Jacob Lucas Samoraj | University of Hull (original) (raw)

Papers by Jacob Lucas Samoraj

This paper is about applying supernatural abilities that are not easily comprehended to allow a l... more This paper is about applying supernatural abilities that are not easily comprehended to allow a leverage force over the enemies of consequential climate action. This paper is an exercise of intelligence, intellect and skill to investigate a problem of climate change thoroughly, identify its cause, and encourage taking action to tackle the problem fully while preventing recurrence of the problem in the future. Intelligence is a systematic collection of abilities or functions for the processing of information of different kinds in various ways in order to solve a given problem. The aim of this paper is to analyse, develop and devise innovative solutions within the system through systemic innovation, i.e. solar solutions to both reverse the human drivers of warming and to mitigate its effects on the most vulnerable in our society. At the same time, showing recklessness among politicians who deny consequential climate action and who believe climate change is a ‘hoax’. This paper has chosen the interests of those future generations who will inherit the world, above the tawdry witticisms and sneering cynicism of the nay-sayers. The paper starts from the premise that nearly all of the problems that are made by humans can be also solved by humans contributing to a better world, it is just the question of speed and whether the world is really ready to tackle this problem immediately, whether humans are ready to awaken. This paper will make a humble, analytic contribution to a scholarly work that examines the solving climate change by pointing towards the power of the star, the sun. Many people do not take notice of a crucial fact that Earth’s climate has been dependent on the activity of the sun. The paper’s core research question is: What are the benefits of renewable energy for populations and ecosystems and can humanity maximise energy flowing from the sun in the form of solar storms by investing in various, cutting-edge solar inventions, to manage in time, before huge cataclysms flood the Earth that are a direct result of humans pumping gases into the atmosphere and recklessly warming the planet? Nobody else has adequately answered the research question as yet, since climate change remains unsolved, for now though. Consequently, the first paragraph, presents the background, introduces the topic and aims, and gives an overview of the paper while discussing the key concept of leading transformational change. The second section explains the method, which is based on the Kirton’s adaptive-innovative theory (1976) that was developed in order to explain cognitive tendencies and problem-solving styles. Briefly, adaptors desire to do things better while innovators seek to do things differently. The third chapter demonstrates that sun has been a critical factor in Earth’s climate which has always fluctuated naturally over time. However, now climate change appears to be speeding up out of proportion, plus there is no evidence that the recent warming is caused by solar activity. In the last century, the Earth’s temperature has risen by 0.7°C. This increase has happened at least twenty times faster than in any other global warming event in the past two million years. Some authors though contend that the recent period of global warming does not appear to be exceptional from a historical perspective. However, this natural cycle of the sun that has had impact on climate on Earth is magnified by the modern way of lifestyle of billions of people around the world and by pumping harmful gasses into the atmosphere. Increased carbon dioxide from the use of carbon-based fuels is trapping more heat, causing the world to warm up. As a consequence, the Earth is getting warmer, sea water expands and mountain glaciers melt, causing sea levels to rise. This has a huge effect on the environment, in which humans and animals live. The fourth section presents a short history of solar inventions from the photovoltaic effect to electricity and solar cells. The fifth chapter outlines possible solar inventions of the future which could be applied by the next generation of futuristic engineers and made accessible to ordinary citizens. It will be argued that solar energy could be the miraculous energy of the future. Undoubtedly, new solar technology will continue to develop and critical investments will be made. The main analysis suggests that it is the last moment for humans to boldly and intelligently embrace clean energy sources. The sixth chapter presents environmental benefits of solar energy. The last chapter summarises the research findings and presents conclusions while defending the argument that the solar moment might be ‘a one encounter and one chance’ to advance civilization in the right time to the next level, to effectively holistically heal the planet and the people. The key impact of the research paper is to provide global decision makers with policy analysis and recommendations outlining viable alternatives to fossil fuels. In the future, the technology is likely to play an important role in the global energy supply because climate change, in truth, is the problem of energy transition. If humans want to successfully deal with climate change, we have to tackle energy. Technology will play a massive role in getting civilisation to switch from fossil fuels to renewables. By using advanced technological powers and faculties such as ground-breaking solar technologies, advanced interplanetary civilizations can work in synchrony with the laws of Physics without harming their planets. Such civilizations manage climate by deeply respecting Nature, thereby making climate a friendly zone for inhabitants thanks to optimization. The big idea of this paper is the so-called, ‘Pale Blue Dot consciousness’, which is about a new, globally widespread consciousness gradually overtaking humanity, reminding of our coordinates and our true place in the Universe. A reminder to deal more kindly with one another and to preserve, look after and cherish the pale blue dot – the Earth – the only home we have ever known. It will be argued that a central element of the human future lies in the stars. Trailblazing scientists and advanced mathematicians – giants of the past, who were not afraid to dream big. Solving problems quickly is the hallmark of superb, analytic intelligence. Highly talented people with diverse perspectives make a world of difference in leading transformational change by applying practical wisdom into action. To achieve an astonishing success, it takes a willingness to push beyond what seems possible. Although such distinctive scientists may have likely already established through analysis, intelligence, mathematical calculation and prudential judgement what is a preferable solution to climate change, and what should be the follow-up political action. Climate change could be approached as a challenge to overcome, or as an opportunity to seize – an economic opportunity. Humans are already equipped with all the necessary technologies in order to make much more ambitious and swifter energy transition. Progress on climate change must be faster, more meaningful and more comprehensive. The most pragmatic climate solution is an accelerating clean energy transition. Progress in climate policy would have to involve the next generation of engineers providing assistance by clearing the air from pollutants preferably through the application of nature-based, biomimetic solutions and by designing ‘green civilisation’ with trees, flourishing gardens and forests, thereby building green cities and truly reaching for the stars. Nature is an intricate system of interconnected components, each with its place and function within the whole. If human nature is part of Nature, then we must not separate the two, we need to stop thinking of humanity as a destructive force and an environmental problem, and more as an environmental process. Human nature will continue to alter the natural world, until humans accept their limits as well as respect planetary boundaries, accept the need to ‘go back to the cave’, or alternatively, choose to transition to a more sustainable society thanks to systemic innovation - either way, to emerge as new, reborn and improved human civilization. Some environmentalists call the current time in natural history as the ‘Anthropocene’, or the Age of Man, but dinosaurs had their age as well and they perished. Certainly, humans will leave the Earth in a different condition from when we first started as a species, however the choice is ours: we can either keep doing the same things throughout history that other dominant species have done and lead to a global extinction event or we can initiate a new Solar Age by means of systemic innovation. Mother Nature made humans and Nature is always changing, adapting. The choice is ours - if humankind puts Nature at the heart of all civilizational processes and imitates her patterns and processes, making Nature an inspiration of all economic models and keeping within planetary boundaries, within her necessary limits, then we will intelligently adapt and people will guarantee sustainable future for next generations. Then perhaps, in the process of transition from the Carbon Age to the vibrant and modernizing Solar Age, realization of higher aims such as journey to the other planets and building ‘the ladder to the stars’ will be possible. For the first time, an idea becomes novel and surprising, then it is generally understood, and finally, it becomes an international norm or an accepted culture. If we long to believe that the stars rise and set for us, that we are the reason there is a Universe, then science can serve as a candle in the dark world shining light on possible solutions. When faced with difficult challenges, the greatest challenge is believing it is possible.

The academic study of International Relations can be considered as a scholarly evaluation of diff... more The academic study of International Relations can be considered as a scholarly evaluation of different theories and application of their lens to the subject of analysing International Relations and security affairs. Among numerous International Relations theories, the most principal is Realism. The topic of this paper will critically discuss the differences and similarities between two sub-schools of Realism: classical realism and structural realism. The key research question is whether the two approaches can be considered on a linear continuum, or whether they offer rather contrasting perspectives making them stand out as separate approaches. The topic is widely researched in the discipline, but previous works have failed to address the research question through the method of rigorous critical thinking. The quality of life and that of what we produce, create or build depends precisely on the quality of our thought. Critical thinking is the art of analysing and evaluating thinking with a view to improving it (Paul & Elder, 2007: 4). Thus, a new perspective adopted is critical thinking, which is self-directed, self-disciplined, self-motivated, self-monitored and self-corrective thinking. It requires rigorous standards of excellence and mindful command of their use. Critical thinking entails communication and problem solving abilities and a commitment to overcome native egocentrism and sociocentrism (Ibid.). It encourages the attitude of global citizenship, innovation and invention. In line with the above, this paper will present the development of a clear theoretical framework outlining the core aspects of classical and structural realism. The latter will distinguish between ‘Offensive’ and ‘Defensive’ Realism. Key aspects of these theories including identification of the actors, their nature, motivation, the importance of anarchy will be analysed. Leading scholars within each of these schools of thought will be identified, for example, Morgenthau, Waltz and Mearsheimer. Differences within schools will be considered, particularly differences between ‘Offensive’ and ‘Defensive’ Realism. Plus, the similarities between the former and classical realists will be highlighted in order to ascertain the extent to which they can be considered as cohesive approaches, as well as, weaknesses and strengths of both approaches will be evaluated. This article attempts to encourage adoption of a super-hopeful vision of mankind brotherhood (as opposed to the superficial one based on authoritarian populism, military dictatorship and autocratic tyrants) of a better world in which, a complex set of urgent crises such as climate and ecological crises can be and will be solved thanks to Churchillian leadership. Realism, with its core concept that statesmen think and act in terms of interest defined as power and its current projections, unfortunately, cannot explain systemic change. Building on this concept, this paper introduces a novel theoretical innovation in the form of envisioning a clean civilization, creation of which still in this century will depend on human solidarity and identity expanding and synchronizing with the planet. The ability to imagine a world in which things are different is evidence of a decent imagination, plus a possibility of change out of an impossibly hopeless scenarios. For critics who claim it is merely utopia, Oscar Wilde's words apply, ''a map of the world that does not include Utopia is not worth even glancing at... Progress is the realisation of utopias.” A new model will be presented using the principle of parsimony, which is a concept in which an explanation of a theory is created with the fewest assumptions. The Law of Parsimony advocates choosing the simplest scientific explanation that fits the evidence. The model of parsimony presented in this paper will focus on simplicity. Simple steps need to be embraced to heal the planet and do not duplicate the errors of the previous failed approach whose failure can be attributed to various causes. Among them are: the fecklessness of bureaucrats tasked with developing legislative solutions to a global problem; the failure of journalists, scientists and policymakers to explain the severity of the threat to a disinterested public; the refusal by the major environmental organisations to embrace climate change as a cause worthy of their attention; and ultimately the mobilisation of the oil and gas industry around a massive disinformation campaign. If foreign policies of certain countries by competing in the race of greed and exploitation have made the Earth 'foreign' and a foe to mankind, then they can possibly reverse this state of affairs. This makes a sense for them to mobilize domestically and make climate a pillar of their foreign policies. As Lopez-Carlos et al. (2020) noticed, ''Given the compelling circumstances with which humanity is currently confronted, a substantial and carefully-thought-through reform effort is needed to enhance dramatically the basic architecture of our global governance system. Such a reform should be grounded in key ideas that have motivated those of past generations who have risen to the difficult challenge of providing practical leadership and vision in the international sphere.'' Mazzucato (2021), identified four drivers of dysfunctional form of contemporary capitalism, fuelled by and fuelling climate crisis: 1) finance sector short-termism; 2) the financialisation of business and value; 3) fossil fuel dependency; and 4) slow or absent governments. According to Lopez-Carlos et al. (2020), ''The risk of the catastrophic collapse of the present system is not negligible. The rise of autocratic populists and authoritarian tyrants, public disillusionment with partisan politics, and the general decline in the quality of leadership in government are all increasing the risks of fundamental instabilities that could precipitate major crises. If we do not act now to strengthen the international order, we may be forced to rebuild a global institutional framework after a major war, the collapse of the global financial system, a pandemic wiping out a significant part of the world’s population, or extreme climate change producing famines and mass migrations, any of which would overwhelm existing institutions at the national and global levels.'' Mazzucato (2021) identified six key lessons for tackling complex problems from Apollo, developing them into principles for a new political economy: 1) vision and a strong sense of purpose; 2) risk taking and innovation; 3) organisational dynamism; 4) cross-sectoral collaboration; 5) outcomes-based budgets and long-term horizons; and 6) dynamic public-private partnerships. Given above, this paper will lay a foundation for a novel combination of IR theories, particularly green and indigenous theories, plus specific inspection of some of the critical concepts known in Eastern cultures: Chinese and Hindu to emphasize that that we all connected to nature; as well as, to give account for a possible explanation of climate change and effective solutions to interrelated network of global challenges facing humanity in the 21st Century. In International Relations, innovation is related to, but not the same as, invention. While innovation is more apt to involve the practical implementation of an invention such as a new, improved theoretical model to make a meaningful impact. Scholars who aim to create meaning and who are working on cutting-edge research across the social sciences and humanities need to critically evaluate various IR theories and their ability to explain the world. Innovative methods involve application of demonstrable and informative research utilizing both traditional research approaches and new technologies to interrogate many social, political, economic and historical phenomena. Hence, this paper critically analyses the notion that Realism in its various aspects can and should be reduced to a single, internally consistent, and logically coherent theory that could provide for the continuous explanatory power despite the passing of time and a changing mix of complex global challenges facing the world in the 21st Century. The key finding is that Realism is a centuries-old foundational school of thought with many variants which are emerging and can be included into one broad theoretical school. Although search for a parsimonious theory might be a worthwhile theoretical undertaking with an elegant objective in mind, such task often generates lots of evidence-based discussion among competing International Relations scholars pointing towards evolution and sharpening of ideas. Since, Realism is far from being an exhaustive theory, neither has it existed without evident limitations, nor has it remained universally applicable to all times and epochs. Finally, it is neither prescriptive to every possible reality, nor is there a guarantee that it will remain so in the future so the idea of analysing it is fascinating.

Climate change is a challenge of astonishing complexity; it is the biggest civilisational problem... more Climate change is a challenge of astonishing complexity; it is the biggest civilisational problem that humanity has ever faced. As the Union of Concerned Scientists, 2019) stated, ’’At stake are hundreds of millions of lives, innumerable species and ecosystems, the health and viability of the economy, and the future habitability of this planet.’’ Fortunately, climate change is solvable since it is man-made it can be solved by man. Humanity has the technologies and the science. But global civilisation needs strategic and game-changing leadership and the courage to change course on time. With climate moonshot two questions need to be asked: How do you define the goal, and how do you measure success? This paper asks: 1) What is the global strategy or action plan to create the lasting change the word so desperately needs to holistically heal the ailing planet? The answer is: we have to transform civilisation to create a new foundation with a more friendly climate; 2) Can the present generation turn into pioneers by building a solid rock fundament for a solar civilisation? It is possible when successfully mobilising for ‘climate moonshot’ both peoples and governments to strengthen the community spirit thanks to ‘action leadership’; 3) Following what specific, step-by-step strategy can humans carefully disentangle the problem of climate change offering a cool planet for future generations? Attenborough (2019) suggested that there are at least five steps each of us can take ‘to help save our planet.’ Effective climate action has to embrace joint effort that cannot be limited to technological fixes but should be broadened to consider new economic models, building greener civilisation and relying on nature-based solutions that are capable of addressing the deep roots of the ecological crisis. Climate change can be disentangled by a careful, step-by-step policy process starting with halting tropical deforestation and by growing new forests parallel to several other smart actions embraced on all fronts such as rewilding and eco-tourism. Restoration of trees remains among the most effective strategies for climate change mitigation. Both have to applied intelligently and within a broader plan. Halt on global emissions of greenhouse gasses is only part of the solution. Follow-up, pragmatic steps enacting system change have to be nature-based: restoring wildlife, promoting nature-symbiotic engineering and building eco-cities of the future. For instance, the ones integrating trees, combing vertical gardens and relying on biomimicry. We have to start working in an evolutionary symbiosis with Gaia, at a current stage of civilisational development, which is likely to be short-lived. The moment is of the utmost urgency, civilisation must not afford to rest, wait nor to do nothing. We have to move forward to use this moment wisely. To proceed on a ladder of civilisational sophistication we must rely on a supernatural vision of civilisation powered by clean energy, preferably solar. Restoring the world’s lost forests is the first step on the journey of building a climate-friendly foundation. Citizens in wealthy nations have a responsibility to help by being mindful consumers and do not choose products that cause deforestation. This paper outlines a strategy for ‘cooling the Earth’ based on an empowerment of millions of young people committed to enacting a lasting, global change. It will be revealed that it is indigenous peoples who are protecting forests. We have to protect the very last remnants of the delicate balance that existed throughout centuries between indigenous societies and nature. Reforestation could first send a signal of human compassion and care for the planet. This could be a sign of consolance for Gaia and a gesture of good hope on behalf of humanity - an assertion of our continued love for our planet who could reciprocate a favour for favour. Using the language of metaphor, Earth could be compared to a Goddess, our Ancient, Divine Mother, who can use Her powers destructively and malignantly, as well as, creatively and benignly. Imagine novel circumstances in which real cooperation occurs between peoples and the planet which gradually induces a unique configuration of Gaia, who would be more loving and benign. The proposal of a new paradigm based on the theory that the two systems can coexist in perfect harmony. Thanks to which, the next generations amidst a favourable climate could build a new foundation for the future green, sustainable, modernizing and vibrant civilisation. A wise symbiosis though has to lead to an economy not based on exploiting fossil fuels. Humans have to base economic model on modest way of living, and on green, restorative and regenerative growth. Earth must be allowed a natural ability to renew itself. When the natural resources are stretched we cannot replenish them as fast as we are consuming them. This paper will demonstrate an original outlook for a sustainable planet based on healthy coevolution between Earth and human civilisation focusing on how to bridge the divides between a scientific hypothesis and a spiritual image. An idea of Gaia for the 21st Century is a positive, loving image of the returning Black Madonna, who possesses supernatural powers. A caring, sorrowful and gentle Mother, who intuitively guides humanity and serves as a true source of hope even at the present. Our true forbearer, one who comes to give birth to a solar civilisation. This means telling the story of the unfolding Universe in which there are still vast stretches of the unknown, the unanswered and the unfinished, but which an infinite intelligence can reveal in the right moment to change the world while outstripping our expectations and collective comprehension. Humans have to reinvent themselves through a change in consciousness gravitating towards love and preservation of life thereby stabilising climate by renewing communion with the Earth community. A global regeneration of civilisation is possible. This is a humane, unique ability to adapt, to change and to pioneer new discoveries. Just as we are co-creators of ourselves we can create and then built a new model of civilisation. Appreciating the existing beauty of nature alongside with prayer for Earth could give people an impulse to shift global, collective consciousness onto possible paths of a global transformation. Enacted with the agreement with nature, which is not subject to harnessing by exploitative and insensitive humans, but is waiting to work in a co-evolutionary symbiosis with reasoning and compassionate human beings. The world needs to proceed with the consciousness revolution of hearts and minds to mobilise global action enacting a bottom-up system change. Humans can live in a healthy balance with nature rediscovering the reverence for the Earth to coexist with creation thereby surviving as a civilisation. Since the real survivors on the Earth, from the historical perspective, is the evolutive and adaptive species that have lived millions of years without consuming our planet’s ecological capital but looking after it, finely tuning in with the natural rhythm of the planet. Because our planet is the foundation from which all abundance flows and on which all life is based on (Benyus, 1997). A new ‘civilising mission’ could be to offer the positive energy of hope and inspiration. This time, in our civilisation’s moment on the pendulum of history we should not come to learn about nature so that we might circumvent, control, harness her, for domination; but to learn from nature, applying principles of an integral ecology so that we may neatly fit in and coexist, at last, and for good, on the Earth. To do that we also need a change from the top of our leadership, i.e.: global leaders need to recognise the vision of integral ecology and the common good. Such a vision could help humanity inspire a new generation of leaders more familiar with the principles of intergenerational justice. Our cities can live in wise symbiosis with nature. Decision-makers have the tools to do the job of abandoning fossil fuels, but we need a strong, united response that would constitutionalise ‘the Global Green New Deal’. Our planet is the only place in the universe with the greatest diversity of life in our solar system, perhaps in the galaxy or in the universe, but humans are eroding it. There are no winners on a dead Earth; we are in this together. When there is hope there is also our spirit, the moment of crisis can be transformed into an opportunity. Action leadership inspires system change so that goals governing system and the predominant mindset change, thereby civilisation following ‘the spirit of the times’ acts more in balance with nature. The method relies on awakening the deepest levels of human creativity inaccessible normally that can be activated by evoking the powers of imagination. This paper embraces open-minded analysis, which is ’’a division of international phenomena and processes into its components parts, followed by the study of their features, properties and relationships.’’ (Bógdał-Brzezińska, 2006: 7). Global leaders have to overcome catastrophism presented in mainstream science and biblical prophesies to promptly turn things inside out by enacting change the world so desperately needs and the public demands. The goal of this paper is to encourage smart engineers by building with vision truly reaching for the stars. It is high time to reimagine what we can collectively do for the natural environment. Nature deserves a chance for recovery. With climate change there are no permanent solutions, but halting deforestation is of immediate help, thus this paper offers a thorough understanding of forests as a natural and lasting climate solution that could be the first action step towards a global strategy for holistic healing of the planet.

