J. Kirk Boyd, author of 2048: Humanity's Agreement to Live Together
Philip Grasso for Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
Is it possible for everyone in the world to be held to an ultimate rule, an internationally recognized agreement that requires global social order based on human rights? Author J. Kirk Boyd believes it is, and in a new book entitled 2048: Humanity's Agreement to Live Together, he outlines how it might be possible to come to just such a state of living.
According to Boyd, the 2048 movement is based on the Declaration of Human Rights, drafted in 1948, and the four simple freedoms outlined within:
-Freedom of Speech
-Freedom of Religion
-Freedom from Want -
- Freedom from Fear
And Boyd adds a very important fifth freedom - Freedom for the Environment.
The premise is that we have to remember the mostly ignored Declaration of Human Rights and make it enforceable if we are to expect any sort of sustainable, happy future for humankind. And it's not just talk. Boyd is the Executive Director of the 2048 Project at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, so named because it will mark the 100th anniversary of the original United Nations document on which the project is based.
In a book that is simultaneously a fast read and a very lengthy discussion, Boyd pulls the research, anecdotes and experience that makes a strong case that we can indeed pull together as a species and work, live, and coexist peacefully and healthfully.
Anything but a lecture, the book opens up for discussion, thought, and motivation the idea that we have less than 40 years to meet the goal of getting every person on the planet to sign onto a simple agreement.
Freedom for the Environment
While many of us are familiar with the basic freedoms outlined by Franklin Rooseveld in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we may not be so familiar with what Boyd's fifth basic right entails.
"Freedom for the environment is live, not just our own lives, but the life of the planet Earth. As human rights are intertwined and interdependent, so too our lives are intertwined and interdependent with our environment," writes Boyd.
"By including the environment in our list of rights, it is possible to protect the environment when it is being despoiled and wildlife is being decimated. It means a better chance for science, rather than politics, to guide the outcome of major decisions impacting the environment."
Indeed, throwing this element into the mix complicates matters - how do we decide which comes first, the environment or the freedom of a person to live without want? Yet, without a healthy environment, freedom from want is impossible anyway. The addition of this fifth universal right of Freedom for the Environment shows how far we've come in realizing the finite limits of Earth and the importance of a healthy planet if we want a healthy future.
Be Part of the 2048 Movement
As we mentioned, 2048 is not so much a lecture or rant about the importance of living peacefully, but the opening of a vital discussion among everyone who picks up the book, and everyone who finishes it and hands it off to a friend to read. And it is not a lofty, Utopian goal - it is a project underway right now. And you can be part of it. The 2048 website is a way for members of the global community to show their support, provide their feedback and input about the project, and submit ideas that help shape the International Bill of Rights as it is written and becomes binding for all of humankind.
Launching this week, you can pick up a copy of 2048: Humanity's Agreement to Live Together at Amazon.com for $11
