The New World Order

This essay discusses the concept of a new world order based on principles of justice, cooperation, and spiritual development, as preliminary stages for a true order to follow.

By Roberto Assagioli, (Assagioli Archives – Florence)[i]. Original Title: Il Nuovo Ordine del Mondo. Translated and Edited With Notes by Jan Kuniholm[ii]

Abstract: This essay discusses the concept of a new world order based on principles of justice, cooperation, and spiritual development, as preliminary stages for a true order to follow. It emphasizes the need for recognition of a guiding power in humanity and the importance of spiritual consciousness. The author argues for the establishment of a new world order that is realistic, suitable for a post-war world, and meets immediate needs. The principles of this new order include equality, responsible leadership, active sense of responsibility, recognition of national sovereignty, fair distribution of resources, and progressive disarmament. The text also addresses the economic problem and the need for equitable distribution of resources. It highlights the importance of forgiveness, right human relations, and the recognition of collective responsibility. The author calls for men and women of good will to work together to bring about this new world order, starting with the immediate task of seeking out like-minded individuals and presenting future possibilities to the masses. The text concludes by emphasizing the power of the will for good and the need for sustained effort and cooperation to establish lasting peace and justice in the world.

I intend to speak in terms not of a particular race [or ethnic group], nor [for or] against a particular nation, for I want to speak in terms of humanity, of that totality or whole through which the Plan of the Ages is being revealed and through which the ideal of consciousness must in one way or another be manifested in all its glory.

I am assuming that my readers recognize the existence of some intelligent or spiritual direction of humanity. I am not interested in what name they give to that directing purpose. Some may call it the Will of God; others, the sure and inevitable currents of the evolutionary process that are inherent in nature itself; still others may believe in the spiritual forces of the planet that consistently produce the necessary direction; others may regard that guidance as the Spiritual Hierarchy of Earth, or the Great White Brotherhood; many millions of people speak of the guidance of the Christ and His disciples. Be that as it may, there is a universal recognition of a guiding power exerting its pressure through the ages, appearing as that which leads all toward an ultimate good. Humanity has followed definite lines of development, from the primitive stages of mankind, up to that reached by Plato, Shakespeare, Da Vinci, and Beethoven.

Some power aroused the human capacity to formulate ideas, to produce systems of theology, science, and government; a crucial inner power gave man the ability to create beauty, to discover the secrets of nature. A sense of divine responsibility aroused the philanthropic and educational activity, the hospitals and charitable movements that have sprung up all over the world. Some recognition of a universal aspiration and spiritual purpose has produced the cathedrals of the world, the richness of literary expression of the various ages, and the progressive drive of people toward something better and higher than what the present moment offers.

The progress of the human spirit has been one of tenacious refinement, of a progressive appreciation of reality, human needs, beauty and wisdom. Instinct has developed into intellect, and the intellect is in the process of rising to the higher form of intuition. The significance of God, the ascertainment of divine potentialities in humanity, and the growing ability of human beings to understand and participate through thought in the lives of others, to spread the fruits of civilization and culture, and to establish those means of communication, such as radio, telephone and means of transportation — this also indicates a program and a realization.

This picture of the beauty of the human spirit must be placed beside another, more ancient, picture: that of human selfishness and cruelty, of man’s inhumanity to man. Both pictures are true, but only that of beauty is eternal; the other is only transitory. Mankind is a mixture of higher and lower expressions, and alongside all the wars and difficulties that accompany humanity’s progress through the ages, there is always a persistent struggle between people’s spiritual aspiration and their degree of materiality. This very struggle indicates and proves man’s divinity.

I state here that my use of the word “spiritual” has nothing to do with the use of this word in the sense used by orthodox religions, other than a distant relationship to the religious expression of the orientation toward God, which is part of the general spirituality of mankind. Everything is spiritual when it inclines towards understanding, towards goodness, towards what is intelligently useful to the human race; or which produces beauty, and which can lead humanity towards a fuller expression of its divine potentialities . . .  

Utopian projects, idealistic forms of government and the activities of cultural life have always been the play of the human intellect, from Plato[iii] down through all the succeeding centuries. But these utopias have been so far removed from the possibility of implementation that their presentation seems pointless. They are merely the vision of a distant goal, and, for the most part, utterly lacking in practicality. However, some immediate possibilities and some achievable goals can be presented, and they can be put into implementation provided there is a determined will for good and patience on the part of humanity.

Some main premises should underlie all efforts to formulate the new world order, that the Spiritual Hierarchy[iv] of our planet would like to see established and held strongly in the hearts of all men and women of good will. Let me present some of them:

1) The new world order must be suitable for a world that has gone through a destructive crisis, and for a humanity tried by an unspeakably painful experience.

