CHAPTER FOURTEEN

PLAN FOR PLANETARY AND CONTINENTAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

There are six billion people currently living on the planet earth. A reasonable estimate would be that a minimum of ten percent or 60 million good people in all cultures consistently work for the benefit of others. They can be found in all fields of endeavor, bringing sustenance and spiritually-motivated acts of kindness, as well as compassion and hope through their profound humanitarian programs. Without them civilization would have long vanished from the earth.
It is for these people that the following guidelines for planning, establishing and maintaining a new system of global self-government are provided. They are destined to be the founders of a nonviolent civilization to replace governments that for thousands of years have brought war and unspeakable cruelty to the world.
The realization of the birth of true freedom and democracy will depend upon the wisdom of these compassionate people who, with the consent of the people, will dedicate themselves to the principles of inalienable rights, including but not limited to peace, freedom, and equality under the law.
It is time to call upon them to organize into tiers of planetary and continental panels to effectively divide responsibility in setting realistic goals of the new system, with focus and dedication to nonviolence and peace.
First, Nobel Peace Prize recipients would be the equivalent of “founding fathers and mothers” who come from regions all over the world. Their first action would be to call a cease-fire wherever war and violence is taking place in the world; to end all armed conflict irrespective of the power of any country.
To accomplish this, they would need to gather together the chief military leaders of armies existing in all of the countries of the world. Their mission would be to gather and document all conventional and nuclear weapons in their assigned regions and transport them to fail-safe armories on each continent If facilities do not exist in specific regions, they would be authorized to convert government properties for needed space.
Only the first tier of founders could authorize opening of arsenals if there are signs of terrorist activity or individuals trying to seize power over people anywhere in the world. After these facilities are sealed, the latest technology must be applied to security measures to prevent access without explicit permission. To assure neutrality, none would be guarding their own country’s arsenal. These military leaders henceforth would be known as Peacekeepers.
Their function would be to guard all seaports, airports, railroad centers, bridges and roads to major cities on each continent. There must be simultaneous control of satellite surveillance devices to monitor compliance with the cease-fire. Peacekeepers would be authorized to enforce the order by closing borders of violators, allowing only the delivery of food and medicine to sustain life.
The second tier of founders would be leaders who have participated in peace movements, and studies for nonviolent resolution of conflict, such as members of the 9/11 commission, the Iraq Study Group, executives of not for-profit foundations who fund peace-keeping activities and other extraordinary, humane and permanent programs.
The third tier would be former presidents, prime ministers and ambassadors to the United Nations, experienced in democracy, to act as consultants approved by the first and second tier of founders.
A nucleus of peacemakers should find each other through websites and establish a database to contact all of the people who qualify for the first three tiers. Invitations would be sent to attend a meeting at the United Nations Headquarters in New York which would be chaired by the first tier of founders. For planning purposes it is suggested that the first three tiers be known as the Planetary Panel. Nobel Peace Prize Recipients would be Planetary Directors. The Planetary Panel would be comprised of all three tiers representing all of the disciplines described below.
This Planetary Panel should be duplicated on each continent and be comprised of people who have received honors similar to the Nobel Peace Prize, as well as those who have established national and local peace and humanitarian not-for-profit foundations. The third tier could be comprised of former governors, and other local officials approved by the Planetary Panel. This group would be known as Continental Panels. Their additional important function would be to establish and maintain an equitable system of law and order pertaining to their local cultures, not covered by the Planetary system, but to not deviate from the principles of the Planetary Panel.
Further organization should duplicate the original panel so that management of each tier’s function would be efficient, and effective for training purposes to serve on both Planetary and Continental Panels as the new system matures. The important principle would be that all participants would have equal power pertaining to their function, so that there would never be just one person to lead.
The initial meeting should begin the process of developing a mission statement and to write a global Constitution. The Constitution could follow those currently in place, except that there would be no individual leaders. All of the panel members would be paid salaries similar to corporate structure, such as a CEO, financial and management officers. Their staffs would be hired by personnel offices, both planetary and continental, to carry out the actual functions of each of the departments listed below. We currently know this function as a bureaucracy. However, the difference will be that there will be no political payoffs. All personnel would need to have specific qualifications in order to be eligible for consideration to be hired.