It is a commonly accepted view that the end of the Cold War and the demise of the Soviet Union an... more It is a commonly accepted view that the end of the Cold War and the demise of the Soviet Union and communist system in the early 1990s opened a new stage in the process of globalisation since it allegedly denoted a definitive triumph of capitalism as the only solution for countries to arrange their economies. In line with this argument, Francis Fukuyama (1989) described the process in his famous book, in which he explained that the era of the “end of history” has ensued, in the meaning that liberal democracy and the market economy have finally proven to be allegedly superior to any other authoritarian regime or system. The thesis is controversial, to say the least, even today because as the reality of modern politics shows not all countries have embraced democratic pathways although many in the West would like them to do so. The transition towards capitalism may undergo peacefully or disruptively, but at the end, we live on one planet and the argument that sooner or later all peoples and countries will unite under some kind of 'system' quite makes sense. The debate seems to be even more intense at the present time in the era of globalisation. In principle, globalisation is something nobody can influence and prove that is happening although it is widespread. It is an undeniable and inescapable part of international experience. (Bauman, 1998). Is it a positive process? We do not know exactly, but borders are disappearing, countries trade, people exchange goods, services labour and capital. Certainly, there is always a subtle “but”. Globalisation produces synchronicity and uniformity, and that is why, the whole global system is more prone to financial crashes and economic crises. Besides, mathematical models suggest that simple communities, with few species, are more stable than complex communities. Yet, Mother Nature on our Earth provides examples of a wide diversity of ecological complexity, which produces perfect, finely operating, open system that is beautiful, infinite and panarchic. However, since 1950s humans have been influencing the state of global climate. As King (2017) noticed, "an issue that has not received enough attention in the media and popular understanding is that the Earth is finite and this fact will have real world physical, economic, social, and political implications." Neoclassical economics ignores this obvious fact, yet it is used to guide most policy (eg, economic projections and scenarios), including that for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Are these strategies adequate to solve climate change? Most economists use an economic theory that is simply incapable and inapplicable for informing an unprecedented transformation of the economy. Will then the problem of climate change be solved based on the economic theory? Or some kind of social theory based on the wider social movement of millions of people or perhaps a new paradigm that will arise soon? We do not know yet, what we know is that from time to time, a leader arises who is ready to turn things inside out, by transforming the existing unfair structure while restoring faith in a rotting economic system by initiating so much awaited renewal based on evolution or revolution. The fact of the matter is that our societies and our political systems are addicted to both economic growth and fossil fuels (Tonnessen, 2013). These two addictions, as Tonnessen (2013) noticed, ''combined constitute a Gordian knot in the root system of the climate change problematic.'' Can we cut the Gordian knot, and solve the problem of climate change? That would amount to becoming able to think clearly and consequentially about climate change. In essence. The challenge humanity is facing given anthropogenic global warming is simple: We have to phase out our use of fossil fuels, at least to a very substantial degree. However, ''the discourse about solutions has been muddled by the power of fossil fuels lobbyists and our addiction to fossil fuels.'' (Tønnessen, 2013). Due to human interference with the planet, at critical moments, the system has to show a crucial quality of resilience whether through renovation or adaptation. And it can do so when the economy is resilient, healthy and working properly. But an economy that does not invest in innovation may dry out and will not be renewed even by King Salomon. And to quote Morihei Ueshiba, "Economy is the basis of society. When the economy is stable, society develops. The ideal economy combines the spiritual and the material, and it seems that the best values to cherish are sincerity, love and sustainability instead of fossil fuels and economic growth. ''Cutting or untying the Gordian knot of climate change would probably not solve all our problems with regard to environmental issues'' (Tønnessen, 2013). But if we succeed in decoupling our addiction to economic growth and our addiction to fossil fuels, we would at least be able to envision and then build the low-carbon economy that has now almost become official orthodoxy on realistic terms. As Tønnessen (2013) observed, ''No matter how we approach climate change, it is crucial that other central environmental concerns, including nature conservation, are not sacrificed in the process of phasing out fossil fuels.'' After cutting 'the Gordian knot' that is our current dual addiction, however, we would be faced with another challenge: how we are to reinvent our economic system. ''The current growth model served us well for a long time, but it does not do so anymore. At the very least, this is the case for all already more-than wealthy countries. And besides, the quicker we make a transition to a truly sustainable economic system – one that does not depend on endless growth – the easier it will be to phase out our use of fossil fuels in time to avoid catastrophic climate change.'' (Tønnessen, 2013). ''Those who want to minimize the environmental pressure should pay attention to both the desirability of a long-term decline in the world population and of a shift to a more stable economic system.'' (Tønnessen, 2008: 126). According to the author, ''What most economists tend to neglect is that the growth economy, considered as a historical phenomenon, has a beginning, and, in the time scale of civilizations, is likely one day to come to an end.'' (Ibid.: 116). Unlimited global growth is practically impossible and only the planet will suffer if we orient to achieve it despite the costs. ''All too often, it is simply taken for granted that our economic system is representative of a future without end'' (Ibid.). But this future must be designed and build in agreement with our planet. Renewable energy sources can help us on this right pathway, but ''they have characteristics that are different from those of fossil fuels: They are intermittent and produce electricity directly, while most of our current energy is used in the forms of liquid or gaseous fuels.'' (Heinberg, 2018). To entirely replace fossil fuels with renewables would require a nearly complete transformation in how we use energy. Is a dynamic energy transformation possible in this century? It can be achieved by an extensive redesign of systems for generating, storing, and distributing energy. As Heinberg (2018) observed, ''Switching to new and relatively clean energy sources while trying to maintain growth of the overall economy would be a little like redesigning and reconfiguring an airplane while it's in flight.'' Since the show must go on it might be very difficult to abolish the capitalist system based on an abrupt revolution. Ecological economists argue that one strategy that would reduce emissions would be to shrink overall economic activity and rein in population growth (Ibid.). ''But policymakers are unwilling even to discuss that pathway. Growth has become sacrosanct as a way of creating jobs, ensuring returns on investment, and expanding tax revenues. Every politician in every political party in nearly every country on Earth wants more of it, not less.'' However, ''an economy grows when whenever people take resources and rearrange them in a way that makes them more valuable.'' (Romer, 2016). A resilient model would create a value for something. The research on climate-economy nexus is still in infancy. One idea is that community-led and bottom-up approaches offer more chances for success for climate-resilient development pathways because local, social practices inform global ones (van Ham, 2010). At the level of individuals, communities, coasts and cities' emphasis on well-being, social inclusion, equity, human rights and living in harmony with the Earth helps to overcome limitations in capacity of our leaders. Humanity needs to change politics and the solution has to come from the bottom-up. Leaders often cannot enact policies if there is no support from the peoples. It could be argued that the best ideas belong to the people and power should be placed once again in the hands of the people.

The art of negotiation, conceived in narrow terms, is a sophisticated instrument in the armoury o... more The art of negotiation, conceived in narrow terms, is a sophisticated instrument in the armoury of genuine diplomats enabling thanks to enlightened persuasion and commonsensical reasoning, to mitigate and civilize differences between states by transmuting material power into a bargaining weight used throughout the negotiating process. This reduces a direct appeal to use force by actors and creates a dialogical context for reciprocal interaction under conditions of which states are capable of reaching a convergence point, thereby instantiating a new, more just international environment. Negotiation results in the transformation of the anarchical structure attributable to a collective effort through which actors, by means of elaborate negotiation and cautious communication, are allowed to appreciate each other counter fears, define and redefine their interests, establish common ground and reconstitute their identities. However protracted and intense negotiating has become, negotiators should not become frustrated as the success is reserved only for ones who are the most persevering and patient negotiators. Negotiation is a craft that could be learned and people who are consensual at the end succeed. There is no single blueprint for success, but negotiation remains the main tool in the armoury of a genuine diplomat whether it is multilateral or mini-lateral, global-centric or polycentric, conducted at the formal summit level or informal at the club level, high-table great power negotiation or negotiation at lobbying level. BATNA is often the best source of bargaining power in negotiations. Power can come from a strong role, title, or a position of authority. Negotiators can bring a sense of psychological leverage to the table. Simply thinking about a time in our lives when we had power or achieved something remarkable and substantial can bolster our confidence and improve negotiating outcomes. Simply thinking that negotiation process although difficult can be managed and that we can do it, can immensely boost our self-esteem leading to a consensual decision in the end. Negotiation has been the prime function of diplomacy and it remains so at present. The goal of global diplomacy should be to keep the world in balance. Diplomacy can do it and it still does matter, but skilled diplomats must not permit countries to become fundamentally stronger when they are ready to use their power while other countries become qualitatively weaker to react because this is why great wars and human tragedies occur. In the absence of dialogue, countries form alliances and start to chronically compete with each other. It is true that unchecked nationalism, militarism and populism can lead to wars. If our societies were more equal in terms of North-South divide many global challenges would be resolved more promptly. Whereas the division into rich and poor countries means there is a role for negotiators. One paradox is the variety of various approaches to solving climate change. Against climate change, all nations from North, South East and West suffer equally and yet it is an issue which generates debates and bickering. It is one of the most significant threats facing the world today and it is solvable. Success will depend on how much determination we all can show. According to the American Meteorological Society, there is a 90% probability that global temperatures will rise by 3.5 to 7.4 degrees Celsius in less than one hundred years, with even greater increases over land and the poles (Council on Foreign Relations, 2013). These seemingly minor shifts in temperature could trigger widespread disasters in the form of rising sea levels, violent and volatile weather patterns, desertification, famine, water shortages, and other secondary effects including conflict. In this sense, climate change stands against negotiation. The world may be fast approaching a tipping point concerning climate change. Those who currently hold power would like to see a possible solution not interfering with their established status quo. They are in favour of extending the existing institutions to continue to negatively modifying climate change causing diseases such as furuncles on the face of a virgin Gaia as those in the form of hurricanes. These are created as the winds of punishment that in their anger can dislodge mountains - a sign that God does not approve the way humans conduct themselves. It has been suggested that runaway global warming might cause the climate on Earth to become like Venus, which would make it uninhabitable. In less extreme scenarios, it could cause the end of civilisation. Climate activists who opt for a revolutionary change would like to abolish the existing status quo. Scientists warn that ''If we keep on with business as usual, the Earth will be warmed more every year; drought and floods will be endemic; many more cities, provinces, and whole nations will be submerged beneath the waves. In the longer run, still, more dire consequences may follow, including the collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet, and the inundation of almost all the coastal cities on the planet." (Sagan, 1997). "Those who are sceptical about carbon dioxide greenhouse warming might profitably note the massive greenhouse effect on Venus. No one proposes that Venus's greenhouse effect derives from imprudent Venusians who burned too much coal, drove fuel-inefficient autos, and cut down their forests.'' (Ibid). Sagan's point is different, ''The climatological history of our planetary neighbour, an otherwise Earth-like planet on which the surface became hot enough to melt tin or lead, is worth considering — especially by those who say that the increasing greenhouse effect on Earth will be self-correcting that we do not have to worry about it, or that the greenhouse effect is a "hoax". The truth is that the greenhouse effect generated a critical level of greenhouse gases in Venus's atmosphere. Evidence published in the early 1980s showed that the composition of clouds consists mainly of sulphur dioxide and sulphuric acid droplets. The Pioneer Venus project launched in 1978 confirmed that. Like Venus, our stratosphere even now has a substantial mist of tiny sulfuric acid droplets so we know our limits. Life was given to the human species a billion years ago. We know that previous civilisations were given a chance, but did not manage to survive. We know what happened to other Earthlike planets. Followed by a climate revolution of consciousness, generating a friendly climate would require a different level of thinking, not the same one that created this problem. A holistic climate solution is possible. A supernatural mode has been known in history, Mark (4:39) wrote about Jesus: 'He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.' Only God has the power over the weather, ''He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.'' (Psalm 104). God is so powerful that he set the Earth on its foundations so that it can never be moved. Unless it could be moved by a global climate sensitivity. Gaia (2019) stated, “Current technologies that will mature over the next 30 years will offer anyone who has the necessary resources the ability to modify weather patterns and their corresponding effects, at least on the local scale.'' Only God could have covered the Earth with ''the watery depths as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.'' At His rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of His thunder they took to flight.'' Humans have to use all the powers of our brains to do something extraordinary. But impossible is not a fact, it is an opinion. When we meditate our minds we can achieve even the impossible. Recently, humans wanted to have rather than 'be'. There are more connections in the human body than there are stars in the galaxy, we form a gigantic network of information, and yet, no many know how to transform information into knowledge and knowledge into wisdom. But it is an achievement that inspires dreams, if mankind could change climate negatively, equally, we can influence it for the better. Each generation takes the Earth as trustees. However, the current generation has used it for exploitation and this has to be reversed and changed into holistic healing of the planet. Earth deserves to be honoured even by global leaders, She needs a respite from time to time. Humans treat politics as winning popularity contests rather than a source of wise guidance based on bridging divides through negotiation. Listening to the youth by political elites could offer a constructive start out of the conflict since young people are ready to offer new ideas and pragmatic solutions. The youth of today can help us all find the way, and together we can engineer the civilisation we want so negotiation still proves to be a vital tool in solving global challenges.