2) The new world order must be realistic and seen as intended to lay the foundations of a future world order, which will only be possible to implement after a period of recovery, reconstruction and remaking, and after education that is carried out according to plans that are established in advance.

3) The new world order must meet immediate needs and not be an attempt to satisfy some idealistic and distant vision.

4) The new world order will be founded on the recognition that all people are equal in origin and end, but that all are at different stages of evolutionary development within each nation; that class distinctions must not be imposed on the basis of domination, but that personal integrity, intelligence, clear vision and experience — joined with a preeminent will for good — must be the qualifications to make one fit for leadership. The domination of the proletariat over the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie, as in Russia, or the domination of a narrow aristocracy over the proletariat and the middle classes, as has formerly been the case, especially in Great Britain, must equally disappear. The rule of capital over labor, or the rule of labor over capital, must also disappear.

5) In the new world order, the government in each nation must be composed of those who work for the greatest good of the greatest number of people; and who, at the same time, pave the way for all, keeping in mind that the individual is free. Today, people with clear and far-sighted vision and inclusive minds are carrying out a reconnaissance, to make possible a right choice of leaders. This was not possible before this century.

6) The new world order will be based on an active sense of responsibility. Under this qualifying condition, the motto will be “all for one, one for all.” This attitude must be developed among nations: it does not exist today.

7) The new world order will not impose a uniform type of government, nor a synthetic religion, nor a system of standardization among nations. The sovereign rights of each nation will be recognized, and their peculiar genius, their individual tendencies, their racial or ethnic qualities must have every opportunity to attain full expression. In only one specific point will an attempt be made to produce intellectual unity, and that will be in the field of education.

8) The new world order will recognize that the products of the world, the natural resources of the planet, and the wealth of each country do not belong to a single region or nation, but must be shared among all. There should no longer be a distinction between the category of “haves” and “have-nots” among nations. A fair and well-organized distribution of the world’s grain, oil and mineral wealth will be implemented, based on the needs of each nation, its fair standard of living, its own internal resources and the need of its people. All this will be worked out in relation to the [global] community.

9) In the preparatory period for the new world order, a progressive and regulated disarmament will be implemented. There will be no free choice to adopt it or not, but it will be definitely required of everyone. No nation will any longer be allowed to produce and organize any equipment intended for destructive purposes, or to attack the security of any other nation. One of the main tasks of a future Peace Conference will be to regulate all these points and gradually, wisely, attend to the disarmament of nations.

These are the simple and general premises on which the new order in the world will have to begin its work. I cannot insist enough on the importance of the fact that I deal only with the preliminary stage of what will be elaborated in the future. I am dealing with what will thus be the necessary conditions for producing, in turn, the true order, which will govern humanity during the next 2,500 years.

These preliminary stages must be made and kept fluid and experimental. The vision of further possibilities must never be lost, and the foundations must be kept firm and inviolate; but the intermediate processes must be carried on by people who — having the best interests of the [global] community at heart, and not the interests of a single nation alone — can change the particulars of the organization, while taking care to preserve the life of the organism.

The goal of their work can be summarized as follows: the new order in the world will facilitate the establishment of right relations among people, based on justice, recognition of ancestral or hereditary rights; opportunity for all regardless of race, color and creed; the suppression of crime and selfishness through appropriate educational methods; and finally on the recognition of the divine potentialities in mankind and the existence of a Supreme Intelligence in Whom humanity lives, moves and has their being.

The difficulties that the nations will face may appear insurmountable, but with a broad vision, with the will to do good and with patience, they can be overcome and resolved. It will be necessary for those who win the war to be generous, merciful, understanding and attentive to the collective voice of the people. This is the voice — generally sound in its judgments — that must be aroused, recognized and heard. The object of the immediate work of those entrusted with the reordering of the world is to foster the best elements in each national government, which the peoples will endorse and support when those elements are submitted to their choice, because they will best meet their needs, and which they will then intelligently accept.

It will be necessary for each nation to learn to recognize that if one form of government is suitable for itself, it may be completely unsuitable for another nation; everyone should be taught that the function of each nation is the refinement of its own national life, its own rhythm and operations, so that it can collaborate effectively with other nations and can make its own contribution to the beauty of the whole.

It is also essential that the new world order develop in humanity a sense of the divine and a relationship with God, but without giving importance to racial or ethnic theologies and separative creeds. The essential principles of religious and political beliefs must be taught, and at the same time the desire and taste for a new simplicity of life must be inculcated, so that the reality of the highest Truths can emerge, with clear and sharp outlines: today the Truth is obscured by the excessive importance given to material possessions, things and money.

