WFM Associated Organization | www.sapiens.org.nz | hugh@sapiens.org.nz
Blenheim, New Zealand
The Sapiens Movement was founded with the belief that the current system of international governance, basically unchanged since the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, is now unequipped to deal with the problems confronting all nation-states. They seek to replace the current system with a democratically elected federal world government which would enable the international community to respond to the crises of rapid climate change, rapid population growth, resource depletion, and the conflicts that will accompany them.
Sapiens was established in New Zealand in early 2005 and is currently seeking allied supporters and movements in other countries.
Sapiens focuses on:
Democratizing the UN
While there are many different approaches to how a democratic world government could be brought into existence, Sapiens aims to democratise the UN. The current legal structure of the UN, however, makes this impossible without first overcoming the resistance of the existing Security Council veto holders. Sapiens is working to collaborate with other organizations to develop an approach or combination of approaches to overcoming that obstacle.
International Treaty Process
Sapiens supports the International Treaty Process (ITP) as proposed by professors of International Law Richard Falk and Andrew Strauss. In the initial stages, 20 – 30 selected national governments would surrender key aspects of their national sovereignty to a supranational democratically elected body set up between them. Chief among the rights surrendered will be that of waging war and the freedom to damage environmental areas held in common with others. As the initial ITP is successful, other governments will be persuaded by their citizens to join the cluster. The aim is to mobilise key opinion leaders, journalists, academics and influential business people to move public opinion to demand that their governments take on an international leadership role in this process.
PO Box 701, Blenheim, New Zealand
T: +64 3578-6545