This paper discusses strategic theory, which provides a conceptual understanding of how much the ... more This paper discusses strategic theory, which provides a conceptual understanding of how much the nature of war and strategy has changed since the Second World War. It argues that the logic of war and strategy is universal. Although strategy is an art, it is one that can be studied systematically. This paper discusses the logic of strategy in the context of climate activism because this is the strategy for the survival of humanity. It argues that strategy is valid at all times and in all places. This is primarily because human nature has remained unchanged in the face of material progress. The same passions that motivated those who lived millennia ago continue to drive military theorists today. Strategists of our times must study strategy to avert the worst horrific, world-shaking events that can destroy human civilisation. History shows that all the great civilisations eventually crashed, having become decadent, awash in material prosperity, greed or hubris, or lacking grand strategic vision, instead of being educated in wrong knowledge. Strategic theory offers students a toolkit that can be used to analyse strategic problems and global events thereby preventing wars, conflicts, upheavals, destruction and climate catastrophes. The more complex the global environment, the more America needs clear thinking, strategic vision about ways of solving global challenges accompanied by consistent action to set goals and lead the international community. ''Realism - the hard-nosed approach to foreign policy that guided the country throughout most of the twentieth century and drove its rise to great power-remains the best option.'' (Walt, 2019). But there is no proof that leaders are effective in delivering its classical version. But still, the required results are not visible. It is the action that is lacking. When statesmen are untrained or unskilled to apply some of the principles of the realist school, this leaves an alternative for IR theorists to research and experiment with theories or conceptual models that can prove to be more applicable. To a great extent, analysts have to think in terms of global, planetary strategy beyond nation state. In such circumstances, diplomacy would return to its rightful place as a bridge and forum for solving common challenges and Americans would promote their values abroad primarily by demonstrating democratic virtues at home. The world is changing, it is becoming more complex, each problem civilisation faces could be solved only at a different level of thinking. But a dream without action is hallucination. Humanity needs to change its ways, i.e. policies to ensure progress. One idea that is gaining importance in the context of climate change is climate diplomacy. To be successful, climate diplomacy has to achieve what is strategically (in the context of the planetary preservation) desirable and attainable. In the context of the protesting planet, climate diplomacy ought to promptly achieve what is right and optimal. The moral imperative is to do the right thing. For this reason, climate diplomacy must lead, champion broader change, offer a pioneering spirit and innovate with the long-term goal of healing our planet by effectively reversing climate change. In the beginning, climate diplomacy has to offer an inspiring vision of the future. In its spirit, it ought to be non-conformist and it should build on progress and consistently move forward. Climate activism can emerge as a rational and acceptable democratic option of protest or appeal. For example, it could follow the model of the slave revolts of the 1st century BC(E) in the Roman Empire, where under the leadership of former gladiator Spartacus 6,000 slaves rebelled against the Roman Republic. However, without a clear, strategic action plan attempts to solve climate change might become a bottomless pit, consuming time and precious resources. For the protest to be transitional, climate policy should not be seen in isolation but should be considered as an integral part of the broader policy agenda. Once the momentum has been created by climate leaders, it has to advance, to follow up on already awakened ideals and propel new ideas. It should live up to social expectations, have a prompt impact by enacting policies and not only raising attention. High perseverance has to continue until the solution is found that is proportional to the scale of the challenge. The search can occur by eliminating ones that previously did not work. Persistence means continuing with the strategy in an optimal and creative way, over time, despite all the challenges when all join forces and only unconvinced and greedy defectors are left alone. The process of climate campaigning must set realistic, achievable policy goals. It has to determine specific priorities and follow on action plan. It must specify what pressure on politicians will be exerted in the short, medium and long-term. It would be advisable for it to be vibrant and energetic. It must embrace a balanced, sober analysis of what is possible and doable in the long-term. Because climate change is a peoples' issue climate movement should not be a one-off upheaval without a clearly delineated political goal, but rather end in a successful solution to climate change. It should follow with wise policy proposals with the beforehand evaluation of climate strategies. What applies here is a careful, painstaking evaluation of which solution is the best and why it worked. Followed by implications, options and recommendations for policymakers. Probably, for a thousand years there has not been a worse crisis than the current climate crisis and our leaders have not been doing enough to address it. They keep disagreeing and sell to societies distant plans which are rather hallucinations. Climate strategy for change has to continue until leaders are left with no choice but to adopt adequate climate polices. Now is the time when we all need a strong signal from global leaders to solve this. Otherwise, the work of climate activists will be meaningless. As Frishmann (2019) noted ''Climate solutions already exist and are scaling. There is no technology or economic barrier; rather, it is a lack of will and leadership to move farther and faster than the future of upcoming generations demand.'' A social movement could catalyse new action to gather followers, to generate a vibrant, political momentum, change minds, inspire teams of analysts with problem-solving tasks to solve it. Strategy should guide this process. Failure occurs when governments fail to listen and pursue selfish interests. Collective action problem implies that often good intentions are taken advantage of either through free riders or unconvinced leaders spreading the false ideology of denial. For much too long time, as realists noticed, countries who co-operate unilaterally in the tragedy of the commons and collective action problem have seen their good intentions being exploited. Focusing on team-work and collective, all-inclusive climate action could be a breakthrough. It is unlikely that a new foundation for civilisation will be built only by politicians since it is activists, intellectuals, scientists and ordinary citizens who lead to social change inspiring followers. However, for their work to be impactful, it has to be backed up by a coherent, workable strategy for planetary preservation, plus its effective implementation. Any far-sighted and sound strategy must include first of all a plan - a strategic vision of global stability stated clearly defining its aims that would eventually progress from a social, activist movement, towards the building of a political union, a community of shared interest. From a community to a region, and further, slowly embracing the whole planet. Gradually, it would generate an inclusive great power management. Great Powers can be encouraged to act while civilisation still lasts, but Great Powers must not exist in the conditions of denial, disagreement, fear, suspicion, conspiracy, blocks, competition, acts of revenge, nor rivalry. The difference between a sustainable future and a deadly collapse was largely dependent on the population's instinctive foresight based on 'how soon they realised they were destroying their planet. And how quickly they took action.' (Frank, 2019). This should motivate global leaders to take climate change seriously and unite through constructive and meaningful diplomacy the East and the West, the North and the South by educating populations. When leaders are chosen wisely a success in policy implementation will be more instantaneous. The world needs rapid climate policies enacted and enforced globally. These could lead to a global realignment resulting in a more stable geopolitical framework for civilisation. Global peace could be achieved by reversing the other end of the continuum - chaos with its recklessness while revealing a kernel of hope for the planet Earth. This is how the strategy has changed.

This paper argues that creativity is not the mystical attribute reserved only for the lucky few. ... more This paper argues that creativity is not the mystical attribute reserved only for the lucky few. Creativity is a process that can be developed and managed by everyone. All citizens of the planet can crack the creativity code and succeed at innovation by producing mind-blowing ideas. This is because the same processes govern creativity of world-changing​ ideas and our everyday insights. Creativity could be defined as "an ability to generate new and novel ideas, a life skill or an evolutionary cognitive system or machinery that deserves continual attention and passion. But creativity entails something more, the word "creative" involves "doing", action and applying to reality, or in other words, turning a base metal into gold. Creativity is the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality, it is something more than just hypothesising. According to Eliot (2002: 29), "Creativity is considered the ultimate of human qualities, one of the key measures of intelligence that separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom. Our ability to create, or to innovate, is believed to be Godlike – described by some religions as one of those divine qualities endowed to man, who was created in the image of God, the Creator. Anyone who has had a spark of inspiration, a flash of genius, or even just an odd good idea, understands this seeming divinity of creative energy." Originality is the ability to be different from the crowd. Creativity and insight almost always involve an experience of acute pattern recognition. "To understand is to perceive patterns" to paraphrase Sir Isaiah Berlin. To make intelligible is to reveal the basic pattern. To crack the creativity code, it has to be explained that creativity involves two processes: thinking and then producing. But one important "discovery" skills relevant to most innovative entrepreneurs and executives when discovering breakthrough ideas is associational thinking or associating. This involves making connections across "seemingly unrelated questions, problems, or ideas." (Christensen, Dyer and Gregersen, 2009: 60-67). Minds of such innovators excel at linking together ideas that are not obviously related to produce original ideas. Innovation is the production or implementation of a creative idea. It was Victor Hugo, who stated, "An invasion of armies can be resisted; an invasion of ideas cannot be resisted." Everything, including how our world is designed originates within the mind. It materialises in the physical world only afterwards. Ideas can invade like a fountain of light, ideas can also grow, contribute, expand, enlighten... Or they can turn into ideologies and then they can dominate, limit, direct, navigate or demand... Mind you that some incredible ideas do not need complex systems to convince and recruit since they act based on voluntary followership. As Bruce Lee noticed, "If one loves, one need not have an ideology of love." From another perspective, if people have bright and original ideas but do not act on them, then they are imaginative or contemplative, but not creative or courageous. The trick is to charismatically put vision into action, once we know and are confident that the idea is essentially worth a lot and can serve a greater common good. This paper will connect creativity with the alchemy of leadership while showing in what way successful leaders can bring transformational results. Alchemy is the art of transforming leaden thinking into the gold of wisdom. The alchemy of leadership has to do with mining the gold of wisdom in groups and individuals, capturing creative brilliance, and then producing awesome, extraordinary results by attributing others. Above all, gifted children and prodigies who later turn into da Vinicis and Edisons are themselves a great source of inspiration multiplying our efforts. In a qualitative study of the development of world-class pianists, neurologists, swimmers, chess players, mathematicians, and sculptors, Bloom (1985: 533) noted that “only a few of [the 120 talented individuals in the sample] were regarded as prodigies by teachers, parents, or experts”. Rather, accomplished individuals worked day after day, for at least 10 or 15 years, to reach the top of their fields. Bloom observed that in every studied field, the general qualities possessed by high achievers included a strong interest in the particular field, a desire to reach “a high level of attainment” in that field, and a “willingness to put in great amounts of time and effort” (Bloom, 1985: 544). Similarly, in her study of prodigies who later made significant contributions to their field, Winner (1996) concluded, “Creators must be able to persist in the face of difficulty and overcome the many obstacles in the way of creative discovery... Drive and energy in childhood are more predictive of success, if not creativity, than is IQ or some other more domain-specific ability” (Winner, 1985: 293). So to succeed children do not need so much IQ, or control of teachers but practice in engagement that is both desirable and developmental. "Schools should and could – but unfortunately generally do not – facilitate the concomitant growth of knowledge and creativity." (Beghetto and Plucker, 2016: 3). "Of course, not all learning in school is inauthentic, lacking in context, or uncreative." (Ibid: 74). Many educators and creativity researchers have invested greatly in systematic efforts to promote creativity in schools (e.g., Feldhusen & Kollof, 1981; Renzulli, 1994; Renzulli & Reis, 1985; Torrance, 1962, 1963, 1987). Unfortunately, many of these efforts are compartmentalised into privileged or constrained spaces such as gifted child education programs or intermittent afterschool programs. As a result, programs aimed at enhancing student creativity (e.g., Torrance’s Future Problem Solving Program) are not merely extracurricular, but are also often “extra-extracurricular.” Such programs take a backseat to mainstream curricula (e.g., mathematics, language arts, science, social studies) as well as mainstream extracurricular activities (e.g., sports, yearbook, band). (Beghetto and Plucker, 2016: 74). The idea of students creating and exploring their own paths to understanding specific material is understandably threatening to many educators. At the same time, Beghetto and Plucker (2016: ) have argued that "true learning – that is, a deep understanding of content and process that allows the learner to use new information to solve unique problems – is greatly facilitated by an emphasis on creativity in the classroom." It is the ability to solve problems, especially new and unique ones, it strikes many researchers as a critical competency for the twenty-first century. For students to understand what they are learning, they must come to that understanding in their own unique and appropriate (i.e., creative) way. It is not to suggest that students come to this understanding without the guidance and direction of their teachers. Rather, teachers must allow for students’ personal creation of knowledge. This involves teachers helping students to incorporate new knowledge meaningfully into their prior knowledge structures as well as develop the metacognition necessary for monitoring and making personal sense of how, when, and why to use what they have learned (Bruning, Schraw, & Ronning, 1999). Learning theorists, in particular Piaget, have long recognized that meaningful learning involves the personal construction of knowledge. "Creativity becomes the vehicle for understanding – even in the context of predetermined learning goals" (Beghetto and Plucker, 2016: 80). And to remind once again, effective practice whether in creativity or problem-solving is consistent, intensely focused and targets contents or a specific weakness that lies at the edge of one's current abilities in order to transform this weakness into a strength. Teachers can develop this form of pedagogy by balancing teacher direction with student-centeredness, good teachers allow children to surpass their teachers. Creative leadership can put ideas into action. Creativity is a core competency for leaders and managers, and a crucial component of the innovation equation. Innovation requires working through a series of predictions and prototypes to find out which one works. Creativity requires whole-brain thinking: right-brain imagination, artistry and intuition, plus left-brain logic and planning. An artful and imaginative leader has to know how to lead people creatively. Since all great art pushes boundaries beyond established norms, it can teach everyone about empathy, ambiguity, change, courage, and creativity. Thus, it makes sense to learn the principles and practices from the worlds of art, design and music and apply them synesthetically to business and leadership. Creativity can be learned by everyone and becoming creative is an important skill that teaches tolerance for diversity while respecting other points of view.

This paper demonstrates that terrorism in the Twenty-First Century has become the primary threat ... more This paper demonstrates that terrorism in the Twenty-First Century has become the primary threat to global security and stability of the modern states system. Globalisation has contributed to the growth of terrorism from a regional phenomenon to a global one. The technology associated with globalisation has enabled terrorist groups to conduct operations that are deadlier, more distributed, and more difficult to combat than they were in the past. Today, terrorists take full advantage of modern technologies and benefit from the weaknesses associated with the processes of globalisation. This paper shows that no one state can effectively confront global terrorists. There is a need for unity of action, cooperation and coordination within intelligence services in various countries around the world. Plus, all countries need to work out a comprehensive security strategy to address the threat of global terrorism. States could use smart technology to diminish the global impact of terrorism. The international community must not stand alone, but should rather be united and apply maximum effort to eradicate the menacing threat that terrorists pose. This threat is based mainly on preventing unity within civilisation. The Moon landing on 20 July 1969, for example, initiated an age which now lies beyond one of the great divides in human history. Humanity is sundered from it forever by the moment when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped out on to the Sea of Tranquility representing one, united and global humanity. One photo of a small, blue marble floating in space, ''Earthrise'' taken from lunar orbit by astronaut William Anders on December 24, 1968, during the Apollo 8 mission initiated a global, ecology movement. Perhaps, it even inspired the Gaia hypothesis which states that “Gaia is like a living organism … whose goal is to maintain the planet in state fit for life.” (Lovelock, 1979). To build the civilisation of Life and Love could become a motto of united humanity once again. However, more recently humans have pushed their planet, Gaia to her limit. In addition to filling the atmosphere with carbon dioxide, we have hacked our way through the "lungs" of the planet (the rainforests) and driven many species to extinction. Lovelock thinks we are heading for a very warm world, where only polar regions are comfortable for most life forms. Eventually, he suspects, Gaia will pull things back into check, but it may be too late for the human race. This is a very pessimistic prognosis for the world, but probably a very realistic one. Several scholars agree on the basics of it arguing that ''It is not ‘saving the planet’ that will kill growth. Rather, the accelerating destruction of nature will undermine not only the global economy, but it could eventually threaten many life-forms on earth, including our own species.'' (Palmer, 2019). Lovelock argues that humanity is like an army with over-extended supply lines — there is no option but to retreat so that to allow Gaia to recover. For example, it has been suggested that ''an optimum population for the Earth in terms of its resources would be nearer to 2.5 billion rather than - as now - 7 billion or even 9 billion by mid-century'' (Tickell, 2012). Today, it is very difficult to control such large masses of people especially through politics which has become divisive, e.g. the perceived 'we versus they'. And, so we have in current politics: remainers versus leavers, environmentalists versus denialists, blue states versus red states - just to name a few polarising, media heated up, populist divisions. What we seem to be lacking is a wise guardianship for the planet or a truly Promethean mission to save it. Besides, these artificial divides are often turning the attention of people from things that do matter. One thing that matters could be a shared destiny for our planet saved in stars and the music orchestrated by them. Have humans figured it out yet? Furthermore, these gloom and doom prognoses and predictions miss a crucial point. This is that human species is an intelligent one and when in danger can adopt wise policies such as fighting infectious diseases, ensuring gender equality, women and children's rights, fighting poverty and terrorism maybe only some suggestions so that to make the world more equal in terms of North-South divide. The pessimists would reply that Gaia will be strong and fighting. Its is true, but Gaia also wants to direct us so that we follow an enlightened interest and offer more opportunities to all. According to many visionary thinkers and prophets, humanity can overcome our tribal divisions and begin to think and act as one, united and global civilisation, or as if we are one big family. That would be real globalisation and cultural enrichment for the planet even though some members of the family of nations do not accept this truth. It is amazing how childishly gullible some humans are. There are, for example, so many different religions — each of them claiming to have the truth, each saying that their truths are superior to the truths of others, these cannot be taken seriously since religion is only a human projection of the divine. Ralph Waldo Emerson in 1841 stated that a man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the lustre of the firmament of bards and sages. We should not dismiss some basic truths. In every work of genius, we recognize our own rejected thoughts: they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty. Both in the Holy Bible and the Holy Quran there are verses about Light: ''I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will by no means walk in darkness, but will possess the light of life.'' (Jesus quoted in John 8: 12). Equally, ''Light upon light, God guideth unto His light whome he will. And God speaketh to mankind in allegories, for God is knower of all things.'' (Quran). There is one civilising, sacred and uniting spirit in these words, making our civilisation look as if destined to one, commonplace. In Isaiah (60: 3) we can find the verse, ''Nations will go to your light. And kings to your shining splendour.'' Equally, weather and climate are subject to God's will, ''Do you know how God controls the clouds, And how he causes the lightning to flash from his cloud? Do you know how the clouds float? These are the wonderful works of the One perfect in knowledge.'' (Book of Job 37: 15-16). The light of wisdom available throughout holy texts says that our civilisation must cooperate and show unity on critical, global issues, e.g. environmental sustainability and climate change so that to be able to turn up the next level of civilisational sophistication. As Coleman (2013) observed, critical geopolitics scholars, as well as intellectuals of statecraft, must actively engage in this debate providing their support for the norm of environmental stewardship. More recently, they were all too much focused on foreign-policy issues, on rivalries and competition. They could approach state-security practices and their experts much more broadly so that to start to think in a bigger picture, in categories of one planet. All states persons engage in in the practice of statecraft whether physically or spatially and this is one of the norms of the world political community. Public intellectuals of statecraft such as Henry Kissinger or Zbigniew Brzezinski who, as former top governmental officials, command a wide audience for their opinions in national newspapers and foreign-policy journals have a responsibility to communicate to the public the necessity of a one in a million chance of saving our civilisation. Their role is critical as guardians and statesmen who give direction to steer advanced civilisations. ''Within political society itself there are different gradations amongst the foreign-policy community from those who design, articulate and order foreign policy from the top to those actually charged with implementing particular foreign policies and practisung statecraft (whether diplomatic or military) on a daily basis.'' (Tuathail and Agnew, 1992: 193). All can claim to be active intellectuals of statecraft for they are constantly engaged in reasoning about statecraft and planetary preservation though all may not have the function of intellectuals in the conventional sense, but rather in the sense of Gramsci’s ‘organic’ intellectuals (Gramsci, 1971). These intellectuals must join in the public debate about the need for planetary preservation. Civilisation has become saturated like filth with false gods, money-making, crony capitalism and misguided politics. However, the same tenacity which enabled it can propel us to reverse it, to change the course in time. The Earth must not lose an enlightened direction. To renew civilisation we must build it on the fundaments of Life and Love. The most basic truth is that we have to be committed to leaving the Planet safe and secure for future generations.