As seen in Chapter Natural Resources, the method of funding would be derived from all of the world’s natural resources, strictly managed and overseen by all of the designated panels. Any corruption or dishonesty would be punishable by strict laws.
All panels would be authorized to negotiate with each out-going nation regarding accounting and turning over funds to the Planetary Bank. Equitable distribution of funds or materials would be arranged by panels that would categorize and oversee needs of each continent, until banking facilities have been established.
They should have the authority to sanction those individuals and nations that refuse to cooperate. All individuals who are combatants in current wars should be granted amnesty when they turn in their weapons, and permitted to enjoy a new start in the new system along with all other global citizens. This method was successful at the end of the American Civil War in 1865.
Former government officials, ordained leaders of any organized religion, corporate executives, chiefs of any branch of the military should NOT be among the founders. After the system has been organized, they would have the same right to apply for employment by submitting resumes, citing education and experience.
There is no reason for any domestic economic, educational or any other activity to be interrupted or curtailed. National government officials will be the only segment of the world population that will be required to stand down when planetary and continental panels are in place. All local governments would remain in place, until both the Planetary and Continental panels organize the departments that will serve public needs.
Incentives for leaders and monarchs to step down without use of violence could include lifetime housing and financial support commiserate with their current status except if they are found guilty of war crimes and/or genocide. These benefits would cease at the end of their lifetime and not be passed down to their children. Available palatial housing would be assigned on each continent of their choosing. The cost would be far below that of waging war. The importance is to establish a new system, not to punish the powerful.
It is not the purpose of this plan to seek out leaders to replace former leaders. Personnel will interact to the extent that no one will be in the position of individual power. They will rotate in chairing panels so that one does not prevail over others.
To start developing departments to serve the public, expertise will be needed in the following fields:
1. Geography, demographics and statistics to analyze and plan population per continent, and to plan a method of removal of national borders on each continent.
2. Production of all natural resources. Those qualified to be in the first three tiers should gather together their colleagues and bring them into the new system. Their qualifications would be higher education in the required disciplines, and belief in nonviolent existence.
3. Educators: pre-school, primary, secondary, colleges, universities.
4. Medical, including hospital administrators, primary care physicians, surgeons, nurses, medical technologists, directors of all health care institutions, medical research scientists, psychologists and psychiatrists from each country on every continent.
5. Corporate, including but not limited to, banking and finance, industry, energy, natural resources, environment, agriculture, business and technology.
6. Scientists
7. Civil and criminal judicial procedures experts: lawyers, judges, law school professors, directors of penal institutions.
8. Those who served in the military and in law enforcement would be qualified to keep the peace and administer lawful procedures to provide security and safety from criminal activity.
9. The balance of priorities and required staff of Planetary and Continental Panels is unconditional. The number of staff would depend upon the size of population. Additional personnel would be permitted for larger populations per continent, but no region, community or continent would have power over another.
Thirty days should be adequate to compose and print the first draft of the Mission Statement and Constitution. All panels must agree to all provisions of the Constitution. If unanimous approval is not forthcoming, disagreements would be settled by the first tier of founders, with thorough explanation as to how they arrived at their decision.
After all conditions are confirmed, the first draft of the documents will be printed and distributed for further evaluation before it is submitted for approval by the entire Planetary Panel. No more than six months should be needed to complete these documents. They need not be original thinking. The best of existing governing principles should be adapted to the new system. The worst of existing governing principles could be readily identified and discarded.
After the first meeting of the three tiers in the Planetary Panel, attendees return to their continents to contact highly qualified people in their disciplines to meet within 30 days. Each discipline will have workshops as to how they will function in removing national borders, population resettlement as needed, or distribution of funds derived from natural resources, and utilizing existing databases and websites pertaining to each discipline.
A standing rule, should be that all meetings start with a plenary session to set the agenda, and all disciplines should report their progress and status. Then day-long workshops should be held to implement plans and ideas produced by adhering to the agenda.
Many issues and questions will be presented and the experience of the founders should determine priorities. Both Planetary and Continental Panels should be prepared to determine how to apportion geographic regions on each continent according to its population, environment, and resources to support every community. The goal would be to assure that all inhabitants would be able to earn the necessities of life - food, shelter, clothing, education, that none would live in poverty. All panels would encourage participation by all of the people.
