Welcome to the Garry Davis WebSpace! menu Imagemap

PRESS COMMUNIQUES ON THE LAUNCHING OF THE WORLD CITIZEN PARTY

MAY 30, 1973 Steps of the San Francisco Opera House

Since the signing of the U.N. Charter from these premises more than a generation ago, nations have spent more than $1,000,000 million on so-called national defense while two-thirds of the human race go to bed hungry every night, and there has been an armed conflict on the average of every five months.

Only world leaders can qualify for national office since the major problems facing the national public are global: the elimination of war, total disarmament, the demographic explosion, the depletion of the planet's resources, the raising of living standards, the divisions between the rich and poor, etc.

Every human being must be given the decision over his or her life within this new and revolutionary framework.

This implies a dynamic new political structure operating on all levels of citizenship including the global.

Thus, on September 1, 1972, in Paris, the World Citizen Party was founded.

The governments of the United States and the Soviet Union are the leading perpetrators of the philosophy of "national defense" despite their adhesion to the U.N. Charter by which member-states are pledged to "promote and encourage respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms."

Direct democratic representation, the principle upon which the American nation was founded, is being betrayed by a political system dating from the horse-and-buggy days which stops at national frontiers thus denying the individual voter a voice in the affairs of the world community to which he or she belongs.

It is evident-and recent events such as Watergate are startling proof-that the American public needs a new political horizon.

My mission here in the United States at this time is to found with enlightened citizens here, the World Citizen party, USA branch.

The platform of the World Citizen Party, as the "platform" of the Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence later codified in the Bill of Rights, is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights plus ecological rights as well as the rights of ethnic minority groups.

The World Citizen Party will seek at all levels of political activity to promote legal guarantees and protection for the just and inalienable rights of humankind.

Included in this program will be: the creation of world law and appropriate institution;, the realignment of national law to conform with world law; the recognition of viable ethnic groups; the representation of the oceans, the atmosphere, the world's water supplies and soil as humankind's common heritage; the mundialization of villages, cities, and states; the endorsement of candidates seeking election on its platform; the representation of stateless persons and refugees; and the institution of social and economic justice throughout the world community.

Let this spot on which I speak-37° 46' 42" North Latitude, 122° 25' 8" be known henceforth as "World Territory" and called "World Citizens' Point."

Return To Press Release Index