The problem of money must also be given careful consideration: the question of the equitable distribution of wealth — both natural and human — will have to be dealt with carefully, so that a compromise can be reached among nations with wealth and those largely without it. The problem of forms of government will also have to be seriously addressed and considered, with courage, breadth of vision and depth of understanding. Moreover, the psychological, spiritual and material recovery of humanity must be the main and essential responsibility.

First and foremost, people’s physical health must be taken care of, taking into account the psychological debacle that many of them must have suffered as a result of war, with all its inevitable individual and collective consequences.

The recognition of a Spiritual Hierarchy that is working in the world through the New Group of Spiritual Servers[v] must become more firmly established, in whatever form. This will happen when statesmen and leaders of different nations and political and religious governments are people of broad vision, inspired by unselfish feelings and spiritual aspirations.

The future order in the world will be the actual expression of the fusion of inner spiritual life with outer civil and cultural action, and this is a real possibility, since people of the more advanced classes have already developed the ability to live on the physical and intellectual levels at the same time. There are not a few people today who also live in the spiritual levels, and as time goes on the number of such people will always increase.

I would like to speak briefly about some of the problems that the new order in the world will have to solve, and I would also like to sketch the lines along which their solution may be found. I will not deal with the details, but only with the general principles and broad conclusions. These problems will be solved by applying right educational methods, and by understanding the goals of true order in the world. I will discuss the economic problem and the religious problem.

THE ECONOMIC PROBLEM

is basically much less difficult to solve. Sound common sense can easily resolve it. There are sufficient resources on earth for the sustenance of human life, and science can increase and develop them further. The mineral wealth of the world, oil, agricultural production, the contribution of the animal kingdom, the resources of the sea and fruits and flowers, all offer themselves to humanity. All these riches are for mankind, and (what is often ignored) those things belong to everyone, and are not the rightful property of one group, or one nation, or one race or ethnic group.

Only human selfishness is responsible for the fact that thousands of people in some countries go hungry, while in others raw materials and commodities are left to rot and are destroyed, despite the speed and convenience of transportation.

It is only because of the hoarding systems and the injustices of people in the economic field that so many of the earth’s resources are not utilized by all, with some fair and broad system of distribution. In these times of abundant statistical reporting, nothing justifies the lack of the necessities of life for a part of the globe’s population. Such a state of scarcity is indicative of a short-sighted policy that, for one reason or another, blocks the free movement of basic necessities. The cause of these deplorable conditions is to be found in the selfishness of some nation(s) or some group(s), and in the inability to come up with a plan for the wise distribution of the world’s wealth.

What is to be done, then, other than to educate the new generations to understand the need for a fair distribution and free circulation of all kinds of essential necessities?

The complications of modern finance, the centralization of wealth in favor of certain groups of people or nations, and the control of such wealth by small groups of greedy and rapacious people, all create a problem whose solution seems difficult if not impossible. Yet the cause of this evil is very simple to understand. It is the consequence of erroneous educational methods, competition, and the ease with which the weak and helpless can be exploited.

Now, the present period represents one of those moments in human history when human selfishness has reached its maximum point, and threatens to destroy humanity itself unless it is intelligently and wisely eliminated. Three things will end this state of great wealth and extreme poverty, of the ultra-wealth of the few and the starvation of the very many, as well as the centralization of world production in the grip of a handful of people in each country.

These three things are:

First: the recognition — which is possible for anyone possessing a modicum of elementary common sense — that the earth produces enough food, fuel, oil and minerals for the needs of the entire population. The problem, therefore, comes down to that of equitable distribution.

Second: the acceptance of this premise of sufficient production, regulated with a fair distribution, must be required, along with the supply of all that is necessary for the health, safety and happiness of humanity, and which must be made available to all.

Third: the collective economic problem, the establishment of new agreements, criteria and distributional systems, should be entrusted to an Economic League of Nations. Representatives of all nations will find a place in this League, which will establish the needs of each nation (based on population size, local resources, etc.) and will also establish how each nation can contribute to the needs and welfare of all the others. All will be animated by the will for the general good — a will for good that will probably be based on national advantage and needs, but will not fail to be constructive and beneficial in its effects. This will for the good of the united family of all nations will be able, in time, to overcome all difficulties.

