FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CENTURY CEASE FIRE™ IMPERATIVE
1. What is this Petition for A Century Cease-Fire™?
a. This is a student-organized, non-partisan grassroots movement recognizing that the vast majority of people throughout the World --- regardless of their race, religion, national origin, ethnicity or cultural identity --- would prefer peaceful co-existence for their children’s future. Yet, this initiative also recognizes the harsh reality of the grave dangers posed by the infinitesimally small number of extremists who seek to retain their power and influence by destroying the prospects of peaceful co-existence for ALL people (even those of their own race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, or cultural identity).
b. This is an initiative that seeks to leverage a powerful carrot-and-stick approach to human relations --- highlighting the peaceful co-existence possibilities as a unifying aspiration of all people for their children’s benefit; but emphasizing the realistic need today for forceful consequences to be imposed on those extremists who threaten and/or commit heinous acts of violence against those prospects for peaceful co-existence.
c. This is an initiative that draws its strength and relevance from a universal motivating force --- which is also the source of creative innovations for real, sustainable solutions --- namely, the single focus on the innocent children who will be born on or after 11/11/11.
d. With that sole focus on the yet-to-be-born children on or after 11/11/11, it becomes easier to see certain universal truths, acknowledge certain harsh realities and present dangers, and envision a long-term strategy that will ultimately have those dangers die out over the next Century, as those who commit the uncivilized and heinous acts of violence against humanity eventually lose power and literally die out over the next Century.
e. If, however, we continue on our current path, the extremists may not lose power and may, in fact, be able to recruit greater and greater numbers of extremists for the next generation --- and generations to come --- all determined to escalate the violence committed against the civilized World.
2. Why a “Cease-Fire”?
a. This initiative is not founded on naïve, pacifist ideals. To the contrary, it is deeply rooted in the harsh realities and dangers that exist today.
b. This is not an initiative that seeks merely to “make an idealistic statement” without regard to real application to improve our lives. To the contrary, this is an initiative that is truly determined to succeed in making a real and meaningful difference in the lives of the innocent and yet-to-be born children of future generations, so they may ultimately enjoy the fruits that peaceful co-existence and prosperity can bring to their lives.
c. For these reasons, it would be utterly naïve to believe --- and would be destined for failure in real application to our lives --- to call upon all nations and all people to enter into permanent peace treaties with their adversaries, given the many hostilities that exist today due to yesterday’s conflicts.
d. This initiative, therefore, does not naively ask people to ignore their historical experiences with adversaries and suddenly “lay down their arms, gather around the campfire with those adversaries, hold hands, and sing ‘Kumbaya’ together.”
e. Instead, this initiative recognizes the harsh realities of those historical conflicts among adversaries; but nevertheless asks those adversaries to embark on a “Century time-out” from the uncivilized and heinous acts of violence, because it is in the best interest of every innocent child born on or after 11/11/11 not to become permanently poisoned by those uncivilized and heinous crimes against humanity. Every nation and every non-governmental organization (representing every race, religion, ethnicity, and culture) must recognize that the current paths of conflict may well lead to the total obliteration of their cause, so everyone should be invested in pursuing a different course.
3. Why a “Century”?
a. The extent of the poisonous relationships among those from different nations, religions, ethnicities, and cultures is so deep and dates back so many Centuries, we must acknowledge the realization that we are not likely to resolve all these historic conflicts in our lifetime.
b. But we can --- and must --- call for an end to today’s vicious and dangerously downward spiral if there is going to be any chance to resolve the conflicts in the lifetime of those innocent children to be born on or after 11/11/11. If we cannot create the conditions for an effective “Century timeout” from the uncivilized and heinous acts of violence beginning 11/11/11, then the next generation of children will also become poisoned by such acts, the uncivilized and heinous acts of violence against humanity will be perpetuated through yet another generation, and as weapons become more sophisticated and more destructive, we will place the lives of those children born on or after 11/11/11 on a potential collision course of civilizations that could be catastrophic. While we may not be able to end all the conflicts today, it is in everyone’s interest to create the necessary “pause in the conflicts” to give our children born on or after 11/11/11 a chance to make a better life for themselves and for their future generations.
