Action is the antidote to despair."
~Joan Baez
By working together.
And if we don't even try, maybe the first question should be, "How will we answer our children?"
Will we tell them that we bought an electric car? Installed a heat-pump? Recycled our soda cans? And what about young adults, many of whom are concerned about their own lives, never mind bringing new life to bear?
So we need to try. Against massive odds, we still need to try. Against strong resistance from the status quo, we still need to try. And all the while, we should keep in mind that stranger things have happened. Things just as big and just as improbable did happen. This, too, could actually happen. As impossible a task as it seems, it could. But it is a tough sell. Could a serf in medieval times be convinced that the king would be ousted and they'd become a landowner? In what scenario should we not even try?
Keep in mind that revolutionary change is made by people who don’t accept that it is impossible …or know that it is impossible but do it anyway.
We are setting out to build the largest and
most important movement in human history
As a first step, we will establish political parties in as many countries around the world as possible. Each party will field candidates in elections for the national leader (President, Prime Minister, etc.). Our platform will consist of the single issue of "joining the World Federation," which would then be formed after a minimum number of nation-states sign on. After that, the World Federation would establish global laws (for global issues), global courts, and global law enforcement. Global issues, such as treating aggression and war as a crime, establishing binding Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction protocols, and regulating dangerous technologies like AI, would be codified into law. Ultimately, no nation-state should ever have the right to act in a manner that has significant negative impacts on the lives of members of other nation-states. That said, much care will be taken to ensure that individual nation-states retain national sovereignty over most matters with the exceptions of those with profound global implications. Domestic issues would continue to be administered by individual nation-states just as they are today. As such, most people would not see any significant change in their daily lives. Change would be manifest in a liveable environment, peace between nations, and proper regulation of dangerous technology.
Realistically, as a new party, we are not likely to win elections. Our plan is to get in front of the public, influence other parties, form coalitions with other parties (who adopt the policy), and publicly call out politicians who are letting the world slide toward disaster while they bicker about prescription drug costs and crime rates - important issues without question - but meaningless in the face of impending existential threats.
Imagine the debates.
A Better Democracy
A new world federation must learn from the mistakes we have made repeatedly with our current national governments. Democracy, real democracy, does not exist in the world today. Corporate and wealthy donors have way too much influence over politicians. In many jurisdictions, lobbyists literally and openly draft legislation for their own industry. And far too often, politicians do not read the bill before voting on it!
On its best day, the election system gives voters poor candidate choices, turning citizens into defensive voters desperately trying to keep someone out of office instead of proudly electing a candidate they can believe in. Consider the 2024 US election. The choices facing Americans may well be between two old white men, one who will be 78 on election day and the other 81. Notwithstanding all of the other issues, why do Americans have only two choices for President? And why are they both white and older than most Americans would prefer? There is something fundamentally wrong with this system.
We can do so much better than this. World United would establish a democratic World Federation using a system that avoids most of the pitfalls of the current electoral system.
A Movement Most Can Get Behind
Is there anyone (outside the military-industrial complex and the fanatics) who supports war as a means of settling disputes between countries?
And most people now are very concerned about the climate crisis. In fact, internationally:
78% (of people) support their country signing an international agreement limiting greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of coal, natural gas and petroleum." ~Pew Research Center
As AI is used increasingly for hyper-sophisticated hacking, misinformation campaigns, and deep-fake videos, the lines between what is real and what is not will become increasingly blurred, convincing more and more people of its imminent dangers. According to another 2023 Pew poll, 52% of US adults have become "more concerned than excited" about AI.
If the vast majority of people across the planet agree, then the problem is not with the people. It is with the leaders. But as we know, "when the people lead, the leaders will follow."
So, we need to build one of the biggest movements in history and drag the leaders along with us. Not an easy task, but thousands of organizations share our views. Together, they represent hundreds of millions of people. World United's World Federation initiative is consistent with the goals of most of these organizations. Working with these groups will allow us to leap-frog the movement way beyond what it could do on its own. Environmental, anti-war, child advocacy, artificial intelligence, and religious organizations are potential partners in the movement. Celebrities will take up the cause: everyone from Pope Francis to Taylor Swift to Oprah Winfrey could be potential allies.
Different Approaches
For democracies, World United would establish a locally operated political party. This party would run on a single platform: having the nation-state join the World Federation, effectively ceding sovereignty to the World Federation for a strictly limited set of global issues. Simultaneously, the local party would lobby the other parties to adopt our platform. In cases where they do, World United might throw its support behind such a party or form an alliance with it - or drop out of the race altogether if that would increase the odds of victory for that party.
For nation-states that are not democracies, we would support local activists in establishing grassroots movements to pressure governments into adopting the platform and joining the World Federation. Obviously, for many of these states, that won’t happen anytime soon, if ever. But eventually, through trade incentives, other benefits, and pressure from their citizens, other nations will have sufficient incentive to join. We would also maintain an open invitation for nation-states to join at any time or enter into binding agreements. For example, there would be an open invitation to mutual nuclear disarmament. A large and growing federation of peace and planet-loving people will ultimately prove hard to resist for some. For others, it may inspire a revolution. Often, revolutions have disastrous consequences, sometimes leading to failed outcomes that are even worse than the original regime. But a revolution inspired by a concrete global plan for lasting peace, a habitable environment, and prosperity, and crucially one with an immediate end-game - to join the federation - enjoys a much better chance of success.
Ultimately, the process would require that we create a World United Federation of the willing, with an open invitation to other peoples and governments to join by laying down their arms and trading a slight reduction in national sovereignty for lasting peace and security.
