ECOLOGICAL CIVILIZATION: THE GOAL OF MANKIND IN XXI CENTURY
In his allocution, Professor Dr. Anton Caragea, underlined the fact that the only cure for world economic crisis is a global debate, that will replace the philosophical fundaments of XVIII century, with the imperatives of XXI century: an ecological civilization, relinquishing the capitalist economic paradigm and replacing it with sustainable development and ousting profit as the symbol of global economic assessment and replacing it by social utility.
In the last period of time, a new concept had arise in the framework of international policy and of environmental action: the idea of an ecological civilization, understood as a complex economic, cultural and social structure that is insuring the future of global and sustainable development, in accordance with the laws and necessities of nature.
Professor Dr. Anton Caragea presents the manifesto for XXI century world during: BAKU INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN FORUM 2013
In today world the emphasis must be on building a new society structure, based on the values of ecological civilization.
From a historical point of view, we can appreciate that we are leaving a turning point in the development of human society.
This moment can be only compared with the end of medieval age and the beginning of the industrial and modern period of human society, a period that involved a profound transformation in society, politics and economy.
Today we are living a similar period of world crisis and transformation.
This is involving a tremendous economic crisis, spanning now for more that six years, a crisis that it will continue for at least five to ten more years and is re-shaping economic climate, business environment and is creating poverty, inflation and promoting striking inequality and exploitation all around the world.
Present day economic crisis, is proving that the XVII century economic model of capitalist and profit based economy is exhausted and is not creating wealth and prosperity but poverty, underdevelopment and crisis on a world scale .
The crisis that we are experience now is deeper than just the economic factor it is also rapidly becoming an environmental disaster at planetary scale.
The economic and civilization model in use today in the western world, becomes unsustainable: the resources are depleting in a rhythm unknown in history, the pollution is exacerbating and the economic cost of the environmental changes and climate changes is unfathomable.
Confronted by the failure of today economic system (based on inequality, quagmire poverty, the abnormal cost of consumer based society etc.) and the natural patrimony destruction by exploitation and pollution, all factors converge to make this model un-economic, un-ethical and un-sustainable.
The consumerist based society and vision of a future, in which we can spend and destroy everything for the sake of profit, is based on a failed policy and vision that is undermining the future of human society.
The economic crisis has broken down from the rostrum of philosophical ideas the concept of eternal development and never ending consumerism.
The ecological crisis is spelling clearly the end of another dream (of inexhaustible natural resources and non-value of nature) and is emphasizing the fact that: the collapse of the present civilization model is putting under question the future of human specie.
I must also emphasize that by today the ecological crisis is rapidly becoming an emergency in tackling, because of the high risk involved in the environmental damage and the resources exhausting.
Solving this issues: safeguarding the resources and the environment becomes economically inefficient and unsustainable for today civilization model based solely on profit as supreme value.
Converting human society towards an ecological civilization is therefore logical and necessary in order to adapt the XXI century society to the challenges and transformations of our time.
The philosophical solutions of XVII century are no longer feasible in today economic and political climate.
As any new concept, the theory of an ecological civilization is yet to be properly determined, but there are some key issues that need to be analyzed:
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Ecological civilization: a national goal or an international target?
More and more country’s are starting adopting and pioneering the concept of Ecological civilization (in 2007 Communist Party of China leader –Hu Jintao even press for adopting ecological civilization as a national objective in Peoples Republic of China and present day President Xi Jinping ask United Nations to register this concept along sustainable development ) we must draw a fine line between the implementation of the concept of Ecological Civilization (E.C) in the national economy and development plans and adopting as an international target.
Already United Nations Development Program adopted Chinese report on China Sustainable Development Report 2013 – the road to ecological civilization: the next decade, as an UNDP international document and started elaborating future policies on this document.
From this first steps is starting the first necessity in elaborating and implementing the concept of Ecological Civilization.
To this extent we can use the road map, already drafted for Millennium Development Goals and start incorporating the basic principles of ecological civilization into national documents in the same time as elaborating them as international documents.
We must clearly state that: all thou the national actor’s role in implementing Ecological civilization on a world scale is prominent, solely promoting the inclusion into national agenda will not suffice.
Only accepting Ecological Civilization as a long term, mandatory goal of the international community can offer chances to success in implementing this society model on a world scale.
The role of diplomacy in promoting ecological civilization concept.
The promotion and international presentation of the ecological civilization paradigm is a task that can be entrusted to international diplomacy.
In order to rapidly foster the dialogue and the acceptance of the concept of ecological civilization (E.C.) this must be amalgamated as an index (similar to human development index) in ranking countries international stature and success.
All the countries must be evaluated in their contribution in implementing the E.C. model in their economy and society and also in appraising their role in attaining this aim on international level.
Ecological Civilization must be introduced as a part of international law by becoming part of the international treaty system, being a starting point for regional, trans-national and global and continental cooperation ( and also used in bilateral agreements between national and international company, NGO and cultural entities etc.-on the framework of cooperation carved for Millennium Development Goals ).
In 1997, United States proposed a Forum of Democracy, in promoting the values of indirect democracy world wide.
This initiative has failed in the mean time as indirect democracy is considered inadequate by more and more countries, but the idea must not be forfeit.
A similar Forum for Ecological Civilization, used by the nations and institution that understand their global responsibility, can be used to foster connection and promote the practical measures to achieve the goal of ecological civilization.
The international assistance budgets must be converted in budgets for ecological civilization development.
Instead of being awarded and placed for political agenda issues, on debatable criteria, there must be used solely for projects that are in conformity with sustainable development criteria and agenda.
The contribution of all nations to international peace and security and development must be based on the contribution to promote an ecological friendly civilization.
This also must be based on the contribution of United Nation and their relief and specialized agencies and also of economic world entities (such International Monetary Fund and World Bank) in implementing ecological civilization specific agendas.
Initiating a global and world wide level debate it is another urgency . This debate will be centered on economical agents and on the necessity of promoting the agenda of ecological civilization as the only rational and economic sound investment, based on concepts like: green economy, sustainable profit and updating economical mechanisms to the provocation of XXI century environmental cost.
Building an ecological civilization involves a change in the economic society matrix that has proven to be unreliable and inefficient and unproductive.
Today economic matrix ( that is disregarding the long term impact on environment) has proven to be inefficient, cost-ineffective and promoting under-development on a world level and promoting inequity and inequality between nations, regions and economical classes , creating un-sound disparities and provoking havoc in economy and world environment.
This situation must mark clearly that the ecological civilization is not a trend or an intellectual fashion, but must evolve in being a society model responsive to the necessities of XXI century.
Professor Dr. Anton Caragea, MA, FINS, EDA
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Anton Caragea 