THE BOOK “HOW TO BUILD A WORLD OF PEACE, PROGRESS AND HAPPINESS FOR ALL HUMANITY” - How to acquire it and learn about its contents
Fernando A.G. Alcoforado
PhD em Planejamento Territorial e Desenvolvimento Regional
Fernando Alcoforado*
My friends, our purpose is to inform that our 22nd book, published under the title HOW TO BUILD A WORLD OF PEACE, PROGRESS AND HAPPINESS FOR ALL HUMANITY and subtitled How to realize planetary utopias to build a world of peace, progress and happiness for all humanity, can be purchased on the websites of CRV Publisher from Brazil and of Amazon.
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This book is the result of many years of our reflections on the main issues that affect humanity, seeking to offer our contribution towards overcoming the gigantic problems that affect humanity for centuries to be assumed by current and future generations. This book, published in Portuguese and English, aims to present how to build a world of peace, progress and happiness for all humanity. The premise established is that this objective can be achieved if the great planetary utopias are realized aiming at the construction of a better world. Planetary utopias can be understood as the idea of an ideal, imaginary, perfect society and, therefore, considered unattainable by many.
There are 12 planetary utopias that need to be realized in order to build a world of peace, progress and happiness for all humanity, which are as follows:
1. The achievement of world peace to avoid new wars and, above all, the outbreak of World War III
2. The achievement of full democracy in all countries of the world to avoid dictatorships and false democracies
3. The prevalence of the values of civilization over barbarism in the world
4. The achievement of democratic socialism in all countries of the world to replace decadent capitalism
5. The construction of the Welfare State in all countries of the world to eliminate economic and social inequalities
6. The rational use of natural resources in the world to avoid their continued devastation
7. The end of economic and social chaos at the national and global levels with the adoption of rational economic planning in each country and worldwide
8. The existence of green and smart cities in all countries of the world to avoid the continuation of socially and environmentally degraded cities
9. Use of science and technology exclusively for the good of humanity to prevent its harmful use
10. The conquest of immortality for human beings to counter the inevitability of death
11. The conquest of humanity's survival in the face of threats to its extinction caused by human beings and the forces of nature existing on planet Earth and those coming from outer space
12. The conquest of happiness for human beings, individually and collectively, which will occur if humanity is successful in building a better world that will happen in all quadrants of the Earth.
Chapter 1 of the book presents the 12 planetary utopias that need to be realized in all quadrants of the Earth with the aim of building a better world and eliminating their opposite, planetary dystopias.
Chapter 2 of the book presents what and how to do so that the utopia of world peace prevails over wars and, above all, to prevent the outbreak of World War III. Peace is defined as the absence of war. Actions to achieve world peace were the subject of the Concert of Nations in 1815, the League of Nations in 1920 and the United Nations (UN) in 1945, but they were in vain because wars continue and the great powers have not given up imposing their will on the world stage. The UN, which was established after World War II, has proven to be as ineffective as the League of Nations in mediating international conflicts that preceded it between the two World Wars. To definitively eliminate new risks of a new world war and to achieve perpetual peace on our planet, it would be necessary to reform the current international system, which is incapable of guaranteeing world peace with the existence of a world government.
Chapter 3 of the book presents what and how to do so that the utopia of full democracy can be built in all countries of the world, overcoming dictatorships and false democracies. In the world, only 8% of countries exercise full democracy, while 92% of countries live under dictatorships and false democracies. Representative democracy in the world shows clear signs of exhaustion, especially by discouraging popular participation, reducing political activity to electoral processes that are repeated periodically in which the people elect their representatives who, with few exceptions, after the elections start to defend the interests of economic groups in opposition to the interests of those who elected them. A true representative democracy is one in which the elected official defends the interests of the population that elected him and systematically reports on his mandate to his party and the electorate. The parties and the electorate should have the power to revoke the mandate of the elected official in the event of failure to comply with the party program and its electoral promises or for bad behavior. To eliminate the distortions of representative democracy in the world, it is essential to institutionalize participatory democracy through the use of plebiscites or referendums, considered the ideal model for exercising political power based on public debate between rulers and free citizens in equal conditions of participation.
