Global Ecological Safety And One Governance Protocol

Global Ecological Safety, Sustainability Index and One World Governance Protocol

GLOBAL ECOLOGICAL SAFETY, SUSTAINABILITY INDEX AND ONE WORLD GOVERNANCE
PROTOCOL: TOWARDS A COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTION IN MONOTHEISTIC FRAMEWORK

©Dr.Muhammad Mukhtar Alam

We need united actions and simultaneous actions globally for meeting the collective challenge to the survival of human
species and preservation of renewable resource livelihoods while securing interspecies justice. Can we live without the
mines? Do we need to think of a world with diverse national goals at a time when there are global threats of similar
nature? I would like to start this article with these questions and observations. The answers to the issue of natural
resources for many may be in the negative considering the dominance of the products and services in the urban areas
where lots of livelihoods are associated with the products that consume mines extracted from the earth. However, for
many whose livelihoods are based on agriculture, cattle rearing, hunting and gathering, the answers will be very much
positive. We can see the difference of the answers and we can easily see the difference ourselves if we remove the
facilities made available through the extraction of mines. Many living in the urban areas for generations can see the
livelihoods of ancestors who were not trading in commodities and those who were not living by work that did not
involve agriculture. Many of us now living in the urban areas can also get back to our rural roots and see that there
were few houses built with concrete and steel and most of the houses used to be made of mud, wood and grass with
minimal use of iron. They were generally single storied. Thus, we can see that it is the predominantly mines based
multi-storeyed housing that has been consuming more and more products based on the mines. Extraction of the mines
has been facilitated with petro-modern transportation systems. Earlier, it was also not possible to transport huge
quantities of mines from one place to another due to severe logistic limitations.

I would like to relate to my participation in Eternal Voyage, an international meet of tribal and indigenous / analogous
people in December 1993 at Bhopal, India where, I has presented a paper called "Tuning in the Certainty Mode of
Expression and breaking the monotony of probabilistic mode of Expression "1 while coordinating the participation of a
multi-national team of student and research scholars. Considering multiple discourses on the conception of good life,
just world order, limits to the sustainability of the consumption and production patterns, the paper written in form of
questions and answers had been done considering oneself on the death bed answering some of the questions of a
younger brother who wished to learn on the justification of my academic thesis " Cognitive Representations related
to the Concept of World Citizen". It would have been interesting to reproduce the paper that included questions
related to the questions of collective survival equations, eternal rhythm and sustainability of the mines based
(industrial) and grass and hut based (agricultural and pastoral) civilization. Nonetheless, I would like to note that while
proposing the concept of Eternity Index /Sustainability Index in the paper, I had resolved to call for urgent
transformation of the consumption and production patterns globally that were based on the utilization of the mineral
resources and fuels .I knew that this would not be possible, as transformation of such a magnitude will not be planned
and executed democratically. Thus, I had to look for the middle path where there is relatively balanced use of the mines
based products without harming the long term sustainability of the consumption and production that are directly linked
to the survival equation of all .By 1994, I concluded that, it is only the global adoption of faith based measures that can
help in the transformation with minimum loss .The realization further deepened with the formulation of conceptual
organization that was an outcome of textual encounter with a British journalist Juliet Reynolds on the terms of criticism
in arts and culture. My conceptual organization for the academic dissertation on “A Study of the Cognitive
Representations related to the Concept of World Citizen” can be seen as the first post on
http://muhammad_mukhtar_alam.tigblog.org

Now, I would like to relate to the endeavours for world citizenship and the virtual congress that is being organised in
the month of July 2006. While expressing gratitude for the opportunity, I would like to mention that I have been
advocating global adoption of faith-based measures for decelerating the consumption of mines based unsustainable
consumption and production patterns in the e-forums of World Bank, UNDP, Global Justice Movement
www.globaljusticemovement.net and others. While relating to all the commands of God, I have been focusing on the
need to adopt the command for prayer 5 times a day as the best instrument for personal regulation, transformation of
leisure use pattern, reduction and deceleration of the consumption based on the utilisation of mines based services and
utilities. In a dialogue with Craig Hubley, a teacher at Free University Of Toronto, it was mutually agreed that for
getting the best mediation by the leaders and other decision makers, practice of prayer and meditation for the mediators
(civil society leaders, CEOs, government leaders and all) is important. We discussed several dualisms and we agreed
that it is the atheistic ethicists and social designers who need to appreciate the importance of the culture of prayer and
its impact for World Unity for Social Equity, Global Ecological Safety and Distributive Justice for renewable resource
based livelihoods across the world as we may not have full-scale replacement of non-renewable energy based
transportation systems that very much define the current notions of 'progress', 'development' and 'growth' across the
nations .

1
The paper was circulated to the participants and it has been cited in the doctoral thesis of the author titled
" A Study of Cognitive Representations related to the Concept of World Citizen"

A Discussion Paper By Dr.Muhammad Mukhtar Alam, New Delhi 1


The mining in Himalayas and other mountainous regions is due to the globalisation of fossil fuel based mobility and
transportation system and idealization of urban space with skyscrapers and flyovers. Apparently this cannot be stopped
but it can be assuredly moderated and regulated. There is a global upsurge of people's movements most notably
manifested through the organization of World Social Forums. There are movements where identities are instruments of
mobilization for addressing relative deprivation of all the status markers of "progress"," growth" and "development". In
addition, there are state actors involved in the process of exclusivist nation building process undermining the human
rights of indigenous populations and ecological rights of the future generations. In all these national building
movements and endeavours, there is an underlying desire to seek more and more of unsustainable consumer goods and
housing without considering the short future of petro-modern2 lifestyles, consumption and production processes.
Distributive justice remains one of the key ideals for class and gender based movements. We may have better scenarios
of distributive justice and there are struggles for the distributive justice for these petro-modern products as well. This
may be noted that call for distributive justice in the Marxist framework had been for all that all the products and
services that are needed for survival and also for those products that are not directly related to survival. However,
considering the limits to the sustainability of the mine reserves, one can see that call for distributive justice for all the
fossil fuel based services and utilities is an unsustainable vision in the same way as availability of all the mines based
production and consumption is a transitory phenomenon, if we think of a long future for humanity (with the will of
God/Allah/Ishwar/---/--/ the Creator and Master of all the heavens and earth).

