Universality

What is 'Universality'?

Universality is an intellectual context which recognizes a milieu where all people, as human beings, without economic, racial, or other such prejudices are endowed entitlement. As an operating tenet, 'universality' is inspired by spiritual wisdoms, associated with the world as an "extended family". Universality inspires a spirituality of sharing and of empathy for all of humankind.

Universality also rejects any form of religious position, which uses cynical claims of a divine 'superior morality', to inflict oppression, prejudice, bigotry, institutionalized racism, or marginalization upon any particular group. Universality has become an integral part of the Canadian identity, and is best symbolized by the Canadian universal public healthcare system. The Canadian social fabric, which has been thus constructively developed based upon a principle of universality, has roots in the Canadian social gospel movement. Tommy Douglas who had championed Canada's universal public healthcare system, has vitally influenced by Canada's western Canadian-based social gospel movement.

The United Church of Canada, together with other progressive faith-oriented organizations in Canada, have continued to embrace areas of Canadian social gospel philosophy, in 'non-partisan' forms. However, the non-partisan approaches of these faith-based organizations have left Canada vulnerable to the forces of 'mammon' that have become pervasive in Canada, seek to destroy the vital achievements of Tommy Douglas, (as a vital inspiration to universality in the Canadian identity). He recognised the vital need for a political approach.

The affirmation of the principle of universality in a socially progressive participatory democracy, must be ultimately guaranteed via a constitutional approach through elected representatives.

Our Principles of Universality:

1. All Canadians ought to have access to basic amenities of life.

These include the following:

- Clean drinking water, that is vital to all life on Earth, free of human-made industrial toxifications that arose as a result of the 'mammonistic' drive for 'commercial profit', and that is being executed irrespective of adverse impacts to human health and to the environment;

- Clean air, also without human-made artificial toxifications (from industrial by-products), and which undermine the quality-of-survival of humans, and that also destroys the vital environment in general;

- Ample food, that ensures standards of nutrition, which promote personal and public health; and which is not subverted by commercially driven genetic manipulation. Such "genetic engineering" has been documented as being hazardous to human health (and the vital integrity of the bio-diversity of Earth's ecosystems, which human beings and all living creatures on the planet depend upon for health).

- Adequate shelter, which promotes personal health, (via government sponsored co-operative social housing to all Canadians who need it, irrespective of challenged personal access to financial resources).

Cosmopolitan, is Canada's only federal political party to officially embrace the eradication of poverty as an official policy platform, based upon an adherence to the axiomatic principle of universality.

"Rob not the poor, because he 'is' the poor, neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: For the Lord will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them." (KJV Proverbs Ch. 22: 22, 23)

"If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee." (KJV Proverbs Ch. 22: 27)

"If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink..." (KJV Proverbs Ch. 25: 21)

"Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more." (KJV Proverbs Ch. 31: 7)

The worsening conditions of poverty in Canada, which include well-documented homelessness, is an untenable social cost, which is becoming more and more tolerated in the apparent "Americanization" of Canadian political thinking under the current "Free Trade" regime.

The cultivation of a increasing jaded attitude among political elites in Canada, has been induced by the adoption of "Free Trade".

So-called "Free Trade" is undermining Canadian values of 'universality' into the dystopic "survival of the fittest" oriented values, which prevail in the American political culture. American economic policy ideology, which is the basis of "Free Trade", surrenders large tracks of its cities, to social despair and hopelessness.

The Economics of Homelessness

We know that the cost of homelessness is high, too high. But did you know it costs a fortune to keep someone homeless? Here are some statistics which were prepared by the Community Partners Program of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing in 1999, courtesy of the Parkdale Legal Clinic in Toronto:

Monthly Costs for One Person Type of Housing Cost per Month Correctional Facility Adult $3,720 Correctional Facility Young Offender $7,917 General Hospitalization $4,500 Psychiatric Facility $10,800 Shelter/Hostel $30 to $70 per day $900 - $2,100 Homeless (health, police, support costs) $4,583 (Courtesy of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, 1999)

Compare these figures to the monthly cost of providing a new non-profit unit - $1,080 according to the Ministry. Even the monthly carrying costs of a new condo unit are less than the cost of keeping someone homeless!

Homelessness in Canada has grown not because of fiscal budgetary problems; but as a result of the apparent corresponding growth of callous attitudes among Canadian political elites under "Free Trade". The current rate of the growth of such worsening poverty and malaise in Canada's cities will eventually create similar conditions for the replication of the high rates of crime that exists in the United States.

