World Federalism

World Federalism
Tribalism and its consequences have been disastrous for the human race.
Basic Information
Aliases	World Government One World World
Alignments	NonQuad Democratic Internationalists Environmentalists
Ideological Influences
Influenced by	Globalism Federalism
Character Information
Likes	People Physics Humanitarian work Volunteering Freedom of movement Humanism
Dislikes	Nationalists Racism TRIBALISM Religious Fundamentalism War Sexism Environmental degradation Authoritarianism
Song	Christopher Tin - Sogno di Volare ("The Dream of Flight")(unofficial song)

World Federalism is an ideology and movement aiming to create a global federal government. "A world federation would have authority on issues of global reach, while the power over local matters would reside in the members of such federation, the overall sovereignty over the world population would largely reside in the federal government". Although its supporters vary economically, ranging from democratic socialists/social democrats to georgists or neoliberals, all world federalists emphasize the importance and value of democracy along with supporting humanitarian and humanist values.

Ultimately, the goal of world federalism is to combat and eventually triumph over the various demons that have hung over humanity's shoulders for so long. Namely, bringing about an end to poverty, war, climate change and harmful tribalist mentalities. While these aspirations may seem grandiose or utopian, world federalists assert that such thinking is counterproductive and is exactly why we have these problems in the first place. As of now, there is still no singular or cohesive theory to world federalism. Some argue that the very notion of ethnicity or race should eventually be done away with while other, more moderate supporters, assert that solely the implementation of a global federal government is needed. As such, its base is a wide collection of idealists, humanists, economists, and humanitarians that are willing to band together and believe humanity's biggest problems require a big solution that will once and for all bring peace to all people.

History and General Concepts

General History

"World federalism has evolved from more general proposals for a world government. Proposals for a world government can be found as far back as Ancient Greece, India and China, mostly tied to a mystical cosmology. Alexander the Great pursued the goal of conquering the entire known world and subjugating it under his rule. World governments in various forms later appeared in the works of Dante Alighieri, Immanuel Kant, Anacharsis Cloots and Johann Gottlieb Fichte, where it was explicitly proposed as a means to securing world peace. A world parliament as integral part of a world republic was mentioned first by Pecqueur in 1842. The idea has been popularized by a number of prominent authors, such as Alfred Tennyson and H. G. Wells. The late 19th century has also seen the establishment of a number of international institutions, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Telegraphic Union, the Universal Postal Union and the Inter-Parliamentary Union with the goal of serving as "an international congress which should meet periodically to discuss international questions"."

WWI-WW2

After the conclusion of the "war to end all wars" many began to speculate how future global conflicts could be prevented. This would ultimately lead to the first attempts to create a united world government, involving some of the first world federalists. The most successful attempt after the war could be seen with the creation of the league of nations on January 10th, 1920. Although a notable achievement, the organization would ultimately fail largely due to the fact that it required practically unilateral agreement by every member state to make any decision. The rise of fascism and ultranationalism across the globe following the great depression would eventually prove to be the final nail in the coffin for the League of Nations as it failed to stop the aggressive actions of Germany, Italy, and Japan (among others). This "rise of nationalism and the growing threat of fascism in Europe caused a resurgence of the idea of a unified world under democratic principles. With the release of the book Union Now, Clarence Streit proposed a political union of democratic nations. The United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland were to form the seed for a democratic world republic. A world congress, made up of a House of Representative and a Senate should decide on matters related to defence, trade and currency." Following the Axis defeat and the conclusion of the second world war, World Federalism would see an all time high of support(perhaps the most support it has ever received) which would only be emboldened by the creation of the United Nations in 1945. Other intra-state organizations like the European Union and African Union would later be created, partially embodying the values established by World Federalism. In fact, the African Union is the only intra-state organization that officially lists the unification of all of its member states as one of its eventual goals. It should be noted that Africa and India are notable contributors to the World Federalist movement, producing prominent supporters including, but not limited to:Nelson Mandela, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Mahatma Gandhi. This is in part a consequence of de-colonization and anti-imperialist movements in their respective regions.

