March 2002

B. Evolution and Generosity

C. Earth Evolution--Beginnings

The time has come to consider how we might attain to the directive evolution of our Civilization. The most efficacious way for achieving this, it seems to us, is to begin by changing Earth Law.

The new International Law which we would propose as the basis for the conscious development of the Race must be founded on the sanctity and primacy of human life. That is, it must be both sapient and humane. Such a Law would be a most timely and proper increment of global progress in our day.

As we know, there have been previous attempts at evolution through law by leaders such as Hammurabi, Confucius, Moses, and Mohammed. None of them were, however, based on primacy of life. Only the principle contained in the Two Commandments of Love taught by Jesus could be called humane as well as sapient, hence sanctifying of life, but it has not been embraced and practiced by Christianity in any concerted way.

Our approach, deriving chiefly from that principle, requires us to be above all compassionate, discerning, informed, and of course, responsible. We ourselves can only provide rudimentary proposals, for we have training in the social sciences but not in law. We will need the input from creative legal minds and from experts in global affairs to compile a body of Law and of prescriptions for its application to be used as a set of developed proposals for the Community of Nations. If adopted, it would be put into practice according to a time-table determined by the Earth Community.

The actual adoption of the Evolution Initiative would require men of the best and highest mettle who would devote themselves passionately to this highly demanding task. Their special care would be to avoid the errors of legalism, demanding instead a luminous clarity and adherence to advanced human rights for all.

April 2002

D. Our Tentative Proposal For Changing Earth Law at Times Determined by the Community of Nations

War

The Declaration that War, aggressive or retaliatory, is a punishable Crime against Humanity should be included in International Law, making armed conflict between states a legal offense with the following provisions:

1. Diplomatic sanctions against all warring parties.

2. Arms embargo for all factions.

3. Trade embargo for all sides excepting items necessary to survival.

4. Binding peace arbitration using international arbiters (to avoid judicial proceedings).

5. If any side does not agree to arbitration, mandatory legal proceedings according to instituted binding adjudication (International War Court) to settle disputes.

6. All adjudicators selected from international community of non-involved nations, representing the most learned, respected, and humane judges.

7. The ruling of the arbiters or the International War Court to be enforced, if necessary, by an International Militia with advanced light equipage to provide harmless disarmament. (Research on such equipage is a matter of extreme urgency and if successful should be awarded the Nobel Prize).

8. Institution of a permanent International War Tribunal which would try individuals responsible for initiating wars or war responses and determine the penal code to which they would be respondent.

9. Institution of an advanced, technically equipped International Intelligence Network to determine early preparation for war in any region so that speedy arms and trade embargo together with Militia intervention can prevent conflict.

Famine

Inclusion of Famine Relief into International Law:
Declaration that failing to relieve Famine is a punishable Crime against Humanity, with economic sanctions against all solvent nations who refuse to do their share.

1. Institution of adequate (surplus) and protected famine relief permanent food troves from private donations, nations, and International Monetary Fund (shortfall amounts)

2. Protection of famine relief operations in peaceful regions and in war-torn situations by a legally instituted International Militia with advanced light equipage.

3. Protection of famine relief operations by trade and arms embargo, and penal sanctions against those who imperil famine relief.

4. Institution of a Famine Intelligence Network in areas of frequent drought and war to report approaching famines for speedy address.

Famine is a most acute crisis involving untold amounts of suffering and death. It occurs somewhere on Earth at practically all times and has a straightforward solution. It should be eliminated as soon as possible. One option is the proposal outlined above. There is no excuse for this tragic calamity in our time.

Terrorism

July 2002

E. Abuse and Police Torture State

Domestic Child Abuse

1. In societies, all adults should be responsible for the state of being of children in the sense of detecting and reporting child abuse to legally instituted authorities. Failure to report suspected child abuse should constitute a criminal offense with appropriate legal sanctions. Signs of abuse are contusions, fractures, burns, bruises, emaciation and withdrawal.

2. Any child who is suspected of being abused should be taken from its guardian(s) and placed in a special clinic where trained and dedicated professionals in medicine, psychology and psychiatry sworn legally would examine the child for physical and mental abuse trauma, and give it loving, supportive care when needed.

3. If abuse is established all the children in the family should be taken away from the guardian(s) by court order and placed in a Home for abuse-affected children under the care of certified doctors, social workers and trained, sworn, and loving caregivers.

4. All personnel in clinics or Homes for abused children should be tested for aggressive tendencies and for anti-social personality disorder.

5. The abusers should be given compulsory psychiatric care to come to terms with their abusive derangement, but no child should ever be placed in their care again, including any other children born later to the abusive guardian(s). The guardians' abuser status should be documented and filed for easy access in special centers of all societies.

6. The children as siblings, after a suitable time period for their recovery from trauma, should, if possible, be placed for adoption with loving parents. The abusive guardians may be granted visitation rights in the presence of the adoptive parents, on written consent of the latter, after they have undergone treatment for their abusive derangement. The penal treatment of abusive guardians should be established by their society.

Societal Child Abuse

Societal child abuse occurs in boarding schools, in day schools and day-care centers, in places where children congregate such as neighborhoods, and in extended families. A lot of this kind of abuse is sexual. The first, most important thing to be established is that such abuse is not the fault of the child in question. As before, all aware adults are legally responsible for reporting the abuse. Sexual predators and physical abusers of children must be tracked down using the most advanced and assiduous means. Once again their abuser status should be kept on file in all societies and employment or living in any proximity of children should be forbidden. The abused children should undergo extensive therapy and their families should be counseled on their trauma.