2. All Canadians should have access to a well-funded one-tier and fully public healthcare system.

- - Privatized healthcare which pivots on the commercial context that treats as a "profit-centre", illness and other human health problems is categorically unethical. Furthermore, any system which exploits human illness for maximized commercial profit, is dysfunctional, and will not view the promotion of holistic human health, as overall desirable.

Based upon the ethical consideration of social justice, healthcare, is best left fully in the hands of an accountable system of governmental regulated not-for-profit agencies and organizations, that promote human health, without any 'mammonistic' commercial profit consideration. Healthcare, should be fully embedded into a fully universal public enterprise milieu.

The development of 'healthy communities', as embraced by our cosmopolitan vision, relies on an enlightened people-focused government and economy, which embrace universality.

As Cosmopolites, we support all people having equitable access to the highest level of healthcare in the world, as a human and civil right, irrespective of the personal access of individuals to financial resources.

3. All Canadians ought to have access to fully free public education from pre-school to Higher Education.

In contrast with the view proselytized by a 'Human Capital' model. education, can be legitimately viewed as not being a 'commodity'. Indeed, the market-capitalistic focused 'Human Capital' model, regards people, NOT as human beings in a mutualistic society, but simply as resource implements, i.e. Human Resources. In this milieu, education has been reduced and subverted, as primarily having importance as a personal commercial investment "scheme" in behalf of the "marketplace", and which "society" ought not to subsidize.

As Cosmopolites, we appreciate that prism of education, at any level, as simply a 'market commodity', is regressive and shortsighted. The goal of universal access to education from pre-school to university, is the facilitation of Human Development, and and an evolving society of informed decision-makers toward a creative, dynamic, and engaged participatory democracy.

Education, in a society which embraces participatory democracy and Human Development, ought to be recognized as fundamentally a social benefit to both the individual, and to the society as a whole.

A totally free system of public education, would enable the maximized amount of people who are self-motivated, to be able to self-actualize, and in so doing, contribute to creative innovations in society, toward the quality-of-living of all human beings. Such a totally free system of public education would also promote the likelihood of a more critically informed public, and that is vital to the development of a dynamic and robust participatory democracy.

Our Canadian cosmopolitanism, that is critically inspired by Tommy Douglas, embraces 'universality' as an ideal of participatory democracy. Indeed, democracy, is foremost about people. On the other hand, 'markets' in capitalism, are about the pursuit of insatiable profit, that is, in part, may be exploited from 'human capital', as "chattel" and as commodities, irrespective of the well-fare or quality-of-survival of people.

Whereas universality pivots on a spiritual raison d'être of democratic society, the human face of "unfettered markets", is proliferating economic disparity, and overall human impoverishment. Arguably, democracy, and market capitalism, can be viewed to be operationally incompatible. The consolidation of markets, subverts the democratic ideal of universality in the development of political operations. A constitutional democracy, requires a corresponding people-focused Human Development orientation beyond the prism of 'markets'.

The book entitled Quantuum Economics, ISBN: 1894839609, presents such a rejuvenated developmental approach, which complements the participatory democratic ideal of universality.

4. Similar in principle to Canadian universal public healthcare, all Canadians should have access to a free legal defence public insurance plan to defend and affirm their human rights that are guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

- The current fully privatized system of legal defence representation, wherein Canadians are required to often pay thousands of dollars in retainer fees, for the most basic assistance from lawyers, subverts the ability of Canadians to access their enshrined fundamental rights and freedoms, which is guaranteed by the Canadian Constitution.

- Such a system victimizes people who are economically disenfranchised, and prevents then from getting basic human rights legal defence;

- As Cosmopolites, we support government and the legal community working together, to develop a human rights legal public insurance plan, which is universally accessible to all Canadians.

5. All Canadians should have access to employment opportunities which complements their desire for Human Development.

The promotion of quality-of-living, in association with environmental protection, would be vital features of effective public policy programmes

A socially progressive political economy, which embraces universality, would facilitate a co-operative, and socially facilitative synergy, that accompanies a civilised and caring society, that is free of poverty.

The current so-called "Free Trade" regime in Canada is dysfunctionally promoting the exact opposite to 'universality'. "Free Trade" dysfunctionally promotes a predatory-focused economy, that is subverting and destroying the norms of Canada's social fabric -- which have traditionally kept crime, so much lower than levels are in the United States.