Some facts are evident today. The old order has failed. The riches of the world have fallen into the hands of selfish, ignorant and unjust people who have not understood the need for a just and equitable distribution of them. Some nations have had too much and exploited their surplus to their own advantage; other nations have had too little, and their national life and financial situation have been crippled and strained by it. At the end of this war all nations will be in financial distress: none excepted. All nations will require a more or less fundamental reconstruction; all will feel the need to restore the physical health of their people, who will have suffered from the war through food restrictions or exhaustion; all will have to be actively concerned with the arrangement of the future economic life of the land and its adjustment along healthier lines. This is fundamental and cannot be avoided.

This need for adjustment offers an opportunity to make radical, energetic and profound changes, and to establish a new economic order, based on the contribution of each nation to the community of nations, on the just distribution of necessary products and commodities, on the wise payment, into a common fund, of all resources for the benefit of each and all; and all this coupled with a wise and astute system of distribution. Such a plan is feasible today, thanks to the active work of scientists and planners all over the world, and the related data collected by them, and thanks also to the facilities for transportation and communication between countries.

The solution offered here is so simple that for this very reason it may run the risk of not attracting attention. The quality required in the people who will have to organize and carry out this change in the economic system — that is, to give it this new orientation — is also quite simple: the essential requirement is “the will to good,” which may well be considered simple — too simple. Yet, without simplicity and without a will for good, nothing good can be achieved after this world war.

The shattering of national claims, the dismantling of capitalist systems, and the equalizing of peoples on a common ground of suffering and opportunity, undoubtedly constitute an ideal condition for the execution or establishing of the much-desired changes. The greatest need then will be for people of broad and enlightened vision, who are endowed with profound human understanding and sympathy, technical competence, interest in global problems, and, who of course must enjoy the confidence of the people. They should study [the issues] in collective meetings, and draw up the regulations for the adequate and sufficient supply of the world, determine the nature and extent of the contribution to be made by each nation. They will have to determine the nature and amount of the supplies to be provided to each nation, and thus produce those conditions which will develop the resources of the world and bring them into just and equitable circulation, and carry out those measures whose application will serve to eliminate human selfishness and the greedy rapacity of the few.

Will it be possible to find a group of effective people to carry out that task? I believe they can be found. Everywhere there are scholars of human nature, scientific investigators animated by broad and sincere human sympathy, and conscientious men and women who have long — under the grip of the old and cruel system — struggled with the problem of human need and suffering.

A new era of simplicity must be inaugurated, that will put an end to the complications of modern finance, that will provide for the necessities of life for all and for the education of the people of every country. This new era will foster the realization of humanity’s need, not only for bread, but also for beauty, goodness and opportunity for self-expression. Only thus can humanity’s hidden latent potentials be brought out. The new order in the world will usher in this simpler life based on adequate sustenance, right thinking, creative activity and happiness.

These essential results are entirely possible under just economic governance. The simplification we have mentioned and the wise distribution of the world’s resources must be applied both upward and downward; it must embrace the rich as well as the poor, thus serving all people equally, and ending the deplorable consequences of such differences that have occurred in the past.

THE RELIGIOUS PROBLEM

In relation to the new order in the world presents more complications, but is nevertheless simpler. The reason for this lies in the fact that the subject of religion is studied, and to some extent understood, by the majority of people. There are deep disagreements about theological interpretations; but about a Universal Divine Intelligence or God (whatever name one wishes to give to this One Life or One Essence) there is a general widespread recognition and similarity of reaction or understanding. However, with regard to orthodox religion there are the most varied opinions: the forms of the religions are very different from each other, and the adherents of each are fiercely attached to their beliefs, carrying such a spirit of partisanship in their faith that the emergence of a world religion presents formidable difficulties.

And yet the emergence of such a world religion is (relatively) closer than one might believe, and after all, the differences are relatively superficial. The closeness of this emergence is due to two things: first, that theological differences hinge on generally non-essential issues; and second, that the younger generation is fundamentally spiritual but completely alienated from theology. Speaking in general terms, we can assert that intellectual youth in all countries are rapidly repudiating orthodox theology, state clericalism, and church control more and more. Young people are no longer interested either in human interpretations of religion or in the disputes that have arisen in the past among the major world religions.

At the same time they take a keen interest in spiritual values, and with seriousness of purpose seek confirmation of their deep and often unexpressed convictions. They conceive the religious spirit in terms of right ways of acting, right and just human relations, and personal freedom. Their attention is not drawn to bibles or systems of so-called inspired or revealed spiritual knowledge, but their eyes are turned to great and indefinite overall visions, such as the state, an ideology or humanity itself, with which they seek to identify and almost lose themselves individually.

