Tract

By continuation of the bad quality of the picture we propose you to address you an original one on simple request to humanah@wanadoo.fr 

 

 

 

 

NO MORE KILLING

 

!By Georges Krassovsky

  The aim of this pact is PEACE, true Peace, Peace without arms. However, it can only be possible if; first of all, human life and dignity are respected. This is nowadays strongly perceived by a majority of men and women. It remains to be demonstrated.

 

SHALL WE BURY THE HATCHET?

  I don't know whether it is a dream or an achiev­able aim, but I can't help thinking and speaking about it. The idea is to mark the end of the 2n~ millenium of our era by considering the countless wars in which men have massacred one another as belonging to the past. The 20th century has been particularly horrendous due to the weapons con­stantly being made even more deadly. Today ques­tions of balance of power are no longer relevant. Should a major war break out there would be nei­ther victor nor vanquished. Nuclear weapons are in fact a challenge to the survival of the human race, confronted with the alternative of disarming or disappearing from the face of the earth. Now, it is a well‑known fact that all the international confer­ences on disarmament have failed. It is high time to draw the proper conclusions from this: Heads of State and their representatives are at present unable to sign any agreement resulting in general disar­mament.

 

MISLEADING JUSTIFICATIONS

  There have always been numerous poignant calls for peace and non‑violence but we have to admit that they too have been of no avail. Why? Only because they were no match for those who advocate war and violence in the name of "ideals" such as the defense of one's country, the triumph of a sublime ideology, the propagation of religious salvation etc. for which men are asked to give their lives and kill their neighbors! Well, it is here and here alone that lies the challenge. And it can be won if men will decide not to be "taken in" any more. If they refuse to accept all the "justifica­tions" for violence and the resort to arms. If they refuse to kill under any circumstances whatever. If they declare that nothing is more important, more worthy of respect, more sacred than human life, it is that and only that which must mark the begin­ning of the 3rd millenium: “No more killing"! It's so simple and vet so demanding! But how can this Pact be ratified all over the world ? It seems logical for all governments to "play the game" and for every country to organize a referendum asking this one single question: "Do you agree‑ yes or no -­that killing should be forbidden whatever the cir­cumstances ?"

 

CITIZEN DIPLOMACY

  There is little chance of the present governments taking such a proposal seriously or their following it up. However, it would probably be enough for one to start for all others to start asking questions. There is a possibility to get round any blackout by adopting a conventional sign, which would have the effect of a ballot paper. An ordinary white sheet of paper (21 x 29.7) could be placed on a window pane or on the front door.. Every where it will mean that behind those windows and doors, human beings refuse to accept under any circumstances whatever the killing of other human beings. It will also mean that they refuse to support those who justify for reasons of "self‑defense", "preventive war" or other "excuses" of this kind which have always been used to manipulate people and turn them against one another.

 

THE PEACE DOVE IS WHITE!

  The refusal of all violence has many times been expressed orally or in writing by the best repre­sentatives of humanity but as this has always been done with words, the message was doomed to be submerged in the general cacophony of contro­versy. So ‑ who knows? ‑ If people all over the world are asked to express themselves without words but just by using things near at hand lily white paper or white fabric, maybe things will turn out differently.

 

FIRST OF ALL: GET RID OF FEAR!

  Imagine for a moment that from the outset of the year 2000, people in every country in the world are informed and an irresistible “white wave" surges everywhere through household windows, shop windows, cars,  etc. The psychological effect would be immense! And first of all, fear would be swept away; that inmost fear which for centuries has urged people to arm themselves for defense and has been cleverly exploited by all the paranoid leaders. Now, how could we still be afraid of an­other nation, near to us or far, when it had also participated massively in the Pact of the Year 2000? One thing is certain however: even the most bloodthirsty of dictators could not succeed in hurling his corn people into a war against another completely unarmed country that gave no cause for fear.

 

N0 MORE ARMS OR ARMIES!

