May you have THE best Holiday Season ever!

Occupy Earth?
-------------by Garry Davis

It's our world; when do we get our turn in running it?

Last Saturday, as I walked out of "World Government House" where I live and work in South Burlington, and climbed into my Accord to join the local Vermont group at the Burlington City Hall park supporting the now global "Occupy Wall Street" movement, I wondered what would be appropriate for me, a world citizen since 1948, to contribute in a meaningful way. Following Amy Goodman's daily "Democracy Now!" reports of the same happenings in cities around the United States and the world, I was struck by the lack of positive programs brought forth by speakers and signs. Everyone knows what we are against, but what are we for? But even more basic, who are we...together?

In my briefcase were copies of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, applications for registrations of world citizens, my World Government Passport and a dwindling supply of "I am a World Citizen" buttons, as giveaways, always gratefully accepted by young and old alike. Was it enough? What key element was missing? Then I had a flash of inspiration. Cities! We were all gathering in cities around the world! That's it! I remembered that almost two decades ago the Burlington City Council unanimously adopted the Resolution declaring itself a

WORLD CITY!

Eureka! Jumping out of the car, I reentered World Government House, ran upstairs to my office and IMac, hit the "Q" button and typed: "World City Burlington." Up flashed the Resolution of June 20, 1992 adopted by the City Council of Burlington declaring it a "World City" following the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. I quickly printed up a bunch of copies and drove down to city hall for the rally.

A few dozen people had gathered milling about some with signs "We are the 99%!" and "Down with Capitalism!" I went to the speaker area and said I had a short but relevant announcement to make. Given the no mike system, I simply announced to the crowd that the City of Burlington 19 years ago had already taken a major step required, if we, the people were to take back our planet from corporate control. I then read the opening paragraphs of the Resolution:

"WHEREAS the City of Burlington, Vermont, recognizes the greatly increased interdependence of the people of the world in this age of pollution, deforestation, natural resources depletion, overpopulation, and hunger; and WHEREAS, we seek to free humanity from the scourge of war, and to use the world's resources of energy, and knowledge for the benefit of the people; and WHEREAS, we realize that the common interests of the world's people can only be advanced through cooperative effort on a global scale, as exemplified by the recent Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro; and WHEREAS, we affirm that we can best serve our city, state and nation when we also think and act as world citizens: NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL: That the City of Burlington hereby recognizes its status as a World City BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the citizens of Burlington recognize their sovereign right to declare that their citizenship responsibilities extend beyond the boundaries of our city, state, and nation; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the citizens of Burlington are urged to pledge their efforts to the establishment of world peace, economic justice, and ecological security based on just world law..."

Burlington was not the first "World City," -- that honor goes to Cahors in central France on July 7, 1949. Since that historic moment, more than 1000 cities and towns have declared themselves World Cities including Boston, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Toronto, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Tokyo, Nivelles, and Konigswinter. See list at http://www.worldservice.org/mundcity.html. Also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mundialization.

As soon as I finished, I was mobbed by people reaching for handouts of the resolution. "We are already actual citizens of planet Earth at birth." I said to one and all. "So we have a right to claim it, and to govern it. But as long as we are kept locked behind these invisible lines called nations, we are artificially divided, and senselessly war against each other. But as soon as we recognize our common human sovereignty, and realize that we are all one, all citizens of planet Earth, we gain enormous power, the power of the sovereignty of the whole. Only then can true justice and democracy prevail.

"Thomas Jefferson and America's founders," I added, "argued that corporations need to be regulated for the public good. Just as good cells in the human body, vital for our growth and well being, turn cancerous when the mechanisms of regulation fail, so corporations, can become the source of our destruction, unless we find the human power to bring them into balance and proper regulation for the common good. Our only hope of bringing them into balance is for we, the people, to take responsibility for governing our world. "It's one thing to militate about what we don't like," I concluded, "war, injustice, the failing economy, devastation of our environment--and hope someone else solves it for us. But we are the leaders we've been waiting for! We are the sovereigns, we, the people, are the ones who create governments."

I handed out the "I am a World Citizen" buttons. The kids especially love them. "Cool," they would say fastening them to their coats. "At our web site," I added, "you'll learn how you can join with your fellow humans in taking back our planet, even to setting up our own World Court of Human Rights and more. You can even download its Statute and the apps for the human rights documents we issue."

Buckminster Fuller reminded us: "If you want to change anything, don't fight the existing reality; create a new reality and you render the existing reality obsolete..." And Mahatma Gandhi wrote "Be the world you want," while Renaissance man Steve Jobs had boldly suggested: "Be the future you want." "Occupy Wall Street"? OK, but it's high time for us to take the Big Leap to land on the political space beyond so-called national frontiers.

In fact, guess what, we, humanity, are already occupying it!

For videos and more on Occupy Earth click on the youtube tab at www.onefilms.com

Hello My Country is the World Backers!!!!!!!!

We hope all is well with you!  We are busily capturing footage, researching and planning to film some more in September.

Some of the rewards are ready now and will be coming shortly.   Others will be coming later when we finish the next version of our documentary.

So stay tuned to our YouTube channel for exciting video updates – just click on the YouTube tab at www.onefilms.com

Thank you so much for your support!

Hurray!!! Thanks to you all we made it! Yay! Now we are going to roll up our sleeves and make a 20-30 minute video of Garry's incredible story.

Let all your friends know they can still join in! With more donations, we'll make an even more dramatic feature-length documentary in which Garry explores with others how we can develop a people-powered world.