Modern Day-Future

Although World Federalist movements exist today, the ideology is nowhere near as prevalent as it once was following the conclusions of WWI/WW2. Rising nationalist sentiment across practically every country world wide along with increasing skepticism of globalism have dealt a serious blow to any possibility of getting remotely close to the creation of a global federal government. Furthermore, the questionable effectiveness and success of the United Nations has made many question whether any inter-state organizations are actually needed or necessary. However, the problems brought on by man made climate change have potentially revitalized the movement, with many arguing that the only way the world's nations can handle this environmental disaster is by banding together and forming a united environmentalist front that is able to enforce policy in every nation. While the future may look bleak, World Federalism continues to move forward, hoping that perhaps one day, its time will finally come.

Principles

Commitment to Democracy

World federalism is wholly dedicated to the strengthening and advocacy of democracy and democratic institutions. Regardless of one's economic positions, a world federalist is first and foremost pro-democracy. The right to representation of one's own government is perhaps one of the highest tenants within world federalism. It is generally a strong proponent of ranked choice voting or similar variants and can be critical of first past the post voting systems as it does not accurately represent the interests and values of its citizens.

Federalism

As established in its name, world federalism is a type of federal republic that has divisions of power between federal and localized government. This limits bureaucracy and gives sufficient autonomy to the wide variety of different peoples that would make up the political and social body of the world nation. In practice this limits the authority of the central government and allows regional governments to create many of their own laws and regulations dependent on the their unique needs and values. As such, this prevents an inefficient and bloated government while simultaneously preventing an over-bearing or authoritarian central state.

Humanism

At the core of world federalism are its humanist principles and philosophical origins. Regardless of an individual's ancestral origin, ethnicity, race, or gender, all people are humans and should be treated as such. This means world federalists are "responsible for the promotion and development of individuals [and must uphold] the equal and inherent dignity of all human beings, [generally emphasizing] a concern for humans in relation to the world." This may also extend to the enforcement of a secular value (ie a strict separation of church and state) while maintaining one's right to practice or not practice whichever faith they choose. In the modern context, it can be argued that the protection and preservation of the environment is a humanist issue as it has enormous negative consequences on millions of humans' lives.

Unification of Humanity

The final, and perhaps most defining characteristic of world federalism is its goal to create a global government encompassing all people across the Earth. This goal must be achieved through peaceful means (ie no imperialist conquest) and has no solidified method. The most common suggestion is to reform the current United Nations by reforming or abolishing the Security Council and giving greater powers to the General Assembly.

A Shared Human Identity

Similar to that of humanism, world federalists have a shared sense of humanity that manifests itself through an attachment to a human identity that surpasses all other identities. This is not to say that one cannot feel pride in their nation of origin (patriotism), but rather that concepts like race or ethnicity are less important than the common humanity found in all people.

Criticisms and Arguments Against World Federalism

Feasibility

Perhaps one of the most common arguments against world federalism is its feasibility. Managing the entirety of the global population under one government is far easier said than done and is exceedingly complicated when considering the enormous diversity of religions, cultures, and ethnicities that exist across the world. Historically multi-ethnic countries and regions such as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Yugoslavia, Post-Colonial Africa, Syria, Israel-Palestine, Iraq, etc. have demonstrated that managing a diverse nation can be incredibly difficult to accomplish. Furthermore, the sheer number of people (likely to plateau near 10 billion) could become an administrative nightmare. Ultimately, some argue that the peoples of Earth are far too different to cooperate and that we are better off completely independent from one another. However, a common response to this argument is that world federalism is a long term goal and most acknowledge that it cannot be reasonably implemented in our current time. Instead, individuals and states should aim to strengthen their democracies while advocating for principles associated with world federalism and humanism. The fact that the ideology supports federalism is also meant to account for this problem. By providing local communities with greater autonomy, they may be part of a greater human identity while maintaining their differences. Additionally, some might assert that a widespread pan-humanist movement will eventually form which could lead to the creation of a global nation. In other words, world federalists acknowledge the challenge of the times, but believe that the actions and behaviors of individuals will contribute to gradual change and eventual societal reform.