This paper demonstrates that within contemporary American leadership, there could emerge a growin... more This paper demonstrates that within contemporary American leadership, there could emerge a growing consciousness of the interdependence in the emerging global community, which could comprise some ideational elements of a significantly different American foreign policy. America has to build a new architecture for global security and prosperity. American foreign policy and the resulting international, liberal order needs to be open and flexible, ready to engage the forces and sensitive to the “global political awakening” of rising nations and cultures. Such foreign policy could presuppose a positive prerequisite that America can play an active role of ‘a balancer and conciliator’, ‘constructive pioneer’ and ‘a catalyst of change’ in the ‘totally new era of great power management’ that may emerge in International Politics in the future. Such management implies, above all, detecting a chance for it, being responsive and engaging major world’s secondary powers in a constructive, diplomatic dialogue about the world’s most pressing, trans-national challenges, including global, climatic changes. This novel, complex circumstances stipulate that America is being granted a real opportunity, or indeed, a second chance, to mobilise the whole international community into effective action to create a more inclusive, ethical and truly mature community of nations with America’s leadership at the forefront of a common cause. America could promote supranational co-operation and great power management in the century, in which, its power is increasingly being questioned. The Western, liberal international order that rests on a framework of alliances and is built-in global institutions could adapt to embrace non-western Great Powers and other nations and communities as the world clearly evolves. For this to take place, the whole globe needs to focus concentrated action on solving a common global challenge not through half-baked, partial solutions and empty promises but by designing comprehensive healing of the planet. President Obama's climate diplomacy was a step in the right direction. Facing a divided Congress and significant pressure to reduce the federal deficit, President Obama experienced limited options with regard to advancing an effective domestic climate change policy. Indeed some may argue that his promise concerning climate action has been better than his performance (Brzezinski, 2010). That is probably true because despite President Obama's climate action the world is still experiencing devastating climate change. However, this situation is far from hopeless. As observed by Carl Sagan (1990: Episode 1), ''for the first time, humanity has the power to decide the fate of our planet and ourselves. This is a time of great danger, but our species is young, and curious, [and imaginative], and brave. It shows much promise for the future.'' A future in which people and nature can exist in a symbiotic relationship and in which both can thrive. This could define our new, global strategy, that is a strategy to live in balance with nature. (Attenbourough, 2019). At the moment, 'we are totally out of balance' with nature and unless we get our balance back the age of humans, the Anthropocene is due to be short-lived. (Ibid.). At the bottom of this problem, ''there is one underlying issue - our planet is becoming less wild'' (Ibid.). Biodiversity equals stability and stability is what we need most of all. Only when all species are all healthy can our planet can run smoothly. (Ibid.) One common strand in the tail of the history of civilisation on Earth is that that each time, after millions of years passed, its descendants find only ruins submerged in the nature as the remnant of the previous civilisations. This only suggests that previous civilisations were not successful. In other words, they have missed their chance for survival. Gaia acting as a ruthless balancer rightfully regained what was previously had belonged to her. And as Carl Sagan (1985: 359) concluded, ''In the long run, the aggressive civilizations destroy themselves, almost always. It is their nature. They cannot help it.'' When citizens of the Earth loose respect for the creation, the Earth has no mercy. This tale of civilisations shows a repetitive pattern spread throughout history. But now the present generations are braver and much more sensitive to 'the cry of the Earth'. We can become the first species in the Universe to create a planetary structure with the scope of the star. We have to take that remarkable journey, to make important changes from a million of people struggling to survive to several billions living long, healthy lives on a stable planet able to provide for all our needs. How to do it when even the most powerful leaders cannot act being constrained by party politics? One way is to divert the corrupted system as suggested by Greta Thunberg. When a system is corrupted maybe it is time for alternative climate leaders to take the issue of climate justice for future generations more seriously? Finally, saving humanity is within our reach. Organised humanity has a plan and we know what to do. We have to: 1) Stop doing the damaging stuff: pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and digging fossil fuels; 2) Roll out the new green technologies and systems as they arrive; 3) Stabilise the human population as low as we fairly can; 4) We have to keep hold of the natural wealth we have currently got. Thanks to these strategies, we could be building a stable, healthy world that we can benefit forever. In the words of a prominent biologist, ''we a choice to create a planet that we can all be proud of.'' (Attenborough, 2018). Our planet is the perfect home for ourselves and the rest of life on Earth (Ibid.). As Carl Sagan (1990) observed, ''We on Earth have just awakened to the great oceans of space and time from which we have emerged. We are the legacy of 15 billion years of cosmic evolution. We have a choice: We can enhance life and come to know the universe that made us, or we can squander our 15 billion-year heritage in meaningless self-destruction. What happens in the first second of the next cosmic year depends on what we do, here and now, with our intelligence and our knowledge of the cosmos.'' History is full of people who out of fear or ignorance or the lust for power have destroyed treasures of immeasurable value which truly belong to all of us. We must not let it happen again, we need wise, intelligent and far-sighted global leadership for the planetary preservation. As Dror (2017: 72) noted, ''Without a radical transformation of the global order, including limitation of state sovereignty and establishment of a decisive global governance system qualified to make optimal humanity-craft decisions and equipped with the will and instruments to enforce them globally, humanity cannot be saved from itself.'' Leaders must use the climate momentum created by activists to deliver and enact smart, climate-wise policies. For example, one way for President Obama to force progress on climate was to issue more executive orders and administrative rulemakings to partially substitute for Congressional opposition to his climate and energy agenda. This would require skilled rulemaking and energetic statecraft, but the prize was saving the world that we still live in. Working through the EPA and the Clean Air Act, he could have enacted tougher rules that would cut carbon pollution from power plants and mitigate the potential effects of the failure to enact a national cap-and-trade program (Council on Foreign Relations, 2013). An agreement reached with the auto industry in July 2011 to double fuel standards to fifty-four miles per gallon by 2025 is also a step in the right direction, provided that its stipulations are enforced. Other significant measures the administration could have taken include government procurement of renewable energy and energy-efficient products and services, as well as, reductions in subsidies for fossil fuel-related research and extraction. Perhaps one of the most significant steps President Obama has taken towards realizing his climate change policy was to strike a deal with China to reduce global emissions of CO2 (Ibid.). The two nations combined account for 40 percent of the world's carbon pollution, so a bilateral agreement could weaken Obama's opponents in Congress and encourage other nations to follow suit. To unite all nations around the aim of changing the world requires diplomacy. For this to take place, diplomacy must be applied intelligently and constructively with the strategic and achievable goal. That is to say, diplomacy must operate as a bridge between the foreign policy of Realism and foreign policy of Idealism. America has leaders that realise that foreign policy should be understood as a strategy for​ making choices, but it could be equally described as a political tool for building bridges and generating global voluntarism.

Whether we call them superpowers, Great Powers, empires, or hegemonies, one certain thing is that... more Whether we call them superpowers, Great Powers, empires, or hegemonies, one certain thing is that they come and go, they rise and fall. We do not know why it happens, but no state has managed to remain permanently number one. Although few, if any, historical laws exist, it is most unlikely that any state will in the future be able to remain permanently on top. As we learned from Eurocentric history books, the Roman Empire rose and fell; so did the Carolingian Empire, the Hapsburg Empire, and allegedly, three German Reichs; so did the British and the French colonial empires; and by 1991 the Soviet empire had not only collapsed, but the Soviet Union itself was dissolved into its fifteen constituent parts. Whether they collapse a result of a long, lingering whimper or suddenly with a spectacular big bang; whether through the internal dissolution or the outside invasion of barbarians, it seems that the same law applies to every Great Power. Eventually, one civilisation falls and another rises to take its place, which in turn goes through the same cycle of rise and fall (Scarre and Fagan, 2016: 47). There is a repetitive cycle observable throughout history providing a piece of undeniable evidence for this tragic inevitability. The idea of the rise and fall of great powers is both fascinating and widely researched starting from Polybius in ancient Greece through Niccolò Machiavelli to modern authors such as Oswald Spengler (1962), Arnold. J. Toynbee (1962), Paul Kennedy (1987) and Niall Ferguson (2011). Despite numerous theories and in-depth analysis of the process of collapse, no historian has ever managed to find a solution to this conundrum. Although calls for America's decline may be premature and comparisons with the Roman Empire misconceived, there are visible fluctuations of American foreign policy ranging from extreme interventionism to isolationism. These fluctuations have in turn great impact on the world. The innovative idea introduced in this paper argues that it is possible to revitalise Western civilisation and build a new foundation based on a smart, prudent and timely vision of American foreign policy. Such a vision will have to embrace the idea of consensual leadership that will be discussed in detail. However, the caveat is that leadership, however top-notch, alone is not enough to both generate and sustain civilisation. Environmental conditions must provide for the possibility for life beyond the mere struggle to survive so the climate must be favourable for the civilisation to develop (Blaha, 2002: 39). The truth of the matter is that "human civilisation has evolved and thrived in a short period of relative climatic stability." (Berners-Lee and Clark, 2013: 17); and we probably do know entirely why was that possible. The concern is that human beings as the dominant species on the planet might be endangering that stability mainly because humans burn fossil fuel at accelerating and concerning pace. Experts in the history of Earth's climate are among those who raise the alarm. (Ibid.: 170). As Rotham (2017: 1) observed, ''The history of the Earth system is a story of change. Some changes are gradual and benign, but others, especially those associated with catastrophic mass extinction, are relatively abrupt and destructive.'' It happened in the history of our planet that the future generations found ruins of past civilisations so the idea that of a mass extinction cannot be excluded. As Goodell (2006) noticed, "Energy-wise, the fundamental problem in the world today is that the earth's reserves of fossil fuels are finite but our appetite for them is not." The major problem of our civilisation is not simply that there are more people in the world, consuming more fossil fuels, but that as economies grow and people in developing nations are lifted out of poverty, they buy more cars and refrigerators and develop an appetite for even more gas, oil, and coal. (Ibid). In combination with irrational leaders, this is a deadly mixture. According to Homer-Dixon (2017), ''Disaster comes when elites push society toward instability and eventual collapse by hoarding huge quantities of wealth and resources.'' At the time of great civilisational acceleration, in terms of advancement, that is between 1950 and 2000, as the world population grew by roughly 140 percent, fossil fuel consumption has increased by almost 400 percent. (Ibid). Whereas it is estimated that "by 2030, the world's demand for energy will more than double, with most of that energy coming from fossil fuels." This is the path of unsustainable development and to make matters worse it may prove to be catastrophic for the planet unless action on climate change is taken immediately by organised civilisation. As Anderson (2018) noted, rampant capitalism is the main causes of climate change, “The taboo issue of the asymmetric distribution of wealth underpins the international community’s failure to seriously tackle climate change. Only when we acknowledge this can we move from incrementalism to system-change.” ''The time for incrementalism has passed , humanity has squandered that option. A climate catastrophe is heading our way and small tweaks to business as usual will not save civilisation. We must make sure that we do not exceed our carbon budget and we must view incrementalism as a supplemental approach not the main strategy'' (Zarnett, 2019). Civilisation needs more people, especially political leaders and celebrities ('the great and the good'), who could catalyse the system change. They can do things differently while setting an example for others to follow. A system change will not be brought about just by collective, altruistic individuals. But effective climate action requires those of us who recognise the scale of the challenge to feel a moral responsibility and courage to do things differently (Anderson, 2017). By doing so, such an action could catalyse a change of dialogue and scope for governments to implement proper policies. Ultimately, civilisation needs to change policies, regulations, frameworks and standards which can bring about changes in culture. That would lead to circumstances in which hopefully we can solve climate change. (Ibid.). Whereas at the moment, civilisation is gambling on many levels while media are informing each day with more evidence of extreme weather events all over the world - quite a pathetic state of affairs as for the 21st Century. The clear message signal is that the climate system might soon reach a tipping point at which it may switch into an altogether different state (the so-called “Hothouse Earth” conditions) from the one that allowed human society to evolve. (Berners-Lee and Clark, 2013: 17). The novel idea of saving civilisation presented in this paper is based on a mixture of harder great power politics (trilateralism) and the so-called, 'the ripe time' climate diplomacy that could effectively convince the global public opinion about the urgency to solve climate change and make leaders more familiar with the idea of making climate on Earth more manageable. The idea works as and when all Great Powers reflect a willingness to participate in diplomatic great power management. As and when all Great Powers are involved in a global dialogue centred on securing global commons, such as climate, it is in the interest of none to decline as they all will need to cooperate more naturally and spontaneously in front of a common danger and by securing the common good. In such novel circumstances conducive to increased cooperation, they would seek to legitimise their roles by co-opting the major secondary powers as junior partners in the system of global climate management. It could happen that the creation of such an informal, climate community will be completely decentralised consisting of non-governmental entities. According to Kissinger (1950), ''it is a mistake to assume that diplomacy can always settle international disputes if there is ‘good faith’ and ‘willingness to come to an agreement.’ This is true since, in addition to an intensive spirit of good faith what must be generated is a spirit of global solidarity. Solidarity is created when countries unite against a common danger or out of cooperation and good faith. A sober and realistic analysis of International Politics suggests that the first scenario is more likely to emerge in the future although liberal institutionalists would claim that there were numerous cases throughout history when states cooperated more voluntarily. The innovative idea of this paper compares with research by Professor Brzezinski (2012) on a global role of America in the 21st Century and Dr Ahmed Nafeez (2014) on the crisis of civilisation. It follows from the idea that the durability and the quality of the global order will depend on generating a united and inclusive system of great power management representing all peoples and all Great Powers of the Planet.

