UPNOW U is a world governance university. It stands for United Peoples Network – One World. I conceived it in 2012, along with VOTE – Voice of Today’s Everyperson – though neither have achieved traction or exposure – until now.
A campus has been identified in the Argentine Patagonia where every nation (195) will send four of their best and brightest to take a two year course in unified world governance, taught by the finest teachers, worldwide, in the areas of de-militarization, environmental responsibility, education, clean electrical and vehicle energy, commonwealth for all, population control, global peace maintenance, sustainable industrial practice as in Natural Capitalism, and species preservation, as well as any studies that can contribute to One World cooperation, and “borderless” democracy. Hopefully the work of the Global Challenge Foundation, along with other caring organizations, will provide much material and guidance for the curriculum at UPNOW U, which will include all subjects relevant for improving the way the world works.
Countries will contribute support funds on an “as able” basis at their discretion. At a suggested level of 1% of world defense spending – $4 billion dollars a day – this will assure more than ample funds to compensate both the career appointed teachers and special seminar guest speakers such as Al Gore, the Dalai Lama, Naomi Klein, Amory Lovins, and for campus excitement, Leonardo Di Caprio and Sting. There will also be solid support from any number of organizations, worldwide, concerned with the challenges besetting all of us, especially when this spectacular news goes viral.
The founding concept includes the understanding that once students experience living and playing and studying and mind storming and conflict resolution and loving together, there will be bonds formed across all international boundaries such that the One World fact/dream will materialize, assuring that reasonable world governance and Earth stewardship will become a feasible reality. This is the bonding glue which will be strengthened by the common ground pledge to study how to govern the Earth together as a One World corps.
And now here is why this will work; Publications will be written in every language and distributed for free both online and as presentations in schools and churches around the planet such that all world citizens will understand how life will be wonderfully better once the UPNOW graduates are elected to presider positions in their respective country. These publications will be ongoing and shared both as stated above and also on the UPNOW website where interactive energies will be entertained, fostered, and furthered. With this distribution there will be a worldwide “buzz” and a guarantee that each electorate will do everything to assure that the UPNOW candidates are elected to their nation’s top presider positions and heads of state (president, prime minister, vice president, secretary of state etc.) One feature which will be promoted is that, with de-militarization, there will be immense funds liberated to provide commonwealth, such that all citizens will benefit greatly at almost heretofore unimaginable up graded levels. Thirsty people WILL have clean water to drink – imagine!
VOTE (Voice of Today’s Everyperson) will also be implemented, putting in place a forum for everyperson to tell their employees, the presiders, how they want them to perform on specific issues and general governance. VOTE will incorporate the Blockchain model and will include global, as well as regional issues. This is bottom up governance and will replace top down cumbersome and often corrupt, status quo models.
UPNOW candidates pledge to hold office for only one term, and they also take a humility oath, ridding themselves, and their nation, of the onus, and dangers, of “celebrity” stardom along with many symbols thereof. And, of course, with UPNOW graduates conferring readily and handily on all relative governance issues, plus referring to the referendum decisions provided by VOTE, presiders will be more implementers than autocrats etc. The days of slavishly pretending to worship our governance employees are over.
Decision making will thereby be a heady combination of constant communication with their peer graduates across the Earth’s boundaries, and reference to the results as provided by VOTE. The Presiders will have monthly half day meetings via online technology venues (no need to fire up jets etc) as well as daily communications as needed. And there will be annual one week reunions on the UPNOW U campus during the three month break period, for strengthening the bonding process while also dealing, as a dedicated and coordinated team, with current concerns.
A further facet of UPNOW is OUTREACH, an online sharing platform, which will provide a ready cadre of candidates in every country, dedicated to the POWER model, such that the presider graduates will have a fountain of talent for election and appointment to many other government positions. Thus will the UPNOW initiatives by seamlessly and unanimously effectuated.
Yes, of course there are some hurdles along the UPNOW path, but with worldwide excitement on a grassroots everyperson level, it will be unstoppable and World change will happen. There are metaphysical understandings in higher realms that we were born for this.
May these energies be experienced with the light of love attending our ways, waiting and yearning to shine down upon beings liberated from the fearful greed and innocent ignorance which has so darkly littered our doings until the present. May the blessings herein abound on this so beautiful planet, and all upon it.
Proverbial WORLD PEACE awaits!