Globalization and the degradation of culture

Another common argument is that a world government would inherently create a more homogenous humanity thereby overpowering smaller cultures and communities, eventually leading to the destruction of their way of life. While different world federalists may have differing views on this topic, most will agree that this is not the intention or goal of world federalism. Although the creation of a world government could lead to a more homogenous humanity, the federal structure of World Federalism is intended to allow differing groups of people to keep their way of life alive by providing them the authority to govern themselves at the local level. One might picture a more decentralized form of the united states' federal state structure, for example. This, of course, is under the assumption that local communities and indigenous populations are given representation as promoted by world federalists. On the other hand, other world federalists might argue that the trend towards homogeneity at a cultural level under world federalism is a natural process that is largely inevitable.

Effectiveness of the United Nations

Arguments against world federalism often cite the effectiveness, or perhaps more appropriately, the ineffectiveness of the United Nations and its predecessor, the League of Nations. In other words, the fact that the United Nations has been unable to live up to many of its values and goals is evidence that a global government of any capacity, is impossible. While it is true that the UN has failed in many respects (Rwandan Genocide, Libyan and Syrian Civil Wars, etc) it is important to note the very real accomplishments the UN has achieved in its short history. One of, if not the most notable of which is the absence of a major global conflict and/or nuclear war, largely thanks to the efforts of the UN Security Council. While there are still conflicts across the globe that have killed millions, the absence of a global conflict is notable. Although some might credit nuclear deterrence as the main reason for this absence, one could point to the numerous instances in which nuclear war was only narrowly avoided thanks to diplomatic efforts across multiple nation-states. Furthermore, perhaps one of the most understated achievements of the United Nations was its contributions to the eradication of smallpox and its continued effort to fight diseases across the globe. This development in human history is a direct bi-product of the United Nations and has undoubtedly saved millions of people. This, of course, does not erase the aforementioned failures of the UN, but highlights many criticisms that World Federalists themselves have about the organization. Specifically, that the UN is largely unable to live up to its own principles and standards. One argument sometimes made by WFs is support for Security Council reform. This take is portrayed well by the organization: Uniting for Consensus, which argues that the number of non-permanent SC members should be increased to better represent the interests of non-western nations along with limiting the powers of the veto for permanent SC members. Proponents of this idea usually advocate for greater powers to the general assembly as well. The main take away, is ultimately that world federalists are often just as critical of the UN as others are. However, they provide solutions to the problem instead of suggesting that the UN is a lost cause. This has become particularly true due to climate change, since it is seemingly impossible to implement effective climate policy without the use of a global polity.

Additional Information

Indigenous Peoples and Their Rights

Contrary to what some might believe, world federalism considers itself to be one of the most compatible forms of government with indigenous rights. Climate change, for instance, and related issues such as the use of fossil fuels, still negatively impact indigenous communities and must be addressed at a global level. Perhaps more importantly, however, are the aforementioned humanist principles established previously, as demonstrated by the current United Nations stance and voting record with indigenous communities https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/un_declaration_on_the_rights_of_indigenous_peoples/. World federalism would provide the protections of a global humanist government that tackles climate change and decolonization while simultaneously giving said communities the autonomy needed to maintain their traditions and way of life.Although some indiginous communities around the world might have different views on the ideas of world federalism as an effective means of helping them, some for example, may argue that a state forcefully enforcing them to have a foreign governing body onto them could potentially go against the entire idea of true decolonization in the first place, or some may see it as a truly good thing that ensures they have more freedom of expression and autonomy as opposed to most nation-states.

Personality

World Federalism is a compassionate and enthusiastic ideology that constantly encourages others to cooperate with one another. He is generally very friendly to other ideologies as long as they are not nationalists or anti-democratic. He is also rather articulate and intelligent for an ideology, often having extensive knowledge of history, geography, and even physics. This is likely due to the fact that his supporters are amongst the ranks of Albert Einstein, Carl Sagan, Nelson Mandela, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, H.G. Wells, Martin Luther King Jr., Sylvia Plath, Ashley Montagu, and Kurt Vonnegut. While this is generally a positive thing, it can often result in World Federalism being perceived as elitist and pretentious.