c. A Century is an appropriate timetable, because many different World Leaders from different philosophies and perspectives have commented that real, sustainable solutions to the most difficult conflicts existing in the World today may take as much as a Century to resolve. But two factors contribute to our failure to commence the necessary Century-long journey to real solutions. First, World Leaders and the people at large are immediate-term focused on the crises of today and cannot visualize a Century from now. Second, World Leaders seek the immediate results and gratification, in large part because the citizens at large demand that of the Leaders --- even if the immediate actions are actually harmful or counter-productive to real, sustainable long-term solutions. So this Petition allows the citizens of the World to broadcast their voice for the Century-long vision, which, in turn, provides our World Leaders with the necessary “political cover” to focus on solutions to benefit the generations yet born.
4. Why 11/11/11?
a. Symbolically, 11/11/11 is an adaptation of symbolic end to World War I in the last century, which took place at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. So, just as 11/11 in the last Century marked the end of the First World War, 11/11/11 in this Century could mark the beginning of our journey to the First World Peace by 11/11/11 in the next Century.
b. It would be practically poetic that 11/11 could be the powerful response and antidote to 9/11. In short, 11/11 could represent humanity’s response to 9/11’s acts of inhumanity.
5. Why a Student-Organized Movement?
a. First, because today’s students are not responsible for the conditions that exist today. They are free of any responsibility for today’s hostilities and are thus more capable of identifying the mistakes of the past. Among the greatest obstacles to real, sustainable progress for peace is the need for today’s leaders to admit their own mistakes. Students --- freed of the handcuffs of having to admit prior wrongdoings --- are more able to speak with intellectual honesty about the mistakes everyone has made and the responsibility everyone has to rectify those mistakes.
b. Second, because it is today’s students who will inherit the conflicts created by their ancestors. Today’s students thus have the greatest stake in correcting the mistakes of the past for a better future for their lives tomorrow.
c. Third, because most students are less inclined to have pledged their loyalty to a particular political ideology or political party, today’s students can engage in truly non-partisan, open-minded, intellectually-honest, and respectful exploration of innovative solutions to the international relations challenges we all face.
6. Why a Citizen Grassroots Approach Instead of One Directed by World Leaders?
a. Today, it is difficult for World Leaders to have the required courage to take ownership of such a plan for two reasons.
1. First, there is a legitimate concern of being perceived as weak, when strength is required to defeat terrorism.
2. Second, there is a legitimate risk of failure (or at least experiencing set backs along the way), and World Leaders will shy away from bold actions that may risk a perception of potential failure.
b. So We, The Citizens of The World, can provide three essential tools for our World Leaders.
1. First, we can give them “political cover” to go down this path, because they are not the ones who are asking for this potentially perceived “weak” approach.
2. Second, we can provide our World Leaders a most powerful and effective tactical tool --- they can use us for a “good cop/bad cop” (or, as others may call it, a carrot-and-stick) approach to encourage behavior toward co-existence, but coupled with forceful consequences imposed on those who do not go along. Indeed, it is arguable that no one nation or leader could effectively and credibly play both roles of “good cop and bad cop;” and that it thus would be the most effective strategy to have the “will of the people” representing both sides of the conflict to as the “good cops” calling for non-violent co-existence, with the world leaders could play the one enforcement role of the potential “bad cop” if the traditional adversaries do not cooperate to fulfill that “will of the people.”
3. Third, if there are set backs along this Century long journey, We (the Citizens of the World) could take the blame for trying, and not the World Leaders.
These are the three elements can embolden the World Leaders to have the courage to pursue a real, viable, and long-lasting strategy.
