People have been generally organized in the form of unions, political parties, sects, dissident groups, voluntary organizations and other groups requiring their own discipline and having their own programs. The world now needs a different kind of mobilization which does not require much of this discipline and not even a very firm program. Instead what we need is a much more informal mobilization of people at a world level.
This mobilization must be based on the heartfelt acceptance by those joining it of the broad idea that human life should be based on ideas of justice, equality, peace, protection of environment and biodiversity. Along with this there should be an understanding that the world faces a survival crisis which should get priority attention. In brief the entire understanding can be remembered as an abbreviation JEPPS, comprising justice (J), equality (E), peace (P), protection of environment and biodiversity(P), and survival issues prioritization(S).
Since the attempt here is to achieve a broad understanding and unity on these issues, there is deliberately not any centralized effort to go in great detail into various aspects of this understanding, and what it implies in the context of various current happenings. The more modest aim is to have a mobilization of people which broadly believes truly in these precepts (but may have different interpretations in specific contexts). Let them have these different interpretations and discussions based on this. Let them speak in different voices. The aim really is only that people get used to thinking on the basis of JEPPS principles, get self-trained in this ( with help from various sources when needed). Hence we have people asking in various contexts—what is good and correct from the perspective of justice? What is good from the perspective of peace and environment protection? How do we combine best the aims of justice, peace and environment protection in this context? How can we achieve climate change mitigation and adaptation in justice based ways? How can the world eliminate weapons of mass destruction and can common people have a role in this? So the first aim here is to have more people committed to JEPPS and getting self-trained all the time in seeking answers to local, national and global issues on the basis of JEPPS.
The second aspect is that instead of emphasizing organizational discipline and uniformity of views on various current issues, this mobilization merely emphasizes friendship, cooperation, linking up and free discussion among people committed to JEPPS. This mobilization does not ask for any exclusive commitment on the part of its members or for any membership fee. Those who participate in this mobilization are free to be members of any other group that does not clearly and openly violate JEPPS thinking in basic ways.
Such a mobilization is desirable and possible on a global basis simply because it is really needed everywhere. The survival crisis, whether in the form of climate change or other related serious environmental problems or weapons of mass destruction, threaten us all in all parts of the world, and solutions to the survival crisis must be based on an agenda of justice, equality, peace, protection of environment and biodiversity. A world in which there is better realization of this will be a much better and safer world.
The JEPPS thinking is capable of reducing human and animal distress in a big way. Unfortunately most people of world are still guided by various narrow kinds of thinking, involving selfishness, sectarianism and violence, which prolongs and accentuates existing serious world problems. In such a situation a democratic, open and transparent mobilization of people who believe in JEPPS and are genuinely committed to learning to explore and understand issues on the basis of JEPPS will be an important step forward to creating a better world.
Such cooperation among people who believe in JEPPS can begin at the local level. Initial interactions and mobilization can certainly lead to cooperation for some act of justice and peace, or for reducing distress in other ways. This is quite likely. However cooperation based on communication using modern methods with people in distant parts is also possible. People may like to exchange information and experiences on how looking at everything from a perspective of justice, equality, peace, environment protection etc. helped to change their own life for the better and led to several very creative possibilities. This exchange of information can then help to take the mobilization further.
What is at the heart of these efforts is that more and more people engage in efforts to lead a life based on justice, equality, peace, protection of environment / biodiversity and resolving the survival crisis, learn to link everyday life with this and thereby remain engaged with the most creative and socially relevant possibilities of human life.
Bharat Dogra is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Planet in Peril, Man over Machine, Protecting Earth for Children, Earth without Borders and a Day in 2071.
