Law and Lawlessness

   Today humanity is standing at crossroads.  One path leads to unity, peace and prosperity and the other leads to disunity, chaos and uncertainty. After the end of so called 'Cold War' the United States tried to act as an international policeman and maintain law and order, but its actions lacked legitimacy and have often been criticised sometimes even by the traditional US allies.  However, since the 11th of September 2001, international terrorism has emerged as the biggest threat to civilized living and the modern nation states.

   International Terrorism is a result of international lawlessness, a grim scenario where people opt for violent destructive acts to draw attention to their grievances, real or imaginary, for which they feel the system does not offer any remedy or solution. 

   Some people mistakenly believe that there are some international laws but in reality there is no enforceable international law which would be universally applicable on all the countries and peoples of the world.  A law that has no legal sanctity, is not legally enforceable and if it does not carry a penalty for its violation it cannot be called a law at all.  In that sense, today there is indeed no international law in the world, in the absence of which there is total lawlessness in the world reflected in the increased instances of international terrorism.  Today, international terrorism demands enforceable international law because international terrorism can only be curbed through enforceable international law and not by war, whether between two or more countries or even a World War.

Ineffectiveness of the United Nations

   Like its unmourned predecessor, the League of Nations, the United Nations has also failed to fulfil the objectives for which it was formed.  In the five and a half decades of its existence, the UNO has seen more people die n numerous wars all over the world, than had died in both the world wars ombined.  The UNO also saw the nuclear countries build up massive tockpiles of nuclear weapons, said to be over 36,000 warheads strong. oreover, 80 countries have also stockpiled chemical and biological weapons. The UNO has been a silent spectator to all this and more. In its half a century of existence, it has merely watched as three fourths of the earth's
tropical forest cover disappeared.  Even though the UNO has many chievements to its credit, in the ultimate analysis, one has to admit that i has fallen far short of the expectations of its founding fathers.  One is  reminded of what Jan Tinbergen, the 1969 Noble Laureate in Economics, said,"World's problems can no longer be solved by national governments.  What is needed is a World Government. This can best be achieved by strengthening the United Nations system."

Need of the Hour

      With the rapid developments in science, technology and communications,  the world today has become a global village where people from all the countries have to live in close cooperation for mutual progress, development  and survival.  In this changed scenario, the old mindset has become redundant and a new mindset is needed for the new millennium.  The crying need of the new age is for unity of humankind and peace in the world.  There is thus an urgent need for a legally-constituted law making body i.e. World
Parliament, for enacting enforceable International Laws that are applicable on all the countries and the peoples of the world.  Only a
legally-constituted World Parliament can ensure unity of humankind and preserve world peace by banning the teaching of hatred in schools and emphasizing teaching world unity,  world peace and co-existence of mankind.

Education for World Peace

   In order to successfully meet the deadly threat of international terrorism, unprecedented levels of international cooperation and global
efforts are needed.  International problems cannot be solved by national governments.  Also, it has to be realized that the vehicle of war cannot take humanity very far.  If ever there is to be effective international cooperation, such as was hoped for by the League of Nations and the United Nations, then there has to be a very widespread effort at inculcating globalism in children all over the world and developing their mindset towards globalism. Only then will a true generation of world citizens arise. But for this to happen, schools will have to teach their children love of the Creator and love for His creation.

   Terrorism, like war, begins in the minds of men and it is in the mind of man where the defences of peace have to be constructed.  This can best be done in the schools when children are young and impressionable.

      True education releases capacities, develops analytical abilities, confidence in oneself, will power and goal setting competencies, and instills the vision that enables one to become a self-motivated agent of social change, serving the best interests of the community.   At certain moment in history, education must also act as a powerful instrument for profound social transformation.  Such a moment has now arrived.

World Parliament for World Peace

   New revolutionary changes in the technology of transport and communications have reduced the world to a global village.  People living on the opposite sides of the globe have become virtual neighbours, thanks to the internet and supersonic jets.  In such a close-knit world, the emergence or formation of a world government is only a matter of time. The mute question is whether the unification of humankind will happen after unimaginable horrors precipitated by humanity's stubborn clinging to old patterns of behaviour, or is to be embraced now by an act of consultative will.  However, there can be little doubt that only a World Parliament can ensure world peace, implement global steps to conserve the environment and outlaw and eliminate all weapons of mass destruction, thus safeguarding the
future of world's children, born and yet-to-be-born.