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CALL
FOR ROUND TABLES FOR PEACE
AND A
DEPARTEMENT FOR PEACE IN GOVERNMENTS
THE
GLOBAL ROUND TABLE FOR PEACE INITIATIVE
Dr.
Michael Ellis
www.centreforchange.org
www.newparadigmjournal.com
Please
contact me if you wish to help and support the Centre For
Change in promulgating this initiative on
centreforchange@ozemail.com.au
or michaelellis@alumni.swinburne.edu
Our Global Round table
for peace initiative is a response to the deteriorating
situation in the World. Conflict is occurring at an
unprecedented level as we are confronted with the seeds of
change.
On social,
environmental and health fronts, we are confronting a
critical transition. We are facing the results of an
epistemology, which focuses on material and rational values,
human supremacy and competition for domination. Will this
transition be into chaos and destruction or will it be into
a new paradigm based on spiritual, ecological connectedness
and co-operation?
We are a planet in
crisis. In 1995, NASA space photographer, Richard Underwood,
noted enormous changes in planetary degradation seen from
space in a period of 10 years.
Dr. C. G. Jung in The
Undiscovered Self said 'The psyche is endowed with dignity,
which philosophically gives it a dignity equal to a human
being. Consciousness must be granted this status of human
existence and the individual, who is only the source of
consciousness, must be allowed a corresponding significance
in society. Institutions of ideology and religion permit
individuality only in so far as the individual does not
oppose their dogmas, otherwise he is condemned as a heretic
and/or eccentric".
Similarly the modern
state with its industrial, military complex in the hands of
a comparatively few people has a tendency to dictate the
course of society and to suppress any full expression of
individuality amongst the mass of the population. It is a
dangerous habit of our age to think only in large numbers,
mass organizations and mega deaths.
In order to resolve
international conflict and understand our place in the
universe, we require a renaissance in consciousness, ethics
and values and a new epistemology if we are to sustainably
survive.
The largest gathering
of heads of state in history was held at the United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development in Rio in June of
1992. In November 1992, the following statement was issued
by 1,600 senior scientists:
No more than
one or a few decades remain
We, the undersigned,
senior members of the world's scientific community hereby
warn all humanity of what lies ahead. A great change in
our stewardship of the Earth and life on it is required
if vast human misery is to be avoided, and our global
home on this planet is not to be irretrievably
damaged.
World Scientists'
Warning to Humanity signed by 1,600 senior scientists
including half of all Nobel Prize Winners and
representing 71 countries, 18 November 1992.
The aim of The Centre
For Change is to establish Round Tables For Peace of
Distinguished Human Beings from all over the Planet as a
Global Think Tank and 'Circle for Synergy &
Responsibility' - bringing together all aspects of Global
Thinking, Wisdom and Perception from scientific to spiritual
in order to look for and debate solutions at this critical
time through an openness of dialogue.
THE GLOBAL ROUND
TABLE FOR PEACE INITIATIVE
Dr. Michael
Ellis
The Centre for Change
in the Third Millennium - is supporting a decade of open and
ongoing dialogue on key issues affecting the future of human
kind. The aim of The Centre for Change is to involve
community and business highlighting healing, education and
social integration in order to create a more sustainable and
peaceful world.
We are calling for the
establishment of a Round Table for Peace leading to the
establishment of a Department for Peace in Government
devoted to new ways of thinking, perceiving and
understanding, developing a culture of Healing in Society,
and facilitating nonviolent solutions to domestic and
international conflict.
Humankind has reached
a state of development in which old modes of thinking and
behaving threaten to destroy our planet.
The old modes of our
conduct of life (The Ways of perceiving, feeling, thinking
and acting) or the old paradigm are being forced on us to an
even greater extent by the neo-conservative Orwellian,
economic rationalist regime of Western Society. This gradual
intrusive process is by its very nature eroding creativity
and freedom of expression of art and culture.
Our health system
worldwide is in crisis. This crisis is exacerbated by the
costs and profits generated by the pharmaceutical industry.
It is no wonder that the health system is in crisis when the
whole essence of health care is to make profit based on the
use of allopathic drugs. The pharmaceutical industry exists
and feeds on illness. Without illness it cannot grow.
Despite remarkable achievements in some aspects of orthodox
medicine, the world's leading conventional institutions are
responsible for an enormous death toll across the
globe.
Nutritional and stress
factors play an important role in the causes of these three
killer diseases (1)
Over the past three
decades there has been a virtual explosion in information in
the medical and scientific literature relating nutrition,
lifestyle and depression to disease. (2)
This is why we see so
many patients with their immune systems compromised by
stress and depression and pharmaceutical treatment. Stress
and depression in one in three people in Australia are
surely signs that in terms of community, support and caring
we are losing out. People are competing for survival and
work rather than creating friendships and developing mature
relationships and families.
Unless governance
becomes more participatory and people have a real say at
what they want in terms of their dreams and how they can
express themselves in terms of real values and positive
attitudes, our society will become like a dictatorship run
by a cruel bureaucratic elite and watched over by a very
wealthy minority.
We need to get back to
the concept of true education and true healing if we wish to
see a society which will flourish in every way including
economically.
We have to realize
that the kind of life that we currently live is not
conducive to happiness, health and wellness when we are
surrounded by a world full of conflict and wars. We are in a
global crisis in terms of population, health and
environmental degradation. Half of the Nobel Prize winners
of the world at the Rio Summit in 1992 stated that we had
only a short period of time for our planet to be either
severely mutilated or for us to create a sustainable
community and environment.
