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In this moment of very somber
horizons, to learn once more from President Mikahil Serguéyevich Gorbachev, the “man who changed the world”,… and
from Roberto Savio, who keeps a firm and visionary position in face of the
immense media power, driven by the “markets”, promoters of fanatic and
unbelievable behaviors, that represent today one of the most relevant threats
to overcame, in order to be able to redress the present trends…
And from Martin Lees, in favor
of a “systemic” approach, when the present strictly economic approach does not
take into account the social and environmental dimensions… Yes, dear
colleagues, to learn a lot from many of your excellent interventions….
As a scientist, who has been
working in neonatal prevention of irreversible neuronal diseases, I must warn
on the risk of reaching points of no return if timely treatments are not
applied! Timely treatments!: we have many, too many, diagnosis… many “think
tanks”… many brilliant ideas… but only very seldom we have treatments before is
too late…
In social and environmental
matters, we are now facing global problems that must be addressed without any
further delay: yes, we are in the anthropocene… and, if not timely addressed, the
habitability of the Earth could be deteriorated and the legacy to future
generations would reflect an inadmissible intergenerational irresponsibility!
As it is rightly stated in the
title of this meeting, “…what are the solutions to new challenges?”.
“New” challenges, as emphasized yesterday by President Gorbachev.
New
challenges in a new era:
·
Digital era:
is the first opportunity for change of the humanity’s history in which the 95%
of human beings were being born, living and dying in 50 square kilometers… They
were invisible, obedient, fearful, silent… submitted to an absolute male power based
always in the reason of force and not in the force of the reason… Based always
in “si vis pacem, para bellum”… (if you wish peace, prepare war”…).
And, suddenly, in the new era of information and
communication, the human beings are progressively aware of what happens in the
world, they can express freely and raise their voices… and, particularly
important, the women, always marginalized, can start, not in a mimetic way but
with their inherent faculties, to take part in the decision making… This is
extremely important, because I will never forget what President Mandela told me
in Pretoria in 1996: “Women will be the “corner stone” of the new era… because
they only exceptionally use force, when the man only exceptionally doesn’t use
force”…
Yes: we are entering a new era in which the
starting phrase of the UN Charter (1945) will become a reality: “We, the
peoples… have resolved to save the succeeding generations from the horror of
the war”…
But, immediately after, only States… and after,
weakening the Nation-State, the markets… and after, the great neoliberal
“domain” (military, financial, mediatic, energetic…) that not only substituted
the UN by plutocratic groups (G6, G7, G8, G20…) but the “democratic values” (that
must “guide” humanity, as enshrined in the UNESCO’s Constitution) by “marketing
rules” worldwide.
Why western countries have accepted to put the
reins of world governance, of 193 countries, in the hands of 6, 7, 8… 20
countries?
Why Europe –only a monetary union- has
accepted that “the markets” appoint governments without elections in Italy and
Greece, the cradle of democracy? Why the
European countries have not take into account the wonderful Charter of
Fundamental Rights of the year 2000? Article number one: dignity…
Please, leaders of Europe, take into account the Charter to be true
democracies and not market-driven shortsighted nations. It has been,
instead of an important increase in the aid to development, a sharp reduction.
I remember when in the United Nations the keyword was to share… and now,
all the countries not only the most developed countries, do not assist the less
developed ones, and exploitation –as in the shameful case of coltan- has substituted international
cooperation.
Yes, “all human beings equal in dignity”, this is
the newest oldest solution.
“New challenges”… But, at this moment, we
must face global challenges without global institutions, without prospective
and systemic analytical capacity.
New challenges without young actors? The
cooperation of youth is indispensable.
New challenges with only answers to the old
questions. We must change not only the answers but the questions…
And the first new challenge to overcome is be
wise enough to change the concept of security: we are always talking
about the “military security” related with frontiers and territories. But what
about the people living inside these frontiers? What about the security of
their food, water, health, environment, education?...
These are the issues
of a new concept of security that from now on must be taken into
account.
“There is no any challenge beyond the human
distinctive creative capacity”, told John F. Kennedy in June 1963. The future
is to be invented! Every human being able to create: this is our hope.
We can think otherwise, we can anticipate, we can
imagine new ways of action!
We have excellent references to inspire us:
-
The UN Charter (1945).
-
The UNESCO’s Constitution (1945).
-
The Human Rights Universal
Declaration (1948).
-
The 1993 Montreal World Plan of
Action on Education in Human Rights and Democracy.
-
The 1993 Vienne Conference on Human
Rights.
-
The 1994 Religions and a Culture of
Peace Declaration.
-
The 1995 Declaration on Tolerance.
-
The 1999 Declaration and Programe of
Action on a Culture of Peace.
-
The 2000 Earth Charter…
Yes,
we must address the new challenges in a new way: it’s time for action.
It’s time to urgently apply a new concept of security…social and
environmental security, security to face natural and man-made catastrophes…
Now
we have 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). In 2000 we had only 8… and were
scarcely addressed.
Now
we have agreed in Paris the measures to control climate change. We have good
diagnosis and prescriptions… but no treatment. The IPB (International Peace
Bureau) of Geneva has started a very
important campaign: “Disarmament for Development”: with only 10% per
year and country of the immense amount invested in armament and military
expenditures, the environmental and extremely poverty challenges could be dealt
with, without affecting the “military” security!
It
is inadmissible –I repeat this to myself every dawn- that everyday die of
hunger at least 20.000 persons, most of them children of 1-5 years, while 4
billion are invested in weapons and military security…
At
present, the markets, particularly those related with the media, are leading
the world governance. But before long, “We, the peoples”… will raise their
voices… and the scientific, academic, artistic, intellectual communities will
be at the forefront of the peoples mobilization!
As
a biochemist, I wrote many years ago in the blackboard: evolution (as in
nature) or revolution. The difference is de “r” of responsibility!
To
be responsible we must have without delay new answers to new challenges… and we
must be aware that “the peoples” will not remain obedient and silent anymore.
They are becoming citizens of the world and they can express freely and request
tolerance zero with intolerance; no fanaticism, racism, phobias; solidarity
with those that are in need: “intellectual and moral solidarity” as enshrined
in the UNESCO’ Constitution, taking into account the social aspects and not
only the economical growth…
It
is indispensable to know the roots of
fascism and fanaticism. If you plant hate you will collect terrorism. If you
sow seeds of insolidarity, you will
collect violence… Those who decided to invade Iraq based on lies and without
the UN agreement, are responsible of many insurgences and violences today.
What
is need are multilateral democratic institutions –that the republican party of
US has also under minded- with the refoundation of the United Nations
System. Genuine democracy is the
solution: an Universal Declaration of Democracy (ethical, social, political,
economical, cultural and environmental) has been drafted…
OXFAM
has reported that less than 100 persons have more wealth that half of humanity
(3.5 billion of human beings!). The “peoples” will not accept this anymore.
We
live in a new context, we live in a new global framework where the absolute power, the profound social gaps, the
inequalities… will not be tolerated anymore. Now, the global citizens can raise
their voice…
Yes:
a new concept of security, with the reins of the common destiny in the hands of
“We, the peoples”…
Yes,
at least, from force to word, from a culture of imposition and domination to a
culture of encounter, dialogue, conciliation and peace.
Yes: instead of
“si vis pacem para bellum”, “si vis pacem, para verbum » !
From
force to word : this is the solution, the answer, the dream.