7. What Specifically Does this Initiative Entail?
a. It acknowledges certain “universal truths” that can unite the entire civilized World.
b. It recognizes the dangerous realities that the conditions do not exist today for sustainable, peaceful co-existence, and that it will require tremendous courage and vigilance over the next Century to develop and preserve the necessary pre-requisites for peaceful co-existence.
c. IT RECOGNIZES THAT APPEASEMENT IS DANGEROUSLY NAÏVE AND DEMANDS THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY COMMIT TO IMPOSING IMMEDIATE AND APPROPRIATELY FORCEFUL CONSEQUENCES ON THOSE WHO THREATEN OUR CENTURY CEASE FIRE™.
d. It demands our World Leaders to have the courage to promote and protect the essential principles and pre-requisites of peaceful co-existence; but, over the course of the next Century, also have an unequivocal commitment to imposing immediate forceful consequences (including military action, as necessary) on those who seek to undermine the Century-long journey toward peaceful co-existence.
e. The plan is for We the Citizens of the World to commence on 11/11/09 a nearly two year process of assembling electronic signatures on our proposed Petition for a Century Cease Fire and then deliver to the United Nations on November 11, 2011 our Petition electronically signed by millions upon millions of ordinary citizens from across the globe, representing every race, religion, national origin, ethnicity and culture.
8. What is the T.R.U.T.H. or Consequences™ Doctrine of International Relations?
a. This proposed multi-dimensional “carrot-and-stick” (or “good cop/bad cop”) strategy begins with the premise that five of the most essential ingredients to every healthy human relationship --- whether among family members, friends, colleagues, neighbors, and even races, religions, cultures, non-governmental organizations (“NGOs”), and nation-states --- can all be distilled down to a simple acronym, “T.R.U.T.H.,” where the letters of that acronym represent the values of mutual:
Tolerance,
Respect,
Understanding,
Trustworthiness, and
Humility.
b. Nevertheless, this “T.R.U.T.H. or Consequences™” doctrine also recognizes the harsh reality that there are individuals and NGOs in the World today, whose power and influence are perpetuated by committing acts of terror against civilians and violating these mutual T.R.U.T.H. principles. Accordingly, a naïve, “pacifist” reliance on these five T.R.U.T.H. principles alone --- without a companion resolve to employ the deterring element of the possible use of force --- would be just as dangerous and irresponsible as the “neo-conservative” justifications for engaging in unilateral preemptive strikes against another sovereign nation-state.
c. The most effective, comprehensive international relations strategy would thus couple the diplomatic strategies represented by these mutual “T.R.U.T.H.” principles with a corresponding and unequivocal resolve to take immediate and forceful action to impose appropriate “consequences” on any individual, NGO, and/or nation-state that commits indiscriminant violence against civilians or otherwise violates these mutual “T.R.U.T.H.” principles. This comprehensive “T.R.U.T.H. or Consequences™” doctrine could actually build consensus across the ideological divide, because “doves” could embrace its “T.R.U.T.H.” aspirations, while “hawks” could embrace its recognition that a well-defined purpose for the legitimate use of force is an equally essential ingredient to US foreign policy.
d. This suggested International Relations doctrine couples the 5 essential ingredients of any healthy relationship (Tolerance, Respect, Understanding, Trust, and Humility) --- the “carrot” (or “good cop”) --- with the powerful “stick” (by the “bad cop”) of imposing forceful consequences (with military action as a last resort, not the first and primary resort) on those who violate the T.R.U.T.H. principles.
e. Even without a citizen based Petition, our World Leaders should consider the merits of adopting this “T.R.U.T.H. or Consequences™” doctrine of International Relations.
9. Is it appropriate to use Veteran’s Day in the United States (Nov 11) as the Symbolic Starting Date for the Century Cease-Fire™?
a. Absolutely, Positively. We believe it would be the most fitting and highest honor to couple this Century Cease-Fire™ initiative with all the past and present courageous men and women, who made the most extraordinary and sometimes the ultimate sacrifice for our peace and prosperity. If one asks our veterans what was the ultimate purpose of their service, the answer would be to create the conditions for peace. We humbly believe that this Century Cease-Fire™ initiative is one of the essential ingredients to create the conditions for peace. Moreover, we recognize the harsh reality that this very fragile journey we are proposing over the next Century will require the preparedness of our armed forces to deter and/or impose necessary and appropriate “consequences” on those who violate this Century Cease-Fire™.
b. Regrettably the War-to-end-all-Wars did not achieve its stated goal.
c. But we believe, with the ready aid of our courageous men and women of the armed forces, that a Century Cease-Fire™ is a critical and powerful ingredient to achieve the common goal of all our veterans and fallen heroes; namely, to preserve and protect the peace.