In this manifestation of the spirit of self-denial and sacrifice one can discern the sign of the deep truth that lies hidden in all religions, and the justification (in practical form) of the Christian message. It matters little to Christ[vi] whether or not people accept the interpretations of learned people and churchmen, but we believe that He does care that the fundamental quality of self-sacrifice and service in His life also becomes the characteristic of human life. It does not matter to Him that some details of the Gospels are recognized as true or not. He is much more interested in the search for truth and persistence in inner spiritual experience. He knows that in every human heart there exists the instinctive sense of the divine, and the hope of ultimate glory lies hidden in the consciousness of the inner Christ.

Therefore in the new world order spirituality will take the place of theology, and lived experience will take the place of theological dogmas. The intuitive recognition of the truth of the inner life that one can come in contact with by searching within oneself will draw attention away from the exoteric and historical aspect of organized religions. Spiritual realities will emerge with increasing clarity in the course of future centuries, pushing the formal aspect into the background. The living Christ will take His rightful place in human consciousness and see the fulfillment of His plans and the fruit of His sacrifice and service, while the present influence of church institutions on the masses will grow weaker and weaker until it disappears.

There will remain only those guides of the human spirit who speak from their own lived experience and real understanding of humanity, who know no barriers of belief, but instead recognize progressive revelation[vii] and new emerging truths. Such truths will be grounded in the ancient realities, but adapted to modern needs, and will progressively manifest the hidden truth and divine nature. God is conceived, today, as Intelligence and Love. This the past has taught us. He will now reveal Himself to us as Will and Purpose: and this will be the revelation of the future.

When, through the recognition of the One Life, the racial problem disappears; when the economic problem is solved by the mutual cooperation of the nations, with the contribution of mutual good will and common sense; and when the problem of the just government of each nation has been solved by the free will of the people; and the spirit of true religion no longer finds obstacles in the old forms of interpretation; then we shall see the world on the path of right experience and expression, right human relations and right and true spiritual progress.

If these problems are wisely studied and resolved by people of good will, it will then be possible to glimpse a world plan for harmonious life, which could never have been implemented up to now, and which will lead to the establishment of a global experiment in right human relations and spiritual cooperation.

In what I have set forth above I have not been specific, nor have I attempted to cover the various points in detail. It is up to humanity itself to solve its vital problems on a basis of fellowship, in order to achieve a social system leading to adequate provision for the necessities of life, through a careful organization of time, labor and products. This will lead to mutual cooperation between citizens and the state that will bring into manifestation the service of the individual and the proper protection by the state.

Humanity will then be free to begin the experience of spiritual life, which will be manifested by the awakening of human life itself. Can we ask and expect more than this? Such a system of life can be made possible if men and women of good will, endowed with intelligence and idealism, will devote themselves to the task of ushering in the new order in the world.

THE IMMEDIATE TASK

We are now faced with the practical aspect of our subject and the need to answer the following question: given the possibility of the new order in the world, what can be done now to bring it into manifestation, even while the conflict goes on?

I will try to answer this question concisely, urging my readers not to look too far ahead, for fear of losing the vision of the immediate future in the contemplation of an unattainable future. Let us therefore face the situation as it currently presents itself to us, seeking to do what we can in preparation for what must be accomplished in due time. Restoring harmony and order to the world is truly an admirable task. It will not be easy to make all peoples recognize the need for new ideals, for a just and proper way of life, for new rhythms and a new apportionment and distribution of goods.

The work of healing the wounds of humanity, of reconstructing the shattered fragments of a civilization shaken to its foundations, of establishing a just control of the world by the active collaboration of the representatives of all nations, of recognizing national, material and psychological needs and coping with them adequately, of saving and restoring the happiness of the children of humanity and making plans for their future security, will require the work of all men and women of good will, if they are willing to devote the best and highest that is in them to such work. It will require the wise leadership of a New Group of Spiritual Workers and will appeal to the attention of the most intelligent people and the most enlightened minds who are endowed with broad and loving understanding in every country.

Men and women of good will, together with the New Group of Spiritual Workers in the World, must seek to understand the present problems intelligently and clearly, carefully study the world situation from all possible points of view, and keep abreast of what is happening. Intelligent understanding, love for one’s fellow human beings, and sound common sense are the essential requirements of any service required and rendered. People should therefore cultivate these qualities by eliminating all sentimental emotionalism, and by solving the problems that arise in their environment in a practical and loving way. We must first realize that accomplishing this task will take time, and therefore men and women of good will must prepare themselves for sustained and prolonged effort, to cope with inevitable opposition, and to fight and overcome the slumbering lethargy and enervating inertia of the masses of people in every country.

