Roger Kotila
President, Democratic World Federalists
A psychologist and peace activist. Receiving his Ph.D. from Washington State University in 1969, he has worked in community mental health, for the State of California, and in private practice. He has been a radio producer (Earthstar Radio, San Francisco), organized and worked with the homeless, and is an advocate/activist in the nonviolent protest movement for safe energy, human rights, and peaceful solutions. Roger is USA Vice President of the World Constitution and Parliament Association whose mission is to build a parallel world body to the United Nations, an emerging Earth Federation with a Provisional World Parliament under the Earth Constitution
War . There is growing alarm that nuclear war may break out. The articles in this issue of DWF NEWS give some vivid examples of what some analysts consider to be world crimes which can include state-sponsored covert or overt wars to overthrow weaker nations (“regime change”). It can be the economic sabotage applied against Venezuela. Or open US threats to invade Venezuela.
The military invasion and blockade of poverty-stricken Yemen ordered by the Saudi Arabia dictator, the so-called “Crown Prince” Mohammed bin Salman, could be viewed as a world crime. And let us not forget the kleptocracy which runs rampant in the so-called “royal” family. The sovereignty granted nations in the UN Charter makes it difficult for the UN to prevent the private hoarding of a nation’s wealth by its ruling class — be they dictators, oligarchs, or corrupt politicians.
The lack of law and order on the global stage is so extreme that the President of the US dares openly to advocate torture. His new national security advisor, John Bolton, publicly pushes for military attacks on North Korea and Iran if they fail to submit to US demands.
Criminalize War and Nukes
Professor Chossudovsky’s “The Criminalization of War” is on the right track. War and weapons of mass destruction should be outlawed, but the existing geopolitical UN system lacks a duly elected legislative branch (a World Parliament, or a UN Parliamentary Assembly). Bully nations with nukes refuse to agree to a legally binding treaty or UN resolution to ban nuclear weapons. Leaders of powerful nations responsible for world crimes never go to jail. They are above the law. The International Criminal Court, like the UN itself, lacks adequate authority or the tools for real legal enforcement.
Needed: A New Charter for a New UN
UN expert Alfred de Zayas calls for a World Parliamentary Assembly, a world court of human rights, and limitation of the Security Council veto. Such important changes, to be effective, will require a different UN Charter. DWF’s THE SAN FRANCISCO PROMISE is about the legal requirement in the UN Charter itself, for a review. We would like to persuade the UN General Assembly to launch Charter review.
Ideally, the General Assembly would compare the obsolete UN Charter to the Earth Constitution, — the latter the “gold standard” for an authentic democratic world federation, the basis for a “new UN” equipped to end war, eliminate nukes, and much more. The Earth Constitution is in the wings, ready to go. It provides the type of governing structure that will be required for democracy at the global level, for enforceable world law, and for a peaceful, safe, and prosperous world.
Roger Kotila, Ph.D.
President, Democratic World Federalists
