By Guido Montani
This piece is a response to John Vlasto’s opinion piece entitled “The best thing you can do to save humanity from itself”
I agree with your article addressed to US citizens and with the invitation to take part in the “Campaign to strengthen global governance towards democratic world federation”. However, it seems to me that the American citizens you are addressing might object: “how is it possible that the US government accepts a proposal towards global governance while in NATO it is forced to support, together with the Europeans, the Ukrainian government in the war against Russia (and its allies) and while a new war front has opened in the Middle East?”. The United States cannot relinquish its historic responsibilities in international politics that it has inherited from the last century.
More generally, the future of humanity, as you recall, is threatened by two existential dangers: the first is that of a nuclear war between great powers; the second is the irreversible climate crisis. The ecological salvation of the planet would require interventions that national governments continually postpone, because they favor other priorities, such as spending on armaments, which are constantly increasing.
International politics is rapidly sliding towards a situation reminiscent of what happened between the two world wars of the last century. Protectionism in international trade is increasing and conflicts between small and large powers are persistent. According to The Economist Protectionism increases production costs, reduces economic growth and increases social conflicts. “Economic integration might not ensure peace. But with the costs of disengagement increasingly being borne already, the marginal cost of war is falling” (The New Economic Order, May 11th-17th, 2024: p. 12). Some European countries, in addition to increasing military spending, are planning to re-introduce compulsory military conscription. Europe, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012 for eliminating war from the continent, is denying the ideals of its foundation.
As a federalist and as a citizen of the world, I have been working to try to reverse this dramatic race of humanity towards its self-destruction. As you know, I am committed to finding consensus on the proposal for a “Global Green Deal”, because the fight against climate change is a danger that, unlike the atomic bomb, forces large and small powers to dialogue. The reform I propose for the Global Green Deal is a new Bretton Woods, a reform of the IMF, which would represent a global governance for the world economy between rival powers today (in particular the USA, China, Europe). At the same time, this reform would make it possible to reduce the wealth gap between rich and poor countries, thanks to a greater fiscal capacity of the United Nations. I have analytically developed this proposal in my latest book (Anthropocene and Cosmopolitan Citizenship. Europe and the New International Order, Routledge, 2024).
Finally, it is necessary for federalists and the citizens of the world to make proposals to initiate a serious reform of the United Nations, which is currently in deep crisis. The Security Council no longer performs any function of world governance. Together with Michel Monod (Eirene, Geneva) I have prepared a Petition to the United Nations in order to establish a Commission (therefore a debate among UN members on the future of the Planet) to address a serious reform of the UN on the basis of Albert Einstein’s proposal to establish a “supranational police force based on law”. I am attaching the text of the petition which I hope will also be adopted by the WFM.
In conclusion, I do not believe that today the great and small powers are prepared to consider the creation of a world federation. First, it is necessary to stop the race of world politics towards war and environmental catastrophe. Pacification between great and small powers is the intermediate stage towards universal peace and world federation.