Let us not forget that many thousands of people are suffering from the inevitable repercussions of war, and that such sufferings make them almost insensible from excessive anxiety and prolonged hardships of various kinds — limited nutrition, exertions and fatigues exhaust them, and violent shocks cause nervous tension and worse evils.

So the time factor should not be neglected in this reconstruction work. When the needs of a more immediate and individual nature have been taken care of, other practical activities can be carried out.

Two activities first come to our attention:

1. The search in each country for people who are ready to join the new order in the world, and who are men and women of good will.

• The presentation of future possibilities, by these people, to the populations of each country.

I would like to remind you that members of the New Group of Spiritual Workers in the world must be sought out and recruited in every sphere of life, and not only among religious and philanthropic people. They can surely be found among adherents of any ideology, in any circle of scientists and politicians, among educators and philanthropists, among industrialists, and among modern citizens and workers. The New Group of Spiritual Workers of the World is not a new political party being formed: it aims only to unite in a free and broad way those people who love constructive Peace and the will for good, and who attach the greatest importance to the essential need to establish just and right human relations, before the advent of lasting peace is possible.

So this group does not at all want to interfere in anyone’s political and religious principles and views. It is a bond between all those who seek to express the Spirit of Christ, while belonging to different religions and different political parties, who are free from feelings of hatred and vengeance, desiring only to see conditions of justice established on earth, through the will for good and mutual understanding.

The appeal this group makes to the world is to drop all antagonisms, all antipathies, all hatreds and racial discord, to seek to live as one family, one humanity, one Life. The New Group of Workers has faith that the new order in the world can be established on earth through the will for good. Men and women of good will must be sought and found everywhere, in every other existing group, for the purpose of improving world conditions and rebuilding the world.

Men and women of good will should not be urged to take part in such activity by appealing to a prevailing call to sacrifice; war has already imposed enough sacrifices of all kinds on everyone. Therefore, another call must resound when the war has ceased, and which must pervade every activity determined by the will for good, and that is the ringing call of JOY. Let it accompany the appeal addressed to those who are to rebuild what has been destroyed, for “what man has destroyed, man himself will be able to rebuild.”

May the beauty of what can be the glory of the world rebuilt according to a lofty vision that brings to humanity the highest physical, scientific and spiritual ideals be evoked and kept alive before people’s eyes to inspire and spur them to ever-renewed efforts. There is no sacrifice where love reigns and a spirit of intelligent understanding moves to establish right relations among people. This is what must be said and made to stand out and, above all, to make people think. In every country men and women of good will must therefore be sought, found and prepared to answer the clear call, so that they may intelligently agree for the work of reconstruction. They are to be sought and found.

The message to be sent around the world at this time, before any future peace is possible, consists of the following three clear and practical truths:

1st – The mistakes of past centuries, which led to the present world war, are the result of mistakes made by all humanity. This recognition will lead to the elimination of the spirit of revenge and retaliation, and of the desire for punishment, and to the establishment of the principle of equitable sharing and distribution which is so necessary in the world today.

2nd – There are no problems, situations, disputes and conditions that cannot be solved, improved and settled through the will for good. The will for good nourishes the spirit of understanding and fosters the manifestation of the principle of cooperation, and such a spirit is the secret of all right human relations, being the enemy of competition and rivalry.

3rd – Among people there is kinship and bond of blood and Life, which — when recognized and accepted — will break down every barrier. In every family there are elder siblings and younger siblings, and this is equally true in the great family of nations. The peace and happiness of every nation must be cherished by all nations equally. Such truth develops the feeling of responsibility and lays a firm foundation for just activity by all.

These are the fundamental articles of faith of men and women of good will that will stimulate and inspire every work of service and every humanitarian action for good. These three practical and scientific truths incorporate the three basic facts, the three initial points that all Spiritual Workers of the world must accept. Such principles go against no one, stand against no government, against no religious attitude, and are innate in all people, and, therefore they can evoke immediate response from all.

Acceptance of these principles will heal international ills, resolve the economic problems of supply and demand, and help establish just boundaries and eliminate all hatred or resentment. The immediate result of the cessation of hostilities will be to bring the conflict down to the mental levels, and to begin a period of settling, discussion, communication and mutual relations. Will this period be the prelude to a series of sanctions and punitive proceedings? Or will humanity — having reached a stage where it can face facts — not waste valuable time by imposing penalties and punishments that would be an inevitable source of new hatreds, because they would set in motion those subterranean forces leading to the outbreak of new hostilities and wars?

I appeal to all men and women of good will to recognize these unpleasant possibilities, and to study the principles of the new world order; to begin to foster the right attitude in all those who can be reached to get this message across, and cultivate this vision that will make it impossible to repeat past mistakes in the future.