Thus, it can be inferred that rationalization of the mining in Himalayas can be achieved with the globalisation of
relatively sustainable agricultural consumption and production patterns. Additional local endeavours will be needed to
safeguard sustainable livelihoods in the Himalayas and eschew imitation of the petro-modern consumption and
production processes. However, this may not be effectively achieved in isolation as globalisation of unsustainable fossil
fuel based consumption, production and transportation systems goes apace with the advice of free market economists
and atheistic liberal social designers who will not be content without the globalisation of "formal democracy" 3 with
globalisation of the consumption of fossil fuel based consumption and production processes. None the less, there is a
need to seek globalisation of sustainable consumption and production pattern so as to avoid suffering of many, in the
future who may not find full scale replacement for the fossil fuel based transportation systems. Thus there is need to
find urgent solutions for ensuring that our future in the cities are safeguarded trough deceleration of the consumption of
non-renewable renewable resource based consumption. Thus, safeguarding Himalayas and such other mountain
ecologies is possible with stronger local efforts along with global movement for decelerating the consumption of
fossil fuel based services and utilities. There is need to establish one governance protocol for realising such a
deceleration as atheistic neo-liberal governance models are not leading us to safety and more and more nations are
facing the contradiction of the call of non-renewable resource based development standards and the call of
ecological safety, bio safety and environmental sustainability. Keeping the balance has become a challenge and
there are several writings from the various perspectives indicating the loss of balance.

Also, Kyoto Protocol emission targets incorporated in the UN millennium development goals point out the need to
decrease the emission of green house gases that has influenced vital eco-systems. It is sad that prominent nations such
as US and Russia are not interested in ratifying the protocol. In the case of US, arguments have ranged from preserving
the present lifestyle to adopting alternative means for reducing the emission of the green house gases. As part of
alternative strategies investments are being made both by EU and US for research in hydrogen gas fuel and increasing
production of renewable energy .As of now, no major development has taken in transforming the energy use pattern in
EU and US other than test running a hydrogen powered vehicle in Iceland. Green Party in German wishes to have more
renewable energy by 2020 without ensuring effective and time bound measures for reducing conspicuous consumption.
I believe only the adoption of faith based spiritual measures is helpful in reducing the consumption of fossil fuel based
services and utilities as men and women would be able to give up some of consumption decisions for leisure and
pleasure through replacing them by adoption of faith based measures. Muslims practicing prayer 5 times a day do not
visit dancing halls and bars and travel long distances for leisure as they need to abide by the commands of God for
offering prayer in time. This helps in the minimization of the consumption of the non-renewable resource based
services and services. More explanations can be seen later.

The urgency for the adoption of means for radically transforming the consumption pattern gets more urgent as we have
more and more and evidences of the impact of global warming reported in the newspapers and journals. There are other
distressing pointers to the ecological degradation of the Himalayas. Gangotri and Siachen Glaciers are receding due to
global warming and human activity. The long military presence in Siachen and pilgrimage tourism to Gangotri has
undermined the purity of the invaluable water resources. Glaciologist Syed Iqbal Hasnain is worried that our failure to

2
My phrase for describing all the services, utilities, transportation systems and commodities that are
available with the extraction of crude oil from the oil fields
3
Ville-Veikko Hirvela , Democracy in Global Life , Vol-2, Issue-7 Vasudhaiv Kutumbkum, 30 March ,
2004



act will aggravate water scarcity and ecological degradation to dangerous levels 4. The interview with S.I Hasnain had
been conducted in the background of Ronald Emrich film “The Day after tomorrow" that has dramatized the impact of
global warming in the form of Big Freeze. While considering the big Scenario unlikely, Mr. Hasnain has pointed out
that we are indeed facing a global warming crisis for the first time in the 4.5 billion year history of earth, which has
been provoked entirely by human activity. 15000 years is considered the normal gap in the cyclical patterns of global
warming and freezing. Thus, next ice age according to Mr. Hasnain is expected not before another 10,000 years. It has
been pointed out that glaciers are receding all over the world. One of the important impacts of the receding glaciers in
Himalayas is availability of water in the glacier fed rivers. Eighty percent of the water in the Indus, Ganga and
Brahmputra rivers are fed by melting snow and ice. The life of these rivers is entirely dependant on glaciers. Water
supply in these rivers cannot be sustained if ice is not replenished. It has been pointed out that human activity due to
pilgrimage to Gangotri, army presence and trekking is contributing to the eco-degradation of the Himalayas. There are
more evidences indicating impacts of the global warming. Not much is being done to arrest the receding of the glacier
and everything is being left to chance. Several such evidences are spread over globally and environmentalists are
feeling more and more frustrated.

Mining in Himalayas along with the activities of road construction created ecological impact. Chipko movement and
then later other movements based have brought the issues of ecological degradation to the fore in Uttarakhand. The
movement helped in the global build-up for ecological safety and it strengthened the voice of Greens in Europe and
Americas. Realizing sustainability goals for Himalayas is like realizing the sustainability goals of all the mountain
system. The movements are local but then scale of intervention is global. Therefore, it is important to understand all the
factors that are responsible for the continued failure in making substantial changes for realising the ecologically
sustainable future for people in Himalayas and elsewhere. I would like to address the issue through analysing the
sustainability conditions of the consumption patterns and then analysing the movements, ideologies and religions that
all have a bearing on the fate of not only the people in the Himalayas but all over the world.

