Thursday, July 26, 2007

Who Owns the Earth?


The theme of Global Dialogue 2008 is:
The planet-Life-Soul of Humanity symbiotical relationship
which brings up a question
Who owns the Earth?


Whoever owns the land exerts power over those who are landless. We have not yet extended democratic principles down to the ownership and control of the earth. How can the young be expected to defend their homeland when they come home to find they have no stake in the land? The inequitable distribution of land ownership affects our society, our politics, our environment, our communities - and ultimately our sense of well-being as a people. The Global Economic Model proposed by the Global Community has first and foremost the well-being of all the people on this planet. It is based on the triple bottom line of social justice, restoration and protection of the environment, and the strength and stability to provide security in basic needs. The ethics of the Global Economic Model flows out of a profound perception that the rights of human beings and the rights of the planet are one and the same.
Again here we will keep this dialogue within the "philosophy of life" framework of the Global Community, some called it the religion of the third millennium, others called it the politics of the future generations now. Let us remind everyone the definition that has been guiding us throughout the previous dialogues:

"The Global Community is defined as being all that exits or occurs at any location at any time between the Ozone layer above and the core of the planet below."
This is the fundamental definition of the expression "Global Community" first defined by myself and my wife Virginie in 1985. This definition includes all people, all life on Earth. It also implicitly says that no-one in particular owns the Earth but we all own it together. Not just us people, but all life on Earth owns it. The beginning of life stretches as far back as 4 billion years, and so Life claims its birthright of ownership of Earth, and so does the Soul of all Life, the Soul of Humanity. Throughout this dialogue the land ownership of the Earth means ownership of the land and of all other Earth natural resources.

"A global community" is not about a piece of land you acquired by force or otherwise. One could think of a typical community that does not have to be bounded by a geographical or political border. It can be people living in many different locations all over the world. The Global Community is thus more fluid and dynamic. We need to let go the archaic ways of seeing a community as the street where we live and contained by a border. Many conflicts and wars will be avoided by seeing ourselves as people with a heart, a mind and a Soul, and as part of a community with the same.

The old concept of a community being the street where we live in and surrounded by a definite geographical and political boundary has originated during the Roman Empire period. An entire new system of values was then created to make things work for the Roman Empire. Humanity has lived with this concept over two thousand years. Peoples from all over the world are ready to kill anyone challenging their border. They say that this is their land, their property, their 'things'. This archaic concept is endangering humanity and its survival. The Roman Empire has gone but its culture is still affecting us today. We need to let go the old way of thinking. We need to learn of the new concept, and how it can make things work in the world.

A typical community may be what a group of people, together, wants it to be. It can be a group of people sharing with the same values. It can be a group of people with the same cultural background, or the same religious background. Or they can be people with totally different backgrounds and beliefs. The people making a global community may be living in many different locations on the planet. With today's communications it is easy to group people in this fashion. It can be a village, or two villages together where people have decided to unite as one community. The two villages may be found in different parts of the world. It can be a town, a city, or a nation. It can be two or more nations together.

Following this thinking we see land ownership is no longer a problem. The Earth and all its natural resources belong to all the "global communities" contained therein. A village, or a city is "a global community" and owns the land around its boundaries. Along with the Global Community, it has ownership of all natural resources within its boundaries. We will see in the Preview how this new system can work.

As mentioned above, land here, by definition, covers all naturally occurring resources like surface land, minerals deposits (gold, oil and gas etc), water, electromagnetic spectrum, the trees, fish in the seas and rivers. It is unjust to treat land as private property. Land is not a product of labor. Everyone should therefore be given equal access to such natural resources.

The Global Economic Model can achieve fairness in distribution, maximum efficiency in wealth production, and securing collective needs. The approach is based on the equal right of all to the land and to all other natural resources, and the right of the individual to the products of labor. The method requires to collect for the people the "ground rent" which means the value of land and of other natural resources, and to remove taxes on labor.

A condition of "ownership" of any particular landsite or natural resource is payment of the ground rent back to the community as a whole. Ground rent is the proper source of public finance for the collective needs of the community. Alternatively, ground rent can be redistributed by direct payment back to all individuals, much as a company returns dividends to its stockholders.

It is not necessary for each person to own land outright in order thereby to secure their fair share of the Earth. Persons "owning" land or resource rights would profit through their labor, which is untaxed, not through the privilege of exclusive ownership. If they have a better located land site or richer mineral lands, they pay higher ground rents back to the community, thus equalizing results of labor applied to greater or lesser valuable natural resources.

There is no need to forcefully confiscate land titles in order to secure the equal right of all to the Earth. With ground rent as the source of public finance the people as a whole become the "owner" and a title deed functions as a "lease" agreement. The community "allows" individual private use of sites on the condition that its fair rental value is paid to the community. If a particular land site is misused or abused, then the community must charge a higher rate to pay for damages and cost of restoration. Thus there is individual incentive for proper care of the Earth.