Again, the penal treatment of child abusers should be a matter of discretion for the society involved.

Adult Abuse

There are many forms of adult abuse. We shall leave for later the discussion of Police State Torture as a separate case. "Ordinary" societal adult abuse has not been researched even to the extent of child abuse, which remains only partially studied.

Consequently laws for adult abuse are not highly developed. One type of such abuse has been explicitly noted. It is called Patriarchal Terrorism, in which a husband so physically and psychologically maligns and terrorizes his wife that her spirit is broken and she does not dare resist or seek help.

Apart from that, institutions for the enfeebled, such as hospitals, hospices, centers for the physically and mentally disadvantaged, and nursing homes, should not employ individuals with abusive derangement. Records of such individuals should be kept in all countries for this reason. Institutions for the enfeebled ought to, if possible, have monitoring devices to assure abuse is not being perpetrated. Telephone abuse hot lines should be established in all locations worldwide for all types of adult abuse. Once again, penalties for adult abuse are to be decided by the society in question.

Police State Torture

As opposed to abuse, which is individualized torture, police state torture is abusive treatment sanctioned or ordained by the dominant authority structure in the society. This type of torture has as its goal terminating opposition to the regime it tries to enforce. It follows that such torture has an expressly societal dimension. It is therefore more complex than abuse, containing elements of collusion, non-affective purpose, and overt activity at large considered inhuman. Owing to its severity we will classify it as a Crime against Humanity, with uniform punitive measures worldwide. It consists of application of extreme mental and/or physical suffering to the victim. If protracted, the ordeal can result in post-traumatic stress disorder. It is clear that Police State Torture becomes deeply entrenched in human process and is very difficult to uproot. Economic sanctions are rarely used. Our suggestion is the formation of an International Human Rights Agency with branches in all countries.

This Agency, under the aegis of the Community of Nations, would monitor Police State developments and arrest all suspected torture miscreants who would be tried by an International Human Rights Court. If guilt is adjudged, their countries would have to meet all expenses connected with the trial on pain of economic sanctions. The Court would rule in the matter of compensation for the victims, and the country would be officially recorded as a Torture State if there is widespread incidence of torture. The penalty for torturers would be imprisonment with labor in facilities maintained by the Court. Psychiatric and rehabilitation services would be provided at these facilities.

Summary

It is apparent that abuse of every persuasion has not been addressed to date in sufficient degree. In the first place, there should be genetic studies of predisposition to types of abusiveness. Next, the psychiatric studies of the roots of abuse must be broadened and rendered more effective. There must be a great deal more research on the etiology of the derangement that can lead to it and of the societal factors that foment it. Finally, there ought to be psychological, anthropological, and sociological inquiries of far greater scope on the subject. Such items as the pain or distress of the victim state, as well as of the abusive persona should become well known. As we stated above, victims of abuse are prone to post-traumatic stress disorder. The same, we think, may be true of those abusers, and particularly torturers, whose lives often contain dehumanizing and traumatic elements.

June 2002

F. Changing Earth Law and the United Nations

The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is a noble and humane document, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which, it is understood, has binding power on all participating nations to protect children, are both commendable achievements of our times.

Children. Children especially are the greatest treasure of the civilization taken as nascent humanity which is the object of our love, our respect, and our nurturing efforts. We owe them our devotion, our vigilance, and our constant commitment. They should be, in matters of need, the responsibility of us all.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is one of the most hopeful and illustrious signs that the Community of Earth can progress and evolve in inspired and efficacious ways. It is global, comprehensive, and in many respects far-reaching. It shows that the World Government is the proper avenue for Earth's most vital efforts. Nevertheless, the measures we have suggested for the protection and care of Earth's children are a departure from the content of the Convention in its present form. Our proposal for Earth Offense Laws lifts the most heinous societal offenses against children into the category and jurisdiction of the highest International Law. This we think reasonable in that such dire offenses are usually deeply entrenched in the socio-economic fabric of the State or States in question, and are thus impossible to deal with within the jurisdiction of that State or those States. Here we might add that the Convention does not deal with Weapons of Mass Destruction, child atrocity or satrapy.

We have proposed that War be understood as a Crime against Humanity. We have also proposed treating child abuse as an International Crime. Moreover, our statement that abused children must never be returned to their abusive guardians is not incorporated into the Convention.

Another departure we have explicitly introduced affecting children is the International Law with Crime against Humanity status concerning famine, which is the cause of untold suffering and death of children and is not to date resolved by the World Community.

Adults. In the case of adults we have again proposed that War be given the status of Crime against Humanity, while Terrorism be considered Earth Offense or Crime against Humanity. We designated famine as a Crime against Humanity. These items do not appear in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Next, we suggested that Police State Torture be considered a Crime against Humanity. Further, as with children, we have termed abuse an International Crime. Finally, we have designated the other most dire forms of inhuman treatment and human endangerment of adults as Earth Offenses.

Conclusion. For the sake of both Children and Adults we have provided for dealing with Hunger and Impure Water under Earth Law. By virtue of all these proposals, we have contrived to increase the empowerment of the World Government and in this way to evolve directively the civilization as a global entity. In particular, the judicial powers of the Human Community have in this way been forged into a protective and unifying whole without sacrificing the diversity and variety of Earth's peoples, their cultures, their goals and attainments. 