SUSTAINABILITY OF THE MINES BASED / INDUSTRIAL AND GRASS BASED /AGRICULTURAL
CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION PATTERNS

Considering the history of consumption and production patterns, it can be easily imagined and observed that only
agricultural and pastoral consumption and production patterns are sustainable so long the Sun is alive with the
provision of rain and air. Mines extracted in various forms are limited and thus the definition and vision of growth and
progress based on the availability of mines is also transitory. Diagrammatic representation for sustainability value of
mines based and agricultural based consumption pattern show the sustainability values for the consumption patterns. It
is in this background that call for redefining "progress" of the ecological economists such as Richard B. Norgaard,
Pavel Kasyanov, Greens, Gandhians, pious Muslims, Christians, Jews ,Sikhs and others need to be understood.
Considering this fact, we can see that a global transformation of production and consumption patterns is urgently
needed so that our concerns for ecological safety for our generation in here and now and for the future generations are
addressed while ensuring best mechanisms for distributive justice5 for the renewable resources and survival equations
based on the same.

4
Icy Retreat, TOI Interview with Syed Iqbal Hasnain, The Times Of India, June 5,2004
5
Karl Marx was not ware of the sustainability of the resources. He was not perhaps aware of the limit
conditions for the sustainability of the supplies of the resources. Therefore movements based on distributive
justice for all kinds of consumption cannot be ensured. We cannot call for human right to travel by air for
all and we cannot define that to be a fundamental right. Thus all the movements calling for distributive
justice for both renewable and nonrenewable resource based consumption need to redefine the visions
accordingly as we can no envisage distributive justice for consumption of non-renewable resource based
services and utilities. There are implications for the movements that are based on perceptions of relative
deprivation of the consumption of non renewable resource based services and utilities. Movements for
gender justice and the movements based on ethnic identities need to see the ecological impact of their
decisions and visions. Therefore, focus needs to be on the distributive justice for the renewable resource
based survival equations that can be envisaged for all till the Day of Judgment. In India, the call for rights
to land, water, forest needs to be defended as they are the source of ecologically sustainable livelihoods.



Mines Based Consumption
and production patterns/ Has limited value on the
Industrial Sustainability Index
Grass based consumption and
production patterns/ Has unlimited value on
Agricultural the Sustainability
Index

Diagrammatic representation of the values of consumption pattern on the Sustainability Index is shown above. I had
proposed the value to range from 0 to 1. Renewable resource based consumption have the value of 1 while non-
renewable resource based consumption have the value of 0 as they will not be available in all the possible future
time. Agrarian consumption patterns dependant on renewable resources are sustainable while the industrial
consumption, production, transport systems are not ecologically sustainable.



This fact is quite well known to quite a number of movements and there are several government and non-government
efforts. UN agencies have been promoting the use of Sustainability Index6 .For ensuring socially and ecologically
responsible investing; the corporate sector and the investors in Europe are using Sustainability Index. There are
environment ministries looking in the impact the development decisions on environment. Nonetheless, there is much
that is urgently needed to be for desirable impact. I would like to focus on my academic conclusions, which have been
made considering the political processes and movements globally.

ANALYSIS OF THE PRESCRIPTIVE FRAMEWORKS FOR SAFEGUARDING SOCIALLY AND
ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION PATTERNS/ LIFESTYLE

Considering the Sustainability Index, and considering the overall efficacy of the movements, it is better to have an
analysis of the movements that contribute for the realization of ecological safety, distributive justice and collective
health and well being. Prescription for the direction of change for the movements will be also discussed.

MOVEMENTS AND THEIR REPRESENTATIONS

WSF 2004 documentation represents one of the best listing of the themes in pursuance of the demands of the various
movements that are recognized worth listing by the NGO’s and movement leaders. It has not included the perspectives
of the faith-based organizations. Muslims certainly have a prescription based on the communication of the messengers.
WSF doctrinally affirms negation of the dominance of any vision of truth and it creates only the space for articulation
of the positions without seeking a unified protocol for global governance.

Movements for gender justice

The movements for gender justice are one of the strong movements and there are calls for ensuring gender justice in all
the institution of governance, education, commerce and so on. It may be considered 'heretical' in writing something that
calls for the transformation of the ideals of gender justice movement in the light of the demands of sustainable
consumption and production pattern required for ensuring ecological safety. My apprehension is valid only for those
affirmations and political positions where provision of all the services and utilities based on the consumption of the
fossil fuels is considered sustainable without recognizing the limits to the sustainability of the supplies of non-
renewable resources. Achieving gender justice for all the consumption based on the non-renewable resources is not
possible now. It is not possible to achieve distributive justice for all. Therefore, there is a need to transform the
consumption patterns for realizing the Kyoto Protocol emission targets. This can be achieved only with rationalization
of the consumption of leisure and pleasure related goods and services. Thus, it will be imperative to seek minimization
of the activities involving consumption of fossil fuel based leisure and pleasure by all.