The model description will be divided into the following subsections;
The campus
The curriculum
De-Militarization
The information highway to inform the citizenry and ensure election
OUTREACH – UPNOW’S online sharing platform
VOTE – how it works and how to implement
Naysayers and YAYsayers
The Campus
Argentina is a relatively reasonable country, especially now that it is weaning away from the oppressive onus of Peronism. They only have one modern war – the Malvinas/Falkland Island bout with England, which was a disastrous endeavor by General Galtieri fostered to take attention away from crippling internal economic news. It lasted only a few weeks, never should have been started, and even the macho military knew it had to end and pressured the President to surrender. Which he finally did.
As humor is an important sidelight in human affairs I will add in this fun little joke; when told he HAD to surrender, the surly macho general pawed the ground and then looked up and said; “All right, I will surrender…but only to MISTER Thatcher”.
Otherwise Argentina is a peaceful country though there have been non bloody border disputes with Chile which are resolved now. During the border settlement years there were many army bases built, two of which are nestled in the rolling hills of Junin de los Andes and San Martin de los Andes. These are beautiful places, complete with training facilities, gymnasiums, playing fields, horse stables, dining and meeting rooms, plus all manner of classy quarters in cottages scattered under mighty old oak trees around the base. This will be the UPNOW U campus – one of the most beautiful in the world.
They are separated by a lovely 40 minute drive and could also be joined by a riding/hiking trail. San Martin de los Andes is a wonderful small ski and summer resort type of town, at the end of a delicious lake and surrounded by mountains. It has many hotels and fine restaurants and is visited by thousands of people a year. The two towns are served by efficient bus lines and a modern jet port. All in all, these two bases and the towns are perfect for UPNOW U.
President Macri will be invited to honor Argentina by hosting the governance university which will change the world and make it a far better place. A renewable lease will be easily effected. He will become a world hero and his country will regain premiere status – lost since Peron. The entire country will support the hosting of UPNOW and the remaining military will have no problem moving out, both disbanding somewhat and also occupying nearby bases that are half empty. And of course Chile, no longer a threat anyway, will support the program.
With an intense year of work refurbishing the physical plant, to include both solar and wind electrical generation plus garden and greenhouse development, the campus will be ready to begin functioning.
THE CURRICULUM
The only real student requirement, other than a dedication to embrace the mandates of One World governance, and to pledge to effect them in their country, is to speak English so as to enable unified teachings and peer communication. As such all the courses will be presented in English, as will ongoing international talks, obviating the need for translators and facilitating elevated communications between country representatives.
Political Science professors will be identified and hired from all over the world. Obviously they will be vetted for their progressive and visionary abilities. They will be the backbone of the teaching staff and will forward the programs of UPNOW so that it will work in every country.
They will be joined by teachers in the following areas;
De-Militarization
Environmental Responsibility
Clean renewable energy
Clean water challenges
Species preservation
Eco System Sanitation
Conflict Resolution
One World Cooperation
Wealth Distribution/Global taxation
Global borderless democracy
Bio-regional tribalism
Meditative Nature inspiration/Respect for Nature
Permaculture
Trade Economics
Banking reform – Blockchain, cryptocurrency etc.
Population Control
Repairing and Revitalizing internal governance mechanisms (health care, social security etc)
Health
Indigenous peoples concerns
Sustainability
Government Budget Balancing
Bureaucratic Lessening (paperwork, interference etc)
Education
Welfare/Commonwealth
Natural Capitalism
Mindfulness
Creation Enjoyment
AI and employment concerns
Farming, grazing and fishing – renewable practices
The Psychology of Humility and Service…of Love
Personal health, fitness, and fun (sports and yoga, for example)
In addition, specialists will be imported to study facets such as halving the work week, personal simplification, state sponsored sharing programs, and city planning to enhance personal enjoyment with green spaces and recreational areas, as well as cutting down on costly commutes via intelligent modifications. As population numbers increase, putting more deadly pressure on precious and precarious eco systems, it is imperative that constructs such as exemplified by the growing Sharing Society model, be put in place to not only re use and re-purpose goods but also for the healthy and fun benefits of community cooperation.
Gumtree in the UK and Australia provides an excellent example of the sharing society already in place, as does Craigslist, and in Canada – the ultra successful Kijiji. And of course the thrift stores, which receive donations to then re-sell, are doing their part to lessen the production of new goods while also providing far more affordable items for the household. These organizations already offer much appreciated community services and will grow into other areas of contributive energy.