Behavior and Interests

World Federalism is energetic and passionate and often goes into long rants about the dangers of tribalism and why he can solve all the world's problems. He is also very optimistic and is able to stay positive even in some of the most dire situations. When not interacting with other ideologies World Federalism will likely either be reading, studying physics, or participating in community service and/or humanitarian work.

How to Draw

Flag of World Federalism

The world federalism design is based on the earth flag proposed by Oskar Pernefeldt in 2015 (Dark Blue Background with flower of life in center) The seven intersected rings represent the 7 continents and the interconnected histories of their people. The blue background represents the oceans that make up 70% of Earth's surface.

1. Draw a ball
2. Fill ball with #0030ad
3. Draw flower of life symbol in center
4. Add the eyes and you're done!

Relations

Friends

• Democracy - Representation through democracy is essential to ensuring true equality for all!
• Federalism - An excellent concept that works perfectly for my vision of a unified humanity.
• Globalism - Bringing people closer together, one day at a time.
• Environmentalism - Defending our environment and countering climate change are perhaps the most pertinent issues of our time.
• Multiculturalism - Our differences are beautiful once you are able to understand the story behind them. We are all one people, but that does not mean we are all the same!
• Cosmopolitanism - Absolutely incredible, focusing on what unites us is more important than emphasizing what divides us.
• Social Democracy - Democracy and caring for the disenfranchised? You make me proud!
• Democratic Socialism - Many of my most famous supporters were proponents of this ideology (actual democratic socialism not "american democratic socialism").
• Alter-globalization - You want to unite the world while protecting workers and the common people, wonderful! Still doesn't like my idea of a single world government but we get along nonetheless.
• Georgism - Your ideas are surprisingly compatible with mine. The land of the world belongs to all people and those that claim it for themselves do so at the cost of others.
• Humanism - We have a duty to protect people, wherever they may be!
• European Federalism - Definitely a step in the right direction!

Frenemies

• Anationalism - While we both agree on a united world, I dislike anarchism.
• Authoritarian Democracy - Democracy is already so great! Why did you have to try and ruin it?
• Pan-Nationalism - Although you are technically a nationalist, the fact that you want to unify with your neighbors might actually help my cause. I am particularly fond of pan-Africanism!
• Neoliberalism - I like the fact that you have lifted many out of poverty and support open borders and multiculturalism, but your fervent support of corporations has led to environmental degradation and growing inequality.
• Trotskyism - You are an advocate for equality and a united world which are both excellent, however, your support for violent revolution is... concerning to say the least.
• Anarcho-Communism - Your struggles for the global working class and liberty are noble, but how can unification be sustained in the long term without a state?
• Technocracy - We have similar interests and I particularly like your dedication to science, knowledge, and education, but I could never support your anti-democracy views. Also, people keep calling me a "technocrat" for some reason.
• Indigenism - While I understand your struggles and reasoning for your desire for total independence, you can actually benefit from a federal system that gives you representation!
• Civic Nationalism - In theory, you could be compatible with my views, although I am still skeptical of you...based on the rather...extensive...history of your siblings.
• Post-Colonial Anarchism - For a nationalist you actually seem to be promoting unity and anti-racism. But stop it with the promotion of cultural devisions and this foolish "anarchism". How can we TRULY be united as a people without a state central authority?
• Eco-Authoritarianism - I too am passionate about the environment, but in no way am I willing to sacrifice my democratic principles on that end.

