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Protection of Children in Armed Conflict: Action Needed

In Africa, Being a World Citizen, Children's Rights, Conflict Resolution, Current Events, Human Rights, Humanitarian Law, NGOs, Nonviolence, Peacebuilding, Refugees, Solidarity, The Search for Peace, Track II, United Nations on January 6, 2026 at 8:00 AM

By René Wadlow

The recent armed conflicts in Darfur, Sudan, the Gaza Strip, and in the Democratic Republic of Congo have highlighted the fate of children caught in such armed conflicts. In addition to the children deliberately massacred or caught in the crossfire, many more have been deprived of their physical, mental, and emotional needs by the armed conflict. Children can be specifically targeted in strategies to eliminate the next generation. Children, especially girls, have been made the targets of sexual abuse and gender-based violence.

This brutal reality has been exacerbated by the changes in the nature of armed conflicts. Today’s conflicts are often internal, fought by multiple semi-autonomous armed groups within existing State boundaries. The international law of war governing Inter-State conflicts fought by regular armies is routinely ignored. Often the village has become the battlefield and the civilian population the primary victim.

Displaced children in North Kivu, 2007 (C) Julien Harneis

At the heart of this social disintegration is a crisis of values. Perhaps the most fundamental loss a society can suffer is the collapse of its value system. Many societies exposed to protracted armed conflicts have seen their community values radically undermined or shattered altogether. This loss has given rise to an ethical vacuum, a setting in which international standards are ignored with impunity and where local value systems have dissolved.

The world society has an obligation to focus attention on the plight of children. The Association of World Citizens (AWC) has worked to raise greater governmental and public awareness of the need for protection of children in times of armed conflict. The Convention on the Rights of the Child calls for the protection of children’s right to life, education, health, and other fundamental needs. Thus, the international standards are in place. Our task is to see that they are put into practice. Positive action is needed. This is a policy goal for 2026 of the AWC.

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.

BOOK REVIEW: Bill Devall and George Sessions, “Deep Ecology: Living as if Nature Mattered”

In Being a World Citizen, Book Review, Environmental protection, Human Development, Nonviolence, Peacebuilding, Solidarity, Sustainable Development, The Search for Peace on January 6, 2026 at 8:00 AM

By René Wadlow

Bill Devall and George Sessions, Deep Ecology: Living as if Nature Mattered.

Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith, 1985, 267pp.

In his Small is Beautiful, Fritz Schumacher wrote, “In the affairs of men, there always appears to be a need for at least two things simultaneously, which on the face of it, seems to be incompatible and to exclude one another. We always need both freedom and order. We need the freedom of lots and lots of small, autonomous units, and, at the same time, the orderliness of large-scale, possibly global, unity and co-ordination.”

Likewise, there must be transformation both at the individual level as well as collective change. The two are closely linked. Only a whole and autonomous person can act, resist, walk away, and build something new. However, collective change is something more than the sum of individual changes. Collective change is a vision for a society. Thus, individual change and political action must go together.

One of the predicaments facing the emerging Green-ecology political movements is the need to gather enough people together to be a credible political force – which means general agreement upon a small number of basic options – while having a deep enough political philosophy so that people are not seduced by the current political parties using a few Green slogans. There is wide-spread support for reform environmentalism which aims to stop gross pollution, extensive despoliation of land, lakes, and seas, mistreatment of animals. But those who support such localized reforms may not see the need for a basic transformation of society and the system of values.

Yet we need planet-wide changes, for ecological awareness has shown us that the planet we live on is one inter-related system upon which we are all dependent. In order to survive, we must learn to work together to build a world beyond war, a society with sustainable development – which means sustainable agriculture and appropriate technology, wholistic approaches to education and health, a spiritual outlook based on reverence for life. Albert Schweitzer from his work in Africa re-launched the human-scale revolution by insisting that production ought to serve peoples’ real needs; that there must be a new relationship with nature; that solidarity must replace antagonism; and that there must be sane consumption and active individual participation in society.