For example ASSK is a construct designed to facilitate sharing such that local folk can own an asset together for all the obvious benefits therein. It stands for Asset Sharing Society Klub, and not only lessens our consumptive footprint but fosters community cohesion. It acts locally – within the zip code for example – and has more beneficial potential than eBay and Craigslist combined. Easy to enact and to implement – ASSK (ask and you shall share) will soon operate worldwide, as sponsored by UPNOW graduates. In this way it, and others like it, will function much as the Red Cross does now.
All of this will be scrutinized for enhancement and enablement at the UPNOW U campus and also at the OUTREACH satellite campuses and online.
Whereas it is outside the purview of this writing to fine detail all of the courses in the curriculum, which I will leave up to the experts who, surely, will be forthcoming in droves, I would like to describe the “Creation Enjoyment” course which might seem to some to be outside the mission mandate of the university, and also mention the Natural Capitalism piece as promoted in the book by that name written by Amory Lovins, Hunter Lovins, and Paul Hawken. This will be studied along with implementation plans to put it in place. It is essentially a way for industry to perform with eco consciousness at the helm, while also attending the bottom line, and is a very important factor in going forward with a lessened footprint.
Creation Enjoyment? Sounds like a rather flighty subject to be studied at a governance university. But, as a matter of fact, it is an essentially important facet of being on the planet because when people are relaxed in areas of enjoyment that turn them on, all the less will they want to participate in the negative vibrations which currently flit around the globe; war, terrorism, discrimination, and personal footprints of pollution (driving endlessly to the mall or boredom diversion).
Eckhart Tolle is an example of one who will come for a seminar revolving around his book “The Power of Now”, and many other life enhancement authors and presenters will be featured at both the campus and online.
As such, studies in these areas will help not just the UPNOW students but, once introduced and implemented in their home countries, it will benefit all of the citizenry, and all of the currently beleaguered eco systems.
There are many other ongoing aspects of Creation Enjoyment which may be mentioned; cutting the work week in half, for example. Before UPNOW (BU, ha) “Progress” and “Growth – GDP” were the catchwords for both politicians and Corporations, but these words turn out to be synonyms for deadly pollution in most cases. At this time in the history of the planet we are exercising our stewardship in an unsustainable manner. The tipping point is upon us and we can no longer intelligently afford to continue our abuse of the struggling eco systems.
New ways of managing our stewardship must be implemented. With the redistribution of the military funds can come meaningful and wonderful new aspects of life on the planet such as working less hours, which also means that there will be employment opportunities for all who want them. If personal income is lessened thereby, so too will be consumptive demand vis a vis the sharing societies enabled along with the education afforded by books such as Living Simply, and the Joy of Less
This from Howard Zinn points out the benefits of re-forming societal and agricultural practices;
“The US, as is typical of empires, is unsustainable, built on unspeakable behaviors. The wool has not been pulled over our eyes. Our eyes are the wool. Our US model has morphed into neo-liberal globalization, destined to destroy virtually all planetary life.
“But Humans ARE redeemable and reformable if we choose to re-organize into bioregionally sufficient food and simple tool cooperative cultures, similar to ancient Indigenous models. Ceasing obedience to nation states will free up our energy and imaginations to create new social configurations integrated within bioregional carrying capacity.”
Students will strengthen their bond by playing sports and other games together, by meeting for informal chats at the bar and under the shade trees – beside the stream, where they can play with the classroom concepts and fine tune them for their particular countries.
Fun campus events will further strengthen bonds as the students will enjoy listening to concerts from invited stars such as Sting, as well as performing themselves in plays etc.
This bonding is at the crux of the UPNOW model and deserves a modern look, as once bonding is effected over the two years, these world leaders will be united with the common purpose of leading the way to make the world a far better place. Please extend your belief system to encompass the understanding that these future world leaders are united, dedicated, and pledged to work TOGETHER, under a common banner to change the world.
The touchiest subject, over population, has become sort of a non starter in that right to lifers and other ilk of that nature have imposed errant morality on the land – claiming higher ground on this essential issue. Many, if not all, challenges and risks today are the result of population running rampant in many parts of the world. This is a very touchy subject, a slippery and glass sharded slope – almost always avoided in ostrich manner (head in the ground) by politicians and, indeed, most of society.