Enemies

• Nationalists - The suffering you have caused through your hatred will never be forgotten...
• Jingoism & Imperialism - Although a promotion of single world government under a state authority is pretty based. You are founded off of everything I despise and what I was trying to prevent.
• Isolationism - Why are you so distrustful of outsiders? You only further divide the various people of the world.
• Universal Monarchism - You may support a united world, but one under a monarchy? You have to be kidding.
• National Socialism - You embody everything I hate and are perhaps the worst ideology conceived by humanity.
• Fascism - Hyper-nationalism, militarism, and incredibly violent and anti-democratic in practice... overall terrible.
• Voluntary Human Extinction - I... Why?
• Unitarianism - You are far too centralized, federalism is the only way a unified humanity can function.
• Totalitarianism - Another cause of human suffering... the people's will shall be heard and the chains you have cast on them will be broken.
• Stratocracy - War... need I say more?
• Posadism - I admire your dedication to creating a global utopia... but a nuclear holocaust? Pure evil!
• Illuminatism - You are the reason why people are afraid of me.
• Theocracy - I respect your right to practice your faith, but I expect you to respect my right to not have faith.
• Patriarchy - Giving women full equality not only gives them what they deserve as humans, but also has enormous benefits on the economy and overall well being of the nation. Shame on you.
• Trumpism - "America First" comes at the cost of everyone else, yet all people are equal and therefore worthy of our attention and resources.
• National Anarchism - Contradictory...
• Anti-Humanism - Humanity has made mistakes, but to suggest that we must exterminate ourselves is idiotic. Killing humans would only give way to the evolution of other intelligent beings, starting the cycle over again. In life there is purpose and meaning.
• Caste System - Caste Systems are anti-democratic and prevent social mobility, lowering quality of life and preventing progress.
• Anti-Environmentalism - Protecting the environment protects humanity, the evidence overwhelmingly supports my views on this matter.
• Jihadism - You give Muslims a bad name and murder your own people in the name of God. A genuinely twisted and unfortunate consequence of colonialism.
• Separatism - Although sometimes understandable in extreme cases you continue to delay my eventual creation from nations getting bigger and unifying, and are largely a product of modern nationalism.
• Urbism - Urbism, what you've just said is one of the most insanely, idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response, were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

Further Information

Literature

• Man's Most Dangerous Myth: The Fallacy of Race by Ashley Montagu
• The Global Commonwealth of Citizens. Toward Cosmopolitan Democracy by Daniele Archibugi
• Baratta, Joseph. Barnesandnoble.com, The Politics of World Federation, (Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2003). Introduction available Globalsolutions.org
• Bummel, Andreas and Leinen, Jo. "A World Parliament: Governance and Democracy in the 21st Century", (Democracy Without Borders, 2018).
• Cabrera, Luis. Political Theory of Global Justice: A Cosmopolitan Case for the World State (London: Routledge, 2004;2006).
• Glossop, Ronald J. "World Federation? A critical analysis of world government", (McFarland & Company, Inc., 1993).
• Hamer, Chistopher. UNW.edu.au, Global Parliament - Principles of World Federation (Oyster Bay, NSW: Oyster Bay Books, 1998).
• Kant, Immanuel. "To Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Sketch", (Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 2003).
• Lothian, Philip Henry Kerr. "Pacifism is Not Enough, Nor Patriotism Either", (Clarendon Press, 1935).
• Lykov Andrey Yurievich. World state as the future of the international community (Moscow: Prospekt, 2013).
• Mazower, Mark. "Governing the World: The History of an Idea, 1815 to the Present", (Penguin Books, 2013).
• McClintock, John. The Uniting of Nations: An Essay on Global Governance (3rd ed. revised and updated, P.I.E. Peter Lang, 2010)
• Marchetti, Raffaele. Global Democracy: For and Against. Ethical Theory, Institutional Design and Social Struggles (London: Routledge, 2008) Amazon.com, . ISBN 978-0-415-55495-4
• Privat, Edmond. "Federala Sperto", (Universala Ligo, 1958).
• Reves, Emery The Anatomy of Peace Harper and Brothers, 1945
• Strauss, Andrew. Oneworldtrust.org, Taking Democracy Global: Assessing the Benefits and Challenges of a Global Parliamentary Assembly. (London: One World Trust, 2005).
• Stark, Jim. Rescue Plan for Planet Earth: Democratic World Government through a Global Referendum (Toronto: Key Publishing House Inc., 2008)
• Wells, Henry George. "The Outline of History", (George Newnes, 1920).
• Wendt, Alexander. "Why a World State is Inevitable," European Journal of International Relations, Vol. 9, No. 4 (2003), pp. 491–542
• Yunker, James A. Political Globalization: A New Vision of Federal World Government (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 2007)

Wikipedia

• World Federalism
• World Federalist Movement

Video

• What is world federalism?
• Should we give world federalism a chance?

Online Communities

• r/GlobalTribe
• Young World Federalists
• Democratic World Federalists

Gallery

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  Credit: TheLegend2T, Source