  The change in the moral atmosphere which would follow all over the world would exert such pressure on governments (which all claim to be democratic!) that they would have to promote a new policy based on the absolute respect of human life. This would of course imply the destruction of all existing weapons and consequently the dissolu­tion of all armies. Obviously, a new law would have to be introduced forbidding the manufacture, sale and possession of weapons. At first this would mean an increase in unemployment, but on the other hand, the amount of money saved would be so huge that the unemployed could receive ample compensation. The tremendous sums of money coming from the "national defense” budget could also be allocated to protecting the environment (the real "enemies" are all the different forms of pollu­tion) and to improving the standard of lilting of the poor and seeing to the needs of developing coun­tries.

 

A TIME OF JOY

  All this is possible. All this could come about during the year 2000 so that the 3rd millenium that in fact will begin on January 1st 2001- ­would really be the beginning of a new era. However is one condition for this dream to come true: the idea of a "referendum without ballot boxes for a world without arms" must be widely known. And this can only be achieved through personal contact, by word of mouth and the media. It requires the combined efforts of all men and women of goodwill, humanitarian associations, well‑known people and the mass media. It is not a question of collecting money or signing petitions but of spreading the word: NO MORE KILLING !  If you agree with it,  make it known clearly and publicly.

 

A FEW PRECISE DETAILS ON THE ABOVE

  REJOICING TOWNS AND VILLAGES

  Sheets of white paper on windowpanes, front doors, shop windows, will be the main evidence of the individual or family pledges to the Pact to the Year 2000. But it need not be limited to this alone. To add a sort of radiance to the celebration of this Pact we could extend it by making a wider use of the white "non‑violence" symbol so as to encour­age a "white wave" that would submerse every country in the world.

  WHY THE COLOUR WHITE?

  There are three reasons for this choice:
      1) Because white is known worldwide as the symbol of the end of war and therefore of peace. On all battlefields the white flag has always meant
      2) As everyone knows, white is the sum of all the colors of the solar spectrum that can also be seen in the rainbow. It can therefore be interpreted as a symbol of unity in diversity and, in this par­ticular case, of "human unity”.
       3) White paper, fabric, plastic can be found everywhere, so it is easy and cheap to make flags, Anions, streamers and banners. Ribbons can be put on car aerials as well as bouts, badges, balloons etc. No matter what the shape as long as it is white. Man has made ample use of his imagination to make war; he is certainly capable of using it to a Heater degree to ensure peace. Children will par­ticularly enjoy taking part. After all, it is all about their future, Isn’t it?

 

THE CHOICE OF DATES

      It seems that the best date for starting the world celebration of the Pact of the Year 2000 would be that of the "birth of the sun, that is, the winter solstice on December 215t 1999 (this has the ad­vantage of concerning the entire planet quite inde­pendently of traditional feasts). As for its duration, it could be extended to the first ten days of January 3000. Even if we have to start again in the wake of the year 2001...

 

GLOBAL APPROACH

  Obviously, the Pact of the Year 2000 is above all directed against wars and their preparation as well as terrorism, which is nothing other than a form of war. But poverty, pollution and forms of humiliation are also killing. Therefore the purpose of the Pact of the Year 2000 is also to put an end to all this infamy. At least, we now know we have a means of attempting something, which goes in that direction.

IMMEDIATE ACTIONS

  The undeniable advantage of the Pact of the Year 2000 is that it does not originate from above. It comes from no political or religious authority. It comes directly from people themselves, expressing their will to see peace and human life respected. Such is the aspiration of millions of ordinary citi­zens who are in fact the majority. The main thing is to make a public show of strength. This means that anybody agreeing with the Pact and who has un­derstood its significance thereby becomes partly responsible for it. Here are the actions, which can be undertaken without delay for the Pact of the Year 2000 and the white referendum, which it im­plies:

     1 ) Present duplicating methods allow cheap photocopies of this text (A3). Everybody can there­fore pass it on to friend, neighbors and relations.