A fundamental and necessary virtue is not yet sufficiently developed in humanity: forgiveness. Presently, it is in fact still associated with “magnanimity,” the idea of forgiving out of opportunism, the tendency to look down on those who have been the object of our forgiveness, and the satisfaction, not without pride, of one’s condescending righteousness and generosity in giving up revenge and retaliation. All this is not yet true forgiveness. It has not yet been recognized that the essential condition for future relations between nations will have to be that they are based on the recognition of our forgiveness.

The only conditions that will save the world, when the cannons cease to make the thunder of war, can be summarized as follows:

1. Recognition of collective responsibility for past conditions in the world. These conditions are the result of centuries of ignorance and selfishness in action. The truth that “all have sinned” must be faced fairly by all.

• Recognition of the fact that the past has disappeared with all its evils, and that before us lies the future full of unlimited possibilities for good and constructive change. Toward that future all nations must proceed in close collaboration.

I have so far presented to you a general outline of certain principles and norms which should govern the world; of the New Group of Spiritual Workers in the world, and which should be presented — tirelessly — to any public audience, in simple words and persuasive language; for the inert mass of people who do not think will be the most difficult part of the problem to be resolved.

It is necessary to appeal to what is best in each individual, for the immediate task is the development of that right attitude without which there can be no lasting peace or justice. Peace cannot be imposed by those who hate war. The development of the human spirit will have to lead naturally to peace through the collective recognition of past mistakes, cruelties, robberies and selfishness, and the mutual determination to change the attitude of the world. Through right human relations, based on cooperation, fair distribution and apportionment, and ultimately through the sense of collective responsibility, there will finally be an end to the era of brigandage, international anarchy and armed conflicts.

This is not a utopian and unattainable dream, but a real possibility, provided there is forgiveness and the will for good. Much patience and perseverance will also be required, as all the war’s inevitable consequences on the physical health and morale of populations will have to be taken into account for many, many years. Before the new order of peace can fully function, peoples will have to turn around and recover from the severe blows they have had, on all levels, and this will not be an easy or short task. People will be the same as they were before the war, but they will be for the most part exhausted, as well as for the most part eager to accept any condition that will enable them to live quietly again, without the constant danger of bombardment, starvation and complete ruin. Due account will have to be taken of this state of mind, treating it with great wisdom, as the exhaustion of nations should not be used to impose such conditions as will prevent further fruitful and beneficial work.

Slow and thoughtful action will be required, to allow time to accomplish the processes of natural healing and a certain adjustment, before the conditions of a final and lasting peace can be established by the nations all gathered in conclave. After disarmament has begun, it must progress in stages in such a way as not to unduly exacerbate the problem of unemployment. The transformation of cannons into plowshares must take place judiciously and in accordance with a broad and well-developed international plan that will direct such a great process, bringing it to a happy conclusion without producing undue disruption of the economic life of individual nations, and too abrupt reversals.

The determination of the boundaries of the spheres of influence will be one of the greatest difficulties, and can be satisfactorily executed only if good will is always and actively present, and consciously used, and if the just wishes of the people are considered in a spirit free from partisanship. The desire to attach the greatest importance to the historical boundaries of the past, as the sole determining factor, always poses a grave danger, and ultimately it is not entirely right. [The new order must] take into consideration the great transmigrations of peoples, which have occurred so frequently, combined with a consideration of the wishes of the peoples themselves.

Everything will have to be done in such a way that security and well-being will result, and this can only be achieved by acting calmly, unhurriedly, with free will and willingness to forget the past.

It is not the imposition of a particular ideology on the world that matters, but the establishment of those conditions which will give all nations adequate sustenance, the means of meeting the essential necessities of life, the opportunity to express themselves, to develop their national genius and to bring their own special and irreplaceable contribution to the welfare of the whole family of nations.

I can do no more here than suggest future hopes and possibilities. The working out of the details is up to all peoples who will develop them in close collaboration. The right people to bring such grand conclusions to light must not be politicians or leaders of armies, but people endowed with a broad humanitarian vision and dedicated to its service.

They must, however, be able to count on the support of men and women of good will in every country, whose program must be suitably broad and inclusive. It is to be implemented in two stages, and the practical work to be done in each of these may be described as follows:

1. The period from now to the cessation of the fighting, which is to be used in the following way:

1. To try to give a right orientation to men and women of good will, in every condition and in every class in every country.

• To discover spiritual workers in the humanitarian field, and all those who are endowed with understanding and broad vision, who will respond to the principles given here, either because these principles are their innate conviction and the motive for their activity, or because they find them convincing as soon as they are presented to them.

