Thanks to the discoveries and inventions of modern science, the humanity is fast becoming like a family living in one home. But what a miserable family, considering the sad political situation in which it is placed today. Within a short time two great wars involving almost all the great and powerful nations of the world have been fought, and astounding preparations for a third and more terrible war are now going on The United Nations Organization, which was a great star of hope, has failed to establish the promised peace on earth. Local wars are going on in many parts of the world even today. Every morning newspaper informs us of fresh outbreaks of hostilities here and there. Despite International Organizations, Unions, Conferences and Goodwill Missions, racial, national, communal, political, and ideological differences and dissensions are becoming more and more extensive and acute. They have, thanks to the evil genius of present political leaders, penetrated the remotest and previously peaceful corners of the world. What a tragedy! The more the world becomes apparently united, the more is humanity becoming divided and disunited.
The immediate need of the hour is the establishment of a One-World Government or an International Federation of Mankind. It is the utmost necessity of the world today, and those few persons who wish to see all human beings happy and prosperous naturally feel it keenly. Of course, at times, we all feel that many a problem of our political, social and cultural life would not exist if there were one Government all over the world.[the_ad id=”17141″] Travelers, businessmen; seekers of knowledge and preachers of righteousness know very well what great impediments and obstructions are there when they pass from one country to another, exchange goods, get information, and make an effort to spread their good gospel among fellowmen. Laws of the various Governments existing and functioning to-day–and they are too many-stand as a barrier against contact of the people of one country with those of another. In the past, religious sects divided a šet of people against another; the color of the skin or construction of the body set one against the other. But to-day when philosophical light has exploded the darkness that was created by religious differences, and when scientific knowledge has exploded the theory of race superiority; and when modern inventions have enabled human beings of all religious views and of all races and colours to come in frequent contact with one another, it is the governments of 1. various countries that keep men of one country apart from those of another. They create artificial barriers, unnatural distinctions, unhealthy isolation, unnecessary fears and dangerous ambitions in the minds of the common men who by their nature want to live in friendship with their fellowmen.
And all this is done to the evil advantage of a few people who hold power and who thrive only on the false idea that the Government of their country protects its people from the possible onslaughts of those of others. Such political leaders are the real enemies of humanity. For their own gain, position, power, and fame they place wrong ideas of defense, freedom and conquest, and engage the attention of their countrymen by raising false slogans of their country being in danger or of their rights being trampled over or of their philanthropic mission of liberating the people of other countries frustrated. All this evil would cease to exist if there were one Government.[the_ad id=”17142″]
How to bring it about under these circumstances when political leaders of each country wish to perpetuate their own supremacy over the ignorant and innocent masses of their country. A deep understanding of human nature and a wide knowledge of human society will bring home to one that world unity cannot be achieved by any industrial reorganization, economic planning, political reconstruction or social reform–not to say anything of religious conversion which is against the spirit of the age. It is a. foolish dream that all people of the world can someday accept the same political ideology, religious creed or ethical code. As no two faces are identical, so no two persons can have an identical, political, religious or ethical creed. There will never come a time when all men and women of the world will share the same view. What mankind today needs is acceptance and recognition of differences, their understanding and tolerance, and not their abolition and opposition. We must realize that others have as much right to exist as we have, that others have as much right to hold their own views as we have to hold our own. We must be prepared to let others have the same freedom to think in their own way, as we think we should have. World unity can only be based on the principle of freedom; on recognition, respect, and tolerance, of individual differences, on mutual goodwill and co-operation and on universal justice rather than on the acceptance of any common ideology, creed or code. For the realization of this idea, which is the fundamental basis of world unity or One-World Government, a fèw suggestion are given below
1. Propaganda in Favour of World Unity
Attempt should be made at revolutionizing the thought of the people by all sorts of propaganda through the press, the radio, lectures and talks, and bringing home to all men and women the truth that the humanity is one, the earth is one, the interests of all people are common and mutually dependent, and that all human beings have equal rights to exist, to thrive, to get knowledge and to have as much freedom as does not restrict others freedom and does not cause sufferings to others. Modern biology has revealed that a human body is not a numerical unity but as a well-organized society of billions of individually living cells. These cells live their own individual and independent life in a way in which there are co-operation and harmony with the life of other cells and with the life of the totality, of cells called the body. In a healthy body all cells, tissues, organs, and systems, work in a wonderfully harmonious co-operation resulting in a feeling of unity and joy. To hasten this sense of organic unity in human society, vigorous and widespread propaganda through all possible means is needed.[the_ad id=”17150″]
2. Fair Criticism of National Evils
The evils of a separate. and independent government for each country should be pointed out in lectures, pamphlets, radio, talks, and papers contributed to international conferences. In this respect, it is necessary to keep in mind that the criticism of individual national states must be fair and impartial, frank and fearless. People should form opinions on the basis of facts, setting aside prejudices, emotions, and sentiments which are not in conformity with facts. Reason must rule not only the life of an individual but also the behavior of groups. Instead of being masses, our groups should become associations, in which every individual has the right and liberty to express his views and to differ from others. The behavior patterns of our groups should be determined by thought, deliberation, consideration of all sides of the question, proper understanding of the situation in the light of impartial investigation, and by a clear idea of the immediate as well as of the far-reaching consequences.
