Written by Dr. Roger Kotila   

On January 1, 2014 an "invitation to join a movement" came across my desk from David Swanson, an articulate World Beyond War organizer announcing plans underway to launch a global movement to abolish war itself.

What was missing was clear recognition of the necessity to replace the current dysfunctional geopolitical system with the world federalist solution.

World federalists warned from the very beginning that the United Nations Charter was flawed, and that the UN system would not be able to abolish war.

That is why it seems important that Beyond War organizers look closely at the Earth Constitution -- a carefully designed democratic world federation that creates a new geopolitical system that actually could abolish war.

Swanson writes: "I'm involved in helping to organize a global campaign for the abolition of war. We've begun holding conference calls, setting up committees, discussing plans by list serve, raising funds, and creating a website. We plan to launch the campaign with a big international event on September 21, 2014."

"In the meantime, we're looking for input, advice, and participation from groups and individuals around the globe -- and not just peace groups. We're working to build a broad coalition of every organization that would like to see an end to war. All individuals and organizations, all over the world, are invited to sign a statement in support of ending all war..."

World Beyond War strategy appears to include the use of strong factual, emotional, and moral appeals to emphasize the terrible destructiveness of war, coupled with warnings of the always present danger of unexpected nuclear annihilation.

Activists will also be ..."expanding the global nonviolent peace force of civilian, trained, international, nonviolent peacekeepers and peacemakers who will be available to protect civilians and local peace and human rights workers endangered by conflicts in all parts of the world and to help build peace where there is or has been violent conflict."

If "ending war itself" captures the popular imagination, trained peacemakers determined to end war could conceivably organize and expand into an international "peace army" trained in nonviolent tactics.

Such a (global) peace army would be hard to ignore. It could make its voice heard. It could penetrate the propaganda of the military/industrial/secret operations/Big Money complex that year in and year out stirs up tensions, conflicts, and wars by creating a constant supply of invented, imagined, and real "enemies."

The total abolition of war will require more than powerful arguments, a global peace army, and brilliant nonviolent tactics to counter the military/industrial propaganda that fuels hate and fear.

A new geopolitical system must also be put into place.

Some activists cling to the notion that what is needed instead of a world federation is small government and local control. They are badly mistaken. Decentralized "local control" can never deal with the power of Big Money, Big Military, Big Police, and Big Secret Operations. Small, separate sovereign units simply make it easier for the powerful to divide, manipulate, conquer, and dominate.

There are some on the Left who believe that the real problem is capitalism, and what is needed is not a world federation but a new economic system. To be sure, money is like water, everybody needs it. Deprived of water in the garden of life, you and your family are flowers that will wilt away in the unforgiving grip of poverty.

But even if all nations transformed into democratic socialist economies beneficial and fair to all citizens, without a world federal union they would soon be at each other's throats -- fighting for oil, over water, or you name it.

We must face the fact that we will need a democratic world federation. There is no shortcut.

As World Beyond War organizers review and refine overall strategy, the Earth Constitution could emerge as a key factor, particularly if activists decide that the current geopolitical system must be changed.

The Earth Constitution deserves serious study. Its significance is not unlike the Magna Carta or the U.S. Constitution except now federalist and democratic principles are to be applied to all nations and peoples.

The public is largely unaware that there exists a rational and practical solution to the problem of war. Our lives need not be darkened by the fact that at any moment nuclear annihilation could erupt.

There is a way out. The Earth Constitution could become the beacon for world union, and the foundation for a world that is safe, democratic, prosperous, and fair to all.

World Beyond War serves a vital purpose when it boldly rejects war itself, and demands that war be abolished. Its agenda wisely goes beyond war, to include peace and social justice, the environment, and human rights.

We know what to do. We can fix this. We can end this nightmare.

Article by Roger Kotila
Earth Federation News & Views