Terms of accountability, financial reports, budget allocations and expenditures should be specific in content as well as in setting dates for production of fiscal documents from each discipline for public perusal.
A personnel department should be established and described in the Constitution.
Each discipline should follow the same protocol, with dates for periodic meetings of Planetary and Continental panels, with no less than two combined meetings per year.
In the event that government leaders currently in control refuse to relinquish their positions, public meetings should be held in every country on all of the continents, under the inalienable right of the people to abolish that government and to institute the new form of government.
In the interim, sitting local governments should be asked to cooperate with planetary decisions to speed the process of development of the new system and be paid a reasonable compensation. They would be required to turn over to the Planetary Panel all revenue, records and documents in their possession for immediate deposit in the First Planetary Bank.
The purpose of the new system is to assure equal self-government. Job description should determine salary and be the same for each continent. For example, in production of natural resources specific skills should be the determining factor such as scientists compared to unskilled labor performance to be evaluated according to a firm set of ethics, efficiency, attitude and results. No individual will be singled out for any purpose except as incentives for greater success in their jobs.
It is important that banking and national resources work together as the most important element in funding the new system. Realistic budgets should be proposed and approved by both Planetary and Continental Panels.
The first step after the gathering, planning and arrival of the new planetary and continental managers would be for all national rulers and officials to relinquish their offices immediately. If at all possible current members of the bureaucracy that have excellent performance report should be retained. The important benefit would be their experience. They would maintain regular business hours, have the same vacation benefits and would require no time off for campaign fund-raising or ceremonial functions.
With removal of national borders on each of the continents and with technology in communication constantly improving, all of the people could have a direct voice in the evaluation of public service. Private enterprises would be retained and new ones encouraged.

IMPORTANT WORDS OF CAUTION
An important element of a new system is to clearly proclaim that its function is to institute and maintain equal access to basic essentials of life in a nonviolent environment. To do so, it will collect funds to perform the duties of specific departments established for the sole purpose of bringing equal opportunity to the people.
In no way should it interfere with personal business, spiritual beliefs, social behavior, moral or life choices, by any citizen on the planet. For example, individual decisions as to when and whom to marry, whether or not to bear children, permission to operate a vehicle, permission to travel from continent to continent, dress codes or personal health and hygiene. Individuals will be free to make their own choices, limited only by the new system’s goal of safety and nonviolence.
Other elements should be the province of citizens in their local communities as to their own behavior. Should any group choose to live in isolation, or refuse to reside among people of different religions or lifestyle, they should be allocated land in specific regions set aside for that purpose. If any behavior harms another citizen or their property, existing laws may be applied to remove perpetrators of such crimes to islands described in the chapter Judicial System.
Whenever possible, the new system should utilize existing facilities and departments that can be readily adapted so that there is no waste of time and materials by duplicating efforts.
Extreme caution and emergency rules should be enforced if one person or one group attempts to become the "leader." The ultimate goal is to put into place for each discipline a permanent plan that only needs to be brought up to date, due to changing technology, of shifts in population.
The principal goal is equality under the law, all of the freedoms of a true democracy and reliance on the experience, expertise and dedication by all panel members and staff. Should there be any conflict or controversy, Planetary and Continental panels should immediately convene to address them.
Planetary and Continental Panels should provide public distribution of all plans, along with information as to how people can address grievances for immediate resolution.

PLANETARY/CONTINENTAL GOALS

1. The goals of a new planetary/continental system for self government are as follows:
a) Structure a system whereby power comes from the people who shall authorize planetary/continental panels of experts to function on their behalf in accordance with binding, legal contracts.
b) The people shall verify their vigilance of all departments and agencies. They would be asked to come to a polling place annually, to vote on the performance of all panels. This would be similar to the current system of voting to retain judges, but they would have information and financial reports of each of the agencies providing public services. If they have not participated, they would not be eligible to receive planetary benefits derived from natural resources, or from approved financial programs. If they are infirm or need assistance to comply, it would be necessary for the appertaining department to provide this help.
c) Specific educational, character, family values, work experience, ethics and moral standards will be requirements to apply for planetary and continental employment.
