E-Governance for Human Development
At the UN Global Forum on Public Service held in Bahrain in June 2013, I made the following plenary presentation on promoting participatory governance for sustainable human development to 600 government and NGO officials from around the world. The entire speech can be found at click here.
........................................
May you and I and all beings realize peace, happiness, wisdom and compassion.
We are living in the most critical time in all of human history – a moment of crisis and opportunity. Why do I believe that?
Everything is changing and everything is at risk. This is a time of whole systems transformation. Life on Earth is in mortal danger and therefore we have the necessity and the possibility to reinvent the entire human enterprise in order to create a better future for all.
Because of the last 200 years of burning fossil fuels, massive amounts of carbon have been released into the atmosphere, now at 400 parts per million exceeding the safe limit of 350 parts per million. Planet Earth is heating up and glaciers and ice caps are melting. Sea levels are rising and coastal cities and islands will be submerged. Oceans are becoming acidic; and there is a massive die back of species both marine and terrestrial. Mega storms are increasing and droughts and wild fires are spreading. Water and food shortages will accelerate. These phenomena are not theoretical but observable. They are happening now. Our planet has already changed and if we humans do not alter our individual and collective behavior, our planet will soon become inhospitable to life and suffering will increase.
But we know what to do and are beginning to do it. We must stop burning oil, gas and coal – death-energy – and rapidly promote renewable energy from sun, water, wind, geo-thermal and algae – life-energy. This is the green energy revolution. There is a global environmental movement at work including the UN, 350.org, Green Peace and many others. It is time to protect life itself or face massive die back. E-government can alert citizens to these trends and dangers and provide help and incentives for renewable energy use and for adaptation to crisis situations.
Because of the last 5,000 years of male dominance – the patriarchy – women’s wisdom has not played its necessary role in the design and management of our societies. Women have been kept silent, subservient, abused, trapped at home and pregnant. They have not been allowed to exercise their human rights of speech, choice, career and leadership. This has resulted in overly masculinized societies that promote and celebrate violence, harmful competition, technology without heart and warfare.
We are waking up and improvements for women are taking place, yet we have a long way to go. And in some parts of the world there is a backlash against women’s rights. That is why 14 year-old Malala Youstafzai was shot recently in Pakistan by the Taliban and why the Republicans in my country want to ban abortion. As patriarchy dies out, some men are fighting back to control women’s bodies and minds. But this must not stand. Our societies need the participation and leadership of women at every level of society and in full partnership with men. Our societies need feminine perspectives, wisdom and actions of nurture, relationship and compassion. Without gender equality and the empowerment of women we will not make it as a species. E-government can provide channels for women’s voices to influence policy making as well as access to vital services to empower women’s participation and leadership.
[Note: Click here to read full speech.]