This paragraph is correct that "the global crises require coherent and effective global solutions." But the irony is that this document does not offer any coherent and/or effective global solutions, only more pious ideals formulated by impotent intellectuals who imagine themselves to be "global thinkers"--who abhor the thought that their pious ideal of "global democracy" should ever find realization in a concrete and practical form like the Constitution for the Federation of Earth (on-line at www.worldparliament-gov.org). Instead, we must remain in the stratosphere of abstractions, prating about the need for "the globalization of the political institutions responsible for their regulation and control," rather than presenting actual concrete plans for such institutions such as found in the Earth Constitution.
We need to move forward to new, more extensive and deeper forms of democracy. The current model of technological-economic globalization must give way to a new one which puts these processes at the service of a fairer, more peaceful and more humane world. We need a new paradigm of development which has to be sustainable on a global basis and which benefits the poorest of humanity. In order to avoid the deepening of global crises and to find viable solutions to the challenges posed by globalization we must move forward to more extensive and deeper forms of democracy. The existing national-state organizations have to be part of a wider and much better coordinated structure, which involves democratic regional institutions on all the continents, the reform of the International Court of Justice, a fairer and more balanced International Criminal Court and a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly as the embryo of a future World Parliament. Yet, this institutional change will not be successful if it only accrues from the actions of a self-appointed elite. On the contrary, it must come from a socio-political process open to all human beings, with the goal of creating a participative global democracy.
In this paragraph these "global thinkers" appear to have decided to limp along with the same outmoded and inadequate institutions that they just decried (in abstract terms) in the previous paragraphs. They want to "reform the International Court of Justice." This court was established in 1945 by the UN charter and is predicated on the same principle as the UN itself: the "sovereign integrity" of its member nation-states. You cannot "reform" what is founded on false principles (national sovereignty that recognizes no binding laws above itself), you can only replace it with a genuine world court empowered and legitimated by a genuinely democratic world system. This same fuzzy thinking in this document applies to its call for a "more balanced International Criminal Court." The ICC is predicated on the sovereignty of its member states ("The Assembly of States Parties") and since national sovereignty (which recognizes no effective enforceable laws above the nation-states) is one of the roots of our contemporary global disaster, it will hardly do to require this flawed institution of sovereign nations to become "more balanced."
Why not simply advocate an effective World Court system with the binding authority to arrest the world criminals and punish the guilty? But this common sense solution would require a real democratic world system involving a world parliament and civilian world police--real global democracy, not pious ideals. In reality, there can be no global democracy unless there is a binding Earth Constitution that includes all the institutions necessary to make democracy function: World Parliament, World Courts, World Police, and a World Administration. The Emperor has no clothes. Why do none of these "global thinkers" appear to have the courage to state clearly what it would take to put clothes on the Emperor? If you want global democracy, you must have global government under a democratic constitution.
Finally, to complete their disastrous foray into useless practical suggestions, these "thinkers" call for a "United Nations Parliamentary Assembly as the embryo of a future World Parliament." They want to modify and limp along with an organization that has been a global lynchpin in (1) promoting the global neoliberal economic system dominated by banking cartels and multinational corporations, and (2) given us transnational trade agreements that have been a disaster for working people worldwide, and (3) fostered the war-system of the world through allowing rampant militarism in all countries and whose Charter, in Chapter Seven, is explicitly premised on military solutions to conflicts between nations and breaches of the peace. They want to complement the UN General Assembly (which is a powerless advisory body) with a "Parliamentary Assembly" (as a second powerless advisory body) without the slightest recognition that the UN Charter, which is based on the false premise of national sovereignty, must be replaced by a genuine Earth Constitution that places sovereignty in the people of Earth where it rightfully belongs.
Globalizing democracy is the only way to democratize globalization. Beyond our differences about the contents and appropriate methods to move towards a fairer and more stable world order, we the signatories share a strong commitment to the development of a global democracy. On behalf of Peace, Justice and Human Rights we do not want to be governed at the world level by those who have only been elected to do so at the national one, neither do we wish to be governed by international organizations which do not represent us adequately. That is why we work for the development of supranational political spaces and for regional, international and global institutions that live up to the challenges of the twenty-first century; institutions that express the different viewpoints and defend the common interests of the seven billion people who shape humankind today.
These thinkers now claim they have a "strong commitment" to the development of global democracy"--not to global democracy, but to its development. The give us an evolutionary model calling for the "development of supranational political spaces" and for institutions that defend the common interests of the Earth's seven billion people. However, political spaces are not some imaginary virtual reality that can evolve through the world's current global anti-system of war and environmental destruction. Political space is defined by an effective Constitution. It is established when a Constitution outlines the rights and duties of every citizen in relation to the limitations, rights, and duties of government. Political space for the Earth can only be established by a Constitution for the Federation of Earth and cannot be "developed" in some vague way through the current institutions that are designed to prevent and deny that political space. We need a global set of institutions defined by the Earth Constitution that places both economics and politics within the framework of genuine global democracy. Political space is established by an Earth Constitution, not developed through some vague "commitment to democracy."
We ask every human being to participate in the constitution of a global democracy. We share the appeal to "unite for global change" and for "real democracy" with the world social movements. Both postulates express the growing rejection of being governed by political and economic powers on which we have no influence. Autonomy and self-determination are not only valid at the local and national level. That's why we champion the principle of the right to participate in the making of fundamental global decisions that directly affect our lives. We want to be citizens of the world and not its mere inhabitants. Therefore we demand not just a local and national democracy, but also a global democracy, and we commit to work for its development and call on all the political, intellectual and civil-society leaders of the world, all the democratic organizations, parties and movements, and all persons of democratic persuasion on the planet to actively participate in its constitution.
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