Learning Universal Responsibility Courtesy of His Holiness The Dalai Lama The spiritual and temporal leader of the Tibetan people, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, has made tireless efforts on behalf of human rights and world peace that have brought him international recognition. His Holiness is the recipient of the Albert Schweitzer Award and the Nobel Peace Prize (1989) and is the author of many books including The Meaning of Life, The World of Tibetan Buddhism, Stages of Meditation, and Ethics for the New Millennium. "I believe that our every act has a universal dimension. Because of this, ethical discipline, wholesome conduct, and careful discernment are crucial ingredients for a meaningful, happy life..." "I am convinced that it is essential that we cultivate a sense of what I call Universal Responsibility. This may not be an exact translation of the Tibetan term I have in mind, chi sem, which means, literally, universal (chi) consciousness (sem). Although the notion of responsibility is implied rather than explicit in the Tibetan, it is definitely there. When I say that on the basis of concern for others' well-being we can, and should, develop a sense of universal responsibility, I do not, however, mean to suggest that each individual has a direct responsibility for the existence of, for example, wars and famines in different parts of the world. Clearly certain things, such as the poverty of a single village 10,000 miles away are completely beyond the scope of the individual. What is entailed, however, is not an admission of guilt, but, again, a reorientation of our heart and mind away from self and toward others. To develop a sense of universal responsibility [it is important to be aware of]... the universal dimension of our every act and of the equal right of all others to happiness and not to suffer--is to develop an attitude of mind whereby, when we see an opportunity to benefit others, we will take it in preference to merely looking after our own narrow interests. Of course we care about what is beyond our scope -- we accept it as part of nature and concern ourselves with doing what we can." "An important benefit of developing such a sense of universal responsibility is that it helps us become sensitive to all others -- not just those closest to us. We come to see the need to care especially for those members of the human family who suffer most. We recognize the need to avoid causing divisiveness among our fellow human beings. And we become aware of the overwhelming importance of contentment." "I believe that the culture of perpetual economic growth needs to be questioned. In my view, it fosters discontent, and with this comes a great number of problems, both social and environmental. There is also the fact that in devoting ourselves so wholeheartedly to material development we neglect the implications this has for the wider community. This is less a matter of the gap between First and Third World, North and South, between developed and underdeveloped, between rich and poor, being immoral and wrong. It is both of these. But in some ways more significant is the fact, that such inequality is itself the source of trouble for everyone. If it were the case that, for example, Europe was the whole world, rather than home to less than ten percent of the world's population, the prevailing ideology of endless growth might be justifiable. Yet the world is more than just Europe. The fact is that elsewhere people are starving. And where there are imbalances as profound as these, there are bound to be negative consequences for all, even if they are not equally direct: the rich also feel the symptoms of poverty in their daily lives. Consider, in this context, how the sight of surveillance cameras, and of iron security bars over our windows, actually detracts a little from our sense of serenity..." "The question of justice is also closely connected both with universal responsibility and the question of honesty. Justice entails a requirement to act when we become aware of injustice. Indeed, failure to do so may be wrong, although not wrong in the sense that it makes us somehow intrinsically bad. But if our hesitance to speak out comes from a sense of self-centredness, then there may be a problem. If our response to injustice is to ask, "What will happen to me if I speak out? Maybe people won't like me," this could well be unethical because we are ignoring the wider implications of our silence. It is also inappropriate and unhelpful when set in the context of all others' equal right to happiness and to avoid suffering..." "It may, of course, be objected that such honesty is not always possible, that we need to be "realistic." Our circumstances may prevent us from always acting in accordance with our responsibilities. Our own families may be harmed if, for example, we speak out when we witness injustice. But while we do have to deal with the day-to-day reality of our lives, it is essential to keep a broad perspective. We must evaluate our own needs in relation to the needs of others and consider how our actions and inactions are likely to affect them in the longer term. It is hard to criticize those who fear for their loved ones. But occasionally it will be necessary to take risks in order to benefit the wider community." "A sense of responsibility toward all others also means that, both as individuals and as a society of individuals, we have a duty to care for each member of our society. This is true irrespective of their physical capacity or of the capacity for mental reflection. Just like ourselves, such people have a right to happiness and to avoid suffering. We must therefore avoid, at all cost, the urge to shut away those who are grievously afflicted as if they were a burden. The same goes for those who are diseased or marginalized. To push them away would be to heap suffering on suffering." "I may sound hopelessly idealistic in all this talk of universal responsibility. Nevertheless, it is an idea I have been expressing publicly ever since my first visit to the West, back in 1973. In those days, many people were skeptical of such notions. Similarly, it was not always easy to interest people in the concept of world peace. I am encouraged to note that today, however, an increasing number are beginning to respond favourably to these ideas." This article was excerpted from the book Ethics for the New Millennium by His Holiness The Dalai Lama, ISBN: 1573228834, 1999 and 2001, Penguin Books, New York, NY.

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