Chapter 4 of the book presents what and how to do so that the utopia of the prevalence of civilized values over barbarism occurs in the world. Violence shows clear signs of worsening in the contemporary era and tends to assume catastrophic dimensions in the future. It is barbarism raised to the highest degree. The term barbarism has two distinct but interconnected meanings: barbarian cruelty and lack of civilization. It can be said that we live in a world characterized by barbarism that is making the advent of civilization imperative with the emergence of a new world. The new world can mean a new world order rationally built by humanity to overcome the current barbarism translated into violence between men, environmental catastrophe and global conflagration. The living forces defending Civilization need to come together across the planet to oppose the forces of Barbarism. The future of humanity depends on the outcome of this confrontation. It is necessary to ensure that the new world order that replaces decadent capitalism based on cooperation between nations and peoples overcomes the prevailing barbarism.
Chapter 5 of the book presents what and how to do so that the utopia of democratic socialism is implemented in all countries of the world to replace decadent capitalism. The facts of reality show that there is no solution to the problems that afflict humanity within the framework of capitalism by carrying out political, economic, social and environmental reforms. It will be the same as “mopping up ice”. Given the prospect of the end of the global capitalist system in the 21st century due to the tendency for the global profit rate and the growth rate of the global economy to reach zero by the middle of the 21st century, humanity needs to build a new society that should be democratic socialism, with the aim of creating an environment of freedom, equality and fraternity among human beings so that they can achieve their happiness, rescuing the ideals of the Enlightenment. Admitting the possibility of the collapse of the global capitalist system because of the current crisis in the middle of the 21st century, it is important to consider the possibility that democratic socialism will replace it in the 21st century. This socialism would have to be democratic, given the failure of socialism implemented in the Soviet Union and other countries that were characterized by dictatorships.
Chapter 6 of the book presents what and how to do to make the utopia of the Welfare State a reality in all countries of the world to eliminate economic and social inequalities. The Welfare State consists of a form of economic and political organization in which the State acts as an organizer of the economy and an agent of social promotion. It acts with the aim of ensuring the interests of the capitalists who own the means of production and guaranteeing protection and public services to the people. The Welfare State seeks to promote state regulation and the creation of programs that reduce or eliminate the social injustices inherent to capitalism. With the Welfare State, the State interferes in the direction of the economy, regulating it to generate employment and income, prevent monopolies and build infrastructure, prevent child labor and ensure unemployment insurance and assistance to workers in health and social security services. The Welfare State is seen as a way to combat economic and social inequalities, as it promotes access to public services for the entire population.
Chapter 7 of the book presents what and how to do to make the utopia of the rational use of natural resources in the world a reality to prevent their continued devastation. The exhaustion of the planet's natural resources and global warming with the consequent global climate change are responsible for the devastation of nature, which in turn contributes to the occurrence of pandemics that can threaten the survival of the human species. It is for all these reasons that it becomes imperative to implement the “sustainable development” model from an economic, social and environmental point of view. A sustainable society is one that meets the needs of the current generation without diminishing the possibilities of future generations to meet theirs.
Chapter 8 of the book presents what and how to do to make the utopia of the end of economic and social chaos a reality at the national and global levels with the adoption of rational economic planning in each country and worldwide. The failure of neoliberal globalization was seen in the outbreak of the 2008 global crisis that began in the United States. The international financial system suffered losses on a scale that no one could have predicted. The international financial system no longer functions as it did before. The neoliberal model that governed the world for the last 40 years is dead, and there will be a depression that will last for many years. Given the failure of neoliberalism and its inability to deal with the global crisis of capitalism, Keynesianism could be the solution, provided that it were applied globally. That is, it would operate in economic planning, not only at the national level to achieve economic stability and full employment of factors in each country, but also at the global level to eliminate the global economic chaos that currently prevails with neoliberalism. With global Keynesianism, there would be the coordination of Keynesian economic policies on a global level that could only be achieved with the existence of a world government. This would be the way to achieve stability in the global economy and eliminate the chaos that characterizes the neoliberal globalization that currently dominates the world.
