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Letter from the Editor-in-Chief
On September 3-6, 2003, on the island of Rhodes in Greece, there was an unusual get together of people from many countries. The occasion was a 'Dialogue of Civlisations for a Humane World Order'. The historically famous and beautiful environment of this island, together with the seriousness of the subject and the need for such an exchange, gave a special meaning to the proceedings.
The gathering was organised by the World Public Forum having as its constituents the St. Andrew's Foundation and the Centre of National Glory of Russia, Moscow; the Titan Capital Corporation, Greece, and the Kapur Surya Foundation, India. It was co-chaired by the heads of these three organisations, Mr. V Yakunin, Chairman, Centre of National Glory of Russia, Mr. N Papanicolaou, President, Titan Capital Corporation, and Mr. J C Kapur, Founder Chairman, Kapur Surya Foundation.
More than three hundred people attended this meeting. Aside a strong Russian presence, 32 other countries were represented in the meeting. The dialogue involved a wide diversity of participants, including senior representatives of a number of different religious denominations and cultural traditions, as well as scientists, philosophers, artists, futurists, political and business leaders, and members of the media. Unfettered by the ideological and power constraints of earlier dialogues, there was a free flow of ideas and information placing responsibility for the present human state where it belongs. There was broad agreement on the urgent need for new structures to bring some orderliness into human affairs.
The attempt at world domination by the unipolar system, assuming a divine preemptive right to enforce its will through globalisation and aggression was brought into focus by many contributors as being the negation of the very basis for a dialogue. The resulting adventurism and international insecurity was widely deplored. Most presentations rested on the assumption that the global instability arises mainly out of the limitless greed and lust for power which has taken hold of the economic political oligarchies. The latter labour under the illusion that a single civilisational model suitable to all the world cultures can be promoted by a media blitz of manufactured truths, and with the backing of weapons of mass destruction.
That something was seriously out of synch in the world's financial system, manifesting as an inequitable distribution of the benefits of resources and value additions, was acknowledged by all those present who also felt that the growing disparities within and between countries could not be corrected through the present unidirectional flows to the coffers of the oligarchies of the unipolar system. The promotion of a senseless desire for acquisition and consumption, and mass psychic deformation, instigating a culture of mega-violence are doing an irreversible damage to the institutions for international peace and security, and committing unjustified violence against the sovereignty, security, and cultures of other nations. A number of scholars presented their perspectives on the historical, metaphysical and cultural distortions which have made the world environment highly instable.
To transform this state into a just, compassionate and a humane order, and approach the problems and challenges posed by powerful vested interests requires patience, sacrifice, and sustained action. All individual and national efforts should now be coordinated to initiate a peaceful process of change in order to evolve a new system of coexistence between civilisations in the larger human interest.
Leaders of various faiths presented their view points. There was a lot of passion in the attempt to portray monotheistic religion and the potential of different faiths to foster peace. But it would be fair to note that bringing various denominations together on a common socio-politico-techno-economic understanding is not going to be an easy task. And the important reason for this is that if any consensus has to be arrived at in this regard, it will have to emerge from the cultural and religious foundations of diverse nations. The present techniques of globalisation to mould the world into a single civilisational model are totally unsustainable and destructive.
The unanimity of faiths cannot be achieved on issues of economic policy, but only at a higher levels of ethical and spiritual understanding where most traditions seem to reach harmony. Values structured on that lofty plane can guide the material development of various countries although the instigated inter-civilisational conflicts are making this task difficult. It will therefore be necessary that those outside the circle of conflict should put their heads together to craft a widely accepted collective human vision.
Achieving long-term perspectives requires a prophetic insight. Therefore, it was regarded as necessary to create a strong intellectual foundation to project larger visions for a humane order and put in place a framework to, analyse, and review its modalities. This should protect the freedom of people everywhere to develop according to their own cultural and psychic framework, resources and needs. An innovative civilisational project that embraces all aspects of material, cultural and spiritual growth is required and all this will be meaningless without the involvement of the youth to whom the future really belongs. Bright and dedicated young people from many countries should be brought into this exercise, to participate in the decision-making processes. Only then will we be able to assure a continuity of intellectual leadership while reducing the time span to achieve such ambitious goals.
The truth that we seek will first of all have to break the strangle hold of the system of 'armament protected' consumerist development. From an economy geared to the promotion of unlimited consumption and large-scale waste, we have to move on to a humanly and economically sustainable organisation of human affairs. Otherwise, our present drift towards Armageddon will only accelerate.
Many papers were presented during the forum's discussions. We are featuring in this issue some of the articles which represent highlights of the dialogue. We are also publishing in the document section a working draft of the Rhodes Declaration spelling out some of the problems and issues to be addressed by the project for a new humane order.
J.C. Kapur
New Delhi
December 2003