Earth Government for Earth Community
A grassroots process
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Earth Government for Earth Community A grassroots process
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Formation of Democratically Elected Earth Government
Application for Position of Minister of Family and Human Development Dr. Sue L.T. McGregor 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
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 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 Canada sue.mcgregor@msvu.ca |
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Copyright © 2000 Earth Government for Earth Community
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