3. Formation of International Organizations in Different Fields
International organizations in as many fields as possible such as scientific, literary, philosophical, social, religious, financial and sanitary-should be formed, multiplied and encouraged. Their meetings should be held as many times as possible in different countries and in these meetings, the barriers of passports and visas tariffs, exchange controls, and such other restrictions of the governments as stand in the way of people of one country coming in contact with those of others, should be pointed out and discussed. The idea is that life should be internationalized in as many spheres and activities as possible. Let everyone, philosophers, scientists, literary artists, businessmen, industrialists and citizens of the world, look at every problem of life from a human and rational point of view, from the point of view of; world-organization. Let people vote in elections all the world over for such candidates that believe and promise to work for the world-republic. In this way, a world-revolution in favor of the world-state will be brought about within a short time.
4. Development of a New Outlook
A new outlook in science, philosophy, and religion which recognizes the oneness of humanity, the brotherhood of all nations, and freedom and fellowship of all individuals should be formulated and preached everywhere in the world. In formulating this outlook the universal teachings of the Quran, the Bible should be composed by a Committee of thinkers chosen from all countries and all religions. It should include only such teachings of the past prophets and modern thinkers as emphasizing the oneness of the world, brotherhood of man, and interconnectedness of the interests of all human beings. Such a Bible should be a small one, and should be published in all languages; and should be distributed free, if possible, to all reading public. [the_ad id=”17144″]
How is the world state to come into existence is rather a political problem than a moral one? But as the problem has already been judged and tackled politically to a large extent without resulting in the production of any success, the moral aspect needs to be emphasized much more than ever. All kinds of reform without a moral one are meaningless. The chief malady of the age is that the victorious nations do not want to surrender their sovereignty in favor of a sovereign world-state. They still believe in the old philosophy of nationalism and the idea of internationalism on a worldwide basis is still foreign and repugnant to them What is desired is not an alliance of the victors alone, or of the free nations alone, but an alliance, a union, an organization of all the communities and nations existing on the face of the earth on the basis of freedom, equality, fellowship and justice without any consideration, whether they are rulers or ruled, and whether they are white or colored.
[the_ad id=”17151″]Before a true world-state with its all-around world order can arise; all-powerful states must surrender their sovereignty to it, all subject nations should be declared absolutely free and equal in status to all free nations, and every individual living on earth must he granted minimum natural rights. It is only then that the world, the state will have the allegiance and loyalty of all and every human being on earth identified with it in the same way as he has in the past identified with the family, with the community, with the nation and with other organizations which brought him security or pain. It is needless to say that the world-stats should be organized from top to bottom on an unalloyed democratic basis and it should be republican in its form. When the leaders will develop this outlook, think, believe and feel that the world is one, that the humanity is a family, and that all men and women are brothers and sisters in the same family, the dream of One World Government will become a reality, and we shall. be able to use the words of Tennyson,
“Ring out the thousand wars of old, Ring in the thousand years of peace.”