VERY URGENT CALL

In the face of serious global threats, we, the citizens of the world must come together at once!

For the first time in history humanity is facing potentially irreversible processes that could lead to points of non-return if corrective actions are not taken on time.

It is essential to promote on a global scale awareness of the unacceptable irresponsibility we could be accused of if we don’t react vigorously to redress current trends.

In September 2015, in the “Joint Declaration on Social and Ecological Emergency” (https://declaracionconjunta.wordpress.com) endorsed in the first place by Mikhail Gorbachev, Mario Soares, Garry Jacobs, Colin Archer, Roberto Savio and François de Bernard, we had already suggested that, within a context of non-solidarity that was becoming increasingly egoistical, xenophobic, racist and fanatical, actions should be taken immediately to address environmental issues, social inequalities and extreme poverty, and to eliminate nuclear weapons. We had also stressed that we could no longer postpone the reinstatement –initially through the establishment of an extraordinary permanent meeting– of the United Nations as a democratic multilateral system, a system that was set aside by neoliberalism and replaced by plutocratic groups (G6, G7, G8, G20).

As was the case with other recent manifestos and global calls (Statement of Nobel Peace Laureates, Barcelona, December 2015; Campaign on “Disarmament for Development”, at the initiative of the International Peace Bureau, Berlin, September-October 2016...), any information  eventual response was silenced by the huge media power, always keen to favour a submissive and misinformed attitude from audiences.

The Paris Agreement on climate change (COP), signed during the meeting held by the United Nations on this topic, as well as the proposal of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the 2015-2030 period were seen as positive steps in the right direction.

But soon the expectations became less optimistic not only because resources were still too scarce to allow implementation of SGDs and the COP, but also because the OXFAM-INTERMON report had confirmed that wealth was progressively concentrated in a few hands: thousands of people were helplessly starving to death daily while 4.000 million dollars are invested in arms and military expenditure while development assistance had experienced a radical reduction, forcing many human beings to flee from their wretched homelands... to find upon their arrival -if they were fortunate enough to reach their destination- closed doors and hands -and minds!-  at the end of their dreams...

The situation of social and ecological emergency was already a cause of concern and everybody expected that diagnoses would soon give rise to immediate treatments that would be specially tailored for new generations, since this is the inalienable duty of the present ones.

And suddenly Mr. Donald Trump, United States President-elect, appeared on stage. The Republican party has always favoured US hegemony and has strongly opposed a democratic multilateralism (remember how it opposed to the League of Nations in 1919; to the United Nations System, especially in the eighties, when it entrusted worldwide governance to autarchic groups; it refused to endorse the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989; it placed the World Trade Organisation outside the scope of the United Nations; it ignored the Resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council when Iraq was invaded in 2003...).

Statements made by President-elect Donald Trump concerning nuclear weapons, his rejection of United Nations and his intention to breach the Agreements on Climate Change represent a global threat that cannot be tolerated.

We cannot accept in any way the immediate risk for humanity as a whole and, in particular, for young and future generations posed by the behaviour of the leader of the most powerful country in the Earth, who has repeatedly ignored the warnings of the scientific community –he has in fact nominated as Secretary of State a former Chief Executive of the Exxon Mobil Company, who during more than fifteen years (1980-1996) generously funded pseudo-experts whose task was to deny the adverse effect of CO2 and other “greenhouse” gasses emissions on the Earth’s habitability!

Until very recently, “We the Peoples...” -as lucidly referred at the  beginning of the Charter of the United Nations- were unable to express themselves. Today, with the new digital technology, they can express ourselves freely. And we know what happens worldwide. Now, we must raise our voices. Otherwise, we would become accomplices. Accomplices of a crime of silence.

Today, we, citizens of the world must raise a huge clamour in the cyberspace, and make it clear to President Trump that, if he persists to fulfil his dark purposes, there will be millions of human beings, driven by their profound concern to ensure the common destiny and, in particular, the future of young people, who will no longer buy products from or supply products to a country whose leader represents a hazard with irreversible consequences for humanity as a whole.

All human beings equal in dignity, “We, the peoples...” will lead the way towards a future free of nuclear weapons, a future where everyone will enjoy the appropriate conditions to live a decent life in a controlled ecological environment. The future must still be built. It's time for action. Tomorrow might be too late.

Now that it’s within our reach, let’s start the transition from a culture of war to a culture of peace, from force to word.

Citizens of the world, the time has come to unite! Starting from 20 January 2017, we ask you to convey through the new comunication media your firm resolution to go ahead if Mr. Trump doesn’t change his program.

In the face of a global threat, a global response must be given to anyone who prevents us from fulfilling our supreme duty: taking care of the new generations. To betray them would be a huge historical mistake.

If we succeed in preventing these gloomy expectations from being met, “We, the peoples...” should be able to take the next step: the reinstatement of multilateralism that will allow a smooth transition along the first stages of the new era.

It is necessary to remain alert and vigilant, with an attitude permanently proactive, wide spreading  this message, suggesting eventually improvements and, above all, requesting support to very concrete aspects of it.