• To prepare these men and women and work together for justice and to establish fair and just human relations in all countries after the war has ceased.

• The period between the cessation of armed hostilities, and the final conclusion of the conditions of peace. It is to be hoped, for the sake of justice, that this period will be prolonged for several years, because a long period of time will be necessary to implement reconstruction, the education of the masses in the principles of right human relations (between individuals and nations), the stabilization of the economic system inspired by the feeling of justice to all, and finally complete disarmament.

During this period — between the past world order and the new one — men and women of goodwill will be able to actively help statesmen of all nations with their intelligent collaboration in directing public opinion in the direction indicated, and in enlightening minds so that the right understanding of the meaning of just and proper human relations will spread.

With a feeling of good will toward all, with firm faith in the divine possibilities existing in human beings, and in the future resurrection of humanity, with recognition of the existence of God (whatever name each individual may call the Supreme Power and Supreme Intelligence), with sincere appreciation of the value of the Doctrine of The Christ (whatever the interpretation offered by the great world religions), and with joyful resolve to advance the work of reconstruction, I appeal to all who have accepted this vision, to set to work immediately.

I appeal to you all, not to commit yourselves or bind yourselves to an organized movement, but to love everyone, whether German, American, Italian, French, Blacks or Asians, etc.

I appeal to you all, to call you back from your dreams of vague beauty, of impossible utopias, and from your indefinite desires, so that you will look squarely at life as it is today, and then begin, in the very place where you are, to make it better around you.

I appeal to you to study and experience right human relationships, beginning with your personal relationships with your family, and with your friends and acquaintances.

I appeal to you to take up the task of educating those with whom you come in contact, so that they too may begin work according to the same healthy guidelines.

The goal to be achieved is precisely this: to establish right human relationships; that is, right relations between individual and individual, right group relationships, right national and international relationships.

I appeal to you, that you clearly realize that in this work no effort is in vain, no person is useless; everyone has his or her place and practical value.

I appeal to you to recognize that the will for good is a dynamic energy that can produce radical changes in the world, which is expressed through individual activity directed to the good of the whole community.

The collective power of the will for good, the dynamic effect of intelligent and active understanding, and the power of public opinion that is alive and eager for the greatest good for the greatest number of people, are incredible and incalculable. Such dynamic power has never been used until now. It can save the world today.

[i] The original document was not found by this editor in the online Archives. This edition is taken from www.psicoenergetica.com. Internal text evidence suggests that it was written before the end of World War II in 1945, and before the creation of the United Nations. Assagioli was in hiding from the enemy for about a year from about the autumn of 1943 to August or September of 1944, when he wrote to friends to tell them that he and his family were all right even though their home in Capolona had been blown up. This essay may have been written during his enforced “secret life,” as he called it, or after he returned home. The war was not completely over in Italy until May of 1945. —Ed.

[ii] Interpolations by the editor are shown in [brackets]. —Ed.

[iii] Plato (c.427-348 BC) was a Greek philosopher who lived in Athens. In his Republic, Socrates discusses order and the character of a just city-state and the just man. He conceived a utopian city-state ruled by philosopher-kings. —Ed.

[iv] The Spiritual Hierarchy is one name for a group of spiritual beings on the inner planes of reality who are the intelligent forces of nature and who control the evolutionary process, according to www.Lucistrust.org, the successor to the group of people working with Alice Bailey, with whom Roberto Assagioli was associated. See the second paragraph of this essay, above, in which this is given as one name for the intelligent or spiritual direction of humanity.—Ed.

[v] This phrase may be a different name for “The New Group of World Servers,” mentioned by the author elsewhere, which consists of esoteric groups and like-minded individuals who are subjectively linked in dedicated work for the betterment of humanity. They do not necessarily belong to any organized group and are not necessarily affiliated with any spiritual group or religion, although they may choose to work through organizations. They have in common a strong sense of purpose to serve the needs of humanity without any motive for personal profit. —Ed.

[vi] It seems evident that although Assagioli’s use of the terms “Christ” and “God” in some passages mirrors the usage found among major religious churches and organizations, it is also clear that he expresses a vision of each that is not limited to any particular religious orientation and that relates to inner psychospiritual reality more than to specific historical narratives. —Ed.

[vii] “Progressive revelation” is a teaching that suggests that religious truth is revealed by God progressively and cyclically over time and that the teachings are tailored to suit the needs of the time and place of their appearance. This is in contrast to teachings that suggest that divine revelation of truth was completed in earlier times and is therefore finished. —Ed.