d) Equitable opportunities must be available to all global citizens.
e) There shall not be any positions of individual power or leadership not authorized by the people at annual planetary meetings, either in person or by electronic means.
f) All global citizens have the right to contact any and all planetary and continental departments to submit suggestions, questions and complaints at no cost or restrictions.
g) All global citizens have the right to receive annual financial statements, proposed budgets, electronic inspection of books and records, and specific department reports upon request, including documents pertaining to topics or subjects under investigation by authorized investigatory agencies, with the codicil that investigation is not conviction.
h) Secret meetings would be unlawful. Any debates and decision making meetings must be open to public viewing on a C-span system of communication. Schedules of such meetings to be available on global websites.
i) Any attempts to seize power or establish separate political parties and leadership roles shall be unlawful, resulting in fines and/or confinement on continental islands maintained for that purpose.

DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES
A model plan for the establishment and organization of specific departments and their agencies shall be the same for all planetary and continental panels and staffs. Only the numbers of employees shall vary in accordance with size of population on each continent and by area or region but no department will have more standing than another. All departments will have the same practices and methods of financial accountability, communication, employment, and operations. Each department would receive established databases pertaining to their discipline to maintain and improve. They would be available for public scrutiny, except for personal information that might put families of staff at risk.
They would propose salaries for each executive position, with merit or cost of living increases as approved by Planetary and Continental panels.
To clarify the function of the new system, the following departments could be considered equivalent to entities such as the U.S. Cabinet or historic bureaucracies that have always kept records, counted the gold in treasuries and grain in storage city-states in event of a siege.
1. Peacekeepers. To immediately implement a global cease-fire; then a plan to control and destroy weapons for mass destruction. Maintain control of continental arsenals with conventional weapons to be used to prevent insurgency, individuals seeking to seize power over the people, or any disturbance to the population as enacted by Planetary and Continental Panels only if nonviolent procedures fail. Emphasis will be placed on its on its primary function as fact-finding body and, investigation of any movements threatening the peace on any of the continents. Approval of the use force to keep the peace, must be agreed upon by Planetary and Continental Panels The people must be fully apprised of any such danger and steps that are planned to keep the peace.
The department will determine how current military education and practices will be used and enhanced to establish conditions of command and rank to function as peace and security officers. Peacekeepers should be trained and at the ready, to provide rescue and management of disaster areas.
2. Finances. Executives would administer budget, expenditures and provide strict accountability. They will have the authority to retain bank officers who believe in the new nonviolent system. They will establish and oversee planetary and continental banks to collect and disburse revenue from natural resources and if emergencies occur, collect taxes. There can be no deficit spending except for emergencies. All departments must submit and make public, budgets for analysis and review by the appropriate departments.
3. Natural resources. Establishes a sub-agency for each resource, i.e. Collection of revenue from all natural resources under the administration of both panels. All revenue to be deposited in planetary banks. Will monitor supply and demand, and prices so that operation of departments and equal distribution of a percentage of profits for basic needs and public service are correct and adequate.
4. Education. To determine curriculum for all levels of education, from pre-school, elementary, secondary, trade, university and adult programs. To survey and establish facilities for schools and universities. To set standards and requirements for employment of teachers. To establish schedules for school attendance, number of days, number of hours, vacations, and global holidays.
5. Health and Medicine. To determine all requirements of training for doctors, nurses and technicians. To establish continental hospital and clinic facilities, working with education department to utilize schools as centers on weekends for the practice of preventative medicine. To establish and operate medical research laboratories. To work with appropriate departments for development of equipment and new medical breakthroughs.
6. Science and Engineering. To establish centers for scientific research and application of physical science to maintain continental environmental standards from global warming to use of alternative fuel and new methods of public transportation to replace fossil fuel for automobiles; and to maintain all public infrastructures and utilities, i.e. from purifying water, disposal of waste.
7. Agriculture. To establish facilities for research to enable farmers to produce safer food products, including grain, fruits, vegetables, livestock, seafood and fish. To establish and maintain health and sanitation regulations for shipments of foods between continents. To work with other departments to provide information regarding healthful consumption, preparation and storage of food products.