June 2002

Hunger and Impure Water

Providing adequate food and potable water for the whole Race is a great task which should convene all solvent nations under Earth Law. To date there are already some attempts at solving these problems in diverse parts of the world, showing that this undertaking can be accomplished over an extended period of time. Only when it is completed will we be able to call ourselves an advanced Civilization, for it is a great communal effort which will be an expression of impassioned loyalty for our Planet and all her peoples.

G. Famine-the Ultimate Neglect

Famine is the most dire, pitiful, and dreadful human condition with a simple, straightforward solution that the rest of humanity can well afford. It is especially tragic and unforgivable in children who, as they succumb to it go through the most terrifying metamorphoses, from bloated to skeletal with desperately sunken eyes. In the last stages before death their tissues lose elasticity and part, exposing bone. Most of them have intestines impacted with worms. It is impossible to construe what must be the level of suffering that accompanies such states. It is impossible, yet we know and see enough to feel compassion. How is it that so many people turn away from these spectral waifs and do nothing? Do they not realize that they are betraying everything that is their humanity? There is so much that could be done to end famine on Earth completely, both on the immediate, relief level, and by way of prevention. Relief spending could surely be increased sufficiently to feed the peoples living in drought-plagued and war-torn areas so that none of them starve in the near future. In the meantime research and development could be accelerated to find preventive measures. For instance, it has been determined that with an outlay of ten million dollars, it would take ten years to eradicate the lethal tse-tse fly in Africa, making available extensive portions of land for cultivation in the fertile regions, thereby ending the problem of famine on the whole continent. It remains to be said that famine termination cannot be a politically-loaded issue. Thus there is no excuse for the Western countries tolerating it in North Korea. Again, we cannot let our humanity fail so heinously. 

June 2002

Militias and the Solvency of Nations

We have proposed that international militias be instituted by the Community of Nations to deal with crisis situations. The July-August 2002 issue of The Futurist reports that there is progress in developing armies with light-weight uniforms that protect, heal and can catapult the combatant over a 20-foot wall. Such nanotech equipage would be ideal for the militias we have envisioned. We can expect these light forces to be formed gradually from the standing armies of nations thereby reducing their war potential. Thus such international militias would not only defuse strife and war but could, it is to be hoped, lead to disarmament in time.

We should also stress that the solvency of nations which we have referred to in our proposal above is not only confined to fiscal solvency. In general it can likewise consist of possessing trained armies which can be used as manpower in crisis relief or ameliorative projects such as land irrigation, water purification or pest control. Thus countries which are not fiscally solvent but have such manpower can take part in the evolutionary effort, obeying International Law and making a unique contribution to the welfare of the Race. This contribution should be especially honored, since it puts armies to peaceful uses, engendering good will and international cooperation. Troops so involved should have special insignia and be welcome in all nations of good standing. With time, some of them who are particularly suited to such service could become permanent envoys or other workers in societies which they helped to redeem by their labors.

H. The Roots of Armageddon

The emergence of weapons of mass destruction in the previous century makes those of us who hold ourselves to be rational human beings question if there is a fatal flaw in our Race. The perpetrators, who take express initiative to ordain the deployment of such a totally heinous and calamitous threat are surely flawed with a tendency to genocide and self-annihilation. They are aided and abetted by others who for reasons of self-aggrandisement acquiesce to the plot. These henchmen are flawed by predisposition to rapaciousness and obtuseness. Most of the rest of us are marked by a warring posture together with a pusillanimous failure to question and protest, and to stand up for the survival of the Civilization. Thus we are probably nearly all encumbered, possibly genetically and likely by our reckless bellicose conditioning so that our Race is one which bears the stamp of a terrifying proclivity.

How is it that we accept, like sheep going to doom, such a horrific state of existence? Have we no elementary logic, or vision, to reckon with the situation? We are capable of soaring feats of creation. We are builders, scientists, artists, nurturers. We have learned much about our own nature as men and are in the process of decoding the human Genome. It is from these last studies that we might possibly elicit the genetic roots of our dreadful predicament. This knowledge could be vital for finding ways to overcome them by drug or other therapeutic means. From the social sciences we could glean the specific faults in our conditioning which lead us on to disaster. If we do this we could try to control by directive means our inclinations to be deadly, insatiable, unfeeling and warlike. At the least we could try to channel them consciously into positive, satisfying endeavors. In doing so, we would attain to our true sapience and our real humanity. We would become Men at one with the Universal Order of Being.

I. The Unexplored Aftermath of Wars

The consequences of wars on human beings, their lot, their outlook and the estate of the civilization are rarely reckoned with by members of our race. No doubt such a reckoning would awaken those with any perspicacity if the information on the effects of war was clearly and truthfully reported.

As we know, the most obvious result of war is human death and injury from combat. Here the statistics are available in countries which are highly developed technically, but not in others, where only gross approximations are to be found. For instance, in the Hutu and Tutsi war that raged in Africa in the late 20th century the casualties were reported to be roughly between two to four million in 1994, but now the figure has come down to " hundreds of thousands". It is not determined whether the deaths are a direct consequence of the war, or whether they are compounded with those from disease, exposure and starvation at the site of strife.

It should be emphasized that war often leads to the disruption and wreckage of agriculture, causing hunger and even famine. It also wrecks wells and other sources of potable water.