It has long been known to creative people that the unconscious mind plays a crucial role in all c... more It has long been known to creative people that the unconscious mind plays a crucial role in all creative thought. While creativity in art, music and dance can often function with very little help from verbal left-brain processes, most creative work requires balanced, healthy cooperation between intuition and logical thought. This paper will examine why in most intellectual fields, the most wonderful, creative breakthroughs are the result of intuition. Intuition manifests itself in the evaluation of similarity when decision borders are too complex to be reduced to logical rules. It is also reflected in heuristic reasoning based on partial observations, where network activity selects only those paths that may lead to the right solution, excluding all bad moves (Duch, 2007: 1). The research question is important, equally as are advanced, scientific studies on intuition, because intuition leads to innovation. Intuition is the muse, the spark, the beginning without which many modern, scientific inventions would not be possible. Could intuition shed some light on the understanding of modern science explaining many of its unknowns? Or, are the two disciplines completely independent? Intuition originates in right-brain thinking, while logic is a product of the left brain. Intuition is useless, however, until it can be verified and described verbally and logically. Logic and language are at the basis of modern progress because they make it possible for one person to communicate her or his insights to another person. Knowledge is thus built upon knowledge, from the successive thinking of previous generations of reflective explorers, researchers and thinkers. In this essay, the author will elaborate on the phenomenon of intuition, hopefully leading to a more holistic understanding of the unconscious mind by bringing important elements involved in the process of intuition and science together. The great power of science is its ability through objective laws to reveal to us truth that we did not anticipate. In this role, it continues to be invaluable, and one of the greatest of human creations. Science often provides elucidation as we are bound to grope for a time as we grapple with problems unprecedented in human history. And wisdom is the child of experience which is a measure of truth. "In the years since man unlocked the power stored with the atom, the world has made progress, halting but effective, towards bringing that power under human control." (Kennedy, 1963: 22). The spirit of the times brings another challenge that must be overcome and that becomes humanity's salvation. In the Twenty-First Century, as humanity has learned to master the destructive potentialities of modern science civilisation moves toward a new era in which science can shed more light on the still unresolved novel, global challenges to fulfil its creative promise. But can science explain everything that could be only known at the intuitive level? Can Science shed some light onto some the miracles in the world? It is sometimes helpful to differentiate between the God of Miracles and the God of Order. When scientists use the word God, they usually mean the God of Order. The God of Miracles wonderfully intervenes in our affairs, performs magnificent miracles, destroys wicked cities, smites enemy armies, drowns the Pharaoh's troops (plus other wicked civilisations that do not follow sustainable strategies) and finally avenges the pure and noble (Kaku, 1995); as He is the only one who created the universe and it is at His command. All creation uses its power to punish unrighteous people or civilisations, but it becomes mild and kind to those who put their trust in God. This is not to say that miracles cannot happen, only that they are outside of the realm of explanation of what is commonly called science. Paradoxically, the world of science cannot explain some of the unknowns at the level of sub-consciousness, sense, supernatural or sacral. For example, in the word of God, light and darkness are contrasted several times as are those who follow each (Crawley, 1980: 562). It is contrast rather than comparison because there is no likeness of the two. One is opposed to the other, and one produces positive energy the other negative. One clear thing is that "the person who loves truth hates darkness. "Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way" (Psalm 119:104); and the one who loves darkness hates light, "For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light..." (John 3:20). Jesus had somewhat to say about this throughout His earthly ministry. He made it very plain regarding those who loved the truth (or light), as well as those who loved error (or darkness) when He said, "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil (Crawley, 1980: 562). For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God" (John 3:19-21). From this, we can plainly see why some love darkness and refuse to come to the light and why some love truth. The person who loves the truth above all else, and wants nothing else, cometh to the light, for he has nothing to fear. For even if he is wrong, he needs, and wants, to know it; whereas when he is right everyone needs to know it. Thus, he cometh to the light, and does so continually that he continue to be right (Crawley, 1980: 562). This paper argues that we can subconsciously choose light and good deeds at the same time becoming more skilled and grittier. Grit is the tenacious pursuit of a dominant superordinate goal despite setbacks. According to Duckworth and Gross (2014: 2), "Research on grit is still in its infancy, and much remains to be discovered about its underlying psychological mechanisms." These researchers have shown that "Highly effortful, focused practice is a necessary means to improving in skill" and shedding more light on important psychological concepts such as increased perseverance, passion and determination. Studies confirm that grittier competitors accumulate more hours of deliberate practice over the course of years, which in turn fully mediates the effect of grit on final ranking (Duckworth, Kirby, Tsukayama, Berstein, & Ericsson, 2011). Related research has identified harmonious passion (i.e., autonomous internalisation of a passionate activity into one’s identity) as a predictor of deliberate practice and, in turn, performance (Vallerand et al., 2014). Many other studies of expert performers in diverse domains have found that thousands of hours of extremely effortful deliberate practice are prerequisite for achieving world-class levels of skill (Ericsson & Charness, 1994). If, as Woody Allen has suggested, showing up and being engaged is crucial to success in any endeavour (as quoted in Safire, 1989), and if highly effortful, focused practice is a necessary means to improving in skill, then it may be that grit predicts high achievement by inclining individuals to both show up and work very hard, continuously, toward a highly valued goal for years and even decades" simultaneously overcoming obstacles and excelling in their practice. To be gritty means wisely and holistically combing the whole body resources: subconsciousness and consciousness for the realisation of the chosen goal without burn out but constantly recharging and regenerating. This has much to do with the power of both self-control and volition. Therefore, subconscious could be working in balance with consciousness. Throughout all nature, we can find the law of action and reaction, of rest and motion so balance is an optimal state. When the two are in balance, then there will be harmony, equilibrium and extra energy flow. The novel solution that this paper introduces is that intuition allows seeing things differently by making a picture of reality in our minds ​while acting as a powerful catalyst, a powerhouse of our imagination while dissolving many complex puzzles and perplexing problems existing in contemporary science. It follows that both intuition and science could work in tandem.

The topic that this assignment will address is the possibility of Physics becoming a new, univers... more The topic that this assignment will address is the possibility of Physics becoming a new, universal language of humanity. By penetrating the deeper dimensions of Physics, some scholars may start to feel that their existence is like an orchestra. And that the mind of God is cosmic music resonating through a multidimensional Universe. Should one experience such a feeling, however, have not learned music, one must have arrived at such a beautiful conclusion through an amazing flash of inspiration. There is well-documented evidence for the claim that the greatest, the most path-breaking discoveries and astonishing experiments in fields of Physics would not have been possible without something special like a natural gift, or incredible ability, or perhaps cosmic music. No physicist would dare assert now that our physical knowledge of the universe is near completion, or that there is nothing new to be discovered in Physics. To the contrary, each new discovery seems to unlock a Pandora's box of even bigger, even deeper questions, unsolved problems or mysteries in physics. For example, the concept of infinity found in fractals brings to mind something with no beginning and end where there is no end: patterns which repeat themselves in nature and which give rise to infinite symmetry. Similar patterns are repeated from the micro-atomic to the macro-atomic, from snail shells to spiral galaxies and perhaps even the whole cosmos. Another example includes the parallels between music and mathematics, not many people realise that the first cosmologies, such as those developed by the ancient Egyptians, Hindus, Babylonians, and Greeks, were based on musical ratios (Durant, 1939; McClain, 1978). Pythagoras and Plato applied these same "musical proportions" to their theory of numbers, planetary motion, and to the science of stereometry - the gauging of solids. And so the examples could be limitless how one observation in one field led to a discovery and a fine breakthrough in another field. Although everything begins with an idea, good ideas are not conjured out of anything. Eureka moments may not be a result of the reckless inspiration of the moment but are rather achieved through years of practice, hard work and intellectual effort. Imagination plays a great role and it is more important than logic. For example, Max Planck (1949: 109) held that creative scientists “must have a vivid intuitive imagination, for new ideas are not generated by deduction, but by an artistically creative imagination." Similarly, Albert Einstein reported “to these elementary laws there leads no logical path, but only intuition” (Holton, 1971–1972: 97). Einstein maintained that logic only came later after the creative ideas had emerged through some free, combinatorial process. “Taken from a psychological viewpoint ... combinatory play seems to be the essential feature in productive thought – before there is any connection with logical construction in words or other kinds of signs which can be communicated to others” (Hadamard, 1945, 142). Consequently, Einstein continued, “conventional words or other signs have to be sought for laboriously only in a secondary stage when the mentioned associative play is sufficiently established and can be reproduced at will” (Ibid.:143). When we have initiated this self-propelling process then the invasion of ideas cannot be resisted while imagination is advancing the process of expansion. The question is whether the idea or a detailed pattern could repeat itself in the mind of an inventor so that to naturally lead to a productive breakthrough going into infinity and possibly beyond infinity. Surprisingly enough, in writing about science, historians celebrate a few great names - Galileo, Newton, Darwin, Einstein while often neglecting the contributions of common, ordinary people who were not afraid to be motivated by the spirit and trespass another level in their development. To achieve the level of intelligence demonstrated by the great mind pioneers we have to dare to dream and then put our dreams into reality. To do that try to seep into your subconscious mind, that mysterious source of wisdom which never sleeps, which creates your dreams, and then enables you to transform them into reality. Then you will begin to awake, each morning, with vitality for life, your vigour will increase, and your enthusiasm will rise while your desire to get to know the world and then change it will overcome every doubt you once had. Thanks to this process of awakening people will believe to achieve even the impossible because there are no things that are impossible. If it is possible then this process can be inspired by a single focus of the mind giving birth to a yearning for change. The truth is that the most outstanding triumphs of science rest on a "massive foundation created by humble laborers." (Conner, 2005) As observed by this author, "If science is understood in the fundamental sense of knowledge of nature, it should not be surprising to find that it originated with the people closest to nature: hunter-gatherers, peasant farmers, sailors, miners, blacksmiths, folk healers and others." (Ibid.). The predominant question under discussion in this paper is whether creative and revolutionary thought processes require inspiration often generated through cosmic music. It is widely known from the music of Ludwig van Beethoven and more specifically from his ‘Moonlight’ Sonata (No. 14) that maths is used within the composition. Beethoven used the harmonic patterns to represent the mathematical relationship between the pitch frequencies of different notes, which then would form a geometric series. This is a brilliant talent and a truly remarkable idea. It follows that listening to enjoyable music may improve cognition and math skills, performing music offers even more advantages. Learning music improves math skills because, at some level, all music is math. Students who commit themselves to learn an instrument may also learn other skills that help them perform better in school while gaining more complete education. Nobody else has fully and scientifically explored the research question yet, because there are not many cross-disciplinary works that offer a big-picture overview of this topic. Not many previous works capture the intricacies and hinges between cosmology, mathematics and music while investigating this particular subject matter in sufficient detail and from many angles. Thus, this paper explores whether the Universe is not made of chaos, but of a magical, well-ordered whole, in other words - Cosmos, accompanied by cosmic music.

The last frontiers of the natural world are gone while species of plants and animals are disappea... more The last frontiers of the natural world are gone while species of plants and animals are disappearing. Our civilisation has been growing exponentially over the last century. The most visible side effect of that is the creation of a throw-away society (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 2013). According to the Pope, "Human beings are themselves considered consumer goods to be used and then discarded. We have created a 'throw-away' culture which is now spreading'' (Ibid.) Humanity has been attacking while Gaia has been defending. This paper argues that Gaia deserves a respite which is defined as a period of break away from exploitative human activities and the burning of fossil fuels. These should be replaced by planting trees. It would enable Gaia to catch a breath and renew itself. This could solve many of the world's problems by establishing a symbiotic coexistence between human civilisation and the planet and leading to comprehensive healing of Gaia. This paper aims to analyse whether humans have reached the limits in every possible dimension of life on the finite planet. The key research questions is: Has humanity reached the planetary threshold beyond which civilisation cannot expand without the implementation of sustainable policies? The bottom line of the argument is that accelerating growth cannot continue indefinitely on a limited planet (Nürnberger, 2011: 66). Sooner or later, "there will come a point where the growing nutritional needs of the growing world population can no longer be met, regardless of how generously future generations may want to share their food. The quest for diminishing resources will almost inevitably lead to higher conflict potentials, greater investment in military hardware and expensive security systems for those whose privileges are threatened" (Ibid.). This paper suggests that there is a need for a new paradigm that integrates the continued development of human societies and the maintenance of the Earth system in an accommodating, resilient and sustainable way. Imagine that bright, blue ball rising over the moon’s surface, containing everything we hold dear, e.g.: "the laughter of children, a quiet sunset, all the hopes and dreams of posterity, that is what is at stake when trying to preserve precious biodiversity on the Earth." (Obama, 2013). The earth is a spaceship, with the sun as our energy supplier, which means that it imports energy from the sun that flows into and through the elaborate patterns of energy transfer that make up the Earth system, including the oceans, the atmosphere, the various geochemical processes, and finally, all life itself. Life on the planet absorbs this precious energy and then the energy flows back from the Earth into the universe - it is as if life was participating and almost by chance (Goldilocks) functioning in a perfectly self-sustained, mutual co-exchange based on a renewal of energy and evolution of life. Through argumentative discussion, it will be demonstrated that if an era of singularity is incipient, a time in which human intelligence will become increasingly nonbiological and trillions of times more powerful than it is today, then the present global civilisation must abort prejudices, such as ethnic, religious, gender and national. Such prejudices must not become an equivalent of colonial conquests of the past. Only a steep learning process could prevent humanity from an increasingly violent scramble for dwindling resources on the finite planet. It will be concluded that first, humans ought to resolve some of the ongoing and appearing challenges on Earth, and then think about the “conquest” of the Cosmos. This is necessary to move from the present Type 0 Civilisation to Type I Civilisation when humanity will be capable of controlling Earth entirely maybe even influence the weather, control volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, influence global flora and fauna, geological makeup, plate tectonics and others. And to recall wise words by C. Kennedy, "To the extent that we are all educated and informed, we will be more equipped to deal with the gut issues that tend to divide us." Climate change seems to be such an issue although according to scientists there is a 99.9999 percent chance that humans are the cause of global warming. Humanity burns fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas, which release carbon dioxide (CO2) into the Earth's atmosphere and oceans. CO2 is the greenhouse gas that's most responsible for warming. With only a one-in-a-million chance that humans are not the cause, it is obvious that humanity needs to dramatically reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, according to experts and scientists. Sometimes we experience an intuitive hunch that a particular challenge needs to be overcome at a particular moment in history due to the unacceptable level of hypocrisy and hiding truth to sustain the status quo. Can we solve climate change? Already in 1964, N. S. Kardashev (1964: 221) observed that "if terrestrial civilisation is not a unique phenomenon in the entire universe, then the possibility of establishing contacts with other civilizations by means of present-day radio physics capabilities is entirely realistic." The moment humanity unites, then we can believe we can do it, then we just do it and nothing is impossible. We must act within the defined planetary boundaries to avoid catastrophic environmental climate change. Investments in better preparation for dismantling natural disasters can pay dividends both for the present and for future generations. But global leaders often prefer to focus on more politicised issues of national content simply because they reflect the populist mentality of modern societies and can win easy votes. Had they focused more on long-term projects they would equip themselves with a more farsighted strategy - a strategic vision for a planetary rescue mission. If humanity does nothing effective to offset global heating, if it waits in inaction Gaia will defend against human interference and there will be fewer of us (Lovelock, 2014: 122). It is very likely that the number of humans surviving such a cataclysm will be limited, perhaps less than a million, which is still enough for the survival of our species. The history of humanity on the planet ''suggests that there was a bottleneck when our total population fell to a few thousand, and we all come from them'' (Ibid.). When climate solution will be found it will give birth to a new civilisation based on scientific progress, tolerance, multiculturalism and humility that would enable humanity to transcend national borders, biological limitations, amplify creativity and invest in the power of the human mind. Likely, such a new foundation based on post-growth economy, sustainable growth and green cities will be built in the developing world, mainly China and India. Perhaps, if we move to green cities as efficient as termite nests, there could be hope for survival. The defining characteristic of nature-symbiotic infrastructure is that it is planned and designed in a way that anticipates, prepares for, and adapts to changing climate. It coexists in harmony with the natural world, effectively imitating nature and blending humanity into it. This requires a degree of humility since according to this model, humans are no longer Earth's owners or masters, but act as wise stewards. Earth is not without unlimited reservoirs of anything. In this model, all we have is what is on our spaceship with us – and when that runs out, the money runs out, too. There is a case for working in sync with Gaia and the purpose of climate-symbiotic architecture is that it is resilient, can withstand, respond to and recover from any disruptions. As Romer (2018) observed, ''A healthy climate requires us to move to a post-growth economy with well-being rather than increasing material wealth as the goal.'' The idea of a circular economy is primarily concerned with the flows of materials and energy, and it is often taken for granted that this circulation can happen within a growing economy. However, the demand for materials and energy needs to be considered in the context of the limits of a finite planet.'' (Ede, 2016: 3). The problem with the West is that there are more goods and, more growth, but less faith in ideas, less ambition to make a world a better, a more sustainable place. There are fewer visionaries who think big. As Ede (2016) noted, ''When human demand on nature’s capacity exceeds what nature can supply, we are in a state of ‘overshoot’. It is the amount by which nature’s biological capacity is being used beyond its regeneration rate–e.g. overfishing or overharvesting, or emitting too much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and destabilising the climate.'' Positive energy could upgrade the Earth, but only when humans are able 'to hear the Earth's cry.' The key impact of this research is ​to serve as a modest, informed and objective policy advice for global leaders of tomorrow.

