"World Citizen" - Letter From District 4150 - Guadalajara, Mexico - September 2005

"I am Rotarian and World Citizen"

In the past for thousands of years, mankind was dispersed in different lands of the five continents and the ones that were close to each other were frequently at odds. War and peace were constant and many empires arose and fell in the midst of that process. After two world wars last century, we have learned that we cannot afford a nuclear war, and even though the UN has done a remarkable and constructive effort for 60 years, time has come to think, analize and make new proposals to guarantee a lasting peace for international comunity.
Now, all nations and most people of the XXIst century are or will be linked by the media and more knowledge of the different cultures and personal contact in many ways of great diversity through out the world. We members of Rotary International, as world citizens may contribute to make the risk of a third world war move away, if we take action to create awereness that humanity deserves world peace and therefore is necessary the reform and the renewal of United Nations.
I belive, the real and effective instrument to guarantee the safety of the planet and survival of mankind would be accomplished, without any doubt, through the transformation of the UN into a World Federation of Nations. Some time ago, this proposal seemed nonsense or pure idealism. Let me remind, with the globalization of the economy, entertainment, culture, science, technology, terrorism, organized crime and urgent need to stop the planet´s global warming, a new international legal and political order is absolutely necessary for its solution.
Of course, through weighted voting most powerful nations would have a major number of delegates in what could be the World Congress and thus the present principle of one vote for each one of the nations in the General Assembly of the UN, necessarily most be eliminated. At same time, is possible to encourage the creation of regional blocks like the European Union which is enlightening future federalism. On the other hand a good example of democracy has been the constitutional process of the United States of America with its succesful federalism and checks and balances system, that has worked for over 200 years. Also we may learn from other west or oriental ancient cultures that deserve recognition and respect.
As Rotarians, we can work in good faith to create awareness in civil society for giving the UN capacities of good global governance as civil authority and for the renewal of the international organizations that help maintain peace, such as NATO, extended to and for the security of the whole world to guarantee international democracy, justice and the rule of law.
Our only desire in our Guadalajara Industrial rotary club and our 4150 District, is to propose to the worldwide rotary movement, that in this first year of our second century, we should give testimony that we are not only rotarians, but citizens of the world committed to update our Fourth Objective, “The Understanding, the good will and the peace among the Nations”, which could be added with a new paragraph:
AS CITIZENS OF THE WORLD, WE ARE DETERMINATED TO BUILD A BETTER SOCIETY JOINED BEHIND THE IDEALS OF LOVE, PROSPERITY AND GLOBAL GOBERNANCE FOR OUR PLANET AND ALL HUMANITY, INSPIRED IN OUR ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLE: SERVICE ABOVE SELF.
Francisco Plancarte y García Naranjo (PACO)
R.C.GUADALAJARA INDUSTRIAL
4150 DISTRICT . New York City, September 6, 2005.