Power through union

The greatest problems on earth are the exploitation, suppression and destruction of various living beings as well as the impairment and destruction of their livelihoods. Their causes are usually the ruthless enforcement of selfish interests in terms of material benefits. In order to solve them, all available forces of committed, non-hedonistic people must be united and brought in a targeted way against these huge problems. The pooling of motivated forces can speed up the pressure, which is needed to solve these problems, on the responsible beneficiaries and their political allies. This is the only way to achieve the ethical rehabilitation of our society and the preservation of a diverse biosphere in good time. The forces needed for solving thess problems exist already, but are widely scattered across the globe.
A significant part of these forces can be found in the heterogenic environmental movement in the broadest sense. However, their splitting according to the topics of animal, nature and environmental protection in the narrower sense, weakens many initiatives of their mostly independent factions. The main cause of the following mourning records may be the fragmentation of individuals engaged for protecting non-human lives in isolated groups and movements: The survival of humankind on earth today is far less secure than at the beginning of modern environmental protection in the 1960s. Since the beginning of species conservation a few hundred years ago, more and more species have been lost forever, and species losses have really exploded only recently. Although nature conservation associations exist for over a hundred and fifty years, countless natural paradises have been destroyed by humans in the last decades alone. Never before have so many animals been persecuted, imprisoned, tortured and brutally killed under scandalous conditions in the nearly two hundred years old history of organized animal welfare, as they are today.
Same as in the environmental movement in the broadest sense, the numerous supporters within the much more diverse social movement are split into largely separate groups. Very rarely happen their concerted interaction and interdisciplinary exchange of experiences, which would have positive effects on many of its participants. Personal contacts between people who work for example for orphaned children in Africa, with those who take care of threatened ethnical minorities, and those who support mine victims are more likely, if anything, to be accidental, even though the problems of their respective protégés are in part due to the same causes. Because of this thematic and organizational splitting, many initiatives in the social field are also limited to the containment of individual symptoms, instead of fighting the real causes of the problems, which are sharply criticized by most of them. Same as the challenges for the environment in the broadest sense, the problems that are pressing in the social sphere are unfortunately increasing for that reason, rather than decreasing.
This is no coincidence, but related to the frequent interdependence of social and ecological problems. Therefore, people, their living environment and natural habitats must be protected jointly from any serious danger. The merger of those people who are already committed to environmental protection, nature conservation or animal welfare or are interested in those topics, with engaged persons who want to help specific target groups of people in need, is indispensable for effectively tackling most major problems. However, such an effective union of committed individuals requires personal and institutional efforts. On the one hand, it presupposes the acceptance of both the connections between ecological and social problems, as well as the complexity of their causes and thus the opening to previously ignored topics. On the other hand, it puts an end to the frequent presence of personality cults and egocentric ambitions at the management level in the nonprofit sector, which is blocking and weakening many important initiatives worldwide.
Unlike in economics, culture or sports, where personal success can often be measured, the non-profit sector offers many opportunities to excel without any personal performance. Accordingly strong is its attraction to people who want to polish their image with the least possible effort. For this reason, representatives from politics, business, art and society often stride around in dazzling outfits and accompaniment during events, which are sufficiently covered by the media and gastronomically well-equipped.

Unfortunately, such glamorous gatherings distract more from the real problems than they encourage the development of sustainable solutions. The merger of people involved in various charitable initiatives to tackle major issues, requires their mutual opening of minds, both to other persons active in it, and to their focus and goals. The diversity of people represented in the social and environmental movements, as well as the various strengths and experiences available there, opens up opportunities for valuable learning effects and synergies. Such enrichments, however, are incompatible with personality cults, the survival of which depends on extensive control and foreclosure against unpredictable external influences. Only the abolition of those social “courtesies” and balls of vanity, which primarily serve the egocentrism of the operators as a stage, and abuse charitable associations for this purpose, can create the necessary space for democratic decision-making and the basis for the unhindered development of collective intelligence.

Collective intelligence instead of paternalism

Despite of their gigantic budgets as well as their diverse legal instruments and many decades of experience, even the largest and most influential international organizations are either unsuitable or unable for defusing, let alone alleviating, the problems they are supposed to solve, such as poverty, war and environmental degradation. On the contrary, these and other evils of our society are steadily increasing since the establishment of these powerful organizations! Decisive for their regular failure are primarily the undemocratic distributions of power within these institutions, as well as serious conflicts of interest, which arise due to the massive concentration of power there and the internal decision making regarding huge cash flows.
Within the United Nations, key contributors tend to dictate to other nations the route to choose, as well as nominations for all important posts. With no longer up-to-date veto rights, all advances from the General Assembly not wanted by only one of the members of the overpowering Security Council, are immediately blocked. At the same time, rich states enforce their interests, if needed, with the votes of poor countries in return for investments there. Thus, the UN degenerates into a costly plaything of powerful nations, which want to give themselves a democratic coat of paint for the general public.
NATO has become the world’s leading warmonger, rather than complying with its intended role as major peacekeeper, and did not even shy away from using highly problematic radioactive munitions during its own military attacks!

