🚀 go-pugleaf

                                  III


The primary question to be resolved is how the present world, with  its
entrenched  pattern of conflict, can change to a world in which harmony
and cooperation will prevail.

World order can be founded only on an unshakeable consciousness of  the
oneness  of  mankind,  a  spiritual  truth which all the human sciences
confirm. Anthropology, physiology, psychology, recognize only one human
species,  albeit  infinitely  varied  in the secondary aspects of life.
Recognition of this truth requires abandonment of  prejudice--prejudice
of  every  kind--race,  class,  color,  creed,  nation,  sex, degree of
material civilization, everything  which  enables  people  to  consider
themselves superior to others.

Acceptance  of  the  oneness  of  mankind  is  the  first   fundamental
prerequisite  for reorganization and administration of the world as one
country, the home of humankind. Universal acceptance of this  spiritual
principle  is  essential  to  any successful attempt to establish world
peace.  It  should  therefore  be  universally  proclaimed,  taught  in
schools, and constantly asserted in every nation as preparation for the
organic change in the structure of society which it implies.

In the Baha'i view, recognition of the oneness of mankind  " calls  for
no  less  than the reconstruction and the demilitarization of the whole
civilized world--a world  organically  unified  in  all  the  essential
aspects of its life, its political machinery, its spiritual aspiration,
its trade and finance, its script and language, and yet infinite in the
diversity of the national characteristics of its federated units."

Elaborating the implications of this pivotal principle, Shoghi Effendi,
the  Guardian  of the Baha'i Faith, commented in 1931 that:  ``Far from
aiming  at  the  subversion  of the  existing  foundations of  society,
it  seeks  to broaden its basis, to remold its institutions in a manner
consonant with the needs of an ever-changing  world.  It  can  conflict
with   no  legitimate  allegiances,  nor  can  it  undermine  essential
loyalties. Its purpose is neither to stifle the flame  of  a  sane  and
intelligent  patriotism  in  men's hearts, nor to abolish the system of
national autonomy so essential if the evils of excessive centralization
are to be avoided. It does not ignore, nor does it attempt to suppress,
the diversity of ethnical origins, of climate, of history, of  language
and tradition, of thought and habit, that differentiate the peoples and
nations of the world. It calls  for  a  wider  loyalty,  for  a  larger
aspiration  than  any that has animated the human race. It insists upon
the subordination of national impulses and interests to the  imperative
claims  of  a  unified world. It repudiates excessive centralization on
one hand, and disclaims all attempts at uniformity on  the  other.  Its
watchword is unity in diversity. . . ."

The achievement of such ends requires several stages in the  adjustment
of  national  political  attitudes,  which  now verge on anarchy in the
absence of clearly defined laws or universally accepted and enforceable
principles  regulating the relationships between nations. The League of
Nations, the United Nations, and the many organizations and  agreements
produced  by  them have unquestionably been helpful in attenuating some
of the negative effects of international conflicts, but they have shown
themselves  incapable of preventing war. Indeed, there have been scores
of wars since the end of the Second World War; many are yet raging.

The predominant aspects of this problem  had  already  emerged  in  the
nineteenth  century  when  Baha'u'llah first advanced his proposals for
the establishment of world peace. The principle of collective  security
was  propounded  by  him  in  statements addressed to the rulers of the
world. Shoghi Effendi commented on his meaning:  "What else could these
weighty  words  signify",  he  wrote,    "if  they did not point to the
inevitable  curtailment  of  unfettered  national  sovereignty  as   an
indispensable  preliminary  to the formation of the future Commonwealth
of all the nations of the world? Some form of a world super-state  must
needs be evolved, in whose favor all the nations of the world will have
willingly ceded every claim to  make  war,  certain  rights  to  impose
taxation  and  all rights to maintain armaments, except for purposes of
maintaining internal order within their  respective  dominion.  Such  a
state  will have to include within its orbit an International Executive
adequate to enforce supreme  and  unchallengeable  authority  on  every
recalcitrant  member  of  the  commonwealth;  a  World Parliament whose
members shall be elected by the people in  their  respective  countries
and  whose election shall be confirmed by their respective governments;
and a Supreme Tribunal whose judgement will have a binding effect  even
in  such cases where the parties concerned did not voluntarily agree to
submit their case to its consideration.