However, these are by far not the only developments which plague humans in the wake of wars. Even those soldiers who have survived and are not physically crippled suffer residual psychological and other damage which is only partly recognized and attended to. For example, some sources estimate that as many as 60-70% of combat veterans suffer from some form of post-traumatic stress disorder for years after their war experience. Nowhere near that figure is officially considered to be afflicted. After the Gulf war there were reports in the news that many of the soldiers who came back complained of serious symptoms which they suspected to be the result of exposure to biological or chemical warfare. Later these reports were retracted. To this day we do not know what really happened.

Add to this the multifarious problems of refugee migrations in any war that drives people out of their home territory. Such migrations exact an incalculable toll in deaths from disease, exposure, hunger, effort and lack of adaptation to the new terrain, and most of these tragedies are children. The refugees that survive are frequently wasted, lacking in resistance to disease, traumatized and mentally affected. Even those who are not visibly physically or affectively depleted are rendered unstable and depressive. They are also stressed by their new surroundings, even at the best of times, when their migration does not involve a change of means and status. Practically all are highly afflicted and their family lives suffer, with their children often growing up psychologically maimed.

Another aftermath of war never wholly assessed is the great and wanton wreckage of the culture product of societies. On top of all the other calamities of war, this is a loss that cries to the heavens for revenge. In itself it is enough to provoke the despair of anyone of sensibility. So much human ingenuity, loving creativity, labor, and maintenance totally demolished! So many years of work, strife, perseverance needed to dismantle the ruins and build a new culture in its place! It is inconceivable that human beings are capable of such ravage. It is so perverse, so apposite to everything good, productive and industrious in our nature. And last of all is the common, communal wound on our consciousness, the gaping hole in our history which can never be erased, which ever makes of our lives a dark, ominous and hideous possibility. May we remember fully and well all these hidden consequences of war when our pride, vengefulness and hate run high.

May 2002

J. Genetic and Conditioning Aspects of Earth Evolution

1. Genetics. It is too early to tell if the study of the Human Genome, or gene pool will give indication of specific connections between genes and tendencies to particular human behavior. So far, scientists have found some clues which lead them to suspect that groups of genes can give rise to generalized human tendencies, such as tendency to aggressiveness. These tendencies are further expected to interact with environmental factors to produce behavioral proclivities. Besides the Genome project, there are other genetic studies according to which it is believed that, for example, schizophrenia, a psychosis that can produce violence, has a genetic component.

2. Conditioning. Abuse before (by infused toxic substances) and after birth is believed to cause predisposition to certain types of behavioral defects giving rise to violence and a host of other societal problems. It is even possible that wide-spread abuse and neglect can result in whole bellicose social orders.

Other kinds of conditioning causing problems of survival and excruciating pain in societies are:

a). training young children or youth to be unfeeling to victimized humans and animals, especially victimized children,
early exposure to carnivorous animals and hunting,
early exposure to military and other weapons,

b). sanctioning a sub-culture for the young replete with themes of war, carnage, and all other kinds of intended death,

c). abuse of the juvenile and the enfeebled and societal oppression of children, minorities and women,

d). use of drugs, tobacco and alcohol, three banes about which innumerable studies have been made.

It is high time that Earth's societies take stock of their conditioning of human beings and, if it is dangerous, change it to a regimen of respect for human life and a loving regard for all that it contains.

At this point we would like to introduce the idea of "culture loading" which means consciously instilling positive and captivating elements into the culture to set the civilization on its upward, sapient and humane evolutionary track. Here we come to a vital question: How do we change a pre-evolutionary culture containing adverse conditioning elements to one which is developing in the right way and in the right direction?

The task before us, to change men's ways to the good by changing their conditioning, will demand much research, insight and tactical expertise, for we must isolate each adverse conditioning element, analyze it, and, if possible, explicitly and punctiliously find those positive loading elements which would counteract it and gradually put it to rest. In addition, related positive loading elements could be introduced to strengthen and enrich the culture. All this admittedly appears to be a complicated procedural enterprise, but it should be entertained forthrightly and assiduously. May we rise to the occasion and transform the face of the Earth by our directive ascent.

May 2002

K. The Fallacy of Wars of Aggression and Retaliation

In all of recorded human history men have given freedom precedence over human survival. That is, they have held the belief that freedom is a value worth dying for and killing for, hence waging war for. "Freedom!" has been the most common battle cry for both the aggressors (who seek the freedom to dominate the situation, e.g. claiming territory as their own) and the defenders (who seek the freedom being usurped from them). The aggressors often willfully kill not only defenders but innocent civilians. The defenders, whose intentions may be more humane, likewise end up killing those on the part of the aggressors who are not involved in the conflict. Thus in both cases there is carnage of innocents and societal ruin. Yet when we pause to reflect, we can see that this ordering of freedom over life is immoral, irrational and recklessly destructive.

The human race has long ago instituted religious and secular laws according to which it is supremely wrong to kill others and self. Societies try to live by such laws in the criminal realm. Therefore there is a firm foundation for demanding that wars should be resolved by legal means using sanctions imposed by the world community on the warring parties. This is in keeping with our conviction that the development of the human race is to be evolutionary, with the evolution directed by us to all that is more sapient and humane. However, to date the nations of the world are unwilling to take on the responsibility for departing from age-old, lethal traditions and installing Universal Law based on the sanctity and primacy of life.

