our Soul. God let us be free. We are free to make choices between an infinite number of possibilities at each instant throughout our lives. That is why we could never repeat exactly the same life all over again even given the same original circumstances. We are free to decide between right and wrong. We are free to grow spiritually and live better lives with our Souls and God. God does not tell us what to do or what not to do, nor does our Soul. We are truly free! Life exists on millions of other planets in the universe, and our species got to be who we are today through the evolutionary process. In some ways every part of the universe is conscious of God because of Souls. Human beings are conscious of God just like every other part of the universe  -  through our Souls. I have asked myself the question: if we can communicate with our Soul (and we can), and our Soul can communicate with all the other Souls everywhere else in the universe then...No!  I am not trying to start some fast speed Internet access with other lifeforms in some far away galaxy (my scientific background is kicking in here). Like I said this is all at the exploration stage. But you know the obvious could be staring in our eyes. Humanity might be near finding the greatest discovery of all times. God knows! Actually God would have the time of his life with us chatting around with other lifeforms throughout the universe. He is already having a good time being conscious of all lifeforms on Earth now what would happen when these lifeforms start exchanging ideas with other liferforms a million light years away? This is science fiction!

Because of the danger of life extinction on Earth, the Soul of Humanity will be helping us for some time. This makes a lot of sense! If you were a Soul would you prefer to serve God in a dust particle found in the empty space between the oldest galaxies? You would still be with God! But the next particle might be a million light years away. Pitch dark! You could not even see or sense the light of the nearest galaxy. You could not see or sense anything because you would have to be in a lifeform to do so.  Not a very good place to be conscious of God. As a Soul you would still be with the other Souls but you would not taste life in the physical universe. Just a particle! Or would you prefer to be on Earth or on any other planet where there is life. As a Soul you would probably prefer to serve God within a human being or within some other advanced lifeform in the universe.  There is a lot to be conscious of in any lifeform on Earth. There is so much more to be conscious of in a human body. Can you believe that every lifeform has a Soul just like ours, well, with some differences (all Souls are different; all Souls have lived different experiences). God is conscious of all lifeforms. For instance, a bird! God is very happy when he is conscious of flying in our physical universe. God loves human beings more because we can talk back to God (so he has a friend to talk to), and we are conscious of God himself (so we have a friend as well). This does not mean we are like God. No way! God does not look like us, and we dont look like God. Not ever! God is an infinite Being covering all of the universe and beyond. By universe we mean the billion of galaxies, space and time, and beyond. Life has evolved on Earth, and there we are the 'top of the line species' (you could challenge this theory as we could have come from another star system). Being the 'top of the line species' on Earth has put a burden on us. We have the responsibility of managing Earth. The Earth ecosystem is so fragile that we have to manage it together wisely. To give you the correct picture of what is happening now, today, imagine that life on Earth is holding on to a small piece of wood in an ocean where waves are 80 meters high, and that there is the worst ever kind of typhoons coming towards us. That is what we have done to our life-support system. Souls and God are not happy of so much danger of extinction, and they want to do something about that. They want to help us!

Why would the Soul of Humanity want to help us? Very simple answer! Throughout our human history we have left behind too many dead bodies, and too much destruction. Everytime a lifeform dies because of us, a Soul lost a physical form to serve God. The Soul has to find another place to serve God. If you were a Soul would you want to serve God in a dust particle found in the empty space between the oldest galaxies of the universe? If you were a Soul would you want to help humanity through the hard times ahead so you could live longer, taste life in a human body,  and have a relationship within the physical body you are in on Earth? I believe I know your answer. Life is a much better place to be to serve God. And the human body is 'the top of the line species' on Earth.

Earth is Heaven for God...  because God becomes so happy of being conscious of such diversity of lifeforms on Earth, so many different ways to be alive in our physical universe. We could all learn to appreciate Heaven on Earth. If  Souls and God can why cant' we? Every time our Souls are successful with us, that is when we go through life without destroying life around us, no conflicts and wars, then our Souls are allowed to get closer to God.

