Another momentous year has passed. In the United States the
presidential election year confirmed the success of the Carey
Administration's policies. An overwhelming victory in the electoral
college was bolstered by the return of a still more supportive
Congress. The Olympic Games in Atlanta reinforced the global spirit
of togetherness. The World Development Plan created the kind of human
unity that the Games were originally designed for.
The Olympic Games and the establishment of the Pacific Trade bloc
conceived an almost irresistible deadline for another long-awaited
event. The passing of the dictatorial regime of North Korea finally
allowed the unification of that troubled peninsula. Paul and the
Department of Peace were instrumental in completing the negotiations.
Naturally, one of the conditions was the abolition of the huge
military forces that previous enmities and hostilities created.
Another peace nation and democracy joined the world community.
Following the example of the United States, more and more countries
were setting up their own Peace Departments. Paul was fostering a
spirit of cooperation with these examples of peaceful intentions.
Using the modern communications techniques constant liaison was
maintained among the major countries possessing these governmental
organizations of the coming millennium.
Previously War or Defense Departments vied with each other in
plotting the destruction of fellow humans and wasting the labors and
lives of entire generations. The Peace Departments did exactly the
opposite. They planned together for improving the human condition and
survival, using resources saved to make life better for the present
and future generations. With the right leadership and proper
management it was possible to move in a few years from Departments of
Death to Departments of Life!
Under the skillful guidance of Paul and his fellow Secretaries or
Ministers of Peace major human problem areas were tackled under the
World Development Plan.
Probably the biggest payoff was in the field of education. Proper
education could maximize the human potential. People were our
greatest resource, and investing in the human brainpower had the best
possible payoff. Paul knew that a properly educated humanity would
overcome all obstacles to progress and development.
Modern technology made mass education of the Third World populations
inexpensive. It was now feasible to broadcast television educational
programs by satellite to classrooms in the most remote villages. This
mass education by television and satellites also was used to unite
humanity. Much of the tribal mindsets that divided humanity could be
changed by showing the common humanity we all possess -- the shared
values, goals and accomplishments.
A "Global Education Council" was set up to achieve the common
classroom of the global community. The curriculum included the basic
educational needs and the skills needed for the future: social,
technological, economic and political.
Electronic education also was developed on the university level.
Courses were broadcast world wide. Interactive teaching was made
possible by computers and communications technologies. Knowledge and
information also was accumulated into subject-related databases that
were accessible by those in need for specialized information. Thus
farmers could learn about methods to improve crop yields. Women could
learn the right techniques of family planning. Those in business
could get advice from their more knowledgeable counterparts in the
developed countries. The passing of the educational knowledge and
information through education and communications continued to
increase human wealth.
Developing new technologies and disseminating information about them
was another key to economic development. Economic modernization was
made possible by investing in new technologies, and creating
additional wealth through the production of goods and services.
Increasingly this was facilitated world wide by automation and
robotics.
A systematic approach to technology transfer also facilitated
economic growth and industrial development. There were four major
areas of technologies that were supported under the World Development
Plan:
Growing computer power strongly facilitated technological
developments. Building the global electronic highway -- a global
information utility -- was the next major task for unifying humanity.
An infrastructure of computers, communications networks and
satellites, using standard components, provided this capability.
Instantaneous and virtually unlimited telecommunications was made
available for transferring technologies and knowledge to the
developing countries. Under the World Development Plan most countries
also moved away from protectionism toward global cooperation for
economic development.
Another vital component of the World Development Plan was the
restoring of the planetary environment. Global warming, the depletion
of the ozone layer, continuing deforestation and desertification were
becoming increasingly serious threats to human well-being. While such
factors as the increase of populations, misuse of technology and lack
of money were blamed for environmental decline, the real cause was
lack of political will and governance. The comprehensive approach to
the solving of world problems overcame these barriers.
Existing programs to replant forests were substantially enlarged in
many countries. Throughout the world soil erosion was halted, deserts
were pushed back, forests were replanted and agricultural output was
extended. These interlinked activities also improved the climate. The
existing Global Environment Monitoring System was enlarged, so that
air and water pollution could be controlled and eventually
eliminated. Here again, the savings from the abolition of the
military establishments provided the necessary funds. In every
country part of the military was converted to environmental
protection and restoration tasks.
As the abolition of war and the World Development Plan continued to
make progress, questions started to emerge about the future of
governing the countries of the world. President Carey's
administration and the New Transformation made big strides in
eliminating, or at least reducing the worst dangers to peace and
human development. But America could not be expected to remain the
world leader in perpetuity. The politicians of the world had to make
the global system governable through citizen participation, to solve
problems, maximize opportunities and satisfy reasonable human
aspirations. Otherwise there was a danger that the progress made
toward the Warless World will be halted and even reversed, so that a
new era of instability would emerge.
