How To Mundialize

How to do it in your community



An exciting, new social invention - Mundialization-is a way of joining the ever-growing effort to publicize and advance world citizenship.

Actually and in essence, mundialization is a symbolic and sometimes concrete declaration of world citizenship responsibility, with an ultimate goal of resolving disputes by just, democratic world law rather than by force. The name is derived from mundus, the Latin word for world. The technique was tried in Europe as early as 1949, particularly in France, Belgium, Great Britain, Italy and Germany. In Asia, India has experimented with mundialization; in Japan it has been widely accepted. It began in North America in Canada and is now well underway in the U.S.A.

WHEN CAN AN INSTITUTION OR COMMUNITY CONSIDER ITSELF MUNDIALIZED ?

The Mundialization process is, basically, a grass-roots movement for world citizenship understanding. The Declaration of World Citizenship Responsibility should, therefore, have the following minimum references within its text in order to qualify officially as a "mundialized" Statement:

  1. Recognition of the "sovereign right of citizens to declare that their citizenship responsibilities extend beyond their city, county, state and nation..."
  2. Acknowledgment that "...we pledge our efforts as world citizens to the establishment of permanent world peace based upon a system of just and enforceable world law..."

AN ALTERNATIVE TO FORCE - A SUBSTITUTE FOR VIOLENCE:

The Mundialization Declaration is not meant to have hidden meanings. Its purpose is just what it says: "A Declaration of Our Responsibility to Respond to the Need for Citizens of the World - Brothers and sisters of All Humankind".

TODAY - force is the final arbiter of disputes between nations. Without the security of just and effective world law, nations are forced to rely on the power of their own arms and when force of arms is both judge and jury, anarchy becomes a way of life.

Throughout history, humanity has evolved systems of law. Such systems have replaced the rule of force with the rule of law; the "law of force" with the "force of law"! Civilization has demonstrated better ways of life than anarchy.

If humankind and all life on the planet are to survive, an effective system of just world law for settling disputes between nations must be developed. Mundialization can be a world-wide step towards achieving this goal. It is not a partisan commitment to a preconceived solution but rather a democratic development of a foundation for world cooperation, and to the establishment of just world law.

Mundialization's thrust is the creation of an atmosphere wherein all humankind, including political, spiritual and intellectual leaders, will feel truly free to define, examine and discuss all avenues of peaceful, world-wide harmony in keeping with the principles taught by all humanity's sages, prophets, gurus and masters from time immemorial, and gradually to evolve a workable system of universally just world order.


If there is to be peace on earth, let it begin with me.

Mahatma Gandhi

HOW IT STARTED

The idea of this new technique for promoting global consciousness and a sense of responsibility to our fellow world citizens originated in the French Mundialization Research and Study Center following the wave of enthusiasm aroused by Garry Davis, then a young, former U.S. bomber pilot who renounced his nationality in 1948, declared himself a world citizen and subsequently pitched his tent on the grounds of the United Nations headquarters in Paris. Davis, with the Center's members, went to Cahors, a French town of some 50,000 inhabitants and formulated the first Mundialization Charter:

WE, THE INHABITANTS OF CAHORS, DECLARE THROUGH THIS CHARTER THAT OUR TOWN HEREBY BECOMES WORLD TERRITORY.

Our action means that:

  1. We declare that our security and welfare are linked to the security and welfare of all towns and districts of the world - these being like ourselves today under the menace of totally destructive war.
  2. We wish to work in peace with all towns and districts of the world and to cooperate with them so as to establish a world rule of law which will assure our common protection under the aegis of a democratically elected and controlled world federal authority.
  3. We call on all towns, districts and organizations of all kinds to join us in sending their delegates to the first World States General Assembly so as to prepare world elections for the organization and safeguarding of world peace.
  4. We claim the right of direct election to the Peoples' Constituent Assembly consisting of one delegate per million inhabitants.
  5. We request of our own government that funds be made available from the military budget and transferred to an international world fund usable for world elections.
  6. Without renouncing our attachment, duties and rights with respect to our own region and nation, we symbolically declare that our territory is world territory and as such is joined to the community of our whole world.
  7. We call on all towns and districts of the earth to join us in this Charter of Solidarity - a Charter for those who live under the present menace of destruction.