This writer has no ready, total, solution to this problem, though it bothers the heck out of me to think that there will be 50% more of us when my grandson is my age. What a horrid legacy we are providing. Shame on us – but now we can begin a vast rectification. It is extremely exciting to think of all the ways that life will be bettered once all presiders are on the same page – educated and pledged to perform beneficially, responsibly, and – yes – lovingly.
One thought would be to deal with over population via education, especially in the UPNOW website and distribution network. That could go a ways towards neutering religious and other groups who do not understand the disastrous criminality of promoting population growth, dedicated as they are to grow more tithers. And maybe that program plus some sort of a sterility subsidy could turn this around. Parents or couples could receive financial or housing rewards by taking voluntary sterility procedures. After all, one of the pieces that UPNOW will liberate, via worldwide de-militarization, is money, so – after countries have taken care of their near bankruptcies – there can be ample funds to be used for programs such as this.
I am confidant that, with new reason coming to the fore, solutions will be found and then carried out by the evolved and enlightened presiders to curb the population quandary. As all of these challenges will be thoroughly addressed at UPNOW U thought leaders and their students will be coming up with many an enlightened manner to deal with this, and all other worldly challenges, and turn them around.
Mindfulness? Yes. This is another aspect of leadership training that will be studied for implementation. It is time that we, as a species, responsibly change the status quo where decisions are based on economics, vote gathering, and dancing to the corporate and special interest puppeteers’ strings. Mindfulness means that community actions take into account not just Everyperson, but also our Home, the Earth herself. Public expenditures of money, of energy, and of footprint emissions etc, will be vetted to insure that attention, love, and care are dedicated to the environment.
Mindlessness might include purchasing a brand new half million dollar automated, inefficient – in terms of fossil fuel usage – noisy, and dangerous machine to sweep streets. Mindfulness means that meaningful work would be offered to the unemployed, the homeless, the exercise and community minded people who can, and want to, man a broom. Things like this go a long way towards meaningful world change and will improve conditions on many fronts.
And finally, what is also needed on the planet is an entirely new way of being. I am involved with a 501-c-3 non profit organization, dedicated to Earth Rescue, which intends to promote the creation of a new meme of human being where voluntary simplicity will provide an antidote to the stress engendered by modern life for the individual, while also lessening the deadly footprint poisons of excess consumption. This is a heady and much needed movement, centered on children, as they stand to inherit the world we have created – mostly by default.
It is time to foster the enablement and creation of this new meme. After all – we are talking World Change of a meaningful nature, and working/playing/studying/enjoying together will be fostered by the phenomenon enabled by this model, such that REAL change will be experienced not just at a governance level, but reaching down into the very nature of human beings to provide heightened experiences of Creation Enjoyment. Mention should be made of the behavior of most people, especially in the First World, during the two World Wars when voluntary rationing contributed greatly to not only the war effort, but also to a feeling of sacrificing together. It was actually a good feeling and can be replicated as understandings that we are at a different “war” now with all life threatened.
So Heartfulness will also be processed at the University, and later at home with the appropriate organizations that care. Sharing societies, such as the afore mentioned ASSK will have sections; “Towards a Kinder World” which feature energies such as “Granny Share” – an interaction where old folk receive visits from young people in return for a peanut butter sandwich…some wisdom enclosed in a tale of earlier days.
As such, the world will become better with shining vibrations of love nudging aside unhealthy clouds of fear and of greed and of meaninglessness.
De-Militarization
World peace – always a happy rallying cry, and almost always a pipe dream…until now.
War is an embarrassingly archaic institution and should have been abolished long, long ago.
Why is the United Nations such a gelded and almost dysfunctional organization? Precisely because the world leaders are separate and operate primarily for the good of their nation, as do their delegates. Once UPNOW is in place in a majority of the world’s countries, the presiders will be operating according to the mandate taught and shared at the university – eager to cooperate on all fronts, with the principal one being de-militarization. Indeed, UPNOW is a de facto “United” Nations, but a real one, eager to work together to meaningfully improve life on Earth, such that global democracy becomes a functional reality.
Keep in mind the viral ability of the UPNOW website and especially OUTREACH with ebooks which will be made viral by the buzz of everyperson, along with numerous press releases and constant media attention. In the entire history of planet Earth, there has never been anything even close to the UPNOW concept and its creation will effect and please all seven thousand million plus of us. It will be the ongoing subject in all discussion forums, and over all neighboring fences. This means that in virtually EVERY nation state the common person will be waiting to support whatever de-militarization, and other UPNOW plays, look like for their country.
