Nicaragua: Notes from the Frontline #4: Re-inventing the United Nations
Echoes of Silence
One Planet. One People.
Workers, not 'Stars' [Victor Jara]
Nicaragua: Notes from the Frontline #4
Hey again,
Things are really cooking here in the Global South. A wonderful street muralist is here from Chile. Alejandro 'Mono' Gonzalez. Check out his work with our Movimiento Victor Jara on FB 'Victor Jara Nicaragua' and his own life and times via 'Googly', as we pronounce it here! [Tragically, nobody's even heard of cricket, however.]
So Mono's been staying with Padre Miguel d'Escoto. That - in this context - is the really exciting part. For Padre Miguel is on a crusade to not merely reform, but to re-invent, the United Nations, via a proposal entitled: "Re-inventing the United Nations" [amazingly enough!]. The proposal's key is to ground the functioning of the United Nations and indeed of the individual nations themselves in Mother Earth herself. Running so contrary to the West's cancerous military/industrial 'development', this makes the UN essentially and pro-actively pacifist and anti-imperialist.
Because I'm Mono's taxi-guy, and because Padre Miguel is also nuts about Victor Jara and Beethoven, we've become good pals. So I'm hopeful that I can slide the old 'One Planet, One People World Interactive Flag' into the mix somewhere, together with this 'Peoples Declaration of InterDependence' I cobbled together for the new century(!). Maybe they'll be some small help.
ECHOES of SILENCE
DECLARE INTER-DEPENDENCE!
One Planet. One People.
Peace. Justice. Beauty.
Notes for a
Future
Paul Baker
Hernández
In-Dependence within Inter-Dependence
Honour the Fatherland honor Mother Earth.
Honor Mother Earth honour the Fatherland.
_________________________________
A
DECLARATION OF INTER-DEPENDENCE
_______________
Addressed to the United Nations
and to All Governments
__________________
We, the Peoples and People of this
one exquisite - and exquisitely fragile - planet hold these truths to be self-evident:
Ø That all
persons - children, women and men - of every race, calling, creed, color,
condition and age are created equal. There are no exceptions.
Ø That they,
collectively and individually, are endowed with certain inalienable inalienable
rights. Among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.
Ø That the
fundamental sources and resources to achieve these rights: Peace without
threat, fear, force or weapons, pure air, fresh water, an uncontaminated earth,
nourishing food, good health, creative education, a secure home, equitable
justice, local and global responsibility, authentic, proportionate,
participative representation and worthwhile work - also belong
inalienably to them all. For ever.
Ø That this
inheritance - these resources truly without price - can never be taken
over or away by individuals, classes, corporations and/or states for their
own exclusive or majority use, exploitation, profit or control.
Ø Rather,
that it is the marvelous gift and responsibility of every human generation
to enjoy these resources with respect and delight, in interdependence with
all peoples and with the whole multitude of species, both animal and
plant, with which we co-inhabit this tiny, fragile, and exquisitely
wonderful planet.
Ø And,
within that gift, to hand them on, enhanced, to the children of
our children's children.
_________________________________________
To make this Declaration reality we call on you to re-allocate at least 1% of all budgets currently dedicated to the military,
war, and the arms trade - money, materials and,
before all else, the creative lives and expertise of all those involved in any
way with war and weapons - to bring fresh water to everyone on Earth.
And
to redress the female/male/racial imbalance at every level, with the greatest
urgency.
Ø Not only
will these measures help re-green the planet and avert looming wars over
water (so much more precious than oil), but also, by beginning the
build-down of weapons, they will mark a vital psychological turning point
for humanity, especially in the true honoring via increased respect for women,
so-called 'minorities', children, and all who have given their lives for others and for peace.
Ø Further,
they will improve global health dramatically, by making available vast quantities
of material/financial resources and freeing up whole armies of skilled
personnel for urgent medical, ecological, educational and other vitally
important tasks within the global community
Ø And,
finally, they will at last provide, in the wonder of a healed, peace-filled,
planet, a truly fitting memorial to all those who gave their lives believing
their sacrifice would, at long last, ‘end all wars’.
There are critical moments in every life. We believe this is one
such in the life of all humanity and the flora and fauna of the entire
planet. We know that you too hold the good of Earth and humanity dear. Now is
the time to act, and to act boldly. We therefore urge you - as truly a
matter of life and death - to take action, offering this Declaration of
Inter-Dependence to our own nation and to the entire international
community; calling for the immediate establishment of an annual Global
Inter-Dependence Day; and, above all, insisting that the many millions whose talents
and creative lives are swallowed up by war and its instruments be set free to help ensure that every person on Earth has clean water to drink, every minute of every hour of every day.
Thank you.
Echoes of Silence. www.echoesofsilence-ecosdelsilencio.pbworks.com
Coordinator: Paul Baker Hernandez, contact:
paulbaker2004@yahoo.com
(505) 86153180 (cell); (505) 2249 0979
(landline)