Chapter 9 of the book presents what and how to do to make the utopia of building green and smart cities a reality in all countries of the world to avoid the continuation of socially and environmentally degraded cities. Building green cities means making cities sustainable. It is in cities that the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development converge most intensely, making it necessary for them to be thought of, managed and planned according to the sustainable development model that aims to meet the current needs of the Earth's population without compromising its natural resources, bequeathing them to future generations. It is also an imperative need to make cities smart because cities have become the main habitat of humanity. For the first time in human history, more than half of the world's population lives in cities. This number, 3.9 billion people, is expected to surpass the 6.4 billion mark by 2050. A large part of global environmental problems originate in cities, which makes it difficult to achieve their sustainability at a global level without making them smart.
Chapter 10 of the book presents what and how to do to make the utopia of using science and technology exclusively for the good of humanity and not for their harmful use a reality. Science and technology are not only shaping our lives for the better, but also, in many situations, making them more dangerous. Science and technology have come to be used on an unprecedented scale for both good and evil. Science and technology contributed to the barbarity of two world wars with the invention of powerful and destructive weapons of war, especially the atomic bomb. The thesis that science and technology were the primary factors responsible for human progress was called into question by the explosions of the atomic bombs in Nagasaki and Hiroshima during World War II. There began to be a discussion not only about the positive side provided by science and technology. Science and technology also began to be seen as anti-life and, in certain situations, as beyond human control. Add to this the fact that science has lost its value as a result of disillusionment with the benefits that technology has brought to humanity. All this scientific and technological development has culminated in the current era in a global ecological crisis that could result in catastrophic global climate change that could threaten the survival of humanity. This situation needs to be reversed by governments around the world by abandoning everything that has been produced scientifically and technologically to the detriment of human beings and adopting scientific and technological development policies that are positive for human beings.
Chapter 11 of the book presents what and how to do to make the utopia of achieving immortality a reality for human beings to counter the inevitability of death. Humans have long been obsessed with overcoming death. In the past, humans sought to overcome death through religion. Aging is a biological process that can perfectly well be controlled, in the same way that science has managed to combat many diseases that were previously considered incurable. In the contemporary era, it has become believed that it would be possible to overcome death with the use of science and technology. The year 2045 will mark the beginning of an era in which medicine will be able to offer humanity the possibility of living for a time never seen before in history. Organs that are not functioning can be replaced with better ones, created especially for us. Parts of the heart, lungs and even the brain can be replaced. Tiny computer circuits will be implanted in the body to control chemical reactions that occur inside cells. We will be just a few steps away from immortality. This is the prediction of a group of scientists known for being at the forefront of research that permeates subjects such as computer science, biology and biotechnology.
Chapter 12 of the book presents what and how to do to make the utopia of achieving humanity's survival a reality in the face of threats to its extinction caused by human beings and the forces of nature existing on planet Earth and those coming from space. This chapter presents how to deal with: 1) threats to the extinction of humanity caused by human beings, which concern global climate change, pandemics and the outbreak of World War III; 2) threats to the extinction of humanity caused by the forces of nature existing on planet Earth, which concern the cooling of the planet Earth's core and the catastrophic eruption of volcanoes; and, 3) threats to the extinction of humanity caused by the forces of nature coming from space, which concern the collision of asteroids, comets or pieces of comets with planet Earth, the emission of cosmic rays, the progressive distancing of the Moon from Earth, the collision of planets of the solar system and orphaned or wandering planets that wander in outer space with planet Earth, the death of the Sun, the collision of the Andromeda and Milky Way galaxies where Earth is located and the end of the Universe.
Chapter 13 of the book presents what and how to do to make the utopia of achieving happiness for human beings, individually and collectively, a reality, which will occur if humanity is successful in building a better world that will happen in all quadrants of the Earth. The search for happiness is the central driving force of our lives. Individual happiness is achieved through self-education. Education is the means through which people would be able to make the best choices in life. The purpose of Education should be to make the individual acquire skills, develop critical thinking, take possession of the scientific and cultural heritage historically built by humanity, but, above all, it should be an instrument to promote one's own happiness and the collective happiness of the society in which one lives. It can be said that the collective happiness of the entire world population will occur if humanity is successful in building a better world that will happen in all quadrants of the Earth.