It is evident that much must be done to get to the bottom of why this is so. What is it about human nature that is so intransigent? The first thing that comes to mind at this time is to study the genetics of homo sapiens to see if warring tendencies are in any part biologically inherited. We should also research human conditioning, that is, anthropology and history, in order to find what role they play in the bellicose habits of men. Perhaps these and other inquiries would let us arrive at the means by which we could render innocuous human attitudes to war. To date, there has been no sea change in that regard.

Nonetheless men have attained to four non-trivial advances made in the previous century concerning the peaceful liberation of peoples from domination by others, which are a solid precedent for the whole human race. The first of these is the liberation of India from British rule by the peaceful movement led by Mohandas Gandhi. The second is the liberation of the Afro-Americans in the United States from segregation and dire mistreatment by the peaceful movement under the aegis of Martin Luther King, Jr. The third is the peaceful liberation from oppression by apartheid of blacks in South Africa under the leadership of Nelson Mandela. The fourth is the liberation of Poland from Soviet domination using the peaceful means of union organization accomplished by Lech Walesa and his followers. In all these cases liberation was achieved with a minimum of loss of life. This achievement must be recognized in its whole significance. It must be documented, studied, and developed tactically to be used until all societies learn to value human life and use it, not death and war, to secure liberty. We must, while these precedents are fresh in our memory, make use of them in other liberation struggles, while we press for the Global Law that will bring Peace to all mankind.

L. AIDS Orphan Crisis in Africa

There are at present 12.1 million AIDS orphans in Africa. This number is expected to rise to 25 million by 2010. It is a crisis almost impossible to visualize.

A certain part of these children is infected by HIV. Their condition and prognosis is the worst of all, for there is a great scarcity of drugs to alleviate the unbearable and varied suffering they undergo before they succumb to AIDS and die. They also have no parents to care for them in their pitiful ordeal.

But even without that, the plight of all these children is totally heart-rending. Imagine being a child and watching both your parents die in agony in a land where resources are minimal and there is no funding for orphanages or even soup kitchens and other life needs. Imagine being parceled off to near or distant relatives who are usually old, since the disaster has claimed practically the whole parent generation. Imagine living in squalor among large broods of other orphans, with very few adults to turn to for comfort and encouragement. Imagine having no surety for what tomorrow will bring in a situation where only tragedy seems imminent.

That the AIDS Orphan Crisis in Africa is uncontained and shows no signs of abating is proof positive that there must be a sea change in human attitudes to responsibility for others in the Race. We simply cannot confine ourselves to arbitrary "humanitarian" giving in the hope that "somehow things will work out".

The amount of suffering the Crisis involves in itself is a moral imperative. Gone are the days when we fondly believed that pain is confined to bearable levels limited by God or by a kindly natural order. We know now that pain can be transcendent of our powers of expression. To think that children live with such pain, especially in the absence of parents, is untenable.

We must extend ourselves to provide the most effective palliatives for all who suffer from AIDS and we must make a much more concerted effort to find a cure or preventive measure for the disease. We must also surround the orphans of this calamity with the most humane conditions we can devise, including schooling. This tragedy is our wake-up call to take on the stewardship of Earth by expanding our care to those who are unprotected in the midst of the most dire straits. We have attained to great feats in building our civilization. Now the time has come to inherit the legacy of life itself, the most important behest we know.

M. Adolescence and Earth's Evolution

Adolescence is a very crucial stage in preparing young people for Earth stewardship. Yet adolescence in any part of the world can be agitating, confusing, and problematic. In the technically advanced countries especially it has become increasingly prone to such climacteric developments as substance abuse, violence, and crime. The adolescent state has come to be known as precarious and arduous for many parents. Other qualities which have come to characterize adolescence are lack of purpose, vacuity, and a total concentration on the self. We believe it is these last qualities which lie at the root of the problems cited above.

Therefore it appears to us that adolescents need seriousness, depth and meaning in their lives much more than they need material goods such as elaborate clothes and amusing gadgets. First of all, they need a lot of togetherness with congenial, supportive, knowledgeable adults. It has been shown that particularly those adolescents who have in the past suffered abuse, or who are still suffering it, greatly benefit from having a close relationship with such adults. A relationship of this kind can make the difference between a well-adjusted, positive young person and a traumatized or aggressive one. Adolescents also need proper channels for their aptitudes, which often go unnoticed and unused.

As an example, we will recollect that many adolescents have maximal recall, hence stupendous language abilities, and should be learning three or four languages at a time. This would give them the capacity to read foreign literatures and communicate with people of other countries and ethnic groups, which would broaden their horizons so that later they might become active in the world as agents of Earth's evolution. They should also get to know everything about earth's geography in preparation for studying conditions in problem areas when they get older.

They should, if possible, have access to computers for these efforts.

Finally, as they grow, they should develop an active, personal bond with role models who promote globalism and evolutionary ascent. Such individuals are illustrious, noble, and lovingly compelling. Knowing them and being with them is a very formative experience for adolescents. In the course of that experience they will gain courage, sensitivity and above all compassion. This will make their relationships with others fulfilling and worthwhile and their allegiance to all human beings steadfast and true. Given such a sense of belonging they will be motivated to learn as much as they can about the global legacy which they will inherit as adults. Thus they will be in frequent contact with fascinating acquaintances, locations and events and will live life fully, while looking forward to the maturity of Earth agent stature.