Faith based instruments is recommended for replacing the leisure and pleasure need of both men and women. Decisions
will lead to negative growth in tourism and entertainment industry. I would be worthwhile to create databases for the
contribution of various sectors of human engagement to the emission levels locally and globally. Nations will have to
rethink definition of “growth”, “development” and "progress". It is necessary to have recourse to the commands of God
in texts where differentiation between men and women has not been made. "Patriarchy" is one of the important
concepts that need to be reviewed for clear understanding as the use of this concept in the background of anti-religious
texts has been globalised to an extent that this is considered a target to be fought along with other targets 7. I have
argued that "patriarchy" is not relevant in monotheistic framework. There is a distinction between divine commands
and man-made protocols. Manu's protocol related to women and quoted quite often is not in conformity with the
monotheistic commands where men and women marry while adhering to commands in the name of God. Many writers
have blamed religion to be anti-women, which is not true. Manu's protocol regarding the women's access to Veda's
needs to be condemned as there exists prohibition of access to knowledge by women and shudras. There are no such
prohibitive provisions in the monotheistic texts. Thus, men and women need to be appealed for having a fresh
understanding of the commands of God and for this reading of Qur'an is recommended where issues having difference
in the interpretation of earlier texts has been explained with communication for total submission of oneself to the
commands of Allah/God/Parmatma (I think, the best word without any anthropomorphic representation in the
polytheistic pantheon is paramatma. Scholars of Sanskrit may help in finding the equivalent of the word Allah with 99
names in Arabic language .All the name with similar meanings in other languages are equally the names of the
Omniscient and the Omnipresent).

6
The author had had proposed the concept of Eternity Index in ‘Eternal Voyage’, an international meet of
tribal and analogous people in 1993. The concept was further elaborated to mean the Sustainability Index
while relating the same in his PhD work on “A Study of Cognitive Representations related to the Concept
of World Citizen”.
7
Kamal Mitra Chenoy, Vasudhaiv Kutumbkum, March 29,2004



Thus abidance of the commands by both men and women related to prayers and tithes/zakat with belief in the Day of
Account will lead to the harmony between men and women and then among the various groups. In the governance, it
would be possible to establish "piety" as the criterion for leadership. The degree of his and her abidance to the
commands of Allah determines piety of a man and woman. It may be not possible but then we can direct the energies in
this direction and this will have best reward for all of us here in this world and hereafter. We need to consider this
urgently or else we will continue to debate "alternatives" without having a personal and collective impact. Large
conferences will continue to be labelled as eco-hostile activity. WSF 2004 has been criticized for this reason. A
beginning can be made by transforming WSF agenda that is a forum for debates on alternatives while individuals and
associated movements /groups take local and global action. The virtual congress on global governance is a significant
occasion to the decisively define a globally acceptable protocol of global governance with fullest participation of faith
leaders and pious scholars. I would like to communicate for the acceptance of monotheistic protocols of global and
local governance for meeting the challenges peacefully and democratically.

Establishing "piety"/taqwa in Arabic eliminated ideas based on the understanding of race and caste. In the
deconstructionist discourse, power is analysed without providing definition of truth. In the monotheistic
communication "power" belongs to Allah and men and women are commanded to judge on the basis of the criterion
provided by Allah. The virtual Congress on World Citizenship and Democratic Global Governance could be an
occasion to generate a consensus for the acceptance of the monotheistic criterion as the one that can unite all.

MOVEMENTS FOR DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE

Till the fall of USSR, we had this major fear of nuclear holocaust. Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev are credited
with the admission that a nuclear war cannot be won. Gorbachev called for the de-ideologisation of foreign policy and
opening up of the polity of USSR for safeguarding the humanity from ecological disaster and nuclear holocaust.
Marxist Leninist framework was an atheistic framework where private ownership was eliminated. With the fall of
atheistic communist governments in most of the countries, we still have movements calling for the distributive justice
based on the undifferentiated vision for consumption. I have argued for the continuation of the struggles for distributive
of renewable resources in monotheistic framework by collecting all the commands in various textual traditions. I
consider this extremely important; as there is need to stop the bloodshed that is happening in the states of India and
Nepal. There is need to seek consensus on the need for ensuring both public and private contributions for ensuring
justice. Taxation ensures the money for public works and governance while donation helps people in the
neighbourhood (Also in the ICT enable global neighbourhood). Wesley E Burt has proposed collection of three tithes
as per the communications of God/Allah and he has been arguing since last many years for correcting the systemic
defects in the US social, economic policy. I have been arguing for recognising the need to abide by the commands and
focussing on the need to affirm the monotheistic framework for sorting out the disputes on all issues.

I would like to argue following the commands as communicated to the messengers and recorded in holy texts. (Zakat in
Qur'an, tithes in Bible, Dharmada and Daan in the Sanskrit texts) that establishing monotheistic standards will help in
ensuring best distributive justice as men and women while seeking the best here in this world will also seek best in the
hereafter. Greed is tackled best with faith in the Day of Account for which best rewards are guaranteed for those who
have spent in charity out of the sustenance provided by God. Considering the death as a certainty and then considering
the need to have a resplendent record for the Day of Account, a believer is motivated in the contributing optimally for
the poor, relatives, orphans, and widows. Percentage of earnings paid annually has been decided and there are
established proportions among the faith groups. I would like to suggest that this is taken as a priority for the new WSF
meeting as we cannot be happy with the fratricide generated out of grievance based on the lack of distributive justice.
We already have innumerable narrations on the iniquitous globalisation among the monotheists, polytheists and
atheists. It is important to consider all men and women as part of one family. It is important to seek best guidance from
God/Allah as Allah and Allah only can be our best guide with our prayers and endeavours. Strong monotheistic tone
here may be construed as representative of religious fundamentalism. However, considering the dominance of atheistic
fundamentalism with Satan as the companion, it is important to communicate the path of progress both in temporal and
eternal sense as per the promise of Allah that will never fail. We have already created means for collective suffering.
By not uniting our voice in submitting to the will of Allah, we will continue to differ while suffering disasters here in
this world and assuredly in the hereafter. We can imagine the interest of the children in 40th century. Allah knows
better. Terraforming8 Mars may create some colonies but how many will afford travel for three years in the space.
Debates continue on the ethics of such ventures while things on earth can be very well managed with the blessings of
Allah and then with our own humble efforts. Earth has been created with everything in proportion. Atheists do not see
any purpose in the creation of seven skies and earth as per the recorded divine communication in Qur'an9.