2) Members of humanistic associations and publications (pacifists, non violent, ecologists, world citizens, spiritualists. etc.) that approve of the Pact can inform their members and readers (see box page 4).

     3) It is eminently desirable that a Pact of the Year 2000 supporting Committee be set up in each country by well‑known personalities in the fields of science, religion, arts, literature, sport and social action. This can facilitate access to the media.  

 4) It is not necessary to wait until December 21st 1999 to start action for the fact of the Year 2000. Small white papers (4 cm x 6 cm) can be placed visibly from now on, on windows, front doors as well as in shop windows, on car wind­screens and rear windows. These small white "butter­flies" will become large white sheets as the year 2000 approaches. Mean­while these discreet forerunners will already, let the Pact's supporters identify one another. Wearing a badge (9 mm x 12 mm) showing a small white page can also be envisaged.  

  5) For the attention of polyglots: it is highly desirable for the present text to be translated as soon as possible into the major languages and sent to all countries.

 

HISTORICAL ACCOUNT

        The idea of creating the Pact of the Year 2000 was first announced in France in October 1997 through LE NOUVEL HUMANISME, a publica­tion which is totally independent of any partisan tendency, whether political or religious, which has no particular attachment to an association or sect, which is non profit‑making and has no recourse to commercial advertising. In spite of the limited means of its French promoters, the Pact has already been mentioned in numerous French newspapers. Furthermore a support committee has been set up by venous personalities of recognized moral stat­ure. It seems that it is now high time for action in favor of the Pact to take on an international dimen­sion.

 

Promoting the Pact of the Year 2000 will be the work of all men and women of goodwill It will prove that humankind is at last capable of controlling its destiny.

 

  WE ARE ALL CONCERNED!

 

The dot shown in the central square represents the amount of ex­plosives used during the Second World War (Dresden, Hiroshima and Nagasaki included) i.e. 3 megatons. The dots inside all the other squares represent the nuclear explosive power now existing in the arsenals of the world, i.e. 18,000 megatons, or 6,000 times more. It has also been calculated that the content of two squares would be amply sufficient to destroy all the main cities of the world. The small circle in the lower left‑had comer corresponds to the striking power of modem submarines that each carry the equivalent of eight Second World Wars. If we divide the total amount of explosives owned by the world's most powerful nations by the total number of the planet's inhabitants, we get 3 tons of TNT for each individual, children in­cluded. But the explosive power of nuclear missiles and bombs is undoubtedly not the most deadly threat. The radioactivity that would darken the sunlight for an undetermined long period of indeterminate length would come after the explosion. In short, this would mean the total destruction of all life on earth (The diagram shown here was presented at the Science and Armament. Conference organized on March 1St 1986 at the ”Faculte d'Orsay” in Paris by scientists for nu­clear disarmament ‑.”Collectif de Scientifiques pour to Desarmement Nucleaire”.‑. It has not been refuted since).  

N.B. The agreement signed by the Russians and the Americans in December 1987 to dismantle Euro­missiles concerned only 4% of the nuclear capacity of the "Super Powers", i.e. less than 5 squares. It was both enormous and insignificant. Atomic weapons have "proliferated" since that time. Following France and China, India and Pakistan have carried out "nuclear tests". At this rate, many other states will soon possess a small stock of thermo‑nuclear bombs... For defense and security of course...

 

THE COST OF A UNIVERSAL ABERRATION

  The following calculation gives the idea of the exorbitant amount of military budgets: "If a dollar was dropped every second, 6000 years would be necessary for the last of the $ 204,000,000,000 spent annu­ally in the world on armaments to fall. Enough to eradicate poverty from the whole planet !

  DISARMAMENT = SECURITY + PROSPERITY ‑ This is what the Pact of the Year 2000 could lead to. Massive participation in favor is all it would take. We know how !

 

LE NOUVEL HUMANISME, 3 rue de Châtillon 75014 Paris,  France