APPEAL
FOR ECOHUMANISM
AND THE CREATION OF INFORMATION
BASIS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

To all people of good will!
We speak to you because we are concerned about the fate of the Human Race and of the Earth.
The World is in crisis.

We are exploiting our natural resources of minerals and fuels faster than we are gaining access to alternative sources. We are polluting the natural environment and soil faster than the environment can regenerate itself to reach the level suitable for human needs. Depreciation (devaluation) - moral degradation of the existing forms of living - is going on faster than new forms, consistent with new living conditions for humans and for nature, are being introduced. This situation is complicated also due to demographic expansion, especially in those parts of the human family that are lagging in their development.

This crisis results mainly in lack of adjustment of two dominating systems - the system of values and the economic system - to the contemporary state of changes in the living conditions of humans and nature. These changes are proceeding very fast with the development of science and technology.

At the same time, there is no absolute deficit of material resources (minerals, fuels, ecological resources). However there is a lack of knowledge, technology, active intellectual potential and human conscience, and time - the factors that are necessary for limiting the futile utilization of scarce resources, as well as for developing alternative sources, whilst the resources which are currently under exploitation are being drained.

This crisis not only constitutes a serious hazard for everybody; it also constitutes an opportunity. This opportunity will occur if we carry out a radical reconstruction of the mentality and social relations, which could create the possibility for sustainable development.

Currently two methods of overcoming the global crisis seem to be possible.

The first, traditional method is based on decreasing the number of consumers of the resources that are in deficit. This method represents a pathology of social Darwinism - eco-fascism that leads to ecological holocaust of the weak, and subsequently - to the extinction of all humans.

The second method is based on the popularization of intellectual creative activity aimed at the common good and supported by science and high technology. This would be an ecohumanistic method.

Ecohumanism is a partnership-based co-operation for the common good of all people (rich and poor, from countries highly developed and behind in development), their descendants, and natural environment - commonly supported by science and high technology.

The first, traditional method may seem effective only at first glance. Social Darwinism does not allow the elimination of the crisis-provoking results of the moral degradation of the life forms that are not adapted to the new, quickly changing conditions.

The higher the level of development and the application of scientific and technological achievements, the faster is the pace of changes in living conditions for people and nature. This implies a very large acceleration of moral degradation pace for diverse, previously well-functioning forms of life. Moral degradation is as dangerous as the overexploitation of natural resources. This type of degradation, which is almost invisible, only to an insignificant extent depends on the number of people. It is caused mainly by the development of science and technology. This development cannot be stopped.

In order to eliminate the third factor of global crisis - the moral degradation of life forms, which in fact constitutes the basic factor - it is necessary to undertake stability-oriented solutions, which are radically different from traditional solutions.

These are:

1. increasing far-sightedness and the flexibility of the methods of human activities,
2. supplementing calculations of the costs and benefits of social and economic activity with comprehensively assessed social and natural components.
3. implementation of a system of stimulating ecohumanistic and intellectually creative activity and its popularization.
4. increasing the intellectual potential of the human race (i.e. through popularization of the at least medium-level, comprehensive education of the youth, what would ensure intellectual independence, responsibility and the ability to participate in the development of science and technology).

This requires the further development of system dynamics - computer simulation methods for large-scale environmental and social (ecosocial) systems, flexible automation of production, and development of information technology (teleinformatization). It is impossible to prepare the appropriate economic statement without forecasting and a measurable assessment of comprehensive, broad in time and space, results of human activities and of the other changes in living conditions of people and nature.

The information problem is a key issue in overcoming the global crisis and in the creation of possibilities for sustainable development of the whole global society.

Both, contemporary and forecasted development of science and technology, especially of information technology, makes the possibility of a significant increase of the level of cognizability of human activity results more real. However, we are not able to predict fully all life hazards. Therefore, there is a necessity of the parallel development of flexible automation of production, advanced construction of diverse expert information systems, data bases, and collection of other intellectual, scientific, and technological reserves that are indispensable for the quick elimination of the hazards, which were impossible to predict in advance.

The second key problem is harnessing people's wealth to make it serve creative, innovative input to the common good. This is a potential for releasing enormous intellectual creative activity, which is so indispensable for eliminating the deficits in material and spiritual life resources.

It is impossible to solve both of these key problems related to global crisis at the local level. Joint public activities are necessary, with support from the world intellectual elite and powerful authorities.

Undoubtedly, for the development of the capability of forecasting and for a measurable assessment of the results of human activities, and for appropriate stimulation of ecohumanistic and innovative, creative activity it would be helpful - and this is what we are proposing - to create a World Center for a Strategy of Sustainable Development, under the auspices of the United Nations. This would be a professional center, for large-scale scientific, technological and organizational operations (Apollo-type), based on subsidiarity principle. The main goal of this Center would be to create information foundation of ecohumanism and sustainable development for the world society.

Its official establishment might take place in 2002, during the Special Session of General UN Assembly - "Rio+10".

The first task for the Center should be improvement and popularization of the methods for forecasting of the changes in conditions on Earth and in local societies, as well as in the natural environment.

It is necessary to create urgently, as a priority, the information basis of ecohumanism and sustainable development in order to prevent the development of eco-fascism and ecological holocaust of weaker parts of the human family that might lead to the ecological extinction of the whole human race. Without creating the information foundation of activities for our common good, such effort will not be effective!

[Wersja polska]