8
There are projections about making Mars habitable for humans by injecting modules of Green House gases
and chloflorocarbons (CFCs) for melting ice on the surface of Mars. (BBC telecasted in Explorations on 20
June 2004)



MOVEMENTS FOR ECOLOGICAL DEMOCRACY

Movements for ecological democracy can be assessed from the documents of the Green movements all over the world.
Major conclusion of the movements are for widening democracy for including effectively the concerns of the
development displaced, indigenous people, children and women while having a deep recognition of the fact that
globalisation of the development model supported by WTO, World Bank and IMF and other donor organizations is not
sustainable. World Social Forum is an interesting forum that has helped movements to come together and discuss
alternatives. Forum does not include the participation of the representatives of the governments in their official
capacity. Indian Social Forum organised in the month of November 2006 plans to find out alternatives to corporate
globalisation. As a member of the Programme Committee, I have argued for the creation for space for prayer 5 times a
day at least for the Muslim participants while suggesting to all others the need to practice prayer and meditation 5 times
a day.

Considering the need to have a rapid appraisal of the decisions of the movements represented in the World Social
Forum this may be pointed out that there is an absence of consensus on reforming the finance system, model global
governance, model code of conduct, definition of human rights and so on. Muslims and Catholics can never agree to
the advocacy for permissive legislation for the homosexuals. Polytheists may not agree to the call for global adoption
of prayer 5 times a day despite the fact that command/prescription for prayer exists in a Sanskrit text called Shiv
Sankalp Sutra10. Upholders of the theory of Gaia will not agree to the call of Muslims for faith in the oneness of God.
Christians may agree to the presence of commands against drinking intoxicating drinks but they may not join in the call
for establishing governance for upholding the word of God. Jews will agree to the presence of the commands against
usury but then they would like to limit the application of the commands within Jews only while Muslims call for the
abolition of usurious finance systems not only for themselves but for all. There are areas where positions are non-
negotiable by the upholder of various visions of social and world order. There is need to bridge the cognitive gaps and
this may not be possible without men and women joining in together for upholding some common values and
establishing global communities of practice. Democracies are built around common shared visions with space for all
the alternative and opposition visions. Muslim democrats like to see generation of democratic consensus for abidance
to the commands Islamic democracies are for ensuring the communication of the commands of Allah. I would like to
argue that the ideals of ecological democracy are established best in seeking affirmation and practice of the commands
of Allah. Islamic Democracy of Iran is a good example of governance model that needs global acceptance for ensuring
ecological democracy.

WSF as a matter for fact stands for negation of claim for a globally acceptable model. This can be also seen that
without reforming the finance system and without correcting the systemic defects, inclusive democracy with reference
to the rights of indigenous people and development displaced for ecologically sustainable and equitable consumption
and production pattern cannot be realized. This is only possible with maximization in the number of people who are
compassionate for the fellow human beings, who spend in charities, who establish prayer and who believe in the Day of
Judgment. Atheistic materialists, social theorists and futurologists are good in agonizing on the problem, seeking best
pleasures and leisure here in this world while not considering the fate of men and women in the hereafter end up
prescribing solutions that are voluntary and not for global abidance. Pious Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Buddhists
and all the followers of religions don’t value their prescriptions, as they are not morally sound. More often than not,
atheistic communicators are found to be supporter of adultery, homosexuality and usury.

In the faith based communication, while sustainability is real only for the life in the hereafter and not with the existence
of this earth for the all the time. Polytheistic communicator on the vision for a better world appears to be content
through denouncing the monotheistic visions for social order. More often than not polytheists and atheists join in
denouncing the monotheistic communication as intolerant recalling some of the experiences from the past and then
some from the presents where Muslims are found to be part of violent actions.

Considering the above, we can see that there are at least three visions for the strategies and outcome of ecological
democracy namely atheistic, polytheistic and monotheistic. Targets are clear but then instruments are not prescribed for
common abidance. It is with regard to such a lack of vision for the effective instrument that goes beyond opposing the
globalisaiton that, I would like to discuss the communities of practice and its implications for immediate ecological and
biological safety. I would like to keep these categories for defining discursive narrative in active consideration, as the
9
I continue to learn Qur'an that was communicated to Prophet Muhammad, who was illiterate and I would like
to suggest reading of Qur'an everyday without prejudice and for being on the straight path. This will help in
understanding of the role models of messengers and their spouses who have been deleted from the atheistic
neo-liberal, feminist, and Marxist discourse
10
I am indebted to Mahamandeshwar Swami Akhilesh jee of Sanatan Seva Samiti, Arrah, Bihar (India) who
informed me about the existence of the commands for remembering Ishwar five times a day. The timings
suggested are the same as in the Holy Qur’aan.



categories of capitalism; socialism and neo-liberalism is not quite representative of the people who are following
various religions. We can see there are atheistic capitalists, polytheistic capitalists and monotheistic capitalists as they
have different perceptions on the use of wealth acquired through production and services. There are atheistic socialists,
polytheistic socialists and monotheistic socialists, and there are atheistic feminists, polytheistic feminists and
monotheistic feminists. Also then there are atheistic communists, monotheistic communists and polytheistic
communists. There are hypocrites, who are mere opportunists looking for a good bargain. With the best tolerance
rendered for the various groups, it would be still important to find our the common axis for action and practice for
getting the results for social equitable and ecologically sustainable democracy that work for the best interests of all here
in this world and hereafter. I am not sure whether this can be realised for all. There are just too many differences and
too much of ‘ignorance’. I recall the debates on the conception of ignorance. For Muslims, all who reject the signs of
Allah and commands of Allah are rebellious and they will have to face chastisement if they do not repent. I also realise
that ecologically, the time for repentance is now for many who reject the commands of Allah and pursue the whims of
atheists without knowing the final outcome for the personal, collective and eternal well being. I also realise that I am
writing all this for responding to the search for socially equitable and ecologically sustainable habitats, mountain, and
lifestyles as that is the key stimulus for this piece of writing recognising that there are many who wish only for
temporal well being only as they do not believe in eternal life of the souls.