The technological and economic cooperation among nations fostered by
the Grand Moral Strategy moved the world well along the road of peace
and prosperity. The abolition of war enabled all countries to benefit
through economic development and interdependence. A common set of
human values was emerging that opposed armed conflict and violence.
There was a move away from tribalistic, non-democratic concept of
governance toward universal human values. At long last, the drive for
human survival was overcoming the primitive instinct of nationalistic
tribalism.
Many of the Third World countries also were making substantial
progress. Leading them was China. Giant strides were made in
modernization. Cooperation with Japan gained huge investments in
industrial capacity. Unification with Taiwan and Hong Kong further
aided the economic and social development of the nation. It was
fortunate that the World Development Plan was accepted by China.
Without the abolition of war they would have also become a military
superpower, increasing the danger to peace and human survival.
The World Development Plan continued to foster technological
progress, economic self-sufficiency and political maturity among many
of the Third World countries. Increased educational opportunities and
the influence of the global television media made more and more
people realize the need for democracy. Tribal and ethnic hostilities
also weakened, especially in Africa. The presence of volunteers from
the industrialized countries helped in this process. How could one
remain hostile to neighbors, when young people from far-away
countries demonstrated by example the common origin of Homo
sapiens?
The World Development Plan came at a most opportune time to India.
The country was being polarized by many types of differences. Rich
and poor, Hindu and Muslim, members of different castes, ethnic
majorities and minorities, urban and rural masses, all were engaged
in conflict. These divisions threatened India with a break-up. A huge
military establishment, using up more than 20% of the national
budget, kept the country together but also hindered economic
progress. The infusion of massive economic aid enabled India to
dismantle its wasteful military and push ahead with an industrial
modernization program that diffused the hostilities and enmities.
Giving increased cultural and linguistic autonomy to the Sikhs and
other minorities kept the Confederation of India -- now also
including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka -- intact and as an
increasingly prosperous trade bloc.
Latin America benefited similarly from the Grand Moral Strategy. The
ruinous foreign debt was mostly forgiven or traded for
debt-for-nature programs. Economic reforms could be instituted in
most of the countries. Again it was possible to dismantle the
military establishments, and shift resources to economic development.
Significant steps also were taken to integrate Latin American
countries economically, to avoid social and political turmoil. The
extensive natural and human resources of the continent only needed
political leadership and reasonable amounts of economic aid to start
along the road to prosperity and democracy.
The World Development Plan also advocated economic cooperation among
Third World countries. Their security guaranteed by the United
States-Soviet Consortium, more and more of the countries abolished or
severely cut their military forces. Improved educational systems and
development aid started the modernization process for the
long-neglected part of the world. The political systems continued to
mature toward more participatory forms of government. Following the
example of Eastern Europe many of the countries had free elections.
The communications infrastructures that were set up in the Third
World countries further facilitated the spread of democratic
ideas.
Because of the critical nature of the problems of the world, not too
much attention was given to long-term goals when the World
Development Plan was initiated. There were too many fires to fight,
to many crises to handle and too many actual or potential sources of
violence that had to be handled immediately. Now that the worst
crises were overcome, it was time to plan for the long-term
future.
Paul already had a task force in the Peace Department considering
long-term goals for humanity. They were now given a deadline to
finalize and circulate for discussion by all the regions and
countries of the world their results.
The proposed Long-Term World Development Plan had several major
objectives:
Clearly linked to the concept of relations
between the sexes and races are human rights. Western society, which
once took its cue from the Ten Commandments, has replaced these with
various human rights declarations. Thus the Constitution of the
United States features the Bill of Rights.
In all their provisions, such declarations, like the U.N.'s Universal
Declarations of Human Rights, mention only the rights of people, not
their duties. This one-sided stress on individual rights ignores the
need for duties as their essential counterpart. A civilization that
emphasizes rights without duties is doomed because it destroys
personal dedication and responsibility. An emphasis on rights alone
creates undesirable clashes between the rival demands of individuals
and groups. Only by shifting our focus onto the duties of the
individual that accompany our rights in the world community can
individual rights be preserved.
As John F. Kennedy urged: "Ask not what your country can do for you,
ask what you can do for your country." It is the same in the world at
large. What we really need is a declaration of planetary rights that
place the planet, its environment and our global culture -- rather
than individuals -- at the center of our concern. Once the necessary
duties to the planet are carried out by us all, then individual
rights will fall automatically into line and can be achieved.