The main thing it looks like, after world peace, is the releasing and re-purposing of the $4,000,000,000 which is spent daily on military machines … EVERY DAY. Doing the math here, that means that every person will get the equivalent of fifty cents a day, which may not mean much to First Worlders, but – accumulated over a number of days – would mean a world of difference to a starving or thirsty African. These funds will then be made available for all the projects studied at the university resulting in a tremendous upsurge in commonwealth and also environmental improvement.
As for the hold outs? The answer is that they will not be able to hold out for long in the face of everypersons’ cry for peace and plenty. It can also be studied as to what a unified trade sanction looks like; every other country refusing to do trade with any war armed countries. With this unified front, plus the cry of their citizenry, they will not long be able to continue their warlike ways.
Reasonably dismantling the military machine will have been studied at the university and already shared with the populace of the world. Peace keeping forces could initially be involved and then fade away. Nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction will be the first to go.
Swords to ploughshares – the “defense” industries will need to re-tool. Fair Warning.
An other world changing facet of UPNOW is that with four graduates, reinforced by another four grads in three years, there will not be the anxiety attached to protecting the chief Presider. Historically there may have been a couple of irreplaceable or crucially precious leaders – Churchill and Lincoln come to mind – but these days, with globalization in place this no longer need exist. A Trump, for example, is totally replaceable with no perceived loss of anything other than militancy, belligerence, and a seemingly total disregard for the environment.
The four candidates would choose a Chief Presider and a Vice Presider with the other two being in an advisory capacity, but absolutely up to date and involved with presidential matters. If the Chief becomes unable to perform his/her duties, then the Vice Presider would step up, with zero loss of continuity and no threat to the nation. This obviates the paranoia surrounding the safety of world leaders, while also serving as an evolution of humility and service.
The Information Highway
A very important aspect of the UPNOW world governance model is the informing, and subsequent education of the entire populace of the planet.
This below quote from Manjana Milkoreit asks the question, and we have the answer;
While people around the world identify in increasing numbers as global citizens, engagement with global governance remains practically non-existent. What could be done so that people care more? A range of structural and cognitive barriers make it difficult to prioritize global challenges, identify their relevance, access decision-making forums, or simply bear the emotional burden associated with issues of existential magnitude. It is, therefore, of crucial importance that we better educate citizens about global governance, develop new models of engagement, and more clearly communicate about the role and impact of global institutions.
The principal purveyor of this information will be the website. There will be a general introduction in English with the option to click onto the language of choice for further reading. The yearly books will be available, in every language, for free downloading.
It is also foreseen that this Info Highway will include studies on healthy eating, tips for simplicity living, energy conservation and many facets of dwelling on the planet both more sustainably and more happily. As an example of what may be presented – junk food, and indeed all of the processed “food” which is incurring such medical havoc and costs to the consumer. With funds liberated from the dismantlement of the horrid military machine, healthy eating could be subsidized so that recently aware consumers could afford to eat more organically – saving them and their parent countries countless health costs while also granting them healthier feelings so as to better enjoy the new world order being created. Fair warning to Monsanto, McDonalds and all the GMO folk so poisoning their customers and the lands.
One can begin to see the far reaching benefits on all fronts of the UPNOW presiders governing transparently and responding eagerly to the VOTE consensus and then utilizing the extreme outreach ability to intelligently inform the populace while also providing healthy and happy alternatives.
This outreach program will be initiated to ensure that there are ample venues for sharing the world change excitement with all persons, mostly through online presentations but also via teachers in schools, and heads of religious organizations who will read out the summaries of the UPNOW model. There will also be a cadre of people who will volunteer to travel into the outback with the mission of sharing the news with marginalized peoples – Boots on the Ground!.
And it cannot be overly stressed that there will be immense and immediate press coverage around the world once a Ted Turner, or the Dalai Lama, or Leonardo di Caprio, effects the first press release. Social media will be overwhelmed with Buzz, as nothing this good, this exciting, this reasonable, has ever come close to happening on the Earth, nor barely imagined.
So this forms much of the answer in that with the outreach sponsored and shared on the website, coupled with our volunteers roaming the back countries, amped up with some exciting star power, and then enabled by VOTE, global citizenry will not only be buzzing and turned on by the news, but will have a forum for their opinion. This imbues a feeling of personal relevance – the opposite of hopelessness – to Everyperson.