At this point, I am tempted to recall the importance of Islamic democracies where there is an agreement for abiding to
the commands of Allah and then seek consensus and consultation on the issues that are not reflected in the Qur’an and
traditions of Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him). I have a strong feeling for defending Islamic democracy, as I believe
this will deliver all the goods. Muslim praying five times a day not only endeavours to get a better deal on the Day of
Account but they also cause minimum ecological footprints. Though, seen differently, they are thankful for the
bounties of nature and they wish to share with all without realising the call for ecological democracy.

LIMITS OF THE MOVEMENTS AND POLITICAL PARTIES SEEKING THE BEST WORLD THROUGH
ATHEISTIC AND POLYTHEISTIC MODELS OF GOVERNANCE

I would like to start with the Narmada Bachao Andolan, a movement led by Gandhians. Governments successively
have failed and the best response conceived is in terms of land for land for those who are to be displaced. There has
been call for implementation of alternative development paradigm. There are references for the same in so many
communications. Millennium Development Goals has an affirmation for the call for ensuring environment
sustainability for the consumption and production patterns. Still, there is absence of discussion on the final contours of
“alternative” for global acceptance. NBA does not have the script for global adoption though they are part of the
expressions of dissent across the world. Sunderlal Bahuguna once said that for the modern world dollar has become
like God. He was repeating the old critique where people are denounced if they do not appreciate the call of ‘dharma’
and worship money only. There are many pious Hindus who agree with Muslims on so many things if they are pointed
out the reference in the Sanskrit text for the commands of Allah recorded in Qur’an. There are many Christians and
Jews who too agree to the importance of the global adoption of prayer 5 times a day but then they are not yet ready too
get beyond the framework of nation state. If we read the manifestoes of the political parties; we do not get much
reference to the ecological sustainability. There are political parties that defend the preservation of cultural values but
they do not relate to the measurement of ecological footprints of the consumption patterns. It is critical to have a
manifesto that relates to the consideration of ecological sustainability for the vision promoted for the nation. We cannot
trust the vision for energy security and energy independence for India country, as this has not been achieved for any
nation till now following the dominant unregulated mode of development with freedom for all communications and
with dominance of leaders who do not uphold the standards of ‘piety’ to be the main criterion for leadership. There are
Greens like Craig Hubley who seek leaders to be the practitioners of prayer and meditation for being better mediators
on behalf of the people they serve.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has a racist vision for Indian that are not based on facts and that supports inequitable
and exploitative processes. There is a need to reform the key operational ideology of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha.
Political mobilisation of Dalits has further discredited them and their attempts to consolidate Hindu identity are based
on hatred for scheduled caste, Muslims and Christians. It is strange that while acknowledging all types of religious
practices, they do not appear to the accommodative of the propagation of the monotheistic practices and beliefs by
Muslims, Christians and Jews as they limit their appreciation of the role models worshipped in the polytheistic
pantheon that are based in India. They forget the migration patterns and other evidences that distinguish them from the
indigenous population in India. They wish to impose their understanding of a "Hindu" nation. Republicans in US are
not responding to the ecological needs and they continue to deny the impacts of global warming. Indian and Chinese
politicians wish to pursue nationalist goals that are based on the abundance of non-renewable resource based services
and comforts in the rural and urban areas while not realising the sustainability of the non-renewable resource based
power. United States is on the verge of entering a nuclear deal with India while ignoring the legitimate claims for the
same by Pakistan, Iran and so many other nations.



Therefore, it is important to uphold the pious standards and seek wider consent through persuasive communication. It is
equally important to delete the impact of the social designers who continue to stall faith-based prescriptions in
monotheistic framework. Many have not been able get beyond the negative experience of Church is some matters that
were clearly responded by Allah/God through communications to Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) and recorded in the
Holy Qur'an.

NON STATE ACTOR AND THEIR CALL FOR "ANOTHER WORLD ORDER"

Maoists, Islamists, Dalits, Greens, people in the so called left (defined differently in different political contexts) and
NGOs all call for a world order and endeavour for building another world. There are common points of aspiration
without having a consensus on the points of action, as there are different worldviews and conceptions of justice. Hindus
nationalists are not acceptable to Dalits, tribals, women and indigenous people, as they are understood to be supporters
of the social order of Manu. Dalits call for the establishment of an alternative world order based on the teachings of
Buddha. Atheistic neo-liberals calling for granting homosexuals positive social space are not acceptable to all who
uphold the family and who support the normality of the heterosexual marriage. These differences are critical as they are
the hurdles for realising the ecologically sustainable habitats/livelihoods for all. There are so many ecologically hostile
travels that are taking place for addressing the root cause of suffering, poverty, AIDS as comprehensive solutions are
not worked out. Some sort of hope is attached for the future and some sort of synergy is sought for the proposition of
advocacy without compromising on the positions that are ecologically hostile. For example, Global Call against
Poverty deliberated on the need to reform the national and international finance institutions.