The world as an interrelated system has come to be called the “Gaia hypothesis” after the work of James Lovelock and Lynn Margulies who wrote “We defined Gaia as a complex entity involving the earth’s biosphere, atmosphere, oceans and soil, the totality constituting a feedback or cybernetic system which seeks an optimal physical and chemical environment for life on this planet. Gaia remains a hypothesis, but much evidence suggests that many elements of this system act as the hypothesis predicts.” (Gaia is the first goddess of early Greek thought. From the void, neither born nor destroyed – what the Chinese call the Tao – Gaia danced forth and rolled herself into a spinning ball.)

Systems are integrated wholes whose properties cannot be reduced to those of smaller units. The systems approach emphasizes basic principles of organization. Thus, nature has an order, a pattern that as humans we need to understand, to respect, and to preserve. This order has intrinsic value and is the base of Life.

This book is an effort to outline the rich spiritual-religious-mystical component of the Green movements. The term “deep ecology” was coined in 1973 by Arne Naess, a social scientist and philosopher who has written widely on Mahatma Gandhi, nonviolence, and the Buddha. He wanted to describe the deeper more spiritual approach to nature exemplified by Rachel Carson and Aldo Leopold. This is a most useful analysis of Green values. The book should be widely used for discussion and political planning.

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.

BOOK REVIEW: William Bloom, “The Power of the New Spirituality”

In Asia, Being a World Citizen, Book Review, Cultural Bridges, Human Development, Nonviolence, Solidarity, Spirituality, The Search for Peace on January 6, 2026 at 8:00 AM

By René Wadlow

William Bloom, The Power of the New Spirituality.

Wheaton, Illinois: Quest Books, 2012, 248pp.

William Bloom who combines a long-standing interest in New Age approaches to spirituality with an identity focus in international relations (1), has written “We are in changing times. Our culture and technology are continually transforming, and the intellectual certainties of the last few hundred years are no longer secure…It is our need to find a new authenticity in our spiritual lives — to bring back fully into our consciousness — the sacred dimension of life, but we want to do this in a way that honours personal freedom and personal growth. In essence, then, we are turning to the teachings and experiences of what is called the ageless wisdom, but we are doing so with completely new attitudes”.

A key element of our changing culture is that we are discarding old religious forms and re-creating our spiritual and sacred world. Creative new attitudes, practices, and forms have been an emphasis of William Bloom. (2) As he writes, “As a teacher and author I often feel conflicted: on the one hand, I want to inspire and encourage people about their innate goodness and the wonders of creation; on the other hand, I do not want to support naiveté about the human condition. We are magnificent beings with cosmic consciousness, and yet at the same time we are also insecure and can do harm.

“Yet the current emergence and creation of a new culture is not always an easy process. It feels as if everything is being created anew. At the same time, we know that we are working with dimensions which have always been and which always shall be.”

The basis of many New Age approaches is that we live in a vast field of energy. Vibrations and atmospheres can move like waves through this field to impact others. Our thoughts, feelings and actions can cooperate with this vitality, energy and consciousness for our development and to benefit others. We find this use of energy fields in many schools of spiritual healing such as reiki, in yoga and martial arts. (3)

William Bloom sets out a three-step process for deepening and expanding our awareness, developing our hearts, and building a just, creative and benevolent world. He sets out some core skills.

The first is centering — a calm awareness, an integration of body, mind and spirit. This is best done through silent meditation, but some find music or ritual helpful. “Whatever works for you” is basically his approach. This is an approach called “mindfulness” in some Buddhist traditions and can also be helped by breathing exercises and other techniques.

The second step is to focus the heart on compassion. Visualization is one approach, such as visualizing ever wider circles of persons or places held within the field of compassion. Focusing on the Sacred Heart of Jesus is used in certain Catholic traditions.

The third step is to direct the energy field so that it is of service to others. When we are centered and heart-focused, with an encouraging psychological attitude, we create a vibration that is supportive for those around us and can be a positive influence in the wider world.

William Bloom has written a clear and helpful presentation for personal fulfillment and service to humanity.

Notes:

1) William Bloom, Personal Identity, National Identity and International Relations (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993)
2) William Bloom, First Steps: An Introduction to Spiritual Practice (Forres, Scotland: Findhorn Press, 1993)
3) Barbara Ann Brennan, Hands of Light: Guide to Healing Through the Human Energy Field (New York: Bantam, 1990)

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.

