A Business Plan for World District Cooperative Enterprise in Conformance with the Earth Constitution and World legislature. The unabridged version below is suitable for persons who intend to implement the districts, not merely promote their eventual formation.
World District Template PDF Link:
20190930-world-district-template-abridged-eaqa-kje.pdf
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What Is a World Electoral District?
Under the Earth Constitution (EC), the world’s people elect a House of Peoples composed of representatives from 1,000 World Electoral Districts (known as “WEDs” or “Districts”). The large size of the House of Peoples contrasts with the other two houses of the tri-cameral World Parliament: The House of Nations consists of one, two, or three representatives from each member nation, and the House of Counselors consists of only 200 members (ten elected from each of twenty world administrative regions).
The House of Peoples is clearly the grassroots element of the coming democratic world government. The World Electoral Districts now being organized on every continent are the forerunners of the emerging world democracy of the future. The Provisional World Parliament (PWP) — which is now preparing for its sixteenth session — is the incubator of what will ultimately become the House of Peoples. Legislation passed by its fifteen previous meetings refines our understanding of the proper functions of WEDs.
How is a World Electoral District Defined?
Article 5 of the Earth Constitution requires that each District be substantially equal in population. And because global population is nearly eight billion, each WED will contain approximately eight million constituents. Consider for example, District 118, the WED covering the region around Washington, DC. Its designated boundaries include the entire states of Maryland and Delaware and comprise roughly eight million residents.
Our sister organization, the World Constitution and Parliament Association (WCPA), is now completing the process of drawing the boundaries of each District on every continent. You can find out about your region by contacting us at secretatiat@earthconstitution.world.
World Electoral Districts Are Microcosms of Democratic World Governance
As also described in Article 5 and subsequent PWP legislation, each of our planet’s one thousand Districts can be thought of as a microcosm of the coming democratic world government as this is to be expressed in its region. This means that the beneficial powers of the global government are exercised in close proximity to local populations worldwide — and according to their consent, since they are relatively self-governing within their District and also influence the decisions of the World Parliament through their elected delegates. Ultimately, this unit of governance handles matters of global import in the District (such as climate change, international trade, or world peace). And it is the ultimate guarantor of human rights laid down in the Bill of Rights of the Earth Constitution. Thus, each District truly engages in world administration, which is why they are technically known as World Electoral and Administrative Districts, or WEADs. The enforcement of global law within the District’s jurisdiction harmonizes with the enforcement of local and national laws, but can override or supersede such laws within strict constitutional limits and according to the jurisprudence of world courts.
Think of each District as a “fractal” of the government of, for, and by the world’s people — a vital unit of the whole that implements the just rule of law applied equally to each and every world citizen. When fully formed, every District will incorporate the same five key governing functions that are instituted in the world federation itself: legislative, judicial, executive, enforcement, and ombudsmus. As a reminder, the ombudsmus is an independent branch solely concerned with protection of the human rights.
Districts Are Essential to Political Legitimacy
Once well advanced, a District as a whole is eligible to ratify the Earth Constitution, thus becoming a powerful demonstration of democratic legitimacy.
WEDs are now in formation on four continents, including such diverse locations as India (in several states, beginning with Maharashtra); Kenya (Nairobi); Venezuela (the region near the capitol); and the U.S. (District 118 around Washington DC). The presence of activated Districts all around the world also demonstrates the broad geographical reach of the emerging sovereignty of the world’s peoples. Plus, there is another favored vehicle for the expression of humanity’s inherent sovereignty: whole nations may ratify the Constitution, one at a time. And, the combination of these two techniques provides even more democratic legitimacy.
To understand this claim, bear in mind that the Earth Constitution is ready to go. To enact it, our first big step is to elect delegates to the Provisional World Government from activated Districts. The immediate goal of the ongoing PWP process, now over thirty years in the making, is called the First Operative Stage. This initial stage is attained in at least two ways: The first is by the accumulation of majority votes for ratification from at least one hundred existing WEDs. The other entails the combination of (1) any ten nations of sufficient size along with (2) majority votes from any fifty World Electoral Districts.
How to Activate Your District
Let’s assume you are an activist who is looking for solutions to urgent planetary problems. The “Earth Constitution solution” allows you to get into action right where you live. You can do this by organizing a World Electoral District in your locality — a form of direct action that has planet-wide effect.
If you chose to become a grassroots WED activist, you will first want to closely study the Earth Constitution. Once you are well acquainted with it, your immediate goal is to initiate the process as described as described in steps 1 – 3 below. Your next big step is to get your effort certified by the WCPA. Once certified, all of your WED members become participants in what is known as the Global People’s Assembly. They are now eligible to elect one delegate to the PWP. And one day — hopefully soon — they will send representatives to the real World Parliament!