N. Minefields as Earth Poison

Minefields are a deadly pollutant of the earth biosphere. They are the product of systematic, relentless effort on the part of purpose-driven men, an effort which is extremely difficult to reverse. In causing death and bodily injury, minefields are used to partition hostile territories from one another, producing isolation which can lead to such calamities as famine, satrapy and atrocity. This is possible because minefields are well nigh indestructible if left in place. Their defusion is a task which takes years and carries with it a high lethal risk.

Over time, minefields are responsible for the carnage and maiming of countless innocent people long after the conflicts which originated them have abated. There is something extremely wanton in rendering whole regions of our Planet so dangerous and unnegotiable. It is for all these reasons we have designated the deployment of minefields an Earth Offense.

Environmental Crime

Large-scale Environmental Crime is a broad topic that is outside the scope of our brief treatment. We can only say that like Weapons of Mass Destruction it is a strike against the whole Earth Community, and therefore belongs in the Earth Offense category.

We would like to add, however, that it appears to us people do not respect and hold dear the Earth as their own domain, and too often they betray its welfare for monetary or political gain. That, of course, is especially true of the industrially and semi-industrially developed nations. In this regard it is essential that our thinking become global and forward-looking, that is, evolutionary. Without such an outlook we are most likely inviting calamity which we don't even as yet understand. Environmentalism must be developed and extended to all reaches of the globe and all our Earth management proceedings. It must be taught in schools and published by the media. Only then will our Planet be failsafed for the near and distant future.

O. Funding the Earth Evolution Initiative

Funding the Earth Evolution Initiative will of necessity come from diverse sources.

The large items such as purifying water and improving agriculture in dry regions should be funded internationally by the United Nations for which the budget would have to increase through higher contributions from all solvent societies. Some of this budget would also be used to change International Law. This would supplant foreign aid, which is arbitrary and politically based. Next, large International Corporations should donate funds and expertise for the same purposes.

It is very important that these efforts should be undertaken consistently, according to a global game plan which ameliorates all affected areas according to a priority of need that is independent of national, racial, and other considerations. Governments should, if possible, fund research in all kinds of Earth development. Following that, private donations through NGO's (Non-Government Organizations) such as church missions and private research foundations should increase substantially, and new NGO's should be created as needed. Part of the private funding should go to the institution of Grameen ( no-collateral ) banks for small businesses and to Techno-Serve-type aid, which teaches farmers and other entrepreneurs in poor areas to manage successful enterprises for free. The rest can fulfill urgent human needs. Thus we can see that there has to be a much greater economic effort on the part of the affluent and semi-affluent nations to turn the tide of events in parts of the world where people cannot fight death and suffering for lack of means. Only then can we attain to our stewardship on Earth.

P. Famine Amends

The elimination of Famine from Planet Earth is redemption long overdue. Those of us who could have helped but didn't should understand their responsibility for the enormity of this failing. The whole Earth Community, in fact, should make amends to all the bereaved. There should be a formal proclamation of culpability and an appeal to the survivors for pardon. Above all, there must be a firm commitment never to let Famine kill or maim anyone on Earth again.

Q. Example of Crisis Address: Famine

Famine from Drought and War Militia

Drought and War Famine Address Militia


Typical Locations: Sahara, Sub-Saharan, Equatorial, North-Western and South-Western Africa, North Korea, Bangladesh

Service: Carrying food and supplies in convoy marches over above terrains.

Learning early signs of Famine—kwashiorkor and marasmus.

First aid for convoy Militia: Treating endemic diseases, snake bites, infestations, wounds.

Martial Arts: General and local hand-to-hand combat. Rendering opponents helpless or unconscious. Dismantling armaments or disposing of them in other ways. Learning peace signals or customs for making peace.

First Aid for famine victims:

Intravenous fluid infusion
Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT).
Soft food service.
Fibrous food service.
Parasite control.

All Militia contingents should include specialized doctors and paramedics.
July 2002

Famine from Drought--Address Strategy

Detection: Monitoring for drought conditions in all parts of the globe by experts such as meteorologists, agrobiologists, agronomists and experienced farmers using state-of-the-art technology and communication resources.

Improved Address of Active or Impending Famine.

Evolution Level 1. (Use of helicopters or other aircraft)

For active or impending famine there should be transport of food, medicines, and nutrient infusion supplies, as well as medical staff, so that the people afflicted would not have to get to central supply locations. It is clear that human beings in the throes of incipient or developed famine are in no shape to travel or carry burdens on their own. Many of them, especially children, will die before they can reach a food distribution center if they live at any distance from it.

Therefore the famine cargo should initially be carried on foot if necessary by the Militia from points accessible by vehicle or aircraft that are the closest to each target village or other human habitation. The Militia, including doctors, upon arrival at each target point should administer emergency aid and clear a landing pad or air-strip for further deliveries by aircraft. Only such delivery of provisions and personnel will assure that all will be saved.

Medical staff should be present at each famine site to examine the population, advise and administer therapy, and report on the state of food-depletion or starvation. For emergency cases, an ambulance service by helicopter should be on stand-by at all times. The above food supply and medical monitoring regimen should be kept up until the famine desists and all those who were endangered are of normal health and weight.

Evolution Level 2. Advanced Prevention of Famine--Unpredicted Drought. (Initiating descent)

As soon as drought is detected, in each remote drought-stricken locality the initiating Famine Militia descent from air-borne helicopters or carrier-planes would bring food, medicines and nourishment infusion supplies with specialized doctors to administer emergency aid. The Militia would also include sapper units trained to clear air-strips for further food, supplies and staff transfers. These transfers would be kept up until the crisis abates and the population regains normal health and weight.