Thailand-Cambodia: Urgent Ceasefire Needed

In Asia, Being a World Citizen, Conflict Resolution, Cultural Bridges, Current Events, International Justice, NGOs, Nonviolence, Peacebuilding, Solidarity, Spirituality, The Search for Peace, Track II, United Nations, United States, World Law on December 10, 2025 at 7:00 PM

By René Wadlow

The Association of World Citizens (AWC) calls for an urgent ceasefire in the renewed armed conflict between Thailand and Cambodia which flared up again on December 8, 2025 with the Thai military launching airstrikes on Cambodia.

A ceasefire had been agreed to in July 2025 in negotiations led by U.S. mediators. There is a 500-mile frontier between the two countries. The frontier was drawn when Cambodia was under French rule. Thailand contests the frontier lines.

Prasat Preah Vihear, the temple claimed by both Thailand and Cambodia (C) PsamatheM

The decades-long dispute has already displaced many persons on both sides of the frontier. The frontier area on both sides has a large number of landmines planted making the whole area unsafe. The disputed area contains a Buddhist temple which should be a symbol of peace and harmony but is now a factor in the dispute.

The AWC stresses that urgent measures of conflict resolution should be undertaken. Nongovernmental Organizations may be able to play a positive role in such efforts. Contacts should be undertaken now.

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.

BOOK REVIEW: Eileen Flanagan, “Common Ground”

In Being a World Citizen, Book Review, Conflict Resolution, Environmental protection, Human Development, Nonviolence, Peacebuilding, Solidarity, The Search for Peace on December 7, 2025 at 6:50 PM

By René Wadlow

Eileen Flanagan, Common Ground.

New York: Seven Stories Press, 2025, 326pp.

Common Ground tackles the consequences of climate change and the need for cooperative action by looking at issues of power, particularly the way power holders maintain control by deliberately and effectively dividing people. The events featured illustrate how the fossil fuel industry benefits from racial and class divisions. However, the emphasis is on examples of people joining forces across differences to protect water, air, and the environment.

Eileen Flanagan has been the Campaign Director of the Philadelphia-based Quaker Earth Action Team. She stresses that, today, we need to draw upon the wisdom of those who have navigated the “divide and conquer” tactics of those opposed to ecologically-sound policies. The Quaker Earth Action Team was founded in 2010 in part by George Lakey, the non-violent activist who gave examples of Quakers throughout history who put their bodies in the way of injustice, such as those who sailed across the Pacific in the 1950s to interrupt nuclear testing.

Today, we need to bring more people into action coalitions in order to make truly transformative change. This requires developing a sense of common purpose and overcoming a sentiment of separation. There is a need to stress a life-sustaining civilization based on an understanding of the interconnection of all life. As Eileen Flanagan writes, “Just as the crisis of the Earth has the potential to help us overcome our illusion of the separation from other species and other communities, it also has the potential to help us transcend the boundaries of nation-states. No one country can solve the climate crisis on its own.”

She shares her personal journey and her relations with community activists to form coalitions that make a difference – a useful book!

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.

The Impact of Nonviolent Accompaniment

In Being a World Citizen, Conflict Resolution, Human Rights, Latin America, Middle East & North Africa, NGOs, Nonviolence, Peacebuilding, Solidarity, The Search for Peace, United Nations on October 21, 2025 at 7:00 AM

By René Wadlow

Third-party nonviolent intervention is the physical presence of a third party into an area of conflict in such a way as to reduce the level of violence. Accompaniment of persons in danger was developed as a technique in the early 1980s by Peace Brigades International (PBI), which I represented in Geneva, especially in contacts with persons at the United Nations. PBI sent volunteers, mostly from the USA, to El Salvador and Guatemala.

Later, in 1989, during a wave of killing of lawyers in Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan bar association invited PBI to send a team there to accompany lawyers. The protective accompaniment worked so well that PBI was asked to extend its work to labor organizers and journalists, also under danger.

Similar forms of protective accompaniment have been organized by two largely Christian organizations to work with Palestinians. One is the World Council of Churches, based in Geneva, which began a program in 2002. Since then, some 2,000 volunteers from 21 countries have spent three months in Israel to accompany children going to school or persons passing through multiple check points.