8. Corporate supervision. To regulate corporations so that panels of public service are not victimized by corporate greed. To oversee corporate profits to protect investors, with reasonable compensation for executives and to enforce laws pertaining to financial accountability by public corporations. To be responsible for lawful bidding for contracts pertaining to services and/or materials purchased by any of the planetary and continental departments or their agencies.
9. Trade and Commerce. To regulate trade and commerce between continental public and private sectors to prevent unfair and unlawful trade practices.
10. Transportation. To maintain highways, and public transportation facilities. To oversee privately operated airlines, bus terminals and train stations to maintain at their own expense, facilities and security. Repair and construction crews to provide service as needed on all continents. To coordinate activities of the private sector who wish to form continental travel and entertainment facilities and services. To encourage continental travel and cultural studies.
11. Museums and Public Performing Arts. To oversee maintenance of existing museums and establishment of new facilities requested by the people.
12. Housing. To provide home-building services as needed in areas of poverty, until all basic needs are met. After all global citizens are provided with basic housing needs, the department will regulate occupancy of safe and sanitary housing on all continents
13. Law and Justice. To establish an entirely new system of law pertaining to public safety and justice. This department will be responsible for all global and continental police protection. No individual shall commit a crime against another without coming before judicial panels (no juries) within a specific time period, to determine innocence or guilt. If found guilty the panel will determine punishment according to specific continental judgment which must be the same for all citizens irrespective of status or wealth. Peacemakers would be available to assist any police activity as needed for public safety.
14. Services for Children, Family, Elderly and Employment. While the purpose of the new planetary system is to take government out of the personal lives of its inhabitants, specific segments of the population need assistance and counseling to receive basic human needs, protection in cases of abuse and neglect.
They are the young, old, infirm, mentally or intellectually disadvantaged. This should not be considered welfare or financial aid programs for able-bodied citizens responsible for their own care. This department should provide counseling, training in parenting, social behavior to prevent unlawful activity, and job skills as needed.
This department should encourage communities to recognize and report conditions endangering life and property for those unable to improve conditions through human kindness and compassion from their families and neighbors. We have seen countless such acts by global citizens who voluntarily provide financial aid and comfort after natural disasters.
15. Communication. To establish systems to distribute information to the global public, through all media, websites, permanent television channels similar to C-Span, on 24/7 schedule. It would schedule upon request by the media, interviews with executives and their staffs at reasonable times. and regularly schedule press conferences, as well as special conferences for important announcements. Information shall be distributed equally to all media prohibiting leaking of information to favored media for "scoops." If media fails to provide information to its viewers or readers, the department will hold it own press conference on its own news channel.

PRIVATE SECTOR
The above departments must be administered with equal opportunity for all global citizens. Specifically, no community or continental entity shall be given preferential treatment.
All activity relating to religious and spiritual groups throughout the planet shall have the freedom to practice as they believe with no interference and/or preference by any of the above departments. It will be unlawful for any to interfere with another. For tax purposes, established religions will be treated as other for-profit organizations. Communities should be encouraged to establish programs to understand and tolerate individual choices and practices.
All private enterprises shall be free from department regulation except for unfair employment or trade practices.
No agency will have the right to determine whether adults over the age of 18 may use any substance such as alcohol, drugs or tobacco unless its use becomes a public nuisance or danger, or when committing a crime.
No department will have the right to determine personal choices made by adults over 18 regarding birth, death by euthanasia, marriage, family values, unless their choices endanger the community. Parents have the right and responsibility to determine what is best for their children, unless there is child endangerment or physical abuse.
No department will be given the responsibility of determining moral or ethical values for any citizen except for obscene public behavior.
The purpose of this system of self-government is to protect global citizens from exploitation by illicit and greedy entities, and from interference with private choices made by global citizens that are not the business of governments. Properly established departments to enforce laws are recognized by the people as the authorities to keep the peace, provide security for global citizens, and to insure freedom of individuals.
The new system is not intended to regulate the amount of wealth individuals accumulate in lawful business or investment. It intends to remove poverty from the planet, by assuring individuals of at least basic necessities. It also leaves to the people, the extent of government and law they choose to approve for their continental regions, which should be ratified by planetary and continental panels in public meetings, TV broadcasts and electronic access.