We, the undersigned organizations and people, announce that we have joined together in higher unity as a Global Satyagraha Movement; and that we here and now declare Global Satyagraha on egocentric thinking (egothink) to free the flow of goodness on Planet Earth. We are joined in this higher unity through our common vision of a better world and what that better world must be. We have set this common vision in writing as a Global Constructive Program which reads as follows:
We citizens of Planet Earth recognize that our home in the Universe is a delicate balance of forces and phenomena with a finite quantity of natural resources. In order to live more harmoniously as stewards of this celestial globe, and for the benefit of future generations, we see the need for widening circles of caring communities that accommodate diversity for all. By ‘caring’ we mean empathizing with the humanness in each of us while not tolerating the violence that humanness often causes. ‘Accommodating diversity’ means recognizing as a fact that each person is unique concerning ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, and other ideologies; and respecting that fact. It entails exploring those differences in a safe and nurturing environment that transcends simply tolerating one another’s uniqueness. This is the seed for a new cultural paradigm.
The first two paragraphs express our non-negotiable goals. The remainder ensures a clear understanding of what those goals are. We elaborate further: First paragraph: We citizens of Planet Earth recognize that our home in the Universe is a delicate balance of forces and phenomena with a finite quantity of natural resources. We acknowledge that Mother Earth is fragile and that we are responsible for her health. We do not own Planet Earth. Resources are not our property to waste or exploit. We are an integral part of this planet’s medley of interacting cycles and balances; and we are each obliged to nurture those attributes for ourselves and for future generations. That is the first non-negotiable goal.
In order to live more harmoniously as stewards of this celestial globe, and for the benefit of future generations, we see the need for widening circles of caring communities that accommodate diversity for all. That spells out the corrective action needed to fulfill our obligation. We have to change the thought patterns of all of us. We have to change our lifestyles. We have to truly love and nourish one another – everybody, no matter how different they may seem or how injurious they may be. That is the second non-negotiable goal.
By ‘caring’ we mean empathizing with the humanness in each of us while not tolerating the violence that humanness often causes. To assure that ‘caring’ is not taken as rhetoric, that exact definition is supplied. ‘Caring’ is a strong word. When a person cares with great compassion and empathy, a strong pathos is shared. Our ‘collectiv`e pathos’ is the foundation for our humanness and our goodness; it is the bonding agent that links all humanity one to another. That is the context in which ‘caring’ is used.
‘Accommodating diversity’ means recognizing as a fact that each person is unique concerning ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, and other ideologies; and respecting that fact. It is not just tolerating someone, or passively accepting co-existence. It means recognizing the goodness in every person and striving to understand it. It means seeing good in those we could easily dismiss as depraved.
It entails exploring those differences in a safe and nurturing environment that transcends simply tolerating one another’s uniqueness. Differences are explored through dialogue because dialogue leads to deeper understanding and, eventually, to sharing pathos. A nurturing environment is one of trust with no fear of ridicule. Such an environment is fashioned, in creative steps where every person will eventually feel safe to talk about their deepest concerns.
This is the seed for a new cultural paradigm. It will transcend democracy, constitutions, and national borders. It will be a dramatic shift from our current culture of entertainment which results in selfishness, greed, and lust for power.. It heralds a new world order that will evolve in positive steps.
This new way of life – this new universal culture of goodness – starts with tying all existing nonviolent activity, our local strategy and goals, to the Global Constructive Program. We, individually and as organizations, have been pursuing good projects but we have been doing it as separate entities. Now, in the higher unity of a Global Satygraha Movement, we will continue with those same projects but with the empowerment of being a part of something bigger, and demonstrating through our actions and planned activities how we are part of something bigger.
In light of all the foregoing, we organizations and individuals shown below do hereby declare Global Satyagraha on egothink to make possible our common global vision.
Participating Organizations: Bartimaeus Cooperative Ministries, Oak View, CA, USA Dorothy Day Catholic Worker, Washington D.C., USA Emergent Change, London, England Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action, Poulsbo, WA, USA Malu ‘Aina Center For Nonviolent Education & Action, Kurtistown, HI, USA Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, Santa Barbara, CA, USA Pacific Life Community, San Francisco Bay Area, USA Redwood City Catholic Worker, Redwood City, CA, USA Voices for Creative Nonviolence, Chicago, IL, USA World Beyond War, International
Participating Individuals: (Listed alphabetically by last name) Jim Albertini – Founder Malu ‘Aina Center for Nonviolent Edu. & Action, Kurtistown, HI, USA Bob Aldridge – Co-founder Pacific Life Community Bay Area, Santa Clara, CA, USA Janet Aldridge – Co-founder Pacific Life Community Bay Area, Santa Clara, CA, USA Mary S. Aldridge – Registered Nurse, Ukiah, CA USA Teri Aldridge – Registered Nurse, Ben Lomond, CA, USA Kathy Boylan – Dorothy Day Catholic Worker, Washington D.C., USA Francis A. Boyle – Professor of International Law, Champaign, IL, USA Peggy Coleman – Co-founder Pacific Life Community Bay Area, San Jose, CA, USA Ed Curtin – Author, Massachusetts, USA Mark Dellamano – Pacific Life Community Bay Area, Los Altos, CA, USA C. Peter Dougherty – Co-founder Meta Peace Team, Lansing, MI, USA Jim Douglass – Co-founder Pacific Life Community, Birmingham, AL, USA Shelley Douglass – Co-founder Pacific Life Community, Birmingham, AL, USA Mark Dubois – Co-founder International Rivers Network, Nevada City, CA, USA Edwin Ehmke – Nonviolent Worker for Peace, Menlo Park, CA, USA Mary Jane Parrine Ehmke – Nonviolent Worker for Peace, Menlo Park, CA, USA David Hartsough – Co-founder Nonviolent Peaceforce and World Beyond War, SF, CA, USA Paul Ingram – Founder & Director Emergent Change, London, England Art Laffin – Dorothy Day Catholic Worker, Washington D.C., USA Kathy Kelly – Co-coordinator Voices for Creative Nonviolence, Chicago, IL, USA George Kent – Professor of Political Science, Honolulu, HI, USA David Krieger – Co-founder Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, Santa Barbara, CA, USA Glen Milner – Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action, Seattle, WA, USA Karol Milner – Ground Zero Center for Nonvilent Action, Seattle, WA, USA Ched Myers – Founder Bartimaeus Cooperative Ministries, Oak View, CA, USA Michael Nagler – Founder & President Metta Center for Nonviolence, Petaluma, CA USA Larry Purcell – Founder Redwood City Catholic Worker and more, Redwood City, CA, USA Rae Street – Nonviolence practitioner and political activist, Littleborough, England Brian Terrell – Co-coordinator Voices for Creative Nonviolence, Chicago, IL, USA Mohan Trivedi – Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering, San Diego, CA, USA Nayana Trivedi – Medical Doctor, San Diego, CA, USA Michael Walli – Dorothy Day Catholic Worker, Washington, D.C., USA Rick Wayman – CEO, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, Santa Barbara, CA, USA