The former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt used to say, “If you have visions, consult a doctor.” People with visions make themselves vulnerable to attack. It is easy to criticise visions in the harshest terms and to dismiss those who hold them as “naïve” because they assume that good will prevail, which, as we know, seldom holds true.
Nonetheless, we are convinced that visions are urgently needed. They are a type of medicine that can lend fantasies and free thinking the room to expand once again. According to current understanding, they are unrealistic and can only be achieved with difficulty, but they represent something like a moral horizon towards which we can direct our endeavours and aims.
Realpolitik does not provide this horizon. The main objective of politicians is to secure their power basis. They are not interested in glaring injustices such as worldwide violence and the stockpiling of arms, the climate disaster and the global hunger crisis. As a result, the resolution of the most urgent problems facing humanity is postponed until they subsequently become insurmountable.
This is why you will find a collection of several visionary texts here, which we hope to be able to replenish on a regular basis.
By Cléo Fatoorehchi (The same article is also published under “good practices”) United Nations, (IPS) – The momentous events of Tahrir Square, Egypt also signify a huge step forward for gender equality in the region, women’s rights activists said Friday. … Continue reading →
By Andreas Zumach* “Following a heated debate and in spite of a few remaining misgivings, my government has decided to sign the UN Convention for the abolition of all national armed forces and the simultaneous establishment of permanent UN troops … Continue reading →
By Ute Scheub* The establishment of the new UN women’s organisation UN Women is prompting a lively debate on gender equality within the UN. An international panel is due to complete studies that will formulate the best policy, but there … Continue reading →
By Anuradha M. Chenoy* Equality begins from the womb in our feminized South. Female feticide because of male preference whereby more than 90 million girls are missing in India, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan alone is now a thing of the … Continue reading →
By Gohar Markosyan* “If you do not involve local women, peace will not be sustainable…” Ana Maria Gomes, member of the European Parliament. Brussels, 6-7 November 2007, The EU & UNSCR 1325, point 8 Today, not only in Armenia, but also … Continue reading →
Vesna Terselic, born 1962, was founder of the Croatian Anti-War Campaign. For the „dedication to a long-term process of peace-building and reconciliation in the Balkans“, she was honored with the Right Livelihood Award in 1998, together with Katarina Kruhonia from … Continue reading →
Mario Osava interviews Brazilian feminist Rose Marie Muraro It is necessary to move from a “masculine” economy based on competition and a win-lose mentality to a “feminine” win-win economy based on the concept of collaboration, says writer Rose Marie Muraro, … Continue reading →
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Women for Genuine Security* Security is often thought of as “national security” or “military security”. We believe that militarism undermines everyday security for many people and for the environment. Following the United Nations Development Program report of 1994, we argue … Continue reading →