When
As urgent as the matter is, it will take time. But we can start right now. Join and donate if you can. Most importantly, share the word as soon as possible. Most people have yet to give any thought to creating a World Federation. They may not have even heard about the idea or considered the possibility. And if they have heard about it, it may have been as part of a conspiracy theory - elites who want to rule the world. One theory is that members of the World Economic Forum meet at Davos, Switzerland, each year, secretly plan a "one-world" government to rule us all. So we need to talk to people and inform them of the absolute necessity of a democratic World Federation. And we need to do it now. This will take some time, but we need to start right now.
We are not running out of time - we are out of time!
Planning must start now - even if it will take a shock to the system to initiate widespread consideration of the concept of a World Federation, that shock may come sooner than we think. Considering what is already happening in the world, it is not a big stretch to imagine it getting much worse very soon. And the last thing we want to do is to attempt to plan during an emergency.
A Cataclysmic Event
It is hard to make big changes like this. The danger is that we collectively live like the frog in the pot, unable, unwilling, or simply unaware of the need to make a change that might save us as the water gets hotter and hotter. It may, in fact, require a cataclysm to shake people out of their complacency.
- A nuclear explosion?
- A prolonged heat wave that kills millions?
- Massive migration from flooded coastal areas?
Whatever the trigger, World United needs to be ready to act when it happens. We need to have systems in place and plans thought out in advance - not in the middle of a crisis. Crucially, the citizens of the planet should be familiar with World United so that we can quickly act together. We believe at least one billion people are already aware of the gravity of the problems and would be willing to join and help prepare - even if only by spreading the word or donating financially.
Perhaps most importantly, we must be ready to fill the confidence vacuum created by these events. We are already seeing populists and strongmen gaining power in many countries across the planet. We can counter this only by acting together - on a plan that we, as a collective, believe in.
A World Federation
The World Federation would be a democratic federation of the world's nation-states. Structurally, it would resemble other federations, including nation-states such as the USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, India, and Malaysia, with some notable differences. The World United Federation will have a legislative assembly made up of citizens of the world and an upper chamber, which would have representatives of the nation-states of the world. An executive body will administer the government, and a judicial branch will adjudicate matters.
A Federation has a division of powers between the central government and the component states or provinces (or other regions). Using the United States as an example, the federal government has jurisdiction over areas that affect all US citizens (e.g., interstate and international commerce and the military). In contrast, the states have jurisdiction over matters within their own state (most areas of health, education, and welfare). This division of power is enshrined in the Constitution.
Particular care will be taken to ensure that the World Federation's control can never fall into the hands of a single person or be vulnerable to authoritarian control. This would be achieved through multiple checks and balances and, crucially, a shared power structure at the executive branch level.
A World Constitution
The World Federation representative’s first order of business would be to create a world constitution based on guidelines already described and including, but not limited to, the following:
- The rule of law
- Principles of democracy
- Powers strictly limited to major issues of global importance
- Freedom of thought and expression for all peoples
- International peace and security
Ultimately, it will be up to the members of the World Federation to draft the World Constitution.
Nation-States Retain Sovereignty
The World Federation would establish global laws for global issues (such as war, climate change, and dangerous technologies). It would be up to the legislative assembly to determine which issues, as well as the particulars and details of the World Federation's functions. However, the World Federation's powers would be strictly limited to matters of a global nature. In much the same way that Democratically elected governments have defined divisions of powers at the federal and state/provincial levels, the World Federation would be strictly authorized to enact only legislation that is necessary and has a global impact on all citizens of the planet. Any change to the established division of powers would require a majority of votes by the legislature and ratification by nation-state members. Nation-states will retain absolute national sovereignty over all other issues within their borders.
Executive Branch
The World Federation President would require far fewer powers than the leaders of most nation-states. Decisions at the World Federation level would be deliberative and shared by a council of members elected by and from the legislature. Each Councillor would represent a geographical region of the planet.
Judicial Branch
As an International Criminal Court and an International Court of Justice already exist, it may be possible to cooperate with these bodies and/or use their experiences as lessons and models for the judicial branch. Under a functioning democratic World Federation, the scope of these courts would be expanded, and regional world courts would likely be necessary. Ensuring compliance with global law and settling disputes between nations would be the primary function of the judicial branch.
Global Law Enforcement Agency (GLEA)
GLEA would exist to enforce international laws as required and maintain the peace. In that sense, it would act more like an international peacekeeping force - deployed without delay to quell any disputes between nations. The Agency would also investigate reports of criminal activity as, and only as, it relates to global law. An example might be the investigation of a country that appears to be working toward building a nuclear weapon.
GLEA bases would be established in strategic locations around the world. In many cases, former military bases would likely be downsized and converted into GLEA bases. Local GLEA bases would be staffed with multi-national law enforcement agents, mainly consisting of people from other nations, to reduce the possibility of any rising nationalist sentiments on the part of the rank and file or leadership. A force from Uganda, Canada and Singapore with a leader from the Netherlands all stationed in Ireland is much less likely to be biased by nationalistic sentiments.
Initially, GLEA would use military equipment and infrastructure that may be needed to enforce global law. As more nations join, and the threat of war decreases, the GLEA will reduce its arsenal. Ultimately, once all nations join, GLEA can retire all unnecessary military equipment and act as a law enforcement agency to enforce supranational laws as enacted by the democratic World Federation.
To make this work, we must build the largest, and most important movement in human history.
please join now. volunteer. donate $3/month. spread the word. we need everyone