Naysayers will say that it is a utopian pipe dream. Fine – let them, but once Everyperson understands what life will be like with UPNOW grads elected to the highest presider positions, and with the understanding that their opinion counts, life betterment will trump any negativity. This is, indeed, a world changer.
OUTREACH (Online Unified Training Rescuing Earth And Climate Healing)
OUTREACH is an online program wherein students can monitor and study the teachings and happenings at UPONOW U. It will be made available in every country, in that country’s principal language so that when the UPNOW U graduates return and are elected to the top presider positions, they will have a ready cadre of candidates for many of the lesser governance areas. In the United States, for example, the President and Vice President will have a significant number of OUTREACH graduates to appoint to various government positions, and those same graduates will run for elected spots on the UPNOW platform, for example; representatives, governors, mayors, and senators.
This same program could also be offered in universities around the globe in every country with the understanding that the new global governance model will be effected throughout many, if not all, levels of governance.
There will be two levels of OUTREACH offered; one will be an application process with formal UPNOW education and an actual degree on graduation to give the candidates for governance positions the necessary credentials, and the other level will be an Everyperson offering wherein anyone can access the site to monitor progress and campus news at the UPNOW University.
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VOTE (Voice of Today’s Everyperson)
The internet is potentially the most powerful outreach tool in the world and can now be utilized to realize that status in a meaningful manner.
Here’s how VOTE works; appropriate referendums at all levels of government – municipal, county, state, national, and international – will be published on websites, and also presented at relevant venues, so that the citizens can understand what is being considered. A discussion period will follow to include chat rooms and other means of commentary, furthering the various points of view and making it ever clearer what is at stake. Then there will be a simple online voting mechanism – “yay”, “nay”, or “other”, which will be tallied and presented to the relevant governing body with the mandate that they carry out the wishes of the majority.
One vote per email address, with prior registration, will be easy to stipulate and enforce. And there needs to be a public place where non-online folk or illiterates etc can go to register their Identification and place their vote; town halls, for example.
Governors will then be asked to do their job at the public will.
In a way, VOTE could do away with parliaments, senators and representatives, or morph them into advisory groups. And it could also clean up the electoral process itself, making it more fair and less controversial. It certainly would streamline the entire process, making it far more efficient.
Very few individuals want war. I, myself, do not know anyone who wants the horrors of war to happen anywhere on Mother Earth. If a presider asked the citizens if they wanted her to send a drone to drop a bomb on an “enemy” government building, or a wedding party somewhere on the other side of the world, I doubt if even 10% would vote for it.
Favorite bumper sticker in the United States? Big American flag with the text; “We are making more enemies faster than we can kill them”. Hello? Duh!
And maybe the majority of people in a town would not want millions of dollars to be spent to install those ugly yellow knobby mats at every street crossing supposedly so that blind people can sense that they are about to come to a road, preferring to use that money, theirtax money, for something more important and avoiding the pollution costs of producing and installing those environmentally costly plastic things. Maybe the discussion period would reveal a much more efficient and organically friendly manner to help our handicapped brothers and sisters, such as volunteer scouts who could be summoned to assist, much as Uber provides nearby rides. Governance begins to take on an entirely new feeling as community cohesion replaces costly environmental footprint practices. Boy and Girl “scouts”, of any age, are looking to be of service in a world where self validation is often a challenge. Note the retired folk who help out at school crossings twice a day.
In the history of blind people crossing streets there are very few instances of harm, nor have they been seriously lessened by yellow plastic costly knobs.
Voteopolis already exists and could be readily adapted to the VOTE model. Blockchain is another developing technology that could house VOTE.
VOTE can go a long ways towards effecting reasonable and responsible government, and will be the Voice Of Today’s Everyperson.
And there are a multitude of extensions of the VOTE mechanism. For example in the United States 20% of families are on food stamps. Well, probably the other 80% would VOTE that they not be permitted to use those stamps, which they – the taxpayers – paid for, to purchase colas, processed non-nutritional foods, and candies etc. (All culprits of costly medical happenings.)
And, on the subject of food, it is past time for us to better deal with our miserable habit of throwing out some 35% of our food, wasting not only valuable, and much needed foodstuffs, but also throwing away all of the emission pollutions produced in every phase of getting that food onto our plates and then, a third of it, out to the overweight landfills. UPNOW presiders will study these inane practices and, together, will come up with solutions so that they can lead the way to bettering the way the world works, with constant referral to VOTE. It is time to make essential changes to the way homo sapiens functions on the planet. With UPNOW presiders and VOTE, change is on the way.