The European Union, which has been devoted to NATO since its early beginnings with anticipatory obedience, leaves the formulation of its legal texts to the biased industry and voluntarily submits to a negative selection by supplying key positions within its organisation to politicians, who have failed miserably in member countries and were therefore exfiltrated from there into the center of power in Europe.
The World Health Organization (WHO) too, is exposed to very powerful influences from commercially motivated lobbies, and therefore represents primarily the interests of pharmaceutical companies, rather than those of the suffering masses of ill people in developing regions.
From the major international trade and financial organizations too, little help can be expected to solve the great problems of our society. Rather, they aggravate the problems by making significant contributions to the increasingly unjust distribution of wealth, the worldwide spread and permanent entrenchment of poverty, and to the accumulation of debt mountains that may be hard to abate even in the long term.
In order to find the right path into the future, all institutions which are blocked because of bias or incapacity and detrimental to the diversity or the quality of life should be replaced by new and at the same time efficient structures, committed to the sustainable protection of the biosphere. Reforms of long-established, international institutions would not be expedient due to the incompetence and bias of numerous employees, often integrated through the often used lever of political protection. However, given the extensions and urgency of the main problems, there is little time for the replacement of the responsible organizations. That is why it is urgently necessary to build suitable structures that have more expertise and commitment and are not weakened by conflicts of interest in order to initiate the necessary course changes as soon as possible. This important task can only be accomplished by a dedicated, broad-based and at the same time independent international community, whose ultimate goal is to contain major social, environmental and technological problems. LIFE UNION is strongly dedicated to participate actively in the search for ways out of many of the miseries of our society and to develop into a worldwide networked platform for this purpose. Thanks to numerous supporters, burning problems could be addressed, researched, published and solutions worked out there together.

This is to be implemented thanks to the knowledge and skills of many dedicated individuals from different cultures and nations. Such a union brings together the most knowledge, the greatest motivation and the necessary intercultural aproach. Collective intelligence and the strong commitment of an international community, unaffected by the political and economic motives, shall show the people the shortest way to a better world, which the powerful refuse them for their selfish interests.

More influence for women!

Countless biographies and statistics show a higher sense of responsibility and more consideration for other life in women compared to men. Unselfish help for various living beings in need comes in most cases from women. The markets for ecologically sound and animal-friendly products are also booming mainly thanks to the deliberate purchasing behavior of many women, who accept higher prices for the benefit of otherwise harassed animals and the threatened environment.
By contrast, men clearly dominate in all events where living things can suffer damage and injury. These include all activities somehow related to violence such as wars and physical conflicts, political extremism and crime, but also violent outbreaks in demonstrations and in road traffic, slaughter, hunting and fishing, up to accidents with personal injuries, extreme sports and martial arts as well as many others.
These gender differences have biological as well as cultural causes. So, many women carry future life in their own body for about nine months and then usually take care of their children for many years with love. Although their careful handling of vulnerable life in general is presumably partly hormonally controlled and the genetic dispositions for it are likely to be present in almost every female body, the experiences gained during this caretaking process, further strengthen their compassion for needy lives. Added to this are the care and responsibility for children generally learned already by young girls in their families and in society, a role that is still largely left to women today. Not to be forgotten is the feminine quest for harmony, which until not long ago, assured the cohesion of most families also in modern societies and thus offered different role models for a balanced development of children to adulthood. On the other hand, many men largely miss the feeling for the protection of life in need which is usually very pronounced in women. It is possible that the roles assigned to men as future breadwinners and protectors of the family as well as of the nation against potential attackers, have significant influence on their less emotional behaviour. In addition to their readiness to take major risks and eventually use violence, they also presuppose a hardness deliberately shown to others.
In view of these archaic, but still present role models and the physiological gender differences, there is much reason to suggest that more influence for women would provide better protection for exploited and endangered living beings. Obviously, women are naturally more apt for sustainable endeavors that require a lot of respect and compassion. All the more so, as they also seem to take responsibility in general more seriously than men. That is why policymakers, administrators and all far-sighted companies would do well to give as many as possible key positions at all levels to equally bright and empathetic women. On the one hand, this would be a big step towards redressing the numerous disadvantages that women have always endured in professional life. On the other hand, this would benefit innumerable people, animals and plants insofar, as they would be spared a great deal of suffering and destruction.
LIFE UNION wants real power for women in order to better protect creatures harassed by humans. The opportunity for the free development of female strengths could even be the last chance for the survival of the existing natural diversity of life!