This charter was submitted for approval to the Cahors Town Council on July 3, 1949. On July 20, the newly-elected council voted 20 ayes with 7 abstentions. The next day, a committee initiated a Referendum that resulted in 70% of the voting population responding with 59% ayes, 1% nays. Following the lead of Cahors, many other French communities subsequently adopted their own Mundialization Charters.

JAPAN

The city of Ayabe in Kyoto prefecture was the first municipality to mundialize, in October, 1949. The first farm village to declare was Hozumi in Nagano prefecture in June, 1942. Hiroshima declared for mundialization in 1954 and Matsue in 1955. By 1956-7, the number of mundialized communities increased rapidly on a nation-wide scale. Today, mundialized communities include metropolitan Tokyo, 24 Prefectures, and 281 cities, towns and villages.

The Resolution of the Ayabe City Council refers to article No.9 of the constitution of Japan which includes a statement renouncing any war intention The Resolution states:

The City of Ayabe hereby declares that it is in full agreement with the aims of a world federation which is to be created on the basis of maintaining world peace as provided by the Japanese Constitution, and that no effort shall be spared toward establishing permanent peace on earth in cooperation with the rest of the world.

CANADA

The city of Dundas, Ontario, was the first Canadian community to mundialize on June 12, 1967. It also initiated the "sister-cities" movement. On November 10, 1967, the city of Kaga, Japan received a message from Mrs. Hanna Newcombe of the Dundas Mundialization Committee inquiring about the possibility of friendly relations as "sister-cities". (Alan and Hanna Newcombe figured prominently in the promotion of mundialization throughout Canada.)

On August 24, 1970, Ottawa, Ontario, adopted its Mundialization Proclamation with former UN Secretary-General U Thant present for the official ceremonies. As of April 1973, fifteen Canadian communities had mundialized.

UNITED STATES

Minneapolis, Minnesota and Richfield, Ohio are generally acknowledged as the first communities to adopt Mundialization Declarations. Under the leadership of Lynn Elling, a Minneapolis businessman, Minnesota became the first USA State to mundialize on March 26, 1971. Its Declaration was signed by Governor Wendell Anderson and received bi-partisan State Legislature endorsement. A movie, "Man's Next Giant Leap - World Peace Through World Citizenship", was produced starring the Governor and singer John Denver. Also, special curricula is being prepared for the Minnesota School System dealing with the concepts of world citizenship.

In Illinois, Governor Dan Walker issued an Executive Order mundializing the State on September 29, 1973. On October 25, 1973, Governor Robert Ray and the Iowa State Legislature did likewise, approving a Declaration of Mundialization and also producing a movie promoting world citizenship responsibility entitled, "The Unclaimed Birthright".

To date, 24 religious organizations, 22 educational institutions, and 26 other nongovernmental cultural, ecological and political organizations have mundialized as well as Boston, Massachusetts, 5 cities in California (including metropolitan Los Angeles), 2 in Iowa, 5 in Minnesota, 3 in Missouri, 13 in New Jersey and 4 in Ohio. These include the General Assembly of the Unitarian-Universalist Association, the United Presbyterian Church in the USA, the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North American, AFL/CIO, and numerous high-schools, community colleges, universities and seminaries.

Mundialization is a program especially geared for promotion and implementation at a grass-roots level. It is a program which can effectively be promoted by individual concerned citizens.

DO's and DON'Ts of MUNDIALIZATION

Ultimately, the members of the declaring institution or community will formulate their Declaration. Nevertheless, your Mundialization Committee should present a sample Declaration. It is useful also in obtaining endorsements from those to whom you may be looking for support. Mundialization Declarations have taken various forms over the years. Examples from the States of Minnesota and Iowa are to be found at the end of this statement.