The second organization is the Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), closely related to the Mennonite church in Canada and the USA, working in the Hebron area since 1995, a mixed Palestinian and Israeli community. When active, they have a red hat which is a clear identification.

CPT have also worked in other parts of Israel with mixed communities. Allies from other countries send messages and emails to Israeli officials in support of the Teams’ efforts. The team uses videos to highlight tense situations, often associated with house demolitions. The Peacemaker Teams have developed good working relations with Israeli human rights organizations such as Rabbis for Human Rights. The team members are often arrested by the Israeli police and spend time in Israeli jails with prisoners who are not used to nonviolent activists.

Photograph of Abu Hishma village and residents by the Christian Peacemaker Teams (C) CPT

As one Christian Peacemaker, Wendy Lehman, wrote, “Intellectually, I knew there were good reasons to risk arrest when doing nonviolent direct action. Many activists view it as an effective way to draw attention to injustice. Others argue that if you are doing what you believe is right – defending someone from being beaten by soldiers, participating in a public vigil, or standing up for a rightful landowner – arrest may occur ‘organically’ out of the situation.”

Developing the skills needed for nonviolent accompaniment is crucial. Volunteers need awareness and skills to be able to act judiciously and have an impact. They must be able to observe, evaluate and make decisions. They can be facilitators – one who helps a group reach a common decision, often with consensus decision-making and participatory management.

To keep a clear focused attention in the middle of violence, hate and confusion requires inner calm. There are techniques, often developed in spiritual training, to be able to stay calm and focused in times of confusion. There are also ways of developing an inner vitality so that one’s vital energy is not drained away by the presence of hostile persons. Such techniques are usually related to increasing the flow of subtle energies within the body, techniques taught in yoga, in certain breathing exercises, and in meditation. In a more secular spirit, the International Committee of the Red Cross has been working on stress reduction techniques for Red Cross workers in tension situations.

The current situation in Israel, while there are positive currents, is one of continuing tensions. Thus, there will be a need for nonviolent accompaniment.

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.

Crucial Middle East Negotiations: A Ray of Hope at Last?

In Being a World Citizen, Conflict Resolution, Current Events, Humanitarian Law, Middle East & North Africa, NGOs, Nonviolence, Peacebuilding, Solidarity, The Search for Peace, Track II, United Nations, United States, War Crimes, World Law on October 13, 2025 at 7:00 AM

By René Wadlow

Close attention needs to be focused on the deadly and destructive conflict in the Gaza Strip and the multi-party negotiations being held in the Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheikh. The elite of Middle East diplomacy are in Sharm El-Sheikh these days, including Steve Withoff and Jared Kushner from the USA, the Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Derner, Khalil Al-Hayya, the head of the Hamas negotiation team, and Mohammed Al-Hindi of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad which holds some of the 20 living Israeli hostages.

The exchange of Israeli hostages – 20 living and the bodies of 28 who have died – and some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails and army camps is the first order of business. The exchange should take place on Monday, October 13. President Donald Trump should go first to Israel and then Egypt on Monday to start multi-party negotiations with implications for the wider Middle East.

(C) The Guardian

The negotiations are being held against a politically unstable situation in Israel and the USA where in both there are deep divisions among political parties. The armed conflict in the Gaza Strip could start again with “We tried negotiations and they failed” as a battle theme.

As the representatives of UN Consultative Status NGO, we must see how we can build on these advances toward a stable peace. There is much at stake, and we must be ready to take action.

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.

Gaza Strip Peace Plan: Making Peace Without Peacemakers?

In Being a World Citizen, Conflict Resolution, Current Events, Humanitarian Law, Middle East & North Africa, NGOs, Nonviolence, Peacebuilding, Solidarity, The Search for Peace, Track II, United Nations, United States, World Law on October 6, 2025 at 7:00 PM

By René Wadlow

(An earlier version of this piece was published on Transcend Media Service.)

On September 29, 2025, United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump presented his 20-point Peace Plan for the Gaza Strip which sets out a ceasefire, a release of hostages held by the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and its armed allies, a dismantling of Hamas’ military structures, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and the creation of an international “Board of Peace” to supervise the administration of the Gaza Strip with President Trump as chair and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair as the chief administrator. Relief supplies to meet human needs would be facilitated. The plan concerns only the Gaza Strip and does not deal directly with the West Bank where tensions are strong.