Naysayers and YAYsayers
Nays will say that none of this will ever work – a smoky pipe dream.
Yays will say that it is time for dreams to become reality, otherwise status quo nightmares will continue to wreck their havoc on Earth.
Nays will say that no one would ever take on a governance university as it is too controversial, expensive etc.
Yays will say that throughout history many universities have been founded by individuals; Stanford, Carnegie, Mellon etc. And UPNOW need not have an over large endowment to get going – the model will be swamped with funds from many sources; governments, foundations, corporations, and individuals. Plus it will be an honor for the host country, along with a significant economic incentive, to have the UPNOW University on their home ground. Surely they will do what they can to subsidize and facilitate the model.
Nays will say that warlike countries and terrorists will continue their archaically nefarious behavior.
Yays will say that Everyperson in those areas will now have the means to counter that behavior internally with government that gets the public will, to then enforce it. Admittedly complicated, but not impossible and way important to be addressed so that a solution be found. Additionally, means will be studied at UPNOW U. to effectively address this situation, such that with 98% of Presiders coordinating coercive and then punitive energies on the holdout countries – their resistance will be worn down fairly efficiently, and probably not to re-surface.
Nays will say that VOTE is too cumbersome and too expensive.
Yays will say that current human stewardship is worse than cumbersome and that many governments are bankrupt due to expensive practices, and that VOTE need not be expensive at all – compared to bankruptcy. With the ongoing expansion experienced in the field of online technology, energies are already in place to effect the VOTE mechanism.
Nays will say that the presiders will never agree and that it will dissolve into impotency much like the UN.
Yays will say that the bonding learning and living together experience can not be stressed enough – that they will study exactly how to govern together. Sure, there will be disagreements, just as in any marriage, but they will have the means to work their way through to agreement. National interests will take second place to the main mission, and be supported by the huge majority of people.
So what then do the “Nays” see is happening on the planet? No intelligent, informed, aware, caring individual can continue to countenance the eco cide being promulgated on Earth. We need more “Yays” to change the world so that the “sapiens” attached to us homo sapiens begins to become more truly and operationally wise. Let history record the almost idiotic behavior of nation states over the centuries, the litany of horrors including the fact that we are underway to actually killing life on the Earth, and now let it show that we can adopt and support wise alternatives. At the very least we can say “YAY” to giving it a try. Vamos!
“71% of adults in the eight countries
surveyed think that a new
supranational organisation should be
created to make enforceable global
decisions to address global risks” – from the Global Challenges Foundation survey, 2017.
ARGUMENTATIONS
1.Core Values.
Decisions within the governance model must be guided by the good of all humankind and by respect for the equal value of all human beings.
UPNOW is a construct specifically for people, and not just the First World privileged few but for ALL people. Indeed it will benefit not only all humankind but also our brethren species who share this Earth spaceship ride with us, including many plant species which are threatened with extinction as our pollutions harm their environment. Precious eco systems, now under attack from our pollutions, will reverse their death trails and begin to heal.
At UPNOW U, students will specifically study that exact mandate; to perform with the understanding that human beings have equal value with birth rights heretofore unrealized to enjoy their experience of the Earth in peace and plenty. Today there are two billion humans who have to scrabble for something to eat and walk long distances to secure some sort of questionable water to drink. Tomorrow all of this will change.
2-Decision-Making Capacity.
Decision-making within the governance model must generally be possible without crippling delays that prevent the challenges from being adequately addressed (e.g. due to parties exercising powers of veto).
With VOTE in place, decisions can be instantaneous, lacking only the mechanization of implementation, but with a clear mandate from the populous as to what THEY want. As such there will be no top down veto power. In fact, the people could countermand a faulty legislative decision via the VOTE mechanism. Please note that this is the beginning of true democracy on the planet – self government of, and for, the people. Classic, and usually corrupt, top down governance will be replaced by bottom up, truly democratic governance.
3- Effectiveness.
The governance model must be capable of handling the global challenges and risks and include means to ensure implementation of decisions.
UPONOW U grads, the presiders, will be specifically trained in all areas of global challenge and risk. They will all be on the same page and eager to get to work as a “Team” to handle all current challenges and thereby reducing the risks to a minimum. Courses will be provided to give them the means to deal with each challenge such that the curriculum will be all encompassing and the students will work together with the teachers to create capable handling mechanizations across the entire spectrum of current global concerns.