If a person does anything consciously to damage or destroy the life-support system of the Earth, the ecosystem, and if that person creates or is involved directly or indirectly with conflicts or wars, the Soul of that person is facing the Soul of Humanity. Right now! That Soul is facing the Soul of Humanity right now where all Souls are. God creates particles in places in the universe, and there is a need for a Soul to serve God in all of those new particles. There is also a need to replace the Souls living in particles between the oldest galaxies and have them come to Earth to taste life. These Souls have been in those particles for more than fifteen billion years and yes, they will be pleased to replace these old Souls on Earth who have gotten to fat for their bellies (a figure of speech) and would rather not bother about the Earth ecosystem and the survival of  life on Earth. All Souls within the mineral and plant domains on Earth will also be asked to move up to a higher level, that of the lifeforms. This process has already started a short while ago. In less than a generation a very large number of Souls will be leaving Earth forever and new Souls eager to learn about life in all forms will be replacing them. These new Souls will learn to manage with the living.

To manage Earth is very important because Earth is all what we have got, and Earth is a spiritual entity that wants respect. Earth is our most precious and the one and only place we can live. Earth is more than just a home - it is Heaven. God himself is having a good time on Earth because of the diversity of lifeforms, its incredible beauty, and its magnificient 'top of the line species', us, that can adore and serve him in so many different ways (God was touched deeply by humble people from all religions on Earth). We cannot allow ourselves to let governments and other organizations to take away our responsibility for managing Earth. It would be like giving the key of Heaven, our Heaven, to people who would be looking after their own self-interests and not bother with what is truly important. Over the past thousands of years our species has gone through all sorts of loops and dead ends but we are who we are today: hopeful, imaginative, creative, demanding, powerful, diversified, changing, evolving, intelligent, resourceful, and a kilometre long of skills, qualifications and strengths. We have what it takes to manage Earth wisely and keep it healthy. Somehow we never do enough or we dont do things well enough! What is missing? Respect for Earth is missing. We think of Earth as a pile of dirt to be used anyway we wish. We dont care because we have been told that God will have us in his Heaven after our death. Someone said to me:  "So who cares about Earth I am going to Heaven after I die..." . Guess what soemone else said to that person..."from now on, after you die, you will be facing the Soul of Humanity, and we have just the kind of dirt or dust particle you deserve".

What is happening right now is very serious and very real! Purging and renewing of the Souls! On a smaller scale, something similar happened when Jesus (I apologize of using a religious leader from a specific religion) conducted 'The Cleansing of the Temple'. Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all those engaged in selling and buying there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And he said to them, "It is written :

My house shall be a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of thieves."

And the Soul of Humanity says today to them:

"I am the Soul of Earth and of all that exists on Earth. My Temple is Earth!  Not only are you thieves but you are murderers and killers. I know you all personally as your Souls are a part of me. They are my eyes. You cannot hide and you cannot run. I will not whip you out of my Temple as Jesus did for his. I have no need for that! You are destroying yourself. The only problem you are also responsible for the death of innocent and humble people. Life on Earth and the rest of humanity are threatened of extinction. This is insane! You have polluted air,water and land, and you are still creating conflicts and wars. Most often the innocent and the humble people are hurt or killed. I want you to put down your guns, all of you. You will recycle all your weapons, war heads and any war equipment and products. You will stop destroying the ecosystem of the Earth right now. You will start and help the grassroots process of the Earth Community Organization. You will help to form the Earth Government. Earth shall be a place of prayer and shall become a Heaven for Souls as it is for God. If us, Souls and God, can see life as the most precious thing ever created, and we see Earth as Heavens, why cant' you? After your physical forms are dead your Souls will leave Earth forever.The purging and renewing of the Souls on Earth will last a millennium."

If you manufacture bombs, weapons of all types, war ships, war planes, or any other types of war equipment or products, directly or indirectly, and if you provide the services of wars, you voted for a leader who claimed wars(or conflicts) as a way or a solution to a problem or concern, and/or if you are a soldier, a war maker or doer, then your Soul is facing the Soul of Humanity right now. And good-bye Charlie! And good ridden! Have a good particle in empty space between the oldest galaxies of the universe, and you may keep it for another fifteen billion years! You will serve God right there after you die! You will never see the light again! Earth wants Peace in the world, and Earth shall have it. Because of a geographical or political border, or because of some cultural or religious differences, you could not live and learn to be in Peace with the community next to you, your neighbors.

