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Can "foreign policy" be usurped by "global policy"?

Rob | 23.07.2007 17:31 | Globalisation

UK new foreign policy remains one of western hegemony, can this change...and what can change it?

David Miliband, the new Foreign Secretary of Great Britain recently gave a powerful, insightful and confusing speech on the new challenges for foreign policy. With one hand he extols virtuous global friendship, whilst on the other he claims the right to self appointed global leadership. The speech has worrying overtones of imperialism, the conclusion most significant: “the idealism is still there - above all about Britain's ability to be a global hub which lives out its values and advances them abroad”

I welcome virtuous global friendship, I welcome global leadership, and I certainly welcome a number of values that I wish were shared on a global scale. However, I do not welcome the idea that all these can be forced upon the world using economic or military measures (called ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ in his speech).

It is my hope that global friendship and cooperation can be welcomed at all levels of community, from us at the ground to the political institutions that should represent us. It is in our self-interest and the interest of others that we take part. We are unable to withstand the challenges of the present day without concerted global effort, and to bring about the necessary global changes we must be there to support each other as we are going to suffer great pains. A loving, caring world suffers together.

I believe that we are entering a time where the balance can be tipped away from monstrous domination of resources and people, towards a better, more harmonious way of local and global interaction that promotes the health and wellbeing of all as the bedrock of human activity. However, this window of opportunity is likely to be short lived - once the global problems of scarce resources, freak weather and hate attacks gain prominence, it is likely that whatever system is in place will remain until either the complete demise of the human character and our existence, or a leap in human possibility towards coping and dealing with the situation.

I personally put all my eggs in the latter basket and hope that I can help facilitate a new beginning for humankind. The best mechanism I’ve come across for moving this process along is the Simultaneous Policy (simpol.org). This is a course of action that will flourish with grassroots participation – and will democratically acquire political compliance. This puts the power firmly in the grasp of the people with the most to gain – us, the general population of the world. The Simultaneous Policy offers a way for people and organisations that currently can only call for change to actually bring about real and effective change. It gives them the power to influence politics beyond their wildest dreams. If given the necessary support by the global general public (adoption) this movement is set to improve and facilitate beneficial human relations as well as help solve the most pressing global problems of our time.

Rob