DO - ask everyone and every group and organization with whom you are associated to endorse the idea of Mundialization. Also suggest to individuals that they ask the chief officer of every organization to which they belong for an opportunity to explain Mundialization and seek endorsement. (For example, in Kansas City, Missouri, "mundialists" first obtained Declarations from local clubs, religious bodies, schools, environmental groups and others before approaching the City Council. It worked!!).

DO - seek a liaison person from each group endorsing or declaring for mundialilzation to serve on a Mundialization Committee in the larger community. (This is not necessary in approaching smaller communities but it is helpful in creating an on-going Mundialization Committee for future implementation programs, such as "sister-city" twinning programs, etc., etc.)

DO - write a short letter when proposing Mundialization to organizations and members of legislative bodies. Then telephone the person to whom your letter was addressed or to a chief officer, asking him or her to be on the lookout for your letter and mentioning that you would appreciate an appointment and an opportunity to discuss your proposal.

DON'T - write a letter without follow-up telephone calls. Personal contact is the key to success.

DO - invite ideas and suggestions in support of Mundialization programs and in furtherance of "sister-city" twinning programs. Cooperate and participate in the planning of Mundialization ceremonies and in their execution and in the involvement of supporting organizations. (The Boy and/or Girl Scouts might want to raise the World flag during the ceremonies or use participation in this event toward the World Citizenship Merit Badge. Use and invite imagination and innovation and obtain involvement.)

DON'T - tell other organizations what they should do. Ask for their advice and invite their participation.

MUNDIALIZATION AND THE WORLD FLAG

WHAT ABOUT THE WORLD FLAG?

Flying the world flag has the same psychological significance as flying the U.S. flag or any other. It serves to remind those who see it each day that there is a world beyond our own nation, just as there is a nation beyond our community - a world which we are a part of as much as we are a part of our own nation.

HOW SHOULD IT BE FLOWN?

(In the U.S.A.) "The flag of the USA should be flown on the flagpole to the viewer's left, the (World) flag on the next or middle flagpole, and the State flag on the flagpole to viewer's right. The flagpoles should be of equal height and the flags flown of comparable size." (Public Law 829) (Write to World Service Authority, 5 Thomas Circle NW, Washington, DC 20005.)

SOME HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS

Publicity: Have someone in charge. It is important to notify all the media throughout the Mundialization process, but especially at the time of voting on the Declaration and of the official announcement-ceremonies. Copies of all publicity should be sent to World Service Authority, 5 Thomas Circle NW, Suite 205, Washington, DC 20005, along with a copy of the Mundialization Declaration as adopted. Opposition: Be prepared to respond to the"red-baiting" charges of the John Birch Society and similar groups! They will fight adoption and implementation of Mundialization wherever it is proposed. Know why you are promoting this program well enough so that you can respond to their charges with reason, composure and compassion, and without falling victim to their hateful and abusive attacks and responding with their biased and emotion-ridden kind of accusations. Having a large support group of individuals and organizations prior to launching a Mundialization program is the best way to confront opposition.

World Flag: The world flag can probably be donated by a civic group such as a service club or other association. Consider launching a public contribution campaign thereby giving many citizens the opportunity to participate in a fundraising drive for their flagpole and flag!

The approach to Mundialization preferred is the referendum method wherein world citizen mundialists initiate and engage in a signature-collecting campaign in support of an Official Petition for placing the question of a Mundialization Declaration on the Ballot at the next election, thus providing both an educational campaign for the electorate and an opportunity to vote for or against the Declaration.

A list of Institutions, Organizations, Associations, Municipalities, Counties, States and other communities that have adopted Declarations of World Citizenship Responsibility is available from the World Service Authority, Mundialization Dept., 5 Thomas Circle NW, Washington, DC 20005, telephone (202)638-2662, Fax (202)638-0638. You may also contact Kazuhiko Kawamura at 23 Yotsuya, 4-chome, Shinjuku-ku 160, Tokyo, Japan.

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