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Culture

7 Steps toward Electing a World Government

David Langness | Sep 12, 2014

PART 8 IN SERIES Children and Identity and Borders

The views expressed in our content reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Baha'i Faith.

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David Langness | Sep 12, 2014

PART 8 IN SERIES Children and Identity and Borders

The views expressed in our content reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Baha'i Faith.

We cherish the hope that everyone may be adorned with the vesture of true wisdom, the basis of the government of the world. – Baha’u’llah, Tablets of Baha’u’llah, p. 166.

If the time has come for a government of the world, a global parliament, a true commonwealth of all nations, how could humanity make it happen? What would need to happen to make that incredibly important and revolutionary process a reality?

Well, it might surprise you to know that the world has already taken several of the first steps necessary for global governance.

First, humanity has established, all in the last sixty-five years or so, a broad spectrum of regional and international governmental organizations—starting with the United Nations, but only beginning there. Countries have recognized their interdependence and created the European Union, NATO, the African Union, The Arab League, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Association of South East Asian Nations, and many, many other similar organizations.

Second, we have a growing, recognized and increasingly important system and practice of international law, which includes the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.

Third, the global financial market in goods and services has rapidly developed and become increasingly important. Efforts to regulate that supranational market, with institutions like the World Bank and the World Trade Organization, still tend to unjustly privilege the developed nations of the world over others, but change has started to occur.

Fourth, we now have a global media, with digital and satellite communications that allow most of the world’s people to receive information they never had access to before.

Flag of the Campaign for the Establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly

Flag of the Campaign for the Establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly

Fifth, growing grassroots groups like the World Federalist Movement, Citizens for Global Solutions and One World Trust all encourage people in every part of the world to become engaged global citizens.

Sixth, the national governments of the world have begun to recognize that our global environmental problems—climate change, air and water pollution, etc.—have no national boundaries, and require unified planetary solutions.

Seventh, the Campaign for the Establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly (CEUNPA) began in 2007, brought about by the Committee for a Democratic United Nations. This important development would add a democratic Parliamentary Assembly to the United Nations, allowing member nations’ elected representatives to have decision-making power in the U.N.’s deliberations. Eventually, the Campaign proposes direct election of U.N. Parliament members on a worldwide basis. So far the CEUNPA has the support of more than 350 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and 850 parliamentarians from 140 countries.

These developments all echo the call of Baha’u’llah:

The time must come when the imperative necessity for the holding of a vast, an all-embracing assemblage of men will be universally realized. The rulers and kings of the earth must needs attend it, and, participating in its deliberations, must consider such ways and means as will lay the foundations of the world’s Great Peace amongst men. Such a peace demandeth that the Great Powers should resolve, for the sake of the tranquillity of the peoples of the earth, to be fully reconciled among themselves. Should any king take up arms against another, all should unitedly arise and prevent him. If this be done, the nations of the world will no longer require any armaments, except for the purpose of preserving the security of their realms and of maintaining internal order within their territories. This will ensure the peace and composure of every people, government and nation. – Baha’u’llah, Tablets of Baha’u’llah, p. 164.

…the national assemblies of each country and nation — that is to say parliaments — should elect two or three persons who are the choicest men of that nation, and are well informed concerning international laws and the relations between governments and aware of the essential needs of the world of humanity in this day. The number of these representatives should be in proportion to the number of inhabitants of that country. The election of these souls who are chosen by the national assembly, that is, the parliament, must be confirmed by the upper house, the congress and the cabinet and also by the president or monarch so these persons may be the elected ones of all the nation and the government. From among these people the members of the Supreme Tribunal will be elected, and all mankind will thus have a share therein, for every one of these delegates is fully representative of his nation. – Abdu’l-Baha, Baha’i World Faith – Abdu’l-Baha Section, p. 291

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Comments

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  • KC Patton
    Jul 10, 2017
    -
    Why do we keep seeing the usage of 'world government' when it's a "commonwealth" that we're expecting? When I had a translation going for a English/Chinese bookmark in the 90's with the NSA of NZ, they were quite insistent on making sure the translation was speaking to a "commonwealth".
    • Blanche Moyaert
      Aug 7, 2017
      -
      It seems to me that the world commonwealth is the goal of the Golden Age which we, the Baha'i are establishing, while world government is a political peace to be established during the formative age: "Alike in the claims unequivocally asserted by its author and the general character of the growth of the Bahá'í community in every continent of the globe, it can be regarded in no other light than a world religion, destined to evolve in the course of time into a world-embracing commonwealth, whose advent must signalize the Golden Age of mankind,"
      (Shoghi Effendi, Summary Statement - 1947, Special ...UN Committee on Palestine)
      Read more...
    • Blanche Moyaert
      Aug 7, 2017
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      It seems to me, that the commonwealth is the ultimate goal to be achieved during the Golden Age and Greater Peace that we, the Baha'is, are working towards. World government is a step in the Lesser Peace which mankind at large will establish, to be achieved during this Formative Stage. "...whilst in the course of the Golden Age, destined to consummate the Dispensation itself, the banner of the Most Great Peace, promised by its Author, will have been unfurled, the World Bahá'í Commonwealth will have emerged in the plenitude of its power and splendor, and the birth and efflorescence of ...a world civilization, the child of that Peace, will have conferred its inestimable blessings upon all mankind."
      (Shoghi Effendi, Citadel of Faith, p. 6)
      Read more...
    • Blanche Moyaert
      Aug 7, 2017
      -
      The Guardian in Citadel of Faith descibe the steps to the Most Great Peace,mentioning World Government: "It must, however long and tortuous the way, lead, through a series of victories and reverses, to the political unification of the Eastern and Western Hemispheres, to the emergence of a world government, and the establishment of the Lesser Peace, as foretold by Bahá'u'lláh and foreshadowed by the Prophet Isaiah.
      (Compilations, The Compilation of Compilations vol II, p. 189)
  • Bibhas Neogi
    Oct 24, 2016
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    And as described in Abd'u'l-Baha's Seven Candles of Unity.
  • Joachim
    Dec 13, 2015
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    NATO? I hope that this dubious organization will soon be replaced by a global international force.
  • Aug 25, 2015
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    Time will come at an appointed fate that all these things will be realized. Seems impossible and scary but it is destined to happen.
  • Sep 13, 2014
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    Awesome vision that we have to uphold! It's going to take a lot of hard work to get us there but we know that somehow it will happen! I am grateful for your in depth articles!
  • Sep 13, 2014
    -
    Thw world need to change a lot, today this idea is scary
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