This paper will assess, investigate and explore the idea of the alleged relevance of realist thin... more This paper will assess, investigate and explore the idea of the alleged relevance of realist thinking in International Relations theory vindicated by the notion of “timeless wisdom to Realism’. Examination of some core theoretical assumptions of Realism, its sub-schools, and assessment of the continuing significance of the realist thinking during the Cold War period and in contemporary International Relations will be undertaken. It will be argued that although the realist depiction of International Relations with its emphasis upon the material factors and the distribution of power, in particular, provides an important and continued insight into the understanding of the behaviour of states, it is not in itself definitive. Realism is not yet finished, but there are new, emerging theories which could be skillfully​ integrated into the mainstream. Theories are extremely important since they provide empirical relevance. They provide concepts to produce ordered and, thus, meaningful observations. In other words, ''theories provide intellectual order to the subject matter of international relations. They enable us to conceptualise and contextualise both past and contemporary events. They also provide us with a range of ways of interpreting complex issues. Theories help us to orientate and discipline our minds in response to the bewildering phenomena around us. They help us to think critically, logically and coherently'' (Burchill, 2001: 13). A natural evolution for a strong theory to emerge is through synthesis which is the hallmark of innovation. It is the ability to combine elements of different theories into a whole that is much greater than the sum of its parts. As such, it is beneficial and required tool In IR to push the discipline forward. Not without reason, the creation and refinement of theory is the most important activity in the whole enterprise. Theoretical synthesis, supported by substantial empirical work and applied with evidence, frequently leads to the production of new, objective knowledge, a new discovery. More importantly, the most obvious advantage of pursuing this analytical tool is that dialogue and synthesis encourage a sharpening of ideas what make theories more powerful. Dialogue between different theories helps ideas advance and become more refined over time rather than merely remaining static. None of the theories singularly can provide for a clear blueprint of the reality of politics. Norm-centred constructivism may be only one among many theories and applying it to analyse the effectiveness of climate action by global leaders may be just one out of many tools of analysis. Perhaps, this specific theory may be only relevant when modified or when applied in synthesis with other IR theories. What is clear is that ''scientific knowledge builds over time as theories are refined and expanded and as new observations and data confirm or refute the prediction of current theories and models.'' (NRC, 2010). Therefore, it is not predetermined that norm-centred constructivism is the one silver-bullet theory that can contribute to solving climate change through the transformation of the existing political system. The bottom line is that we will either solve climate change in a clever way, e.g.: through small-step, timely policy innovations such as introducing renewables (technological progress can make solar and wind power competitive with fossil fuels, or by direct personal incentives for members of the public or elites thereby changing the system...; or climate change will get us through system change whereby Gaia may be acting against humanity annihilating life on Earth, e.g.: through natural disruptions: volcanic explosions, earthquakes, massive hurricanes, wildfires, impacts of extraterrestrial objects, or variations in species or ecosystems. As Tickell (2012) noticed, climate change is only one among many novel, global challenges with profound sometimes rapid effects on the natural world. Other challenges include, ''widening divisions between rich and poor within and between countries, shortages of food and water, loss of confidence in ruling elites, the effects of large-scale migration, the high vulnerability of cities, the growth of terrorism, the risks of war with unimaginably horrible weapons, and the exhaustion of often irreplaceable resources.'' However, global leaders who are empowered can constructively approach these problems. The central problem with ideational arguments (as with realist arguments) is their inability to explain the change. Postpositivism recognizes that all observation is fallible, all theory is revisable but it allows for the study of change. In an ideational institutional structure, idea shifts and norm shifts are the main vehicles for system transformation. Norm shifts are to the ideational theorist what balance of power shifts are to the realist. A norm shift towards environmental sustainability and planetary stewardship was introduced by President Obama, who acting as a representative of global humanity tried to convince public opinion to act with urgency to address the climate crisis. The question is whether the public has listened? From space, the Earth looks like a small, blue marble floating solitarily in the cosmos where national borders do not matter. And yet, humanity is obsessed with the so-called growth and ever-increasing consumption. This model may be soon replaced by ''the need to make better use of resources, respect the natural capital of Earth, and measure health wealth and happiness in a more rational way.'' (Ibid). Global leaders could become global pioneers excelling in problem-solving and shaping public opinion. They can create norms that can be emulated by others being gradually accepted into the body of international law. Norms are standards of appropriate behaviour for actors with a given identity. Norms evolve according to a 'life cycle' of three stages, each of which has a unique origin, mechanism of influence, and condition under which norms will influence world politics (Finnemore and Sikkink, 1998: 98). Global leaders can become social enablers of change shaping global solutions since ''agency and structure operate interdependently''. Therefore, global leaders when wisely informed by science and following zeitgeist can initiate systemic transformation. However, this theoretical model is idealistic, every stage of it requires an infallible precision/perfection of a Swiss watch. Who could apply it? Besides, it needs empirical verification, since ''confidence in a theory grows if it survives the rigorous testing process, if multiple lines of evidence lead to the same conclusion, or if competing explanations are to be ruled out.'' (NRC, 2010). Effective norm entrepreneurs use organisational platforms motivated either by altruism, empathy, or ideational commitment to persuade fellow governments to adopt the norm. States motivated by a desire to adopt a norm to enhance their legitimacy, reputation, and/or esteem socialise other states by inducing norm breakers to become norm followers. Finally, domestic and international laws, professional training, and bureaucratic operating procedures widely incorporate the norm that becomes an inherent part of international law. Any remaining non-conforming states adopt it simply to conform. The norm is thereby institutionalised that it becomes a matter of habit and is taken for granted. At first, it seems that climate change does not fit into a perfect IR theory-led solution. For a typical leader, this model is unachievable. But, imagine a committed entrepreneur interested in leaving an eternal legacy by championing a powerful norm of environmental stewardship with rich and positive energy supplies. Through small actions, all world's decisionmakers would soon follow suit. This method is only a suggestion in which climate change could be addressed thanks to the emergence, cascade and internalization of environmental norms promoted by climate leaders. The challenge remains unsolved because nobody has followed this model with sufficient energy and diligence to bring about effective change. Rees (2003) concluded that our civilisation has only a 50 per cent chance of survival beyond the end of this century. If true, it is still a tragic paradox that we have more theoretical models rather than capable individuals, or leaders, who could put ideas into good use. Policies to reverse climate change are known, yet global leaders are still about to turn into proper doers rather than remaining only talkers. Managing and adapting to climate change may be one challenge that could define resourcefulness of our civilisation and whether future generations will think of us as an intelligent species. To paraphrase a famous and established scholar, ”let a hundred of flowers bloom in the world of International Relations” (Buzan, 2012). Because this makes our inherently complex world much more interesting, inspiring and diverse.

One global problem that must be addressed by the international community in a ‘constructive’ and ... more One global problem that must be addressed by the international community in a ‘constructive’ and effective manner by the end of this century is the Earth’s climate. The inconvenient truth is that the climate in the twenty-first century is changing rapidly. The Earth is reportedly warming up, and there is an overwhelming scientific consensus that it is happening on a huge scale and is human-induced. World leaders informed by science have agreed that a temperature increase of 2°C above preindustrial levels would be dangerous for humanity. If leaders do not take action, ''global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will rise by about 70% by 2050, pushing world temperatures up 4oC - 6oC by 2100 (OECD, 2009). In the long term, a warmer world will make dry areas drier resulting in lowers crop yields. For these reasons, climate change is one of the major political and institutional, as well as ecological, challenges of our time (Keohane, 2015: 3). Carbon emissions released by countries across the globe are warming the planet, leading to devastating weather patterns, terrible storms, droughts and famine. Most recent studies show that by 2050, famine could displace more than two hundred million people worldwide (Obama, 2008: 143). Thereby resulting in people competing for food and water, in the next fifty years in the very places that have known horrific violence and instability in the last fifty years: Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia (ibid: 143). With global warming on the increase and with species and their habitats on the decrease, chances for ecosystems to adapt naturally are diminishing. Many scientists have agreed that climate change is one of the greatest threats facing this planet: undermining the stability of ecosystems on Earth. Recent years in particular show increasing temperatures in various regions and increasing extremities in weather patterns. The impact of climate change on our small, blue planet threatens access to secure, sustainable and affordable supplies of key natural resources such as water, land, food and energy, which are essential for life and economic prosperity. Furthermore, while it is unlikely that climate change may be attributed as a direct cause of conflict, in cases where it leads to the loss of land or livelihoods, it has the potential to increase the risk of global instability and conflict, particularly in parts of the world already experiencing other stresses, such as food or water shortages, health issues or demographic and migration challenges. Recent extreme weather events show that communities across the globe will need to build resilience which is ''the capacity of a system to retain essential structures, processes, and feedbacks in the face of shocks or disturbances and continue to develop (Walker et al., 2004). However, the Earth is quickly approaching critical “tipping points”. By crossing these thresholds, the planet may see abrupt, and possibly irreversible, shifts in the workings of the Amazon rainforest, ocean currents and El Nino. Even within the 2°C upper limit Arctic summer sea-ice could disappear, parts of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets could collapse, and most coral reefs could vanish. This paper will analyse whether it is possible to reverse climatic changes whilst working on an idea that will allow ‘spaceship Earth’ to travel through the travails of time with no major disruption to its natural rhythm. This paper indicates that climate change is not insurmountable, but humanity must not simply wait passively to minimise climate change consequences. Strangely, global civilisation has become good at continuing with business as usual or tying out traditional, conventional methods that bring little in terms of comprehensive solutions. In truth, no global solution will emerge without a major reframing in the domestic politics of each country interested in effectively addressing climate change (Keohane, 2015). Our leaders follow either mitigation or adaptation to climate change with the last one focusing on actions that take place in response to a changing climate. Whereas what is needed is something more comprehensive, far more preventive and holistic like global healing of the Earth. We need strategies that directly include actions to reduce the magnitude of climate change by understanding the Earth system. We do not need partial, semi-solutions that are to lessen the impact of climate change, clearly we need a prophylactic by giving Earth some time for regeneration. Going beyond the argument in favour of global emissions limitations, this paper will explore possible the response to climate change: organic, regenerative agriculture based on the global village construction set. Success may be hugely dependent on sufficient levels of international cooperation, such as the ones performed at a highly complex, global level negotiations (Paris 2015). Global action should be accompanied​ by thinking locally and implementing solutions that are sustainable for small communities. Consequently, as there is an urgent demand for change, words must be put into action by global leaders who should be in turn wisely informed​ by science. Earth scientists have warned that human-wrought changes may be creating a climate and a biosphere that will become increasingly inhospitable to human civilisation. The Anthropocene may be characterised by unpredictable and possibly abrupt and cataclysmic environmental changes, but there is still time to save civilisation if drastic socioeconomic changes are made to ensure that human activities operate within the 'safe operating space' of our planetary boundaries. From the perspective of time, solving climate change may occur to be a Columbus' egg, which refers to a brilliant idea or discovery that seems quite simple or easy after the fact. As stated by President Obama (2015), "Climate change is not just a danger to be avoided, but an opportunity to be seized." Urban resilience is a city ability to survive, adapt and grow in the face of the many chronic stresses and acute shocks it inevitably experiences. It means assessing and understanding a city's challenges and finding solutions that address many at the same time in a holistic way. The key question that civic engineers should be asking is how to understand Gaia so that to discharge the most catastrophic disasters and built civic infrastructure in agreement with nature so that to rescue human population and communities even before the disaster actually strikes. If we consider the Earth's climate system as a single, integrated whole, the case for monitoring on a planetary scale is compelling (Young, 2012: 89). Future generations might begin to wonder: how come it has taken us such a long time to solve something so simple and why we did not follow the Ariadne's thread leading us to a successful solution? The last major Ice Age ended around 10,020 years ago. Then the climate became more stable, much warmer and more favourable for the civilisation to grow. The combination of a new genetic disposition of humans towards boldness and novelty, plus a favourable environment may have led to the birth of first civilisations (Blaha, 2002; 39). Human communities cannot probably have an impact on the flow of climatic history with its fluctuations resulting in Ice Ages and periods of mild climate. What we can do is to: 1) Try to understand Gaia; 2) Make it more hospitable to our populations and cities; 3) Act, live and build in symbiosis with Gaia while forming a delicate, interdependent balance. The worst projected climate impacts could be avoided by holding warming below 2°C. Such goal remains technically and economically feasible, but only with political ambition backed by rapid action starting immediately. Action is the key to success. The World Bank has warned in 2015 that the Earth is on pace to heat up more than 2°C by this century's end, and possibly as much as 4°C if the worst-case scenario happens. Stern noticed (2015: 7), "Temperature increase of 4 or 5°C or more not seen for tens of millions of years are likely be enormously destructive." Civilisation would not be able to preserve living conditions for all if this scenario should become actuality. As noted by Fuller (2008: 7), "All of humanity now has the option "to make it" by virtue of our having minds, experimenting with problem-solving solutions, discovering principles and being able to employ them to do more with less." With the right push from governments, a virtuous cycle of technological innovation combined with reduced local pollution and rapid adoption of low-carbon technologies can initiate a movement on a sustainable path away from disaster (Wolf, 2015). And "we can make it" when we act together, inclusively and in agreement. We have an obligation do it. We have a responsibility to do it in order to leave a better world for future generations of our children and grandchildren. But if we do not do it, then nobody is going to do it for us.

Election of President Obama as the forty-four President of the United States of America in 2008 m... more Election of President Obama as the forty-four President of the United States of America in 2008 marked a crucial moment in history that calls for a new kind of leadership, capable of addressing complex, global challenges while holding fast to the timeless values that are essential to working of a good society. As the global civilisation develops, it is facing changes and novel challenges, so there is a need to hold to the imperatives that do not change, the foundations on which humans can build their lives despite the uncertainty of the future. Good, inspirational leadership can be compared to a lighthouse because it acts as a guiding light directing or navigating advanced societies to ensure survival, progress and prosperity. Such leadership requires the strength of character to rise above political divisions, conflicts and societal pressures in order to serve the common good of humanity. What we need most is to restore and revive our faith in humanity. We must create a society where people can live with dignity, a society where people can live in peace and happiness. Why America should be at the forefront of these actions. Because American power provides the indispensable basis for global stability today. The only alternative to it is global chaos. Therefore, the United States of America needs prudent, intelligent stewardship, or some kind of enlightened direction. One part of this type of guidance may be having an individual, possibly the President, who ingeniously solves problems, the so-called ‘transformational leader’. The scale of difficulty facing the President and his team is extremely high, because, from a global perspective, there are some serious, structural constraints on what actually President Obama can do. The idea introduced by Constructivism is that agency shapes and shoves the structure, so a capable leader could, first - attempt to convince the global public opinion of the scale of novel, global challenges, and then - attempt to solve them by enacting consequential policies that at its heart have the preservation of common global good. For our civilisation on Earth protecting the global commons must become the number one priority. The megatrends where civilisation needs immediate action are energy, food production, urbanisation, consumption and production. What civilisation needs is even more than that, we need science-based targets to support the global commons. And we need a new narrative for humanity as a global species in control of its long-term destiny, that is preservation of the global - common, public goods. Hope is that the worldview is shifting perceptibly towards planetary stewardship and responsible management of the global commons. To do that global leadership needs to recognise and accept the three essentials of leadership: 1) Humanity; 2) Clarity and 3) Courage. Humanely practising the virtues of the way promotes the influence of the teaching, pacifies this of both high and low positions and elites those who pass by. Someone with clarity follows proper behaviour and just duty, recognises what is safe and what is dangerous, examines people to see whether they are wise or foolish and distinguishes right and wrong. The courageous see things through to their conclusion settling them without doubt, they get rid of whatever is wrong or false. Humanity without clarity is like having a field, but not ploughing it, clarity without courage is like having sprouts but not weeding them, courage without humanity is like knowing how to reap but not how to sow. When all these are present the community thrives. When one is lacking the community deteriorates. When two are lacking the community is in peril. And when there is none of the three the way of leadership is in ruins. And reassuming and based on the above arguments, there is a role for capable global leaders. That is to say, ‘transformational’ leaders can change reality into positive outcomes. This can be accomplished through the ​normative power and the ability to change long-held identities and embedded practices thanks to their self-knowledge and thanks to a deep understanding of fellow civilisations. Ancient sages have provided many interesting maxims to guide peoples, nations and also organised humanity how to live in peace and harmony, how to build dialogue and cherish the value of peace. When leaders look carefully and study these guidelines they could find a common denominator. They could find a great way among the teachings of the sages, learn and practice civilisational understanding based on them. Clarity, humanity and courage are needed for any community to stay strong including the emerging climate community. In addition, as Israel (2018) noticed, "Every community needs to have values, and the world community is no exception to this rule." These values of the world community reflect the moral framework of our civilisation that most of us believe in and consider as the basis for human existence. These included human rights, religious pluralism, participatory governance, protection of the environment, poverty reduction, sustainable economic growth, elimination of weapons of mass destruction, prevention and cessation of conflict between countries, humanitarian assistance, and the preservation of the world’s cultural diversity (Israel, 2018). Doing what is right means protecting these values. Actions align with purpose, as opposed to doing what is desired, is a courageous act because global leaders need to exercise an enlightened interest in building a shared global community. When any individual or leader rises above circumstances by the power of courage, all conditions of life, however dark or grim become like the blanket of mist that disappears with the warm glance of the sun. The sorrows of the normal man are not inherent in the conditions of life. They are born out of the weaknesses of the human mind. So our global leaders must remember a ceaseless motto: "Try to awaken the sleeping hero in yourself, and no sorrow will defeat you and the world will open more windows of opportunity for you." For, example, as Nilsson (2016: 271) noted, "There is widespread agreement that science, technology and innovation (STI) have a role in helping countries tackle social challenges such as climate change, pollution and public health." Providing comprehensive solutions for these global and interconnected problems, however, exceeds the capacity of single states or market forces alone. There is a need to move beyond just governmental cooperation. As Nilsson continues, "By definition, Grand Challenges involve “a need to cooperate worldwide to create public goods (mitigation of climate change, health), or protect the global commons (the environment, fisheries)” (OECD, 2010: 165), calling for action that goes beyond the conventional role played by governments. For policy-makers, thus, the task is how to develop and align new policies and practices to address shared societal problems and enhance the impact of solutions to the problems of tomorrow. However, to do that our global leaders have to abandon egoism and abort luxury and materialism connected with their offices. Instead, they could focus on a bigger picture, on building a sustainable, modernising and vibrant civilisation. Their focus could be appreciating the needs of the younger generation which is evidently stirring. The last and catalytic step in the process of bottom-up climate diplomacy and the vision for building 'a whole earth economy' is the igniting of a broader, social movement of non-violent action that changes hearts, minds, and finally policies toward the right, symbiotic relationship between humanity and the Earth. Young people from all corners of the globe can feel more empowered and show an example of climate diplomacy. Any young leader who would like to implement wider, social change must be a champion of it. If you would like change to be successful, you must lead people towards it. Intelligent leadership is hard to execute because everyone likes progress but no one likes change. ''The global economy today is overwhelming the ability of the earth to maintain life’s abundance.'' (Garver and Brown, 2009). A new mass movement is needed that bears witness to a right way of living on our finite, life-giving planet. The key is giving the world hope that generational challenges such as climate change are no match for people who believe there is no problem we cannot solve together. Think about how our civilisation would look like when next generation of leaders such as Greta Thunberg would become more empowered? Older leaders would have to abort low politics, tribalism and putting their nations first. These are the values reminiscent of the era of rivalry and colonisation. But these long-held identities can be changed thanks to diplomacy, charisma, heroic, ethical and ‘transformational’ leadership that acts primarily through the smart power of dialogue, exchanging ideas, respect and kindness.

