Reforming the Charter to More Effectively Deal with Aggression
The United Nations Charter does not outlaw war, it outlaws aggression.
Reforming the Security Council
The composition and methods of the Security Council are antiquated and only minimally effective in keeping or restoring the peace.
Forecasting and Managing Conflicts Early On: A Conflict Management
The UN needs to become far more proactive in foreseeing and preventing conflicts where possible, and quickly and nonviolently intervening in conflicts that have ignited in order to put out the fires quickly.
Reform the General Assembly
Several recommendations exist to make the GA more effective.
Strengthen the International Court of Justice
The ICJ or “World Court” is the principal judicial body of the United Nations.
Strengthen the International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is a permanent Court, created by a treaty, the “Rome Statute,” which came into force on 1 July, 2002 after ratification by 60 nations.
Nonviolent Intervention: Civilian Peacekeeping Forces
Trained, nonviolent and unarmed civilian forces have for over twenty years been invited to intervene in conflicts around the world to provide protection for human rights defenders and peace workers by maintaining a high profile physical presence accompanying threatened individuals and organizations.
International Law
International Law has no defined area or governing body. It is composed of many laws, rules, and customs governing the relations between different nations, their governments, businesses, and organizations.
Encourage Compliance With Existing Treaties
Crucial treaties for controlling war that are now in force are not recognized by a few critical nations.
Create New Treaties
The evolving world situation will always require the consideration of new treaties, and there are currently three that should be taken up immediately.
Create a Stable, Fair and Sustainable Global Economy as a Foundation for Peace
War, economic injustice and failure of sustainability are tied together in many ways.
Democratize International Economic Institutions (WTO, IMF, IBRD)
Numerous problems exist with these bodies.
Create an Environmentally Sustainable Global Marshall Plan
A Global Marshall Plan could support efforts to achieve economic and environmental justice worldwide.
A Proposal For Starting Over: A Democratic, Citizens Global Parliament
Could the United Nations be replaced with a more effective body?
Inherent Problems With Collective Security
Collective security predicated on militarized solutions tends to threaten or actually carry out a larger war to deter or prevent a smaller war.
International Non-government Organizations: The Role of Global Civil Society
(This is section 53 of the World Beyond War white paper A Global Security System: An Alternative to War. Continue to preceding | following section.)
Creating a Culture of Peace
A culture of peace depends on the dealing with the “climate of thought” that allows politicians and everyone else to prepare for and carry out massive violence.
The Unprecedented Peace Revolution of Modern Times
Twenty-eight trends are clearly visible leading toward a developing global peace system.
Debunking Old Myths about War
Modern societies are often guided by a set of beliefs about conflict that are at best unquestioned myths. These need to be widely challenged.
Planetary Citizenship: One People, One Planet, One Peace
Today the single most important responsibility of national governments and governing agreements at the international level is the protection of the commons.
Spreading and Funding Peace Education and Peace Research
The new fields of peace research and peace education developed in the wake of the catastrophe that was World War II and accelerated in the 1980s after the world came close to nuclear annihilation.
Cultivating Peace Journalism
In peace journalism, editors and writers give the reader a chance to consider nonviolent responses to conflict rather than the usual knee-jerk reaction of counter violence.
Encouraging the Work of Peaceful Religious Initiatives
Regardless of one’s faith tradition, rejection of institutional religion, spiritual direction or complete atheism, the work by peaceful religious initiatives is encouraging and should be further encouraged.
Accelerating The Transition To An Alternative Security System
If we want war to end, we are going to have to work to end it.
Educating the Many and the Decision and Opinion Makers
Books, print media articles, speaker’s bureaus, radio and television appearances, electronic media, conferences, etc., will be employed to spread the word about the myths and institutions that perpetuate war.
Nonviolent Direct Action Campaigns
Huge public campaigns/movements have a way of bringing people’s attention to questions they have not been focused on.
A Global Security System: An Alternative to War — Conclusion
(This is the conclusion of the World Beyond War white paper A Global Security System: An Alternative to War.) War is always a choice and