10. What are the Benefits of this Approach?
a. We the People are hungry to do something to change the destructive course our World is heading. We are not on the right path for the long-term security of our children and future generations. It truly is the greatest challenge of our time. And there is no comprehensive plan of action that has been articulated by our World Leaders that appear viable. So this is action that We the People can initiate.
b. What better way to spread Democracy around the globe? With our proposed petition, we prove the value of Democracy BY EXAMPLE, and not by military action that engenders resentment (and maybe even hate among those victimized by the killing and other collateral damage of war). Democracy cannot be forced upon a sovereign nation by military action. It must be desired and fought for from those who seek to live by that Democracy. Moreover, Democracy is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. It must be tailor-made to suit that nation’s history and culture. Besides, we must remain mindful of Winston Churchill’s sage advice --- “Democracy is the worst possible form of government…, except for all the others.” America’s grand experiment of Democracy, for example, has plenty of room for improvement and other nations may prefer a different approach to make it more in keeping with their particular history and culture and thus more sustainable in their country.
c. We must discard the “War on Terror” nomenclature. It is wrong-headed. Besides, it will end up being no more effective than America’s nearly half-century “War on Poverty” and “War on Drugs.” It’s meaningless. Instead, we need to adopt a “Prescription to Defeat Terrorism.” Like a disease that needs to be eradicated, we need to develop a prescription. And the best antidote is likely going to be a recipe “cocktail” with multiple ingredients from multiple agents. It won’t be a single ingredient (like diplomacy only or military only). And it won’t be from one agent (like the US only, or NATO only, or UN only). We the Citizens of the World can be one of the multiple agents and our DEMAND for programs to develop opportunities for co-existence for our children to be born in the future is one of the ingredients in that cocktail recipe. So we must devise the best recipe “cocktail” antidote as our global “Prescription to Defeat Terrorism.”
d. To the extent people perceive this cause to defeat terrorism as a “war,” it is a “borderless war.” Indeed, the enemies may live within the borders of a sovereign nation, so the traditional notions of war are inapplicable. The “united we stand, divided we fall” notion still applies; but is not limited to the “we” within the borders of a single sovereign nation. Because this is a borderless conflict, the “united we stand” notion transcends borders and requires all people of civilized society to “stand united.” But today, we perhaps have the best opportunity to seize on this realization and have the civilized World ready to “stand united” in a tough, yet pragmatic plan.
11. What are the Downsides of this Approach?
a. It could suffer set backs from time to time and in different parts of the World over the course of the next Century. There is thus a risk that the strategy won’t succeed.
b. But that is perhaps the best feature of this endeavor. This Petition has minimal financial cost, and the Petition does not require bloodshed as part of its implementation. So even if this grassroots effort is an abysmal failure --- that only a small fraction of people sign the Petition --- billions of dollars will not be wasted and no human lives will be destroyed in the process of delivering this Petition to the United Nations.
c. Besides, has anyone yet come up with any better or more viable plan?
d. Moreover, if a better strategy evolves over the course of the next Century, then the World Leaders at that time can blame us ordinary citizens for devising an ineffective plan. But that’s OK, so long as we help jump-start the intellectually honest dialogue on the failures of the past and the needs for our future. But in the meantime, we don’t spend billions of dollars on destroying villages nor spill the blood of any child.
e. Maybe we don’t reach our goals. But we will not have spent billions of dollars or lost thousands of lives on a potentially failed policy. We will have at least gotten an intellectually-honest dialogue going in the right direction.
f. For all of these reasons, we should not have any fear of failure. We should be far more fearful of doing nothing and sitting on the sidelines just waiting and hoping our World Leaders will do the right thing. In fact, without us giving them this vital “political cover” and these critical tactical tools, how else could our World Leaders achieve real success anyway?
g. The worst that can be said about this Petition, therefore, is what some say about chicken soup for a cold --- “it couldn’t hurt!”