Chapter 14 of the book summarizes the conclusions on how to build a world of peace, progress and happiness for all humanity by making the planetary utopias proposed in the previous chapters a reality, aiming at building a better world.
In the appendix, we present 24 texts of articles that we have published that enrich everything that is presented in the 14 chapters of this book. This book therefore seeks to present our vision on how to make the 12 planetary utopias a reality and promote the scientific, political, economic and social progress of humanity with the purpose of building a better world and achieving human happiness individually and collectively.
My friends, enjoy reading the book and fight for the construction of a world of peace, progress and happiness for all humanity. A big hug.
* Fernando Alcoforado, awarded the medal of Engineering Merit of the CONFEA / CREA System, member of the SBPC- Brazilian Society for the Progress of Science, IPB- Polytechnic Institute of Bahia and of the Bahia Academy of Education, engineer from the UFBA Polytechnic School and doctor in Territorial Planning and Regional Development from the University of Barcelona, college professor (Engineering, Economics and Administration) and consultant in the areas of strategic planning, business planning, regional planning, urban planning and energy systems, was Advisor to the Vice President of Engineering and Technology at LIGHT S.A. Electric power distribution company from Rio de Janeiro, Strategic Planning Coordinator of CEPED- Bahia Research and Development Center, Undersecretary of Energy of the State of Bahia, Secretary of Planning of Salvador, is the author of the books Globaliza??o (Editora Nobel, S?o Paulo, 1997), De Collor a FHC- O Brasil e a Nova (Des)ordem Mundial (Editora Nobel, S?o Paulo, 1998), Um Projeto para o Brasil (Editora Nobel, S?o Paulo, 2000), Os condicionantes do desenvolvimento do Estado da Bahia (Doctoral thesis. Barcelona University, https://www.tesisenred.net/handle/10803/1944, 2003), Globaliza??o e Desenvolvimento (Editora Nobel, S?o Paulo, 2006), Bahia- Desenvolvimento do Século XVI ao Século XX e Objetivos Estratégicos na Era Contemporanea (EGBA, Salvador, 2008), The Necessary Conditions of the Economic and Social Development- The Case of the State of Bahia (VDM Verlag Dr. Müller Aktiengesellschaft & Co. KG, Saarbrücken, Germany, 2010), Aquecimento Global e Catástrofe Planetária (Viena- Editora e Gráfica, Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, S?o Paulo, 2010), Amaz?nia Sustentável- Para o progresso do Brasil e combate ao aquecimento global (Viena- Editora e Gráfica, Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, S?o Paulo, 2011), Os Fatores Condicionantes do Desenvolvimento Econ?mico e Social (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2012), Energia no Mundo e no Brasil- Energia e Mudan?a Climática Catastrófica no Século XXI (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2015), As Grandes Revolu??es Científicas, Econ?micas e Sociais que Mudaram o Mundo (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2016), A Inven??o de um novo Brasil (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2017),? Esquerda x Direita e a sua convergência (Associa??o Baiana de Imprensa, Salvador, 2018), Como inventar o futuro para mudar o mundo (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2019), A humanidade amea?ada e as estratégias para sua sobrevivência (Editora Dialética, S?o Paulo, 2021), A escalada da ciência e da tecnologia e sua contribui??o ao progresso e à sobrevivência da humanidade (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2022), a chapter in the book Flood Handbook (CRC Press,? Boca Raton, Florida United States, 2022), How to protect human beings from threats to their existence and avoid the extinction of humanity (Generis Publishing, Europe, Republic of Moldova, Chi?in?u, 2023), A revolu??o da educa??o necessária ao Brasil na era contemporanea (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2023), Como construir um mundo de paz, progresso e felicidade para toda a humanidade (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2024) and How to build a world of peace, progress and happiness for all humanity (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2024).