If you are an innocent, and you die because of a war or a conflict, and you did not participate in the above, your Soul will be back on Earth to taste life again within the 'top of the line species', ours, within  Earth Community and, as a Soul,  you will be allowed to move up to a higher level closer to God. And God will be so much happier to be conscious of you because you will be closer to him. All the other Souls (those who live a life for Peace and are helping Earth) will also be back on Earth and live a life closer to God. All of you good Souls are my friends, and there is great joy and happyness in having you in Heavens on Earth.

Earth was hurt! All Souls on Earth have unified, and they are now called the Soul of Humanity. Souls can evolve and can do a lot to heal humanity. They will resolve problems, concerns and issues peacefully. They will reinstate the respect for Earth and work together to keep Earth healthy, productive and hospitable for all people and living things. They have joined forces to bring forth a sustainable global society embracing universal values related to human rights, economic and social justice, respect of nature, peace, responsibility to one another, and the protection and management of the Earth. Everyone shares responsibility for the present and future well-being of life within Earth Community. When there is a need to find a solution to a problem or a concern, a sound solution would be to choose a measure or conduct an action, if possible, which causes reversible damage as oppose to a measure or an action causing an irreversible loss.

We invite all religious leaders of the world to ask their good Souls to participate in the grassroots process to ensure a sound future for Earth and all of humanity. We want you to come to Toronto in August 2002 to show and share your strengths. Let us make the month of August 2002 the month for Peace in the world. Let us show our determination in wanting what is rightfully ours to manage: Earth. In August 2002, I expect no less than a gathering of a million Souls in Toronto. Come by air, sea, land! Walk if you have to. Bring a sleeping bag! But come!

Germain

President
Earth Community Organization
and
Interim Earth Government
 
 
 
 

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The Sociocratic Method of Decision Making

A solution to the democratic deficit:

the Sociocratic Method of Decision Making


by Marielle Jansen
P.O.Box 411, Samford Qld. 4520 Australia
e-mail: sociocracy@aol.com
phone: 61-7-32985553

The complete description of this method is now shown as an Earth Government model.



If you have wondered how democracy can overcome its flaw of the inherent "dictatorship of the majority", which can even be the narrowest majority of just 50.001%, please consider the Sociocratic Method of Decision Making.

This method was developed by professor Gerard Endenburg of Maastricht University, the Netherlands. Endenburg, who is also an electrical engineer has applied his knowledge from the field of cybernetics to the social sphere and in his own business, Endenburg Electrotechniek in Rotterdam. He also applied the basic idea of the Quakers’ decision making model: draw the information required for decision making from the wisdom of the whole group, not just from the leader(s). He became familiar with the latter in his school years, through the method that his teacher, Kees Boeke, and his English wife, Beatrice Cadbury, had developed for reaching a high level of communication between teachers, pupils and their parents.
Endenburg thus created an open method for organizations to be led on the basis of equivalence in decision making.

The continuous stream of requests for information about the method led to the foundation of the Sociocratic Centre of the Netherlands. Sociocracy is now used in organisations in a number of other countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, the USA and Switzerland.

The value of the sociocratic method has been recognised by the Dutch government through a knighthood for Endenburg and also through the fact that organisations that work with the method are exempt from installing a works-council (which is obligatory in the Netherlands for businesses employing more than 50 people). The method also prepares an organisation for ISO certification.

The sociocratic method can be summarized in four ground rules:
- The principle of consent governs decision making;
- The organisation is built up of departments / functional groups of a maximum of 25 people, who have a common aim;
- The groups are connected through a double link, in such a way that both the leader and at least one chosen representative from the group take part in decision making on the next higher level (to ensure both top-down and bottom-up communication);
- Allocation of tasks and functions takes place through sociocratic elections, which means (among others): application of the principle of consent to the election process. This means: open discussion within the group about the skills and knowledge of the proposed candidate.

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