NEED FOR SYNTHESIS

Therefore there is need for synthesis for defining one governance protocol for meeting the local, national and global
challenges. This is needed for ensuring protection of ecologically sustainable livelihoods/transportation systems and
habitats in Himalayas and elsewhere as there is absolutely no guarantee for the energy security. There is need to have a
paradigm for social unity and global unity. There is need to ensure minimisation of the consumption of resources that
produce green house gases. There is a need to produce measures and policies that protect the cleanness of water in the
rivers such as Yamuna where 386 million litres of wastewater is flown from Delhi. This synthesis is needed with open
mind for considering divine information and revelations of the messengers. We need this synthesis to be effected in the
minds of men and women globally and locally. We need to get back the communications for eternal well being of the
souls. We need to find one pole for governance of all with patience and compassion. Atheistic 'modernist' utopia has
been denounced and there are indeed challenges that are being faced locally and globally. We need to get rid of the
mindsets where children are prohibited to display the religious signs in the schools. Instead, we need to create spaces
for dialogue information about the diverse religions for the children.

MONOTHEISTIC FRAMEWORK FOR GLOBAL UNITY/WORLD UNITY CONSIDERING THE
ECOLOGICAL AND OTHER GLOBAL CHALLENGES

I have argued for global adoption of monotheistic framework after analysing the analytical and prescriptive narratives
by academicians, scientists deriving their moral ethical standards from the religious, ideological traditions. It is
important to organise people of the world around one pole and endeavour for unity. Islamic/ Monotheistic framework is
the framework for social and global unity as only the standard of piety is considered the most important standard. Race,
language, geography are the creation of God and that is not due to some human intervention. Globalisation of atheistic
neo-liberal consumption patterns has to be transformed through the globalisation of the culture of prayer, donation,
patience, thanks giving, forgiveness and so on. There are related commands in the various texts. There are implications
for education, governance, consumption pattern, financial institutions, and production patterns, as we need to privilege
the standard of piety for all the world citizens all over the world.

Other impacts of the adoption of monotheistic framework

• Prevention of usurious transaction as men and women following the commands will stop charging interests
for the loans. There are movements for transforming the finance sector where conclusions have been drawn
from secular analysis suggesting the need for liberating loans from interest. Global Justice Movement is such
movement that has people from across the world www.globaljusticemovement.net
• Freedom from the exploitative and inequitable ecologically hostile practices
• Distributive justice through the global adoption of the commands for donation of the surplus money/
commodity
• Social unity in the abidance to the commands of God/Ishwar/Allah



• Elimination of caste/class/tribe based discrimination as a result of the global appreciation of oneness of
humanity
• Deletion of the impacts of the atheistic and polytheistic social designers and their endless contradictions
• Transformation of the consumption patterns through global adoption of the culture of prayer 5 times day
• Transformation of the leisure use pattern for creating time for prayer 5 times a day
• Stability in the currency value and minimisation of financial crisis through protection of ecologically
sustainable value of the renewable resource based commodities and services

TOWARD A SOLUTION

Therefore, we can consider the global, local and personal adoption of the commands to be the final solution for
addressing the problems that are felt by various groups not only in the Himalayan region but also in the rest of world.
There is need to promote the culture of prayer and donation of the surplus wealth for the needy, orphans, the relatives,
families in the neighbourhood (40 households in all directions are considered neighbourhood according to one saying
of Prophet Muhammad and they do appear optimum for a household that can be taken care of . Now, with the
assistance of ICT enabled value transaction, the whole world is also treated as a neighbourhood by some who can
afford to pay but then physical proximity is what matters more.) We can get the best results through the ICT enabled
communication environment across the cities for transforming the consumption pattern as that is what is needed for
addressing the ecological challenges locally and globally. We need to promote global adoption of prayer 5 times a day.
I have shared with several e-forums and I would like to share this with the participants in the First Virtual Congress on
World Citizenship and Democratic Global Governance that is being held in the month of July 2006. As part of
recommendations, I would like to share the following that is contained in my PhD work on ‘A Study on Cognitive
Representations related to the concept of World Citizen’:

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A JUST WORLD ORDER

There is a need to build up consensus for global unity in the monotheistic framework. The atheistic, polytheistic and
animist prescriptions need to be understood as a representation of false consciousness. Shortcomings of the nation state
system can be addressed by global adoption of Islam. Aside from being a proposition of an acquired faith in Islam (that
is an abstract noun in Arabic language for an intellectual and political stance based on submission to the commands of
Allah/God/nirguna Brahmm/.../.../ communicated through the messengers of Allah), this is also being submitted
keeping into consideration the global need to decelerate, rationalize and prioritize the consumption of the exhaustible
resources. Faith in the afterlife (heaven and hell) needs to be communicated for best moral regulation. It may be more
dangerous to wallow in the chaotic discourse in the atheistic and polytheistic framework as objective, social, economic,
ecological, political and cultural conditions on our Planet calls for an urgent need for global unity and just world
governance. Earth belongs to all as per the command of Almighty and many philosophers have also expressed the
same. Global Family has been an idea and there is a need for a political realization of the same in the monotheistic
framework. UN may consider for itself a more active role defined in the light of Qur'an. The researcher would like to
contribute further in this regard. Delhi University may also take an active role in this by organizing an intensive
interdisciplinary workshop on assessing the different frameworks of global governance. There are some e-lists that are
discussing the models of global governance. The impact of the proposition presented, as conclusive prescription can be
further tested and reasoned. A consensus may emerge for our collective interest. There is need to revisit
foundationalism with reverence for the commands in Qur'an. Some commands can be interpreted for contextual limits.
There is a command for the utilization of the best means of persuasion. Allah had also reprimanded Muhammad
(PBUH) for not considering himself a guardian over the men and women and their belief.