"A world community in  which  all  economic  barriers  will  have  been
permanently  demolished  and  the  interdependence of capital and labor
definitely recognized; in which the clamor of religious fanaticism  and
strife  will  have  been  forever stilled; in which the flame of racial
animosity will have been finally extinguished; in which a  single  code
of  international  law--the  product of the considered judgement of the
world's federated  representatives--shall  have  as  its  sanction  the
instant  and  coercive  intervention  of  the  combined  forces  of the
federated units; and finally a world community in which the fury  of  a
capricious  and  militant nationalism will have been transmuted into an
abiding consciousness of world citizenship--such  indeed,  appears,  in
its  broadest  outline,  the Order anticipated by Baha'u'llah, an Order
that shall come to be  regarded  as  the  fairest  fruit  of  a  slowly
maturing age."

The implementation of these  far-reaching  measures  was  indicated  by
Baha'u'llah:  "The time must come when the imperative necessity for the
holding  of  a  vast,  an  all-embracing  assemblage  of  men  will  be
universally  realized.  The  rulers  and  kings of the earth must needs
attend it, and, participating in its deliberations, must consider  such
ways  and  means as will lay the foundations of the world's Great Peace
amongst men."

The courage, the resolution, the pure motive, the selfless love of  one
people  for another--all the spiritual and moral qualities required for
effecting this momentous step towards peace are focused on the will  to
act.  And  it  is  towards arousing the necessary volition that earnest
consideration must be given to the reality of man, namely, his thought.
To  understand  the  relevance  of  this  potent  reality  is  also  to
appreciate the social necessity of actualizing its unique value through
candid,  dispassionate and cordial consultation, and of acting upon the
results of this process.  Baha'u'llah insistently drew attention to the
virtues   and  indispensability  of  consultation  for  ordering  human
affairs.  He  said:   "Consultation  bestows  greater   awareness   and
transmutes conjecture into certitude. It is a shining light which, in a
dark world, leads the way and guides. For everything there is and  will
continue  to  be  a station of perfection and maturity. The maturity of
the gift of understanding is made manifest through  consultation."  The
very  attempt  to  achieve  peace  through  the  consultative action he
proposed can release such a salutary spirit among the  peoples  of  the
earth that no power could resist the final, triumphal outcome.

Concerning the proceedings for this world gathering, 'Abdu'l-Baha,  the
son of Baha'u'llah and authorized interpreter of his teachings, offered
these insights: "They must make  the  Cause  of  Peace  the  object  of
general  consultation,  and  seek  by  every  means  in  their power to
establish a Union of the nations of the world.  They  must  conclude  a
binding  treaty and establish a covenant, the provisions of which shall
be sound, inviolable and definite. They must proclaim  it  to  all  the
world  and  obtain  for  it  the  sanction  of all the human race. This
supreme and noble undertaking--the real source of the peace  and  well-
being  of all the world--should be regarded as sacred by all that dwell
on earth. All the forces of humanity must be mobilized  to  ensure  the
stability  and  permanence  of  this  Most Great Covenant. In this all-
embracing Pact the limits and frontiers of each and every nation should
be   clearly   fixed,   the  principles  underlying  the  relations  of
governments  towards  one  another  definitely  laid  down,   and   all
international  agreements  and obligations ascertained. In like manner,
the size of the  armaments  of  every  government  should  be  strictly
limited, for if the preparations for war and the military forces of any
nation should be allowed to increase, they will arouse the suspicion of
others. The fundamental principle underlying this solemn Pact should be
so  fixed  that  if  any  government  later  violate  any  one  of  its
provisions,  all  the governments on earth should arise to reduce it to
utter submission, nay the human race as a whole  should  resolve,  with
every  power  at its disposal, to destroy that government.  Should this
greatest of all remedies be applied to the sick body of the  world,  it
will assuredly recover from its ills and will remain eternally safe and
secure."

The holding of this mighty convocation is long overdue.

With all the ardor of our hearts, we  appeal  to  the  leaders  of  all
nations  to  seize this opportune moment and take irreversible steps to
convoke this world meeting. All the forces of history impel  the  human
race  towards  this  act  which  will mark for all time the dawn of its
long-awaited maturity.

Will not the United Nations, with the full support of  its  membership,
rise to the high purposes of such a crowning event?

Let men and women, youth and children everywhere recognize the  eternal
merit  of  this  imperative  action  for  all peoples and lift up their
voices in willing assent.  Indeed,  let  it  be  this  generation  that
inaugurates  this glorious stage in the evolution of social life on the
planet.