Evolution Level 2. Famine Prevention--Drought Prediction before Onset (Early prediction response)

At the earliest possible warning of approaching drought conditions in any remote Earth location ( reported by telecommunication to the nearest food trove locations ), there would be penetration of Famine Militia to all affected sites to clear air-strips or run-ways for carrier aircraft food and staff deliveries. Health monitoring of children and adults before and during the drought would be maintained. Food distribution and health monitoring would be continued until the population is found to be healthy and of normal weight.

Evolution Level 3. Ultimate Prevention of Famine (Famine resolution)

Control of drought by researched and advanced agri-technology and environmental management would put an end to Famine on Earth. 

August 2002

R. Epidemics--Address Strategy

We will not deal extensively with emergency response to epidemics. In outlying regions the problem of signaling and diagnosing such crises has not been sufficiently resolved. It will take a global telecommunication network to send signals of emergency from any location. This will take time to develop. The Militia and penetration paradigms we used for Famine are in the main applicable to epidemics and will facilitate diagnosis and possible treatment. The control of epidemics is dependent on medical and pharmacological research. 

S. Honor Code of the Community of Nations Militia

The Community of Nations Militia including Peacekeeping and Crisis Redemption Forces should be guided by an Honor Code which would put it at the forefront of all armies or security formations.

This Code should be worked out by Militia leadership in consultation with experts and with the rank and file.
It should be based on the primacy of life and on equality of all peoples under Earth Law. It should, as much as possible, feature non-lethal combat measures such as martial arts, tear gas, and all other methods of controlling strife situations without killing.

It should also involve provision for knowledge of the societies where the Militia serves and respect for their culture and identity.

Finally, it should act as the protective writ of the Civilization bringing rescue and good will wherever needed. We wish to add that new developments in the techniques of non-lethal disarmament ought to be included in the Militia Honor Code as soon as possible.

T. The Independence of Nations and the Earth Evolution Initiative

The measures we have suggested for changing International Law do not represent any substantive unification of nations into one body under a World Government. Indeed, they are meant to deal only with those contingencies which are very difficult, if not impossible, for individual nations to manage.

It is clear, therefore, that they are a necessary minimal addition to the World Polity if Earth is to evolve into a sapient and compassionate Community of Nations which are free to pursue their own sociopolitical and cultural ends and to shape an independent destiny.

The judicial form of regulating life has eons of precedent and thus is failsafed by a rich variety of human experience. Of all governmental enterprise it depends on the most developed traditions of sobriety, sagacity, honesty and learning. We deem that it is the best vehicle for implementing Earth Evolution at its outset.

U. Incarcerated International Offender Management

Offenders in all International Offense categories should be placed under the control and supervision of an international Commission of penal  servitude experts appointed by the respondent Court.

Such a Commission would determine conditions of the offender's location, security, psychiatric and medical care, matters spiritual, provender, reading material, exercise, etc. Earth offenders especially, deprived of citizenship in any nation, ought to be most heavily penalized and should feel ostracized from the human family. This is right and just since their penalization is to serve as a deterrent to would-be Earth Offenders at large.

The DNA records of all established Earth Offenders would be kept at all security check-points such as Police stations around the globe. Established torturers should have their DNA records kept at all security locations in the countries of their offense and after incarceration should be denied passports for a specified length of time
which would allow for their rehabilitation, as determined by trained specialists in psychology and psychiatry.

Management of International Offenses Requiring Sanctions

Offenses such as War, Famine Default, Torture State and other failure to comply with International Law by whole nations (as determined by a special arm of the Global Community), should require economic and diplomatic sanctions, and, if needed, Militia intervention. We have already proposed such sanctions in the case of War. They can apply to all the other above-named offenses as well.

However, we would like to turn to the possibility of using effective moral suasion. For example, there should be moral onus attaching to renegade societies which refuse to cooperate with the evolutionary effort of sapience and compassion. Such states should be formally declared morally inferior to a degree assessed according to the magnitude and tenacity of their offense. Various kinds of boycott could be brought to bear on their situation--especially in the socio-cultural realm--by nations of good standing. This, it is hoped, would press the peoples of miscreant societies to require their governments to obey International Law, thereby regaining stature in the Global Polity.

July 2002

V. The Evolutionist Net

One of the vitally important endeavors for the Earth Evolution Initiative, would be, as soon as it is feasible, the establishment of communication and cooperation between all the institutions directly involved in the development of better subsistence conditions on Earth.

Among these are the NGO's or non-governmental organizations which can be religious or secular, privately funded or donated by big business. Next, there is foreign aid of various persuasions. Finally there are funds from the Community of Nations.

The monies thus granted go to varying forms of crisis relief or developmental assistance, and to vital life-improving research.

We would therefore seek to promote a network between the above institutions which could be used for information exchange and for systemizing efforts according to their urgency priorities and optimal effect ( for example, avoiding duplication ). This could save considerable amounts of resource and facilitate operations. We would call this network the Evolutionist Net, E-N, of the Earth Evolution Initiative. The E-N would be funded by all the participating institutions and by private contributions of evolutionists. It would, if possible, take advantage of accessible telecommunications and other technical advances to achieve its aims.