4-Resources and Financing.
The governance model must have sufficient human and material resources at its disposal, and these resources must be financed in an equitable manner.
It behooves the Western nations, along with any country that is blessed with an abundance of natural or human resources, to provide funding as well as professional expertise to the poorer nations so as to ensure world peace, and even prosperity, for all. We need not ask why as it is expressed in the very word “humanity”, but peace benefits all, save for the militant few and some war machine corporations. Just the medical limiting of various viral plagues is enough to convince not just nations, but NGO’s to provide funds equitably.
Ted Turner gave a billion dollars to the UN Foundation and challenged his brother and sister billionaires to follow his example. Ample funds will be made available, readily, happily, and generously, knowing that they will go not just to alleviate human suffering, but to ensure ongoing world peace and prosperity for all beings.
With UPNOW and VOTE in place, other wealthy, wise and concerned people will step up to the plate knowing that their money will be used in positive and non corrupt ways, by responsible and accountable presiders.
5-Trust and Insight.
The trust enjoyed by a successful governance model and its institutions relies on transparency and considerable insight into power structures and decision-making.
Books and articles will be provided in all the world’s languages on a yearly basis informing the citizenry of what is being accomplished. These will echo the daily reports as shared on the website where each country will have space so that the information specialist can transcribe the happenings on a governance level, making it transparent to the populace.
In addition, VOTE will tally the will of the people and make those numbers available. Weekly presentations will be made at churches and schools for those who do not have online access or who have reading or hearing challenges.
6-Flexibility.
In order to be able to fulfil its objectives effectively, a successful governance model must contain mechanisms that allow for revisions and improvements to be made to its structure and components.
With UPNOW presiders in place and with VOTE operating, it will be easy for the governance structure to contain mechanisms for revision and improvement.
On a national level, via the VOTE mechanism, people will have the constant and ongoing ear of government to continually upgrade their function, which is to enact what the people want.
On an international level, with the yearly UPNOW reunions, presiders will be able to confer and to share experiences which will help their peers present revisions and improvements to their citizenry.
Additionally, with ongoing UPNOW University experiences, new students and new teachers will study current situations to, flexibly, address solution paths for immediate enactment.
7-Protection against the Abuse of Power.
A control system must be in place to take action if the organization should overstep its mandate, e.g. by unduly interfering with the internal affairs of nation-states or favouring the special interests of individuals, groups, organizations, states or groups of states.
VOTE is the control system via its impeachment implement, and the beauty of the UPNOW model is that each nation state will be operating with the mandate of peace and prosperity. Interference would soon be squelched by the very citizenry who would have constant means to express themselves along with instant means for information sharing. Special interest groups will be faced with a wonderful wall of everyday persons who want THEIR special interests – peace, health, welfare, education etc – to take precedence over small and selfish and greedy groups.
8-Accountability.
It is a fundamental requirement of a successful governance model that it performs the tasks it has been charged with, and the governance model must include the power to hold the decision-makers accountable for their actions.
Transparency, vis a vis, the information highway – books and websites and VOTE references – will insure that the governance model does perform as per the mandate. With four presiders in positions of power, there will be internal checks and balances such that should one falter, the others will act to provide the citizenry with information and then the weight of their numbers will make all governance personal accountable.
UPNOW pledge of allegiance
I hereby pledge allegiance to Mother Earth – to her nurturing eco systems and to the beautiful balance encountered in her diverse Nature.
I pledge to recognize that all beings that share this spaceship Earth ride are, in the eyes of life value, equal.
I pledge to minimize the footprint of my going as I wander the trail of being, and to support sustainability on the planet.
I pledge to speak up for the undefended brethren beings who share this Earth spaceship ride with us, to honor them and help them with their experience of creation enjoyment.
I pledge to personally evolve to higher levels of appreciation, of meditative prayer of my choosing, and of love for my Mother Earth, and all upon Her.
A vision has a hold of me; I hear people, the world over, in cafes, in fields and forest animatedly talking about this new world global governance model. I see innumerable writings in every language supporting the movement and further explaining why and how it will work I smell the currents of excitement swelling upon the lands. I touch my neighbor’s hands and share her hopes. And I feel the love coming from Mother Earth herself as she smiles upon her children – all of them including the beasties of the realm, and the behemoths of the oceans, as this new day dawns.
Join me. Peace and Plenty await. Believe. And love.