Transparency in dealing with life

The future of life on earth is much too important to leave it alone to questionable interests of politicians, civil servants and representatives of the economy as well as dependent associations. Rules for the handling of living beings should not be entrusted to often self-appointed “experts” without any liability, acting behind close doors and excluding all public discussions. In addition to the legal responsibility for their far-reaching decisions, they often lack the necessary knowledge and sufficient far-sightedness. In addition, even true experts are often subject to conflicts of interest, which thwart any sustainability and any respect in dealing with other creatures in advance. Because in most cases, dealing with life is about a lot of money.
Particularly tricky is the marketing of sensitive creatures of endangered species. On the one hand, many animals have to suffer as a result of their persecution and killing, often as well in the course of their catching and transporting, and on the other hand, the survival of some of their populations, or even of their species, is at stake. This doubly problematic constellation arises from the use of and trade in specimens and products of endangered species. This trade throws, according to repeated statements from nature conservation institutions, profits comparable to those of the commerce with narcotics! At international conferences, where legal withdrawals from populations of endangered species are often negotiated in a colonial manner, and where many nature lootings begin, it is no coincidence that relevant business lobbyists romp around. Under their influence succeeded the equally cynical and ingenious maneuver to present that risky trade under the supervision of the Washington Convention on International Trade with Endangered Species (CITES) of the United Nations, which often exploits the nature of poor countries primarily for the benefit of luxury good industries in rich nations, as an important instrument for the development and nature conservation in the countries of origin!

The big business in many segments of the trade with endangered species are reason enough for some employees of nature conservation associations and specially hired ecologists, to support this highly questionable marketing against better knowledge. By doing so, they deliberately ignore and trample on the most important lesson of ecology, according to which the numerous and unmanageable dependencies between components of ecosystems among each other, commanded the utmost restraint in interventions. However, not only the ongoing exploitation and marketing of endangered species at the expense of the general public and of human populations of the countries of origin in particular, as well as the inevitable impoverishment and the disruptions of natural communities and ecosystems for the main benefit of often unscrupulous dealers and corrupt middlemen, are major problems. Transparency is also long overdue in all profitable and correspondingly large businesses that decide on the life and death of sentient beings or specimens of endangered species. These applies to very diverse sectors, such as the livestock and fishing industry, agrochemicals, agriculture and forestry as well as to the pharmaceutical industry. Due to the lack of transparency, it is above all the big players in these sectors, which make huge profits at the expense of sensitive and sometimes even endangered creatures, whose often fatal fates run largely hidden from the public.

Enlightenment instead of manipulation

Most likely, more or less powerful people have always manipulated fellow human beings in their sphere of influence to strengthen their positions and enforce their own interests against those of these people or those of the general public. However, manipulation only works if the victim is ignorant. Such ignorance can persist among mentally unimpaired people only as long as one deprives them of relevant facts, or diverts their attention from them, or obscures them by insufficient transparency. Our society, which is predominantly based on the exploitation of the weaker, only survives on the basis of far-reaching ignorance of most people in regard to highly problematic relationships and dramatic fates of the exploited creatures. An in-depth public debate without any taboos on crucial problems would seriously endanger governments and shake up the economy. Therefore, many educational institutions and opinion-makers nurture selective ignorance of socio-critical issues. Politicians and the mass media act as the supreme guardians of this ignorance concerning the protection of questionable interests within our unleashed consumer society. All people who are not fully occupied with their struggles for survival or with their hobbies and sensitivities and therefore avoid the media influence, are distracted with trivialities from countless attacks on fellow human beings and the remaining nature. Many media representatives as much as the politicians, who are often close to them, don´t shy away from propagating fake news, if necessary. Because they serve primarily the powerful to influence the population and to secure their positions, market shares and votes. In particular, leading mass media receive in return generous orders for advertisements, subsidies and other privileges which distort the media market in the long run to the detriment of small media and the general public. Immediate benefits for both of these participants in this manipulation of the masses arise, when powerful political or economical players occasionally bring ready-made editorial contributions, which are published by the media, regardless of their truth content, which saves them costly research. The collaboration of key politicians and media representatives for mass manipulation is well established and results in a well-lubricated system of mutual benefits for these poles of power at the expense of transparency, the sustainability of our society and true democracy. These negative consequences should be stopped as soon as possible. That is why LIFE UNION, with the help of dedicated people, wants to fight energetically against the ubiquitous manipulation of citizens and their mental oppression.

On the one hand, the targeted education of the population by means of analysis and research, which also illuminate the backgrounds and expose disastrous conflicts of interest, is its main instrument. On the other hand, realistic solutions for the catastrophic aberrations of human society are sought, developed and presented to the people interested in them, to prepare them for subsequent implementation. This requires a detailed capture and objective assessments of problems. Because the short time remaining in light of ongoing and irreversible destructions as well as the limited resources force LIFE UNION to make a well-founded choice of fundamental problems that are particularly urgent to solve. Without such well-considered priorities in dealing with problems, there is a danger of investing all available resources in side stages and thereby losing everything. In extreme cases, wrong priorities could be fatal. In order to prevent these risks, maximum objectivity is essential in the collection and evaluation of problems as well as in the selection and design of appropriate solutions. With well-founded priorities and the promotion of efficient procedures, objectivity increases the chances of sustainable success. Objectivity is not only the reason for LIFE UNION’s conscious focus on the greatest injustices and dangers that threaten life on our planet. Also, the approach to get to the bottom of the problems and fight their true causes, is due to objectivity. This approach and the complex interrelationships between causes of great problems naturally require a strategy adapted to this, with simultaneous, global efforts to protect endangered people, animals, plants, ecosystems and the badly treated environment.