We've already got lots of great historic footage -- but if you are interested in joining our effort to find more, especially in Europe, please let us know. We also welcome additional volunteer editors, camera operators, transcribers and more! We have over 100 hours of video to review, log, transcribe and edit.

We've also written an award-winning screenplay for a funny and entertaining narrative feature film of Garry's intriguing story.

Imagine Garry's story, played by a top comedy actor, coming to a theater near you!
So stay tuned for an incredible ride. So glad to have you on this journey with us!

With the deadline coming up Sunday, please forward this to everyone you know!

We just had a great 90th birthday party for Garry Davis, the first person to live as only a Citizen of the World – not of any nation!

How did Danny Kaye’s understudy, a song and dance man, become World Citizen #1? Find out about his intriguing story in our award-winning short film at www.1WorldCitizen.com!

How can we rise above a world plagued by catastrophic problems -- to instead achieve a peaceful and sustainable future? Watch Garry’s surprising ending and discover the key!

Then please give a present to the world – and Garry – by going to our Kickstarter page and making a pledge. Your tax-deductible donation will help us produce a longer video spreading Garry’s story and a vision for how we, the people, can build a world that works!

This project will only be funded if at least $12,000 is pledged by Sunday Aug 7, 3:58 pm PST!

Remember, virtually every advance starts with imagination -- a crazy idea that is at first rejected and scoffed at, but later considered, embraced until finally it becomes the norm.

So let’s plant the seeds of the idea that we, the citizens of the world, have the right to govern our planet! Only a week left to pledge. We are 1/3 of the way to our goal, but we must reach it all or we won’t get a penny. So please do sign up, no matter what the amount of your pledge. You will be giving a fun and fabulous present to the world.

Please go to www.1worldcitizen.com now and join in the fun! Then see more about the feature film we are developing as well at www.onefilms.com/feature. And register as a world citizen and get your own passport at www.worldservice.org .

Then forward this, inviting all your friends to the virtual party! And don’t forget to sing Happy Birthday!

Warmly,


Arthur Kanegis
President, Producer
One Films, LLC
www.OneFilms.com
Please join us at Kickstarter:
www.1WorldCitizen.com
And see:
http://www.youtube.com/user/OneFilms#p/u
www.unconquerable.org
www.EarthOperatingSystem.org
www.EarthOperatingSystem.com
www.EarthOperatingSystem.net
www.BullyProof.com
www.E-arth.com
www.e-PlanetEarth.com

Dysfunctional political systems are breaking down before our eyes.   Rather than despair or madly trying to fix it, perhaps it's time to envision something new.

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”
 – R. Buckminster Fuller

Representative democracy was a great advance in 1776, 100 years before the telephone was invented.  Then the only way to have a democracy was to put a votes in a wooden box to send representatives by horse and buggy to meet in the same room. Today we have the ability to ALL meet in the same room. You are across the world from me but you're meeting me on kickstarter! 

The amazing Garry Davis, World Citizen #1, has inspired me to begin a quest for how we can create direct collaborative governance, Glocally (locally and globally). Take a look at our preliminary proposals at http://www.EarthoperatingSystem.net and www.EarthOperatingSystem.com
 
The Arab spring brought down mighty dictators, the velvet revolution helped bring down the mighty Soviet Empire. "How to Start a Revolution" a kickstarter project I helped fund with over 750 others, tells how people power is used topple dictators. But what about once people win? Do they usher in the military or other thugs to run things? What good is a revolution if you're just changing masters? We the people are the sovereigns, but nobody has yet evolved a model for a way people-power can be used to actually govern. 

We want to explore and put forth the vision needed for people to evolve a new system of governance that is really and truely of, by and for the people of our small planet. 

See my video below.  And join us by making your pledge.  Less than one week to go!

http://youtu.be/3C95i98WDgk

We just had a wonderful birthday party for Garry Davis, the first person to live as only a Citizen of the World – not of any nation!

Please give a present to Garry and the world by making a pledge. Your tax-deductible donation will help us produce a longer video spreading Garry’s story and a vision for how we, the people, can actually build a world that works!

Time is running out, only a week left to pledge -- and for us it’s all or nothing. Unless you help us reach our $12,000 goal we won’t get a penny. So if you already pledged, please double it.  It will make a huge difference.  No matter what you give, you will be giving a fun and fabulous present to the world.

See Garry discuss water here!

Watch Garry as he crosses the border with his World passport!

Click Here to watch our new version.  Want to see more?  We'll do a longer documentary -- if you help.  With only days left, please pledge now! 

And if you've already pledged, please double it!

We won't get any of the funds pledged unless we meet our goal, so please pitch in now!

To make a pledge please click on project home.
Thank you so kindly!

Hello wonderful backers!
Here is the new version of the video hot off the editing bay!
Great news!  We have 1/3 of the pledges we need to reach our goal!
We only have 6 more days YIKES! to get the rest and need your help.   
Do you know of anyone that might join us?

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Garry Davis, 90 years old in 2011, first shares his amazing story of how he went from Broadway to bombing Brandenburg to becoming World Citizen #1 – the first person to break free of national borders and live as only a citizen of the World. He then gives us a startling revelation – a key to how we can actually create world peace.

Our idea of evolving beyond representative democracy to collaborative democracy -- of, by and for the people of the world -- isn't so far out. Already Iceland is crowdsourcing its next constitution!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/09/iceland-crowdsourcing-constitution-facebook