The plan has been presented to the Israeli Prime Minister, Benyamin Netanyahu who was in Washington, D.C. and to Arab leaders who were at the United Nations in New York. The plan has been given to Hamas’ leaders through intermediaries, but Hamas’ leadership has been severely weakened by deaths. Thus, it is not clear how decision-making will be done by Hamas. The plan has also been presented to the Palestinian Authority (PA) in Ramallah, led by Mahmoud Abbas, but the PA would play no part in the Gaza Strip’s future. The plan is being widely discussed, but no official decisions have been announced.

(C) BBC

The Gaza Peace Plan has some of the approach of the Transcend proposals (1) with, in addition, the possibility of violence if the Gaza Peace Plan is not carried out. Threats of violence are not among Transcend’s tools. One of the distinctive aspects of Transcend and the broader peace research movement is to present specific proposals for transcending current conflicts through an analysis of the roots of the conflict, the dangers if the conflict continues as it is going, and then the measures to take. (2) The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one which presents dangers to the whole region if creative actions are not taken very soon. We must act now. We cannot wait for President Trump to do it for us.

Notes:

(1) Transcend Media Service, “The Time Has Arrived for a Comprehensive Middle East Peace”, Jeffrey D. Sachs and Sybil Fares, July 7, 2025.
(2) See:
Johan Galtung, The True Worlds (New York/The Free Press/1980/469pp)
John Paul Lederach, Preparing for Peace (Syracuse, NY/Syracuse University Press/1995/133pp)

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.

Albert Schweitzer: Respect for Life Against Nuclear Death

In Africa, Being a World Citizen, Conflict Resolution, Human Rights, Nonviolence, Nuclear weapons, Peacebuilding, The Search for Peace, World Law on September 8, 2025 at 7:00 PM

By René Wadlow

Civilization is made up of four ideals: the ideal of the individual; the ideal of social and political organization; the ideal of spiritual and religious organization; the ideal of humanity as a whole. On the basis of these four ideals, thought tries conclusions with progress.

Albert Schweitzer, The Philosophy of Civilization

Albert Schweitzer was concerned with the ways that these four ideals of civilization are developed into a harmonious whole. Late in his life, when I knew him in the early 1960s, he was most concerned with the ideal of humanity as a whole.

He had come out strongly against nuclear weapons, weapons which were the opposite of respect for life which was the foundation of his ethical values. (1) “Man can hardly recognize the devils of his creation. Let me give you a definition of ethics. It is good to maintain and further life. It is bad to damage and destroy life. By having reverence for life, we enter into a spiritual relation with the world. By practicing respect for life, we become of the human family and our good, deep and alive.”

For Schweitzer, our sense of unity of the human family and our obligation to future generations was threatened as never before in the two World Wars that he had seen. I had been active since the mid-1950s in efforts to ban testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere – a focus of anti-nuclear efforts at the time. I had also worked with the world citizen Norman Cousins who had visited Lambaréné and had written a lively book on his exchanges with Schweitzer. (2) Thus I was well received by Schweitzer at his hospital in Lambaréné; and we had useful discussions. I was working for the Ministry of Education at the time and was at the Protestant Secondary School which was a mile down the Ogowe River from the hospital.

René Wadlow and Albert Schweitzer (C) René Wadlow (personal archives)

It was Norman Cousins, active in disarmament efforts in the USA, who urged Schweitzer to speak out against nuclear weapons. Schweitzer had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian efforts in Africa. Thus, he came into ever greater contact with people working for peace. However, he was reluctant to make statements on issues on which he was not expert. As he said to Cousins, “All my life, I have carefully stayed away from making pronouncements on public matters. Groups would come to me for statements or I would be asked to sign joint letters or the press would ask me for my views on certain political questions. And always I would feel forced to say no.” However, he went on “The world needs a system of enforceable law to prevent aggression and deal with the threats to the peace, but the important thing to do is to make a start somewhere…I think maybe the place to take hold is with the matter of nuclear testing…If a ban on nuclear testing can be put into effect then perhaps the stage can be set for other and broader measures related to peace.“

Schweitzer’s 1958 appeal Peace or Atomic War was an important contribution to the growing protests against nuclear testing and their fallout of radiation. On October 16, 1963, the Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapons Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and Under Water (more commonly called the Partial Test Ban) came into force.

