Global Governance and the Lesser Peace

by Foad Katirai

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• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0853984530
• ISBN13: 9780853984535
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: G. Ronald C2001
• Length: 148 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Should be studied by all thinking people

The breakdown of the WTO talks has its foundation in the spoils of war and in the system of world governance established after World War II. The victors created a system which assured their ascendancy rather than devising a system that is fair to all the world's people based on the Golden Rule of "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." Now that the concept of sustainable development has forced itself onto our agenda, the first test of sustainability is to check it out against the Golden Rule. The message that the 'have nots' are trying to convey to the 'haves' is that a system of global governance based on "Whoever grabs the most toys before the bell rings is the winner" and which ensures that the gap between rich and poor grows wider rather than smaller is no longer acceptable and is certainly not sustainable. Stephen Covey tells us that the only sustainable system is one based on 'win-win' so it was like a breath of fresh air to discover this book in which Fordm Katirai has provided ideas to establish a new and just system of international governance.Pointing out that a new system of governance cannot be born of anything but a consensus hammered out by all stakeholders, the author provides an overview of governance literature from a large variety of sources - something that is invaluable in itself. As some sources go back centuries a critique is provided to help us understand impracticalities in today's world. The author goes on to say: "The Bahai faith, a new religion born in the middle of the 19th century, was the first religious system to set out a comprehensive and modern vision of global governance. The Bahai writings and teachings contain fresh normative values as well as that same innate legitimacy with which Christianity and Islam have in the past imbued the systems of governance that flourished in their wake. The writings of the Bahai faith therefore have a vital place in the essential literature pertaining to global governance." The literature review takes up a third of the 150 pages, followed by chapters on "Evolutionary Trends Towards World Unity since the First World War"; Lessons from the League of Nations and the United Nations"; "The Modus Operandi of a New System of Global Governance"; and "The Issues for Deliberation by a World Summit on Global Governance."All of us fear change and it is only human to put off initiating something as radical as living the Golden Rule rather than just voicing it. But there is nothing so powerful as an idea whose time has come. This book should be studied, discussed and evaluated by all thinking people. Those who do not want to live through today's equivalent of the French Revolution need to put pressure on our leaders to introduce a fair and just system. Studying this book is an excellent place to start the process.