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Handbook on Critical Global Issues and Viable Solutions

This handbook presents the findings from the biennial Interdisciplinary Conferences on the Evolution of World Order and offers viable solutions to critical global issues. Topics covered include threats to sustainability, personal integrity, societal integrity, ecological integrity, and the root causes of these problems. The handbook also explores paths to solution through personal change, institutional change, and environmental change.

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Handbook on Critical Global Issues and Viable Solutions

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  1. Handbook on Critical Global Issues and Viable Solutions Peace Forum, Vancouver, June 23-28 2006 Based on results of the biennial Interdisciplinary Conferences on the Evolution of World Order 1996-2004 at Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Contributors: Helmut Burkhardt, Professor of Physics Emeritus, Ryerson University Rose Dyson, President, Canadians Against Violence in Entertainment (C-CAVE) Julia Morton-Marr, President, International Holistic Tourism Education Centre (IHTEC)

  2. Scientific Imperatives • Political and social choices are possible only within the limits set by the laws of nature. • The precautionary principle must apply, when complexity causes fuzzy limits to the realm of scientific possibilities

  3. The Four Global Truths • Threats to sustainability exist • The problems have root causes • There are viable solutions • Paths to solution can be found

  4. Critical Global Issues -- Threats to Sustainability • Personal integrity – hunger, disease, despair • Societal integrity – chaos, war, terrorism • Ecological integrity – web of life collapse

  5. Interconnectedness of Issues C: Cosmos E: Ecosystem S: Society P: Person

  6. Personal Integrity Maslow’s basic needs of a person are threatened by: • lack of resources in collapsing ecosystems • social chaos, war and terror • loss of hope

  7. The very existence thousands of nuclear weapons is a threat to technology based civilization Societal Integrity

  8. Ecological Integrity: Threat 1Ecological Deficit

  9. Ecological Integrity: Threat 2Biodiversity Loss

  10. Ecological Integrity: Threat 3Climate change Measured global surface temperature 1860 to 2001

  11. Root Causes of Problems • Capital sins, religious intolerance • Faulty social structures, absolute sovereignty of nations • Overpopulation, over consumption, and inappropriate technology

  12. Solutions Through Change • Personal change – a culture of peace • Institutional change – a science of peace • Environmental change – ecological peace

  13. A Culture of Peace Through Personal Integrity • According to Buddhist tradition peace starts within a person • Human rights and human duties are an inseparable pair • Universal values for all help to avoid conflicts • Religion specific values must not be imposed on others

  14. A Science of Acceptable Levels of Peace • Cities have internal peace through local government, and external peace by sacrificing sovereignty to provincial rule • Provinces do likewise by accepting national rule • Nations have inner peace, but in order to achieve outer peace they need to resign parts of their sovereignty to a world government

  15. Ecological Peace Through Moderation • Reduce world population to 4 billion • Aim at an average energy use rate of 4 kW per person and recycle materials • Focus on solar and wind energy + Establish world wilderness parks to enlarge the habitat for all species

  16. Ways to Implement Solutions • Top down approach – institutional change Prime Minister Tony Blair: “Increasingly, there is a hopeless mismatch between the global challenges we face and the global institutions to confront them” • Bottom up approach – Paradigm shift at the ‘grass roots’ level with the help of responsible media, and of educational institutions at all levels.

  17. Mandate of a World Government • Manage the global commons Space, atmosphere, oceans, wilderness, polar regions • Harmonize international relations • Global legislation, jurisprudence, and executive • Collect taxes from the use of the global commons • Rule by use of the subsidiarity principle

  18. United Nations Reform • General Assembly of states and provinces: Legislative body • Security Council with representatives of continental unions: Executive • International Court of Justice, and International Criminal Court: Jurisprudence.

  19. Peace Matrix Challenge Relations to Be HarmonizedE: ecosystem, U: United Nations, B: blocks, continental unions, N: nations, D: districts, provinces, states, M: municipalities, C: corporations, W: workers unions, P: public interest groups, R: religions, F: families, I: individuals

  20. Bottom Up Approach • Sarvodaya Shramadana movement in Sri Lanka, 15 000 villages joined sarvodaya = awakening of all, shramadana = to donate effort • Non-government organizations, volunteers • Workers unions? • Corporations?

  21. Paradigm Shift Through Responsible Media • Media have the power, and a responsibility to change society • Journalists must learn the essentials of sustainability • Rose Dyson: The Power of the Media www.c-cave.com

  22. Paradigm Shift Through Sustainability Education • Educators have the power and the responsibility to raise the public’s consciousness towards a sustainable civilization. • Julia Morton-Marr: Global Sustainability Literacy www.ihtec.org

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