Today, we still need those other and broader measures related to peace and for a constant affirmation of respect for life.

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.

Notes

1) See Albert Schweitzer, Peace or Atomic War (New York: Henry Holt, 1958)

2) See Norman Cousins, Dr Schweitzer of Lambaréné (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1960)

BOOK REVIEW: Thomas Nordström, “A World Government in Action”

In Being a World Citizen, Book Review, Conflict Resolution, Cultural Bridges, Democracy, Human Development, Human Rights, International Justice, NGOs, Nonviolence, Peacebuilding, Solidarity, The Search for Peace, Track II, United Nations, Women's Rights, World Law on September 8, 2025 at 7:00 PM

By René Wadlow

Thomas Nordström, A World Government in Action.

Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2020, 147pp.

Thomas Nordström has written a useful book which more accurately should have been called “The Need for a World Government in Action”. He outlines many of the challenges facing the world society and stresses that the United Nations (UN) does not have the authority or the power to deal with these challenges adequately. The challenges are interrelated and thus must be faced in an interrelated way. Thus, climate change has an impact on land use which has an impact on food production. To improve food production, there must be better education on food issues as well as greater equality among women and men, as, in many countries, women play a major role in food production, food preparation, and food conservation.

As governments and UN Secretariat members become aware of an issue, the issue is taken up in one or another of the UN Specialized Agencies – FAO, WHO, ILO, UNESCO, or a new program is created: the Environment Program, or different programs on the issue of women. Today, within the halls of the UN there are negotiations for a Global Pact on the Environment and for the creation of a World Environment Organization which would be stronger than the existing UN Environment Program. Such a Global Pact for the Environment would clarify important environmental principles and relations between the existing treaties on the environment which have been negotiated separately.

In the UN, the international agenda reflects the growing influence of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and the scientific community in shaping policy. We see this vividly in the discussions on the impact of climate change. The distinction that used to be made between national and international questions has almost entirely vanished. NGOs must be able to provide possible avenues of action based on an effective theoretical analysis that acknowledges the complexity of the international environment.

Governments cannot at the same time boost expenditure on armaments and deal effectively with ecological deterioration and the consequences of climate change. Militarization has contributed to the neglect of other pressing issues, such as shrinking forests, erosion of soils and falling water tables. Militarization draws energy and efforts away from constructive action to deal with common problems. Militarization creates rigidity at the center of world politics as well as brittleness which leads to regional conflicts and civil wars. This political paralysis is both a cause and a result of the rigidity and the brittleness of current international politics. Opportunities are missed for building upon the more positive elements of a particular situation.

What is often called “complex emergencies” – a combination of political and social disintegration that includes armed conflicts, ethnic violence, state collapse, warlordism, refugee flows and famine – have become one of the most pressing humanitarian issues of our time. Today’s violent conflicts are often rooted in a mix of exclusion, inequality, mismanagement of natural resources, corruption, and the frustrations that accompany a lack of jobs and opportunities. Lack of opportunities sows the seeds of instability and violence.

As Nordström points out, behind all the current armed conflicts, there is the presence in a small number of countries of nuclear weapons. If they were used, the level of destruction would be great. Although nuclear disarmament was on the agenda of the UN General Assembly from its start, there has been little progress on nuclear disarmament issues.

As World Citizen and former President of India S. Radhakrishnan has written, “To survive we need a revolution in our thoughts and outlook. From the alter of the past we should take the living fire and not the dead ashes. Let us remember the past, be alive to the present and create the future with courage in our hearts and faith in ourselves.” The great challenge which humanity faces today is to leave behind the culture of violence in which we find ourselves and move rapidly to a culture of peace and solidarity. We can achieve this historic task by casting aside our ancient nationalistic and social prejudices and begin to think and act as responsible Citizens of the World. Nordström sets out some of the guideposts.

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.