3, World Social Policy
My contention in this paper is as follows. We must mobilize our ideas
and tactics to make a "welfare World" a reality in the 21st century, as we have succeeded in establishing "Welfare State" in the 20th century.
We must invent a new world social policy which aims at eliminating
absolute poverty in the world. When we think about the world situation, we must not set ourselves unrealistic objectives in the short run. We must confine the standard to the minimum
essential needed to eliminate absolute poverty.
A world social policy will require changes in world economic policies, and the most important need will be to control multinational corporations.
(Three problems or Crises of the world)
Most urgent problems and crises which humankind faces today could be
summarize under three categories: Want (starving, absolute poverty and population explosion); Waste (earth scale destruction of environment); War (crazy killings and refugees discharge). I
shall call them 3 W's.
These 3W's are closely interrelated. Absolute poverty is often caused by war, and war's basic cause is often absolute poverty. The environment often
suffers as a result of absolute poverty and war. The environmental problem is most serious of them all as some forms of environmental destruction may prove to be irrecoverable.
(need of simultaneous attack)
Because these 3W problems are all closely interrelated, they must be
addressed simultaneously and systematically.
Authorities like Brian Burrows, Alan Mayne, Paul Newbury emphasized this point strongly in their very persuasive book, Into the 21st Century: A Handbook for a
Sustainable Future, Adamantine Press, 1991.
They advocate systematic holistic thinking, and they finally present three scenarios: Pessimistic; Pi PART THREE examines the consequences of the
alternative approaches to world problems in terms of three scenarios resulting from continued neglect, piecemeal solutions, or a holistic approach. It is shown that the holistic approach,
together with an appropriate planet management system, is the only way in which we can hope to solve our growing man made problems. It is important to ACT NOW, because we can soon reach the
point of no return. Our future existence depends on the very delicate interaction and balance of many factors; we have choice between changing our activities to preserve this balance or
entering a catastrophic situation. We need our planet does not need us. ecemeal; Optimistic. They wrote in the introduction as follows:
PART THREE examines the consequences of the alternative approaches to world problems in terms of three scenarios resulting from continued neglect, piecemeal solutions, or a holistic approach. It is shown that the holistic approach, together with an appropriate planet management system, is the only way in which we can hope to solve our growing man made problems. It is important to ACT NOW, because we can soon reach the point of no return. Our future existence depends on the very delicate interaction and balance of many factors; we have choice between changing our activities to preserve this balance or entering a catastrophic situation. We need our planet does not need us.
(New thinking)
The models invented so far are models mainly for Western industrialized country. They cannot be
applied directly to the developing or under developed countries.
When thinking about the capacity of the earth, it may be impossible for all nations to develop life
styles to the same level as the more highly developed countries have. We might have to change our thoughts on social development drastically. Some better off countries may have to
lower their standard of living in some critical respects.
We might even have to change the modernization philosophy. We must understand and respect the diversity of each others cultures and learn to coexist. People have a right to live in the own cultures peacefully. We must secure a safe earth environment and cohabit with other creatures too.
(Issue of the change agents)
Strategically and logically, if each country became a "welfare state",
"welfare world" can be simply and readily established. But even within the United Nations, there are so many oppressive non democratic governments, so it is not realistic to expect too much
state initiatives. Attention must also be given to the roles and tasks of NGOs and internationally cooperative civil society. I am encouraged to have found there are many people and
organizations who are strongly committed to the ideal of creating a welfare world.
When we see the reality of the world and think about the variety of cultures, the complexity of its traditions, and the huge world population, the "Welfare World" is almost a dream. But we must cooperate to change the dream into a concrete vision, together with all people of the world, especially with people who are already committed to this ideal. Emerging revolutionary "information society" offers some grounds of optimism in this respect.
(Further references)
*Our Common Future, The World Commision on Environment and Development, 1987
*AGENDA 21:Programme of Action for Sustainable Development (Rio
Declaration on Environment and Development), UM 1992
*World Social Situation in the 1990's, United Nations,
1994
*Edited by Michael Redclif and Ted
Benton, Social Theory and Global Environment, Routledge, 1994
*Our Global Neighbourhood (The Report of The Commission on Global Governance) 1995
*Boutros Boutros-Ghali, An Agenda for Development 1995, UN
*Boutros Boutros-Ghali, An Agenda for Peace
1995, UN
*Michael Walzer, Just and
Unjust Wars-A Moral Argument with HIstorical Illustrations (Second Edition), Basic books, 1992
*Alvin and Heidi Toffler, War and Unti-war:Survival at the Dawn of the 21st Century, Waner Books, 1993
*Robert Muller, Dialogues of Hope:My Dream
2000, World Happiness and Cooperation, 1990
*Robert Muller, New Genesis:Shaping a Global Spirituality, World Happiness and Cooperetion, 1993
*Vissions of A Better World (Peace Messenger Initiative dedicated to the United Nations 1994