The question of how to learn to be more creative has recently gained heightened attention both am... more The question of how to learn to be more creative has recently gained heightened attention both among brain scientists and within various educational institutions, not to mention educational portals and blogs. The key research question that this paper will address is whether music and cosmic music, in particular, can stimulate creative processes in the mind while enhancing the amazing and creative workings of the brain. The current literature and numerous blogs available online on how people get new ideas abound with examples of the latest advancements in neuroscience. These aim to uncover the workings of the most complex and most mysterious object known in nature, namely, a human brain. Previous work has failed to address, however, what is the principal impact of subconsciousness on human lives and how the theory of multiple intelligences can provide for a more accurate, holistic understanding of an individual in modern society. The latest evidence indicates that the brain’s abilities are in fact malleable and plastic. According to the principle of neuroplasticity, the brain is constantly changing, developing and adapting in response to various stimuli. If true and correct, then human brain must likewise respond to cosmic music and meditation. In the end, all humans are the children of the Universe and our future is in the stars. The central question that this paper will answer, is in what specific way cosmic music can affect the workings of the mind for people to become more creative problem-solvers. It is a cosmic melody that creates interesting, new vibratory patterns in the Universe providing a proof for the truth that the Universe is a symphony of vibrating strings. These vibes can be then replayed or recreated in our brains to come up with new connections and original ideas or even ideas on ideas, the so-called meta-ideas. The bass line introduces changes in frequency, or pitch, but these are just repetitive, imitative patterns. Melodies are the ones that are completely new and original. They are the results of the changes in vibration frequencies. They introduce novel arrangements of frequencies with amplitude changes adding further light into our intuition. Melodies can both repeat and go into novel, unexpected directions providing us with better and better ideas, enhancing imagination and leading to infinity. They can move in and out of sync with the back beat and in turn, become constraints or unlimited chances for the emergence of novel vibrations and melodies of the mind. This rapid explosion of diverse melodies ends up with endless, skyrocketing possibilities as further productive improvisation leads to unbelievable levels of interactions where even a more vivid variety of infinite patterns soon begin to emerge. Theoretically, this process could go into infinity providing for the limitless number of patterns and their simultaneous multiple generations. At a first glance, repeated failures during a creative process in response to music stimuli could lead to the perception of creative frustration (He, Yao, Wang and Caughron, 2016; Sapp, 1992) that could produce a mortification of the creative attempts (Beghetto, 2014) and lower perceived self-efficacy (Baumeister and Tice, 1985). However, as some authors have shown, contrary to this stipulation, repeated creative success could generate the opposite overwhelming emotional condition, a sort of ecstasy in front of repeated achievement (Ivcevic and Brackett, 2015). In reality, the durability of this process depends on the person's prerequisite for determination to search for ikiagi, passion and inspiration. As Ivcevic and Brackett (2015: 484) noted, ''The relationship between emotion regulation ability and creativity was mediated by teacher ratings of persistence and passion.'' Perseverance is a key skill since it leads to the build-up of character and character gives hope. ''Collectively, these results provide insight into the role of emotion regulation in bridging the gap between creative disposition and behaviour.'' (Ibid.). For the purpose of this paper, creativity will be defined as changing a way of doing things, or a way of thinking. That, in turn, requires having mastered the old method of doing things. He who overcomes all weaknesses with a firm mind excels. As Confucius says, "To like learning is akin to knowledge; to put it into practice diligently is akin to benevolence; to be conscientious is akin to courage." (Cleary, 2009: 38). Only through conscientiousness can we solve predominant problems of the given era. Problems are usually solved either intuitively or systematically. Intuition is used when no new knowledge is needed - then we know enough to be able to make a quick decision solving the problem instantly, or we can use common sense or experience to do it. But the key to success is feeling. ''Our feelings are central to our learning, our intuition and our learning. They allow us to make sense of rich data sets that our rational brains are not equipped to comprehend.'' (Neumeier, 2013: 41). In fact, ''emotion is not a substitute for reason, but a partner to it. If our rational brains were deprived of emotion even the most banal decisions would become impossible.'' (Ibid.). ''Feeling is a prerequisite for the process of innovation, it powers creativity'' (Ibid.). More complex, unpredictable problems will require a more systematic, not only logical but also the abstract brain to come up with an eureka idea. For this, we will need to use creative thinking. Emotional learning leads directly to intuition, it is 'the ability to think without thinking', to arrive at a solution without the use of logic, to awaken our infinite imagination (Ibid.). Besides, complex problems need the superior processing power of the emotional, intuitive brain. Advanced problem-solving involves also having self-discipline. It is not just about consistently doing something, it is instead about systematically regulating, correcting, and adapting our behaviour to the changing conditions and circumstances of our life. Self-discipline, is, therefore, effectively about proactively training ourselves to follow a specific set of rules and standards that help shape and align our thoughts and behaviours to the task at hand. The quicker a brain can shift between analytical and holistic thinking the more complex, creative and effective the thinker becomes. Scientific studies have confirmed that listening to cosmic music increases performance in our daily tasks and improves divergent thinking. How does it impact on problem-solving skills? Music enhances the cognitive flexibility needed to come up with innovative solutions. The key here is the ability to switch between different concepts and perspectives, trying different approaches rather than coming up with unnecessarily clever ways of solving a problem. The caveat is that not always known and tested solutions are effective, therefore sometimes acquiring a fresh brain stimulated by music is more resourceful rather than seeing the problem from a rigid point of view. Sticking stiffly to our routines, to schemata and proven ways of doing things not always proves successful. Sometimes, there is a clear need for an element of surprise and an unexpected eureka moment or change of established patterns. Problem-solving skills enhanced by cosmic music, maths and a state of prepared mind or the state of flow can contribute as the essential input into the discovery process. A well-balanced brain is very achievable if we are prepared to sometimes break away with routine, do something originally and differently by regularly mixing up both hemispheres and challenging ourselves we can blow the dust out of even the creepiest of cognitive corners. People with problem-solving skills are the fuel that fires the innovation engine (Romer, 2016). That proves the point that what we do and what we accomplish in life is only a tip of the iceberg of what is actually possible for us - impossible is possible. Cosmic music can stimulate divergent thinking, which is a thought process used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. Once we have multiple solutions we can experiment. After that, we are almost there, as through eliminating solutions that do not work we can choose one solution that will be do the job. We have to take time to critically think, do the research, analyse, evaluate etc. Investment in time, developing passion to learn and curiosity to discover are necessities. But they are worth the fruits since the painstaking process of discovery brings results. After the long process, we can reveal our novel idea. Divergent thinking typically occurs in a spontaneous, free-flowing manner, so that many ideas are generated in an emergent cognitive fashion. For many brain scientists and psychologists, this state is known as flow, the true process of discovery and invention. Then we can go with the flow and the only limitation is our imagination.

World-class economists, prominent statesmen, professional organisations, often called think-tanks... more World-class economists, prominent statesmen, professional organisations, often called think-tanks, and farsighted prophets frequently discuss the notion of what should happen in the future, preferably in the current century, to make a world a better place. Often though, these prognoses and predictions are not reliable, not valid or missing a bigger picture. There are many issues waiting for inspired, motivational and collective ‘Yes, we can’ ranging from global climate change, fight against poverty, equal voting rights for women and rights and respect for all children around the world. America as the most powerful state in the world could address global challenges. American leadership, backed up by the enlightened generosity of its people could push global public opinion towards the resolution of global challenges. One issue which has not been named and which requires urgent attention on behalf of the world of politics is the Middle East Peace process. Problem-solving is a vital skill for global leaders, politicians and diplomats. Often the problem as given is misleading, and we have to work through a mass of data to define the real problem, to get to the bottom of the problem. Often this step consumes more time than deriving the solution. For example, Einstein said: “If I were given an hour in which to do a problem upon which my life depended, I would spend 40 minutes studying it, 15 minutes reviewing it and 5 minutes solving it.” This paper will discuss arguments in favour of one possible idea-solution based on the statement that Jerusalem must be shared, while presenting an explanation of why the Israeli-Palestinian peace process needs to be addressed as a priority. It is argued that it will be extremely difficult for parties in conflict to be able to reach a solution by themselves, therefore, they have to be helped. America, with Europe’s help, can do so by defending explicitly the fundamental requirements of genuine peace of reconciliation. Peaceful accommodation between the two parties has to involve a demilitarized Palestinian state. Both parties in conflict need to receive security assurances and the conflict must be resolved immediately through a process of honest, reciprocal negotiations. It is imperative that to be successful negotiations have to be genuinely reciprocal. In the Anthropocene, it is a human agency that largely determines the course of human history and the planet. This means the humans have a purposeful impact on the development of history and on major trends within society. But humans yet need to find an enlightened direction so that to intelligently steer the Earth in the direction She shows, i.e. away from international conflicts and natural disasters. Humans need to act as wise stewards consequentially and consistently renewing the face of the Earth by finding a comprehensive cure so that to heal the planet by reversing climate change. The stars awaken a certain reverence because though always present, they are inaccessible; but all natural objects make a kindred impression when the mind is open to their influence. If nature wears a mean appearance, it is what humans have made it to be. Imagine that the Star has no anger, She advises us to use our imaginations and analytical intelligences to reframe the problem of climate change and natural disasters to generate problem-solving solutions while protecting the victory for the civilisation of Life and Love. To change the system through championing climate norms requires a universal change of life-styles, continued learning, refinement of possible solutions and the process of adaptation. Humanity is entrusted with the great cause of protecting our civilisation of Life and Love. Metaphorically speaking and without sounding overtly religious, humanity lives now in difficult times with many prevailing ethical problems such as a massive global attack by the forces of sin, death and darkness. Many innocent people are perishing as a result of various international conflicts, international catastrophes both natural and man-made, unborn children, the aged and the sick. Each day an estimated fifty thousand children die in their mother’s womb. Many people do not want to have any children at all. Means of destroying fertility and life are becoming more and more common. The human child is becoming a product of modern technology, a donor of cells and organs. Children “are produced” with designated attributes, subject to selection. More and more countries are legalizing euthanasia. Often the values of a healthy family are under undermined. Climate change and natural disasters are making people feel depressed. For example, ''for the first time in history, over half the world’s population now live in cities, many of which are located at rivers, along coastlines, or both. A new study shows that the total urban area exposed to flooding in Europe has increased by 1000% over the past 150 years'' (Paprotny et al., 2018). But our Star watches with patience and with Love all of that while showing a possible pathway of change, a new positive direction, and some wise guidance. The task of every statesman is to tune in, be responsive by actively defending human life and being committed to building a new civilisation by applying problem-solving. Thus, solving international conflicts such as the Middle East conflict and solving the climate crisis would not only save lives but would also represent the unifying force within our civilisation - a kernel of hope signalling a readiness to move to the next level. The key question is how can humans incentivise heads of states to make long-term decisions for the common benefit of mankind? Global leaders need to have a considerable level of wisdom, a sense of proportion, sanity of judgement and faith in the capacity of man to rise to higher mental and spiritual levels. They must turn into doers instead remaining only talkers. They need an extra dose of energy, a positive, renewing spirit to show a decisive and consistent action. When they intervene they need to do it effectively to activate people, to energise people to commit to the common goal of healing the Earth. Alone we are unable to win in that global struggle. In every age, God has been our refuge and the source of limitless hope, so maybe we need to turn to Him again. Long before the creation of the mountains, the land, sea and stars of the night through the endless seasons of all time, God has always been there. (Whitaker, 1988). He will always be. Because He is timeless and eternal overcoming everything through His power. As the Scripture says, ''In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing You will change them, and they will be passed on. But You remain the same, and Your years will never end...'' (Psalm 102: 26). Destiny is often cast, and at His silent word people return to dust and scatter to the wind. Yet, God remains since He is eternal and almighty. A thousand years are like a single moment for Him, as the light that fades at the end of the day. Thus, God wants to turn our eyes away from worthless things; false gods, money-making, self-interest so that to preserve our lives according to His word. This way, the whole Earth will be filled with His Love, cleansed of sin and recreated, reborn, renewed, made whole by His redemptive activity. The major problems in the world such as climate change are the result of the difference between how nature works and the way people think. ''It is for you, mighty kings, that I write these words, so that you may know how to act wisely and avoid mistakes.'' (The Book of Wisdom: 6-10). God wants to teach us His way. For that, we need the help of the Northern Star to lead us to ensure the victory of the civilisation of Life and Love. Resolution of the climate crisis requires both idealism and optimism, ''A commitment to 100 per cent clean energy at home will also ensure that American-made solutions are exported to the rest of the world. American inventiveness has made us a technological leader in the past — we are the country that has, against all odds, put humans on the moon, cured diseases, and ushered in the digital age. That same tenacity can propel us to the 100 per cent clean economy that we need.'' (Gore E., 2019). Energy around the world is both scarce and expensive in economic terms only because humans have not thought cleverly enough about how to capture it, use it in humanely useful terms and make it widely available for all (Hepburn, 2015). As for the second problem, this paper will defend the argument that durable peace of reconciliation will require the genuine sharing of Jerusalem as the capital of two states. The approach​ presented in this paper considers peace as a means and not an end, whilst defending a cosmopolitan and holistic, not instrumental approach to negotiations and peace.

This paper will analyse the style of leadership offered by President Obama and his team. The curr... more This paper will analyse the style of leadership offered by President Obama and his team. The current president came to power in 2008 as the first African American candidate in the history of the United States of America at a time of severe economic crisis. Preceding his inauguration to office there was an urgent need for change and intense spirit of expectation, which implies that the scale of difficulty facing the newly elected President must have been extremely high. Notwithstanding, the President has not only promised change but also brought about effective change. His years of public service have been based on his unwavering belief in the ability to unite people around a politics of purpose. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.” Barack Obama started as an inspirational leader and so remained the rest of his presidency. This does not mean that forty-fourth President of the United States of America has not been serving as ‘the president of action’. As his second term is drawing to an end, the debate resumed on what are some of the tangible achievements of his period in office. What is still to be done in terms of American domestic and foreign policies and what are some of the challenges remaining that have not been addressed by the administration so far? President Obama may well be described as a transformational leader. According to the John F. Kennedy Library (2017), ''Throughout his two terms in office, President Obama upheld the highest standards of dignity, decency and integrity, serving not just as a political leader, but a moral leader, offering hope and healing to the country and providing young men and women of all backgrounds with an example they can emulate in their own lives.'' On key global challenges, Obama put policy above politics, leading America to extraordinary achievements benefiting not only America but also humankind (Ibid.). Therefore, President Obama qualifies to the great man theory, which is a 19th-century idea according to which history can be largely explained by the impact of great men, or heroes; highly influential individuals who, due to either their personal charisma, intelligence, wisdom, or political skill used their power in a way that had a decisive historical impact. This is at least a mythology behind the world's most famous pioneer leaders such as Joan of Arc, Abraham Lincoln, Amelia Earhart, Mahatma Gandhi, Marie Curie who helped contribute to the notion that great leaders are born. In many examples, it seems as if the right man for the job seems to emerge almost magically to take control of a situation and lead a group of people into safety or success. A Scottish philosopher and historian, Thomas Carlyle also had a major influence on this theory of leadership, at one point stating that, "The history of the world is but the biography of great men." According to Carlyle (2015), effective leaders are those gifted with divine inspiration and the right characteristics. It seems that President Obama suits more adequately to the transformational style of leadership which is often identified as the single most effective style. This style was first described during the late 1970s and later expanded upon by researcher Bernard M. Bass. Some of the key characteristics of his style of leadership are the abilities to motivate and inspire followers and to direct positive planetary changes. Transformational leaders tend to be emotionally intelligent, energetic, and passionate. They are not only committed to helping the organization achieve its goals, but also to helping group members fulfill their potential. This paper will discuss what makes him such a unique and effective leader. There seems to be no compelling reason to argue that President Obama is unproductive. It is argued that much of the success of the style of the leadership he has offered is dependent on personal qualities, such as charisma, interpersonal intelligence, a sense of timing and drive for change. American people have long-awaited such talents in their leaders. President Obama’s story will always represent the unique promise of America. This is because President Obama could be considered among the ranks of pioneers of change. President Obama is part of a legacy of courageous trailblazers each of whom took a giant new step, building on sweat, toil, struggle, and sacrifice of slave forebears, to make better nations for the next generation of black Americans and all Americans. "Rosa sat so that Martin could march. Martin marched so Barack could ran. Barack ran so our children can soar higher, faster and stronger as they go." This means that just Mrs. Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., President Obama was part of a larger American story. A story that brings history alive and reinforces the idea that anyone and everyone can use their lives to make a difference. To paraphrase the thought of Bayard Rustin, every community needs a group of angelic troublemakers, people willing to stand up and speak up against the status quo and many students around the world have always been uniquely positioned to do it, to put ideas, visions and hopes into words that can spread across the globe and enact change. American history is the collective story of many, many inspirational people who never gave up and never turned around, but instead always quietly took that next step forward in faith so that their children would be able to go even further and have better lives. And they never lost their passion to help American nations honour its creed of freedom and justice for all. That is why, Barack Obama's story is the story of hope. And those who think that President Obama's project has been already completed and mission has been accomplished should be reminded a simple statement: "Nobody inspires you more than the person who speaks to the greatness whether a leader or an ordinary man that inspires greatness within you." Work by global leaders is unfinished as long as there are unresolved global challenges. In many examples, it seems as if the right man or woman for the job emerge almost magically problems are solved and we can all envisage progress, ''Work that enables us to do so is work that we value and we give ourselves willingly to it." (Adair, 2006: 116). As Kahil Gibran put it, "When work is the expression of love, then motivation will never be our problem." Perhaps, the real challenge of global leadership today is to enable the planet to renew itself while locating, releasing and channelling the power of love that flows from deeper inner springs within us all. This is what the story of President Obama's tells us about powers that each of us can awaken. The challenge that President Obama faced was how to encourage other global leaders to act on key critical challenges such as climate change. As Mahar (2017: 54) noted, ''Leaders high in task focus are not opposed to working with others, but rather focus less on the feelings and needs of individuals and more on attending to the problems that face the administration. As Hermann (1999) noted, problem-solving is one of the primary motivations for seeking office for these leaders. Such leaders are equipped with determination, higher levels of motivation and can generate millions of followers. According to Mahar (2017: 52), ''Goal driven predominant leaders conversely bring specific issues to the table when they take office, for example, climate change, healthcare, or immigration. These leaders are less likely to accept constraints and more likely to manipulate policymaking to suit their own “beliefs, attitudes, passions and principles.'' (Hermann et al., 2001: 89). These leaders score high in task focus, persistence, imaginative ideas, persevering with determination to the very end in solving novel global challenges. Had all global leaders learned critical lessons in 'spacecraft Earth leadership' and had they all been wise, prudent and far-sighted they would have immediately tweaked their global policy choices towards planetary sustainability for the Earth as the time for creating a safe operating zone for the human civilisation might be running out. This paper will answer the question of whether the leadership of President Obama was flawless and whether President Obama combined power and principle in his practice by assessing his eight-year lasting performance. The final stage of the problem-solving process (assuming that President Obama's foreign policy focus was to address these challenges) requires an evaluation of the outcomes, results and effectiveness of the embraced solution process. Top-notch leadership may or may not necessarily be transformational neither transactional, but it will require a careful understanding of the context of change whilst applying multiple intelligences available in the diplomatic corps and services to implement that change to heal the planet.