W. Parasites and the Human Condition

There does not appear to be sufficient research on the parasites which plague human beings, particularly in the poorest countries. Parasites can be micro-biotic or macroscopic in size. The first can produce various types of dangerous malaise. The second kind are repulsive and usually debilitating. We will consider them an item of urgency in that they often exacerbate cases of famine and epidemic disease. They are less well studied than micro-biotic infestations.

We would therefore suggest that a research center, possibly funded by the World Health Organization be founded to combat large-scale parasites world-wide. This Center for the Study of Large-Scale Parasitology should convene the best specialists in the field to put an end to this scourge affecting the destitute, and particularly children.
One especially noxious and repellent parasite, the Guinea Worm, has been practically obliterated by a simple technique, due largely to the efforts of the Jimmy Carter Foundation. There may be others for which a simple remedium could be found.

August 2002

X. The Experiential Content of Mental Disorders

Outside of popular treatments based on informal interviews with patients or on fragmentary accounts no one has tried to study seriously the experiential content of mental disorders, which are understood to be caused by biochemical or neurotransmitter imbalance.

The psychiatric profession does not attach much significance to the existential vicissitudes of the mentally afflicted. Yet such vicissitudes could be an important clinical indication of the type or conduct of the disorder. For one thing, there is little or no attempt to study suicidal states as they are experienced by those who suffer from them. To our knowledge, gleaned from close contact with persons affected in this way, there are at least two different kinds of suicidal mania. One, which we will call the clinical suicidal state, is purely non-cognitive and involuntary. It consists of an acute and often protracted physical compulsion which is not thought out, usually accompanied by mental images of suicidal acts, such as hanging or drowning oneself. The other is a "cognitive" state in which due to brain "shut-down" or dysfunction the subject is bereft of anything to do, and, unable to envision any improvement in this condition, discerns that the only thing left is to opt out of existence. Both states can be accompanied by an immensity of suffering, most especially the former in which the pain is largely physical and truly unbearable. We have found only one accurate description of this kind of physical suffering in print in a small book, Heaven and Hell by the writer Aldous Huxley (1956). We quote:

"It is worth remarking that many of the punishments described in various accounts of hell are punishments of pressure and constriction. Dante's sinners are buried in mud, shut up in tree trunks, frozen solid in blocks of ice, crushed beneath stones. The Inferno is psychologically true. Many of its pains are experienced by schizophrenics, and by those who have taken mescalin or lysergic acid under unfavorable conditions."

It is particularly important to deal with this issue because we are convinced that there should be clinical, genetic and detailed report studies done on suicidal states to get an accurate profile of this dangerous and unacceptable phenomenon. Such studies would be particularly timely owing to the recent reports that children and adolescents suffer suicidal states which often go unnoticed by their elders and peers. Those who survive the ordeal usually have little or no idea how and why they came to undergo such a terrifying and calamitous affliction.

We would also mention the need for studies of the experience of clinical infanticide or homicide compulsion, about which, unfortunately, we know very little. We suspect, however, that they likewise can involve a great deal of suffering. We cannot speak of a true Evolution if problems of this magnitude go unresolved.

August 2002

Y. Heroism and Peaceful Perseverance

The heroism of peaceful perseverance is a great and noble human achievement penetrating to the very core of existence. It is a heroism that is in all ways creative and respectful of Life. It is inspiring as a true and free offering in the name of All Things. Thus it is the embodiment of our burgeoning Love. We do not often honor it explicitly as the epitome of our action as humans. Yet we can see that in order to progress we need to make it one of our most treasured values.

Throughout the history of the Race we have had many unsung role models of this type of heroism--people who gave themselves unstintingly and unfailingly to the cause of others and of themselves without killing or strife.

May we take example from them and persevere as they did to benefit all that is worthwhile in our Kind. 

August 2002

Z. Nurturing Circles

Since there are not enough people willing to adopt orphaned and abandoned children, and since foster homes often fail to provide for sufficient nurturing, that is, for filling the emotional, intellectual, and physical needs of such children, we think a very effective resolution of this problem would be the institution of " nurturing circles " composed of childless couples who would " adopt " each foster home situation. These nurturing circles would supply care, tenderness and intellectual stimulation to every child in the foster home on a part-time basis. The care would include watching over the children to prevent abuse. All this involvement would give them individual attention, support and love without unduly burdening the circle members, who would satisfy their need to nurture children and find fulfillment in the development of each child.

The upbringing in foster homes with nurturing circles should produce individuals who are emotionally healthy, happy, and ready to make a worthwhile contribution to society when they mature.

August 2002

Final Note

At this writing there are no concrete results from research on the Human Genome. However, there is a growing understanding from other studies of the genetic roots which correspond to our various predispositions to specific traits and disorders. No advanced knowledge of such tendencies would be complete without their full genetic component, if any. We look forward to the evolution which the Genome findings may bring.

In Closing

The Harbinger Papers presented above are a very brief and limited treatment of the Earth Evolution Initiative. As predominantly social scientists we lack the expertise in many of the areas we touched upon or avoided altogether. It is our hope that others more knowledgeable than we would contribute their creative ideas or comments and that the total body of material so obtained could be published electronically under the title: Papers for the Earth Evolution Initiative and disseminated to the general public for a modest fee.

Yours in Earth Evolution,

Steven Hiller and Helen Novak,
neo@wnrf.org
http://www.ecumenicalhumanism.org
Tel (773) 202-9766