On the global level the Law of the Seas Covenant is an example of a ground rent basis for public needs as it has affirmed that ocean resources are the common heritage of all and a proper source of funding for global institutions. Water belongs to the earth and all species and is sacred to life therefore, the world’s water must be conserved, reclaimed and protected for all future generations and its natural patterns respected.

Water is a fundamental human right and a public trust to be guarded by all levels of government; therefore, it should not be commodified, privatized or traded for commercial purposes. These rights must be enshrined at all levels of government. In particular, an international treaty must ensure these principles are noncontrovertable.

Water is best protected by local communities and citizens, who must be respected as equal partners with governments in the protection and regulation of water. Peoples of the earth are the only vehicle to promote democracy and save water.

Similarly, all the Earth natural resources belong to the Global Community to be used, developed and conserved for the maximum benefit of the people and of all life. However, the challenges of global warming and non-renewable resource depletion dictates that oil and other non-renewable resource rents should be invested in socially and environmentally responsible ways and primarily in the needed transition to renewable energy technologies. The tax put on non-renewable resources in the world should be citizen empowered.

The Global Economic Model allows for the establishment of micro credit facilities, especially for farmers and women, to promote their access to forms of land tenure that facilitate access to and ownership of land.The Global Community should set up expert groups and begin the necessary intergovernmental negotiations towards establishing alternative revenue sources, which could include fees for the commercial use of the oceans, fees for airplane use of the skies, fees for use of the electromagnetic spectrum, fees levied on foreign exchange transactions, and a tax on carbon content of fuels.

The goal of the Global Economic Model policy is to create a model of public finance which offers incentives for:


Correct allocation of wealth amongst every global citizen.


The Global Community is promoting the settling of disputes between nations through the process of the Earth Court of Justice. Justice for all is what we want. Justice without borders! And politics without borders! And a process for the peaceful resolution of territorial conflicts.


Provide food for everyone.


Universal health care, education, retirement security and employment services to every Global Citizen. The Global Civil Service Administration and Planning provides the Global Community with adequate and efficient government services.


The democratic base of leadership.


Environmental protection.

The model makes a clear distinction between private property and common property. Private property is that which is created by labor. Common property is that which is provided by nature. The Global Economic Model policy removes taxes from wages and other private property and increases taxes and user fees on common property. Reducing taxes on labor increases purchasing capacity, reducing taxes on capital encourages efficiency. Shifting taxes to land and resources curbs speculation and private profiteering in our common property and is a practical way to conserve and fairly share the earth.

This thinking should give us a fresh start for a better future and bring some light to understanding previous claims of the many different groups such as:


Native and aboriginal people claiming that their ancestors owned the land so now they do


God gave it to us so the land is ours


Property ownership system of the Roman Empire to today, our social-economic system of land owership


The military power of this world forcing ownership of land and of all other Earth natural resources against the will of everyone else

None of the above groups can claim ownership of the land and of other Earth natural resources. They never did own land and other Earth natural resources. And they never will.

Only the Global Community can rightfully claim ownership of the Earth.

The theme of this Global Dialogue being "The planet-Life-Soul of Humanity symbiotical relationship", we will see how the relationship can help this generation of young people and the next ones to remain healthy.

The young people of to-day are interested in all the secret wisdom behind all the existing religions and sifting out the common truths. They seek the best of the best. They are aware of the Soul of Humanity and have established a spiritual symbiotical relationship with it, and thus with God. They seek the exaltation and merging of their Souls into one to gain strength, friendship, creativity, love and light.

Their childhood conditioning has prepared them to act on a firm understanding of what it takes to get along with others, working as a group.

They are educated to understand a broad panorama of human truths ~ all those universal needs and rights every one shares. The Scale of Human and Earth Rights has become an inner truth and the benchmark of the millennium in how they see all values. The Earth Court of Justice brings security, peace and justice for all. They no longer fear the unknown as Justice is for everyone and is everywhere, a universal constant. The Global Justice Movement for all life is now driven by these young people.

They see money for what it is - energy to use for good.

Their idea of power is power over Self.

Each and every Self is dedicated to an idea for good that others can share together in creating this new Eden. Doing good and the well-being of the "other" have become the basic building block of any symbiotical relationship.

What we have here is the birth of genuine group concern and unconditional support for the individual's well-being ~ a giant leap in human behaviour which could well change the functioning of global communities everywhere. We are becoming the human family. This new "philosophy of life" of the Global Community has made grounds in people's way of life.

What we have here is the age of global co-operation and symbiotical relationships of all types for the good of all. An age with a mind, a heart and a Soul of its own. A unique and wonderful age never seen before over the entire human history! An age with a vision to caring for life and Earth! An age of the Soul!

As your spiritual leader I urge you all to participate in Global Dialogue 2008. Tell us what you think.