We live in a
disenfranchised world and communities with massive health
problems. Within this society there is tremendous emphasis
on wealth and consumerism where the emphasis is on economics
which is utterly unconcerned about the wellbeing of the
individual. Economics is only concerned about the rationale
for the accumulation of wealth no matter what the
consequences for the people or environment.
When people feel
uncared for the result is illness. Economic rationalism is
an expression of how we are losing our sense of community
and connection with all of life. In general there has to be
a massive change in consciousness if we are to survive.
Consciousness is also the key word when it comes to taking
responsibility for healing one self and healing the planet.
It is an indictment on
the ruling hegemony of the world, politicians and
presidents, governments and CEOs of large organizations that
they allow and even condone conflict within their own
politicking as well as between rivals and have no knowledge
of the significance of the social determinants of well being
and health. (3)
It seems that the
military industrial complex, the multiplying wars, the
pollution of our rivers and seas and skies, the inhumanity
of man against man and global inequity and poverty are
having tremendous deleterious effects on the state of the
world creating an eroded planet and a dis-eased
Humanity.
If we do not address
the basic social and environment and nutritional
determinants of health we are only going to further inflame
our present global crisis to the extent of creating an
increasing spiraling of global disease and
stress.
Of course the stress,
anxiety and depression can manifest itself in the way
nations respond to each other and the way they are not able
to manage conflict resolution or look at things in a calm
long term view.
The minds of people
who are leaders in the Global community should be able to
see things wisely and with compassion, However it seems that
they are experiencing mental processes which can only create
dissonance and poor decision making.
It is therefore time
that we begin to bring healing into the context of society
on a global and political level if we are to create a more
sustainable and happy humanity.
It is for this reason
that The Centre For Change proposes the establishment of a
Round Tables For Peace leading to the establishment of a
Department for Peace in Governments devoted to new ways of
thinking, developing a culture of Healing in Society, and
facilitating nonviolent solutions to domestic and
international conflict. We need to create a better
sustainable world through reappraisal of what it means to be
a human being in harmony with the environment.
References
1)
Australia. Health targets and implementation (Health for
All) Committee. Health for all Australians: Introducing the
Report of the Health Targets and implementation (Health for
All) Committee. Canberra: AGPS, 1988; 2-4.
Brighthope I E "The
role of nutritional medicine in general practice." Aust Fam
Phys 1990;19(3)
2)
The health of an individual in society is tied up and
inextricably related to, lifestyle change, reduction of
stress and the fundamental conditions for resources and
health including peace, shelter, education, food, income, a
stable eco-system, sustainable resources, social justice and
equity. (International Conference of Health Promotion,
Ottawa 1986).
3)
Sir Michael Marmot is Professor of Epidemiology and Public
Health and Director of the International Centre for Health
and Society at University College London, as well as Adjunct
Professor of Health and Social Behaviour at the Harvard
School of Public Health. Sir Michael Marmot has said that
even in the most affluent countries people who are less well
off have substantially shorter life expectancies than the
rich. Professor Marmot for the World Health Organization
defined ten social determinants of health for the World
Health Organisation. The details are given below. What is
significant from these determinants is that stress harms
health and people become vulnerable to a wide range of major
conditions including, cardiovascular disease, infections and
diabetes. It has also been shown that social exclusion
creates illness and morbidity. The message is that when
people feel loved and are in jobs that they relate to and
feel happy with and are in communities that are supporting
they are likely to live longer and fulfilling lives. Whereas
exclusion within communities and work and unemployment and
lack of social support creates a wide range of diseases that
we see nowadays in our society including depression, cancer,
cardiovascular disease and premature death.
The Ten
Social Determinants of Health are:
1. Social
and economic circumstances strongly effect health
throughout life.
2. Stress harms
health.
3. The effects
of early development in the neo-natal period and
infancy last a lifetime.
4. Social
exclusion creates suffering and morbidity.
5. Stress in the
workplace increases the risk of disease
6. Job security
increases health, well-being and job satisfaction.
Unemployment is deleterious to health.
7. Social
support, friendship, good social relations and strong
supportive networks improve health at home, work and
in the community.
8. Addiction to
drugs and alcohol is influenced by social
determinants.
9. Nutrition is
a key determinant of health.
10. Transport
through the use of walking and exercise in a
sustainable environment enhances health.
"Love alone
is capable of uniting living beings is such a way as to
complete and fulfill them, for it alone takes them and joins
them by what is deepest in themselves. Understanding,
co-operation and love are the keys to human
survival."
-
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
We
cannot solve the problems of the world with mechanisms, but
only by changing the hearts and minds of men and speaking
courageously'.
-
Albert Einstein
-----
DR.
MICHAEL ELLIS MBBS MRCP DCH MACNEM NPAA BA (Hons) Dip
Grad (Nutr Med)
Dr.
Michael Ellis is an English trained Doctor with over 20
years of General Practice experience both in the UK and
in Australia. He has higher qualifications in general
medicine and Paediatrics. He has a special interest in
mind/ body medicine and in optimising the physical,
mental and emotional health of the individual.
As well
as his medical qualifications, Dr. Ellis also has an
Honours Degree in Literature, Arts, Philosophy and Social
Psychology. He also has Naturopathic
qualifications.
He is
Founder of The Centre For Change www.centreforchange.org
and Co Founder of The Medical Renaissance Movement
www.medicalrenaissance.org.
He is Chief Editor, Co Publisher and Creative vision
behind The New Paradigm Journal www.newparadigmjournal.com
Emanzipation
Humanum,
version Oct. 2006, Criticism, suggestions as to form and
content, dialogue, translation into other languages are all
desired
http://emanzipationhumanum.de/english/roundtable.html
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