Some theorists in Psychology need to be denounced for the appropriation of atheistic, polytheistic and animistic content
evolutionary content. Pure and unalloyed monotheistic framework needs fresh consideration for the spiritual/religious
identity. There is need to denounce the Freudian notion that God as a concept has been invented for replacing the
Father figure. Anti church discourse needs to be reviewed for a fresh reconstruction of history of ideas, history and
philosophy of science, especially for understanding and programming for social order in Europe where atheistic
philosophers have denounced all the social visions based on the faith based perspectives.

Even as one understands the assertion in the work as being not completely and comprehensively explained it is
suggested that there are more discussions and documentation for the development of a global framework of governance
as many respondents have felt the need for the same though in many case with an apprehension for domination of the
"west". As per the deconstruction of West in the dissertation it may be clear that filling of the gap in the atheistic and
polytheistic narratives can be done in pure monotheistic framework. The researcher has argued for adoption of Islam
for the same. Lastly for all scientists who are concerned with the globally acceptable framework, a fresh reading of
Qur'an is suggested.



The researcher would like to repeat the above as many times as possible in his life to men and women who express
concern for personal and collective wellbeing here in this world and hereafter. May be there is enough guidance and
grace from the Almighty for more and more men and women so that there are reverent change taking place all over for
addressing the global challenges through a unified monotheistic perspective.

There is need for global adoption and practice of commands of Allah as mentioned in Qur'an. All anti-foundationalism
discourses seeking a global consensus for a 'Grand Theory of all" in the atheistic, polytheistic and animistic discourses
would not have the desired outcome. Every man and woman is a world citizen. Integration of Europe, though
considered to be based on Christianity by some, will have more implications for the rest of the world if the American
Psychiatric Association's definition of homosexuality is denounced and relevant legal provision revised for
discouraging adoption of homosexuality by men and women. There is a need to respect Pope John Paul's view in this
regard. This will be also in accordance with the divine commands. A prophet called Loot / Lot (Peace be upon him) has
been mentioned in Qur'an to have exhorted men in his time against the same. Homosexual had mocked the prophet and
rejected the call of prophet for getting on the straight heterosexual relationships through marriage .God/Allah destroyed
them by lightning.

The researcher has looked into the need of many global and local thinkers/ scientists and philosophers who have calling
for the development of alternative paradigm. In India Narmada Bachao Andolan and Swadeshi Jagran Manch has been
also calling for the same. There are different responses to this call for the development of the alternative paradigm.
Postmodernism in the Euro-American context / Western calls for denunciation all claims for meta-narrative as the same
will be hegemonic and too authoritative. Greens have been calling for the adoption of 'reduce, reuse and recycle' as a
slogan for our times. Global security environment has been described overall peaceful by UN Security General
excluding some areas. Non-Muslim leaders fear Islamists and there is a sort or consensus to fight Islamic terrorism.
Green dream can be realized fast nonetheless with global adoption of culture of prayer five times a day as commanded
for all in Qur'an. Globalization of the culture drinking and dancing as promoted by the government supported electronic
and print media in non-Islamic societies accelerates the consumption of exhaustible resources. Sustained vision for the
contest and competition among the nations for having maximum access to the exhaustible resources may have many
violent conflicts. Assuming absence of full scale replacement of the exhaustible resources for the future generations
and also recognizing the traumatic social realities in the non Islamic societies , global practice of commands of Allah is
suggested while recognizing the continuity of monotheistic faith across the continents and time since Adam and Eve/
Hawwa (peace be on them), our common ancestor. According to the narration on the great deluge, we are the posterity
of followers of Prophet Noah (peace be upon him) who were saved from the great deluge causes by 7 days of
continuous rain from above and gushing of water from Earth.

Thus it can be seen that it was hard for the researcher to only respond on the basis of the responses of the interview
schedules as conclusion of the researcher through the conceptual organization detailed in the section on findings would
not have been reported as a significant outcome of investigations on "cognitive representation related to the concept of
world citizen "in just world order inquiries. It is also submitted that the findings of the interview that significantly
lacked relevant description of the alternative visions further firmed researcher's position up.

It would be pertinent to mention ten dimensions of the normative project mentioned in the report of the world order
model project by Richard Falk (1995) .They are: 1. Taming war, 2. Abolishing war, and 3. making individuals
accountable, 4.Collective security, 5. Rule of Law, 6.Nonviolent revolutionary politics, 7. Human rights, and
8.Stewardship of nature 9. Positive citizenship and 10. Cosmopolitan Democracy.

While describing positive citizenship it is stated that 'the projection of a global identity, without the conditions of
community, and the claim now to be "world citizens" express serious striving for humane governance, but they also
arouse serious suspicions that the necessary struggles associated with the transformation are being evaded by the
sentimental, New age pretense that a reorientation of the personal energy will suffice'.

Following the above it can be seen that mere assertions of world citizenship has not been considered sufficient. There is
a need to defining a framework of global governance protocol that must be adopted for addressing the problems while
not being coercive, authoritarian and despotic. Prescription for the 'positive citizenship' is offered and has been rightly
drawn on nonviolence and human rights as inspirational sources. However according to Richard Falk 'The greatest
challenge, at present, is to reconcile the territorial dimension of citizenship with the temporal dimension: acting in the
present for the sake of future ,establishing zones of humane governance as building blocks' (p.253). In response to the
perceived challenge of and keeping into consideration the researcher's basic conceptual tools, it is conclusively
submitted that the challenge can be best negotiated by the global adoption and nonviolent practice of Islam with
patience and hope for the mercy of Allah/God/ nirguna parameshwar/, the most Beneficent and the Merciful who was
neither born nor gave birth.


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