Here are practical steps to get started:
- Register as a “world citizen” at this link. Note that registering also entails ratifying the Earth Constitution. (This act is also the equivalent of becoming a member of the Earth Constitution Institute.) When you register you will receive a unique digital ID, and all of your future voting activity will be conducted using a secure QR code that utilizes your unique digital ID (or some other technique).
- Next, identify your District so you can get to know your home terrain. Get in touch with us to let us know your intentions and to determine if there are other registrants in your District. Please contact us at: secretatiat@earthconstitution.world.
- You will now need to recruit at least two others in your District to join you in this effort as co-founders. They too will need to study the Earth Constitution and register as a world citizen. If they do so, you’re now in business. Your new local group of three registered world citizens is sufficient to form what’s known as an electoral commission, whose purpose is to promote world citizen registration across your district in order to obtain a quorum for electing a PWP representative. (Each commission is formally called a World District Electoral Commission or WED Commission. Bear in mind that each WED Commission is financially responsible for its own organization and development.
- Inform WCPA that you are ready to launch by contacting Peter Graves-Goodman, senior chair of the Ratification and Elections Commission: pggoodman@yahoo.com. He will send you a one-page certification form. When you have met the criteria in this form, the WCPA will send you a formal certification and will begin supporting your promotional team.
- What happens next? Once a quorum is reached in your District, your eligible voters can elect a delegate to the next PWP and proceed to build toward a thriving District.
Each commission will be under supervision by the WCPA to make sure democratic standards and legal procedures are followed. Toward this end, your group will periodically report to the World Boundaries and Elections Administration (or WBEA) as described in Article 8.3. The WBEA defines all District boundaries and establishes the procedures of nomination and election. It will also conduct the worldwide elections of the future to the World Parliament.
What Happens After a Your District Is Certified?
Let’s look back at step 4 above. The receipt of your certification is the official launch of your District. Once this goal is achieved, your immediate functions are to:
- Create local awareness of the Earth Constitution: Your group of three could offer house parties, hold teach-ins at local colleges, or advertise online events. Explain the cause in practical terms and inspire potential new activists to add their names to a District email list.
- Create a core group of committed activists: Your longer-term objective is to create a District Assembly of at least 60 people. For now, we suggest you select a small cohort of committed activists who will be inaugural campaigners, folks who can self-fund their efforts. This might be perhaps a half dozen in addition to the three founders. Again, make sure they get registered as world citizens who have ratified the Earth Constitution. Note: In this interim period, you are eligible to send a delegate to the next Provisional World Parliament regardless of your membership size.
- Target the next batch of world citizen voters: At some point, you have a solid team and can open a bank account. You’ll now want to move toward launching a District-wide voter registration drive that targets the millions of potential voters in your region. Create cards, flyers, and a website and hold public events as a way of reaching out to register new folks in your District. Again, your first goal is 60 registrants.
Newly launched Districts on Four Continents
It happens that India has more activists committed to the ECI vision than any other country. And we are happy to report that the world’s largest democracy has produced the world’s very first District. This historic event occurred in a region adjacent to the populous city of Pune. This new group received WCPA certification as of June 27, 2023.
Congratulations are due to Dr. Datta Vighave and his team for being the first to be approved. This new Electoral District, with over 8,126,000 inhabitants, is part of the state of Maharashtra in southern India.
As stated, a new District is also being launched by a group in Nairobi, Kenya led by Rev. Dr. Robert Wafula, who holds the title of Global Education Coordinator in WCPA. Mr. Wafula has been a member of WCPA for over 40 years.
We are also happy to also announce the formation on September 15, 2023 of the team that will handle District 118 that covers the region around Washington DC, Baltimore, including the state of Maryland and a part of Delaware. A local cohort of three founders, all veterans in the movement, is pictured below. Starting from the left: philosophy professor Patricia Murphy; myself, Byron Belitsos, trained in theology; and David Gallup, JD, human rights attorney and president of the World Service Authority.
Leopoldo A. Cook, WCPA’s vice president for Latin America and the Caribbean, has just inaugurated his District in a formal ceremony held on Democracy Day, September 15, along with the participation of a significant number of citizens. Leopoldo has named it the Central Venezuela Electoral District, and this first District on his continent is based in the city of Guitare in Venezuela. It includes the capitol region, Miranda, La Guaira, Vargas, as well as Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire, all with an estimated population of 7,969,083 inhabitants.