MAGICAL MELODY: Manifesto on Planetary Consciousness    
 Manifesto on Planetary Consciousness
picture 14 Sep 2004 @ 05:35, by Alana Tobin

I love this piece.

How would we write it from our perspective here in NCN?

Love to all,

Alana

Manifesto on Planetary Consciousness
First publication: March 1997
Revised version: February 2003
Prof. Dr. Dr. Ervin Laszlo

In the closing years of the 20th century we have reached a crucial juncture in our history. We are on the threshold of a new stage of social, spiritual and cultural evolution, a stage that is as different from the stage of the earlier decades of this century as the grasslands were from the caves, and settled villages from life in nomadic tribes.

We are evolving out of the nationally based industrial societies that were created at the dawn of the first industrial revolution, and heading toward an interconnected, information-based social, economic and cultural system that straddles the globe. The path of this evolution is not smooth: it is filled with shocks and surprises. This century has witnessed several major shock-waves, and others may come our way before long. The way we shall cope with present and future shocks will decide our future, and the future of our children and grandchildren.

The challenge we now face is the challenge of shaping our destiny. Our generation, of all the thousands of generations before us, is called upon to decide the fate of all life on this planet.

The processes we have initiated within our lifetime and the lifetime of our parents and grandparents cannot continue in the lifetime of our children and grandchildren. Whatever we do either creates the framework for reaching a peaceful and cooperative global society and thus continuing the grand adventure of life, spirit and consciousness on Earth, or sets the stage for the termination of humanity's tenure on this planet. If we maintain obsolete values and beliefs, a fragmented consciousness and a self-centered spirit, we will also maintain outdated goals and behaviors. Such behaviors by a large number of people would block the entire process of evolution toward a peaceful and cooperative global society.

There is now both a moral and a practical obligation for each of us to look beyond the surface of events, beyond the polemics of day-to-day politics, the sensationalistic headlines of the mass media, and the fads and fashions of changing lifestyles and styles of work; an obligation to feel the groundswell underneath the events and perceive the direction they are taking. We have a fundamental obligation to evolve the spirit and the consciousness that could enable us to perceive the true nature of our problems and our opportunities - and to begin acting on them. Today's economic, social and technological environment is our own creation, and only the creativity of our mind - our culture, spirit and consciousness - can enable us to cope with it. Beyond the powers of rational mind, the remarkable faculties of human spirit embrace the power of love, of compassion, and of solidarity.

A CALL FOR RESPONSIBILITY

Our emerging responsibilities go deeper than many of us may think. In today's world all of us, no matter where we live and what we do, are responsible for our actions as:

private persons
citizens of a country
collaborators in business
the economy members of the human community
and individuals endowed with an unique mind and onsciousness.

* As private persons we are responsible for seeking our interests in harmony with, and not at the expense of, the interests and well-being of others; responsible for condemning and averting any form of killing and brutality, responsible for not bringing more children into the world than we truly need and can support, and responsible for respecting the right to life, development, and equal status and dignity of all the girls, boys, women, and men who inhabit this Earth.

* As citizens of our country, we are responsible for demanding that our leaders beat swords into ploughshares and relate to other nations peacefully and in a spirit of cooperation; that they recognize the legitimate aspirations of all communities in the human family; and that they do not abuse sovereign powers to manipulate people and the environment for narrow, short-term, and selfish ends.

* As collaborators in business and actors in the economy, we are responsible for ensuring that corporate objectives do not center uniquely on profit and growth, but include a concern that products and services respond to human needs and demands without harming people and impairing nature; that they accord real value to nurturing and life-sustaining activities; that they do not serve destructive ends and unscrupulous designs; and that they respect the rights of all workers, entrepreneurs, and enterprises who compete fairly in local and global marketplaces.

* As members of the human community, it is our responsibility to adopt a culture of non-violence, solidarity, and economic, political and social equality both in our own families and in the family of nations, promoting mutual understanding, empathy, and respect among people whether they are like us or different, and demanding that all people be empowered to respond to the challenges that face them with the material, as well as the intellectual and spiritual resources required for this often unprecedented task.

* And, as individuals endowed with an unique mind and consciousness, our responsibility is to encourage comprehension, empathy, and appreciation for the excellence of the human spirit in all its manifestations, and for inspiring awe and wonder for a cosmos that brought forth human consciousness - and holds out the possibility of its continued evolution toward a planetary dimension, marked by growing insight, understanding, love, and compassion.

A CALL FOR PLANETARY CONSCIOUSNESS

In most parts of the world, the real potential of human beings are sadly underdeveloped. The way children are raised depresses their faculties for learning and creativity; the way young people experience the struggle for material survival results in frustration and resentment. This cycle must be broken at its point of greatest flexibility and that is the development of the spirit and consciousness of human beings.

Evolving human spirit and consciousness is the first vital cause shared by the whole human family. In our world, static stability is an illusion, the only permanence is in sustainable change and transformation. There is constant need to guide the evolution of our societies so as to avoid breakdowns and progress towards a world where all people can live in peace, freedom and dignity. Such guidance does not come from teachers and schools, not even from political and business leaders, though their commitment and role are important. Essentially and crucially, it comes from each person himself and herself.

An individual endowed with planetary consciousness recognizes his or her role in the evolutionary process and acts responsibly in light of this perception. Each of us must start with himself or herself to evolve his or her consciousness to this planetary dimension; only then can we become responsible and effective agents of our societies' change and transformation. Planetary consciousness is the knowing as well as the feeling of the vital interdependence and essential oneness of humankind, and the conscious adoption of the ethics and the ethos that this entails.



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