This paper explores different approaches to solving climate change. Climate change is the definin... more This paper explores different approaches to solving climate change. Climate change is the defining issue of our time and as Diamond (2005) argued in his book, "Collapse" how we respond to such life-threatening phenomena largely determines our ability to survive and overcome them. As weather patterns around the world display extreme conditions, a large majority of scientists present a view that humanity is running the risk of catastrophic climate change that may result in habitability crisis. Historically, when there are severe environmental strains on cultures, civilisations or nations the byproducts were unpredictable and dangerous. If the current trends continue the strain on our global civilisation could me enormous and leading to disruptive events. Human activities from hunting to habitat destruction have already driven countless species to extinction, and despite the reasonable voices of scientists and ecologists, the process is accelerating. The destruction of the Earth and its sustainable indigenous cultures has led to tragedy in almost every place around the world. Meanwhile, scientists have confirmed what indigenous cultures have taught for thousands of years: all forms of life are vitally connected. Removing even a single strand from the web of life produces a widening ripple of catastrophe (Ney and Thompson, 2011: 43). Previous research focused on two broad, problem-solving approaches: 'a global strategy' and 'a sustainable retreat strategy'. Both approaches display strengths and weaknesses. According to the first one, global co-operation mainly through multilateral, summit diplomacy and particularly among world leaders, is a vital element of reaching governmental consensus on climate. The second strategy advocates that humanity ought to be acting locally while implementing methods of a civilised retreat allowing Gaia for a temporary respite. There is a significant gap in knowledge as none of the approaches examine the contention that because climate is 'a global public good' it belongs not only to human beings but also to all Life. Elements of both approaches could be combined to gain a broader and unique perspective. Hence, this paper critiques both approaches and sets an agenda for a new perspective. The focus of research centres on the idea that it is in the common interest of all of humanity to preserve civilisation for future generations. This paper suggests some keys to solving climate change in an intelligent and constructive manner. It suggests that human ingenuity and inventiveness can do it. To save civilisation, secure a better future for the next generations humans will have to allow Earth to restore balance in the natural environment, ecological balance. Our planet needs a respite to return to its natural rhythm that humans have been undermining what resulted in a great imbalance. Mankind needs to work with Earth as a medium so that to listen to the signals Gaia sends. Humanity must enact nature-based solutions and be ready to turn them ''into viable and implementable public policies. Governments have to make choices as to the types of policies to create, the sectors they should cover, ministerial jurisdictions and funding'' (Massey, et al. 2014: 10). Gaia is awakening what results in extreme weather events. Consistent with Toynbee, (1976: 290), who researched and examined ancient Meso-American, Hellenic and Indian civilisations Earth could be compared to a goddess, who can use her powers destructively and malignantly, as well as creatively and benignly. According to these beliefs, "even if Mother Earth can sometimes turn savage, it is no wonder that the weather is morally ambivalent power; for the weather is capriciously inconstant, and its caprice can either devastate the crops by flood or drought or can make them yield a harvest by giving and withholding rain in due season." (Ibid). These ideas were further developed on the grounds of 'Gaia hypothesis' by Lovelock (1972). This theory aims to explain why, unlike other planets in the solar system, the Earth’s atmospheric composition and history alongside physics and chemistry can be explained through a strong influence of biology. It explains the survival of life on Earth for nearly 4 billion years by treating life and the global environment as two parts of a single system. In effect, micro-organisms, plants and animals behave in such a way that the Earth’s environment becomes adjusted to states optimum to their maintenance. This is not a conscious act on the part of the biosphere but instead, it argues that adjustments arise from natural selection (Burroughs, 2012: 342). Given humanity's interference with the climate on Earth, the process of 'Gaia awakening' may be happening either in symbiosis with organised humanity or destructively to it. While Gaia is awakening human consciousness must synchronically become more sensitive to the planet. Each of us can become a global citizen and each of us remains individually responsible to stay informed, to vote and keep politicians and institutions in check. We must be conscious that civilisation has its durability which has certain limits and if they are exceeded, cataclysm might occur. Considering the age, the Earth is still powerful and global leaders must take into account rare events such as the conjunction of planetoid impacts, increased volcanic emissions and eustatic lowering of seal-level which cannot be ruled as impossible. Gore (2013: 374) noted, human civilisation on the planet "has reached a fork in the road, we have long travelled to achieve almost a pinnacle of progress as the most powerful of all predators on Earth, who now can undermine its very own existence.'' Gore (2013: 274) states, "One of the two paths must be chosen. Both lead us to the unknown. But one leads toward the destruction of the climate balance on which we depend, the depletion of irreplaceable resources that sustain us, the degradation of uniquely human values, and the possibility that civilisation as we know it would come to an end." The other pathway leads towards a sustainable future and living within the means of the often underappreciated benefits that our sacred planet provides for us. The essence of living green, of being global citizen respecting Gaia is neither naive optimism nor a predisposition to pessimism. If humanity can think about itself as a part of a giant living organism and a cause of Gaia's ailing, equally, we may be guided to live within the limits of our planet in a way that is seemly and healthy (Lovelock, 1991: 20). Humans can never be healthy in a world without wilderness, clear air, crystal blue oceans and beautiful parks. Despite the potential ruthless destructiveness of nature, Earth is not yet at war with us. Earth might be though seriously outraged. In truth, Earth is humanity's best friend, the almighty Protectress of life, the Goldilocks planet that ''has been, so far and all in all, just right for life: not just right at any one time, but continuously so for three billion years'' (Zalasiewicz, 2012: 2). Earth has no hatred, but she also has no fear. Gaia is awesome, fraternal and maternal. It is impossible to lessen her, to humiliate her or to irritate her. Mother Nature loves all Earth’s children unconditionally being resilient against human harm. After so many catastrophes, She still sends her Love to all the peoples from heavens expecting that caring humanity will be responsive by rearranging civilisation wisely with respect for Life and Love. Earth is our shelter and wants to give us everything we need to live intelligently, in good health and with dignity. As Attenborough (2019) noted, ''Each community on the planet has been blessed with a special kind of energy, such as wind, solar, hydro-electric, biomass, hydrogen, geothermal. Each region can help humanity choose a wise symbiosis.'' Thinking this way, however, are we not closer to establishing a world government? And is it a better tool for managing climate than ineffective leaders chosen by materialistically motivated populous? A coevolutive symbiosis has to lead to an economy not based on exploiting fossil fuels. Instead, humans have to create a new economy that is based on restorative and regenerative growth. Stop digging fossil fuels and wisely rearrange civilisation by halting deforestation, restoring forests and investing in clean sources of energy. This energy shift needs to happen well before the fossil fuel reserves are exhausted. Policy decisions to subsidise an energy source can influence investment decisions. Our cities can live in symbiosis with nature. Decision-makers have the tools to do the job of abandoning fossil, but we need a strong, united and global response that is more than an aspiration on the piece of paper. Humanity is running out of time, but there is still hope. We need the political will, a degree of persistence and readiness to act wisely with a long-term goal in mind and following the right strategy.

This paper is about applying supernatural abilities that are not easily comprehended to allow a l... more This paper is about applying supernatural abilities that are not easily comprehended to allow a leverage force over the enemies of consequential climate action. This paper is an exercise of intelligence, intellect and skill to investigate a problem of climate change thoroughly, identify its cause, and encourage taking action to tackle the problem fully while preventing recurrence of the problem in the future. Intelligence is a systematic collection of abilities or functions for the processing of information of different kinds in various ways in order to solve a given problem. The aim of this paper is to analyse, develop and devise innovative solutions within the system through systemic innovation, i.e. solar solutions to both reverse the human drivers of warming and to mitigate its effects on the most vulnerable in our society. At the same time, showing recklessness among politicians who deny consequential climate action and who believe climate change is a ‘hoax’. This paper has chosen the interests of those future generations who will inherit the world, above the tawdry witticisms and sneering cynicism of the nay-sayers. The paper starts from the premise that nearly all of the problems that are made by humans can be also solved by humans contributing to a better world, it is just the question of speed and whether the world is really ready to tackle this problem immediately, whether humans are ready to awaken. This paper will make a humble, analytic contribution to a scholarly work that examines the solving climate change by pointing towards the power of the star, the sun. Many people do not take notice of a crucial fact that Earth’s climate has been dependent on the activity of the sun. The paper’s core research question is: What are the benefits of renewable energy for populations and ecosystems and can humanity maximise energy flowing from the sun in the form of solar storms by investing in various, cutting-edge solar inventions, to manage in time, before huge cataclysms flood the Earth that are a direct result of humans pumping gases into the atmosphere and recklessly warming the planet? Nobody else has adequately answered the research question as yet, since climate change remains unsolved, for now though. Consequently, the first paragraph, presents the background, introduces the topic and aims, and gives an overview of the paper while discussing the key concept of leading transformational change. The second section explains the method, which is based on the Kirton’s adaptive-innovative theory (1976) that was developed in order to explain cognitive tendencies and problem-solving styles. Briefly, adaptors desire to do things better while innovators seek to do things differently. The third chapter demonstrates that sun has been a critical factor in Earth’s climate which has always fluctuated naturally over time. However, now climate change appears to be speeding up out of proportion, plus there is no evidence that the recent warming is caused by solar activity. In the last century, the Earth’s temperature has risen by 0.7°C. This increase has happened at least twenty times faster than in any other global warming event in the past two million years. Some authors though contend that the recent period of global warming does not appear to be exceptional from a historical perspective. However, this natural cycle of the sun that has had impact on climate on Earth is magnified by the modern way of lifestyle of billions of people around the world and by pumping harmful gasses into the atmosphere. Increased carbon dioxide from the use of carbon-based fuels is trapping more heat, causing the world to warm up. As a consequence, the Earth is getting warmer, sea water expands and mountain glaciers melt, causing sea levels to rise. This has a huge effect on the environment, in which humans and animals live. The fourth section presents a short history of solar inventions from the photovoltaic effect to electricity and solar cells. The fifth chapter outlines possible solar inventions of the future which could be applied by the next generation of futuristic engineers and made accessible to ordinary citizens. It will be argued that solar energy could be the miraculous energy of the future. Undoubtedly, new solar technology will continue to develop and critical investments will be made. The main analysis suggests that it is the last moment for humans to boldly and intelligently embrace clean energy sources. The sixth chapter presents environmental benefits of solar energy. The last chapter summarises the research findings and presents conclusions while defending the argument that the solar moment might be ‘a one encounter and one chance’ to advance civilization in the right time to the next level, to effectively holistically heal the planet and the people. The key impact of the research paper is to provide global decision makers with policy analysis and recommendations outlining viable alternatives to fossil fuels. In the future, the technology is likely to play an important role in the global energy supply because climate change, in truth, is the problem of energy transition. If humans want to successfully deal with climate change, we have to tackle energy. Technology will play a massive role in getting civilisation to switch from fossil fuels to renewables. By using advanced technological powers and faculties such as ground-breaking solar technologies, advanced interplanetary civilizations can work in synchrony with the laws of Physics without harming their planets. Such civilizations manage climate by deeply respecting Nature, thereby making climate a friendly zone for inhabitants thanks to optimization. The big idea of this paper is the so-called, ‘Pale Blue Dot consciousness’, which is about a new, globally widespread consciousness gradually overtaking humanity, reminding of our coordinates and our true place in the Universe. A reminder to deal more kindly with one another and to preserve, look after and cherish the pale blue dot – the Earth – the only home we have ever known. It will be argued that a central element of the human future lies in the stars. Trailblazing scientists and advanced mathematicians – giants of the past, who were not afraid to dream big. Solving problems quickly is the hallmark of superb, analytic intelligence. Highly talented people with diverse perspectives make a world of difference in leading transformational change by applying practical wisdom into action. To achieve an astonishing success, it takes a willingness to push beyond what seems possible. Although such distinctive scientists may have likely already established through analysis, intelligence, mathematical calculation and prudential judgement what is a preferable solution to climate change, and what should be the follow-up political action. Climate change could be approached as a challenge to overcome, or as an opportunity to seize – an economic opportunity. Humans are already equipped with all the necessary technologies in order to make much more ambitious and swifter energy transition. Progress on climate change must be faster, more meaningful and more comprehensive. The most pragmatic climate solution is an accelerating clean energy transition. Progress in climate policy would have to involve the next generation of engineers providing assistance by clearing the air from pollutants preferably through the application of nature-based, biomimetic solutions and by designing ‘green civilisation’ with trees, flourishing gardens and forests, thereby building green cities and truly reaching for the stars. Nature is an intricate system of interconnected components, each with its place and function within the whole. If human nature is part of Nature, then we must not separate the two, we need to stop thinking of humanity as a destructive force and an environmental problem, and more as an environmental process. Human nature will continue to alter the natural world, until humans accept their limits as well as respect planetary boundaries, accept the need to ‘go back to the cave’, or alternatively, choose to transition to a more sustainable society thanks to systemic innovation - either way, to emerge as new, reborn and improved human civilization. Some environmentalists call the current time in natural history as the ‘Anthropocene’, or the Age of Man, but dinosaurs had their age as well and they perished. Certainly, humans will leave the Earth in a different condition from when we first started as a species, however the choice is ours: we can either keep doing the same things throughout history that other dominant species have done and lead to a global extinction event or we can initiate a new Solar Age by means of systemic innovation. Mother Nature made humans and Nature is always changing, adapting. The choice is ours - if humankind puts Nature at the heart of all civilizational processes and imitates her patterns and processes, making Nature an inspiration of all economic models and keeping within planetary boundaries, within her necessary limits, then we will intelligently adapt and people will guarantee sustainable future for next generations. Then perhaps, in the process of transition from the Carbon Age to the vibrant and modernizing Solar Age, realization of higher aims such as journey to the other planets and building ‘the ladder to the stars’ will be possible. For the first time, an idea becomes novel and surprising, then it is generally understood, and finally, it becomes an international norm or an accepted culture. If we long to believe that the stars rise and set for us, that we are the reason there is a Universe, then science can serve as a candle in the dark world shining light on possible solutions. When faced with difficult challenges, the greatest challenge is believing it is possible.

The academic study of International Relations can be considered as a scholarly evaluation of diff... more The academic study of International Relations can be considered as a scholarly evaluation of different theories and application of their lens to the subject of analysing International Relations and security affairs. Among numerous International Relations theories, the most principal is Realism. The topic of this paper will critically discuss the differences and similarities between two sub-schools of Realism: classical realism and structural realism. The key research question is whether the two approaches can be considered on a linear continuum, or whether they offer rather contrasting perspectives making them stand out as separate approaches. The topic is widely researched in the discipline, but previous works have failed to address the research question through the method of rigorous critical thinking. The quality of life and that of what we produce, create or build depends precisely on the quality of our thought. Critical thinking is the art of analysing and evaluating thinking with a view to improving it (Paul & Elder, 2007: 4). Thus, a new perspective adopted is critical thinking, which is self-directed, self-disciplined, self-motivated, self-monitored and self-corrective thinking. It requires rigorous standards of excellence and mindful command of their use. Critical thinking entails communication and problem solving abilities and a commitment to overcome native egocentrism and sociocentrism (Ibid.). It encourages the attitude of global citizenship, innovation and invention. In line with the above, this paper will present the development of a clear theoretical framework outlining the core aspects of classical and structural realism. The latter will distinguish between ‘Offensive’ and ‘Defensive’ Realism. Key aspects of these theories including identification of the actors, their nature, motivation, the importance of anarchy will be analysed. Leading scholars within each of these schools of thought will be identified, for example, Morgenthau, Waltz and Mearsheimer. Differences within schools will be considered, particularly differences between ‘Offensive’ and ‘Defensive’ Realism. Plus, the similarities between the former and classical realists will be highlighted in order to ascertain the extent to which they can be considered as cohesive approaches, as well as, weaknesses and strengths of both approaches will be evaluated. This article attempts to encourage adoption of a super-hopeful vision of mankind brotherhood (as opposed to the superficial one based on authoritarian populism, military dictatorship and autocratic tyrants) of a better world in which, a complex set of urgent crises such as climate and ecological crises can be and will be solved thanks to Churchillian leadership. Realism, with its core concept that statesmen think and act in terms of interest defined as power and its current projections, unfortunately, cannot explain systemic change. Building on this concept, this paper introduces a novel theoretical innovation in the form of envisioning a clean civilization, creation of which still in this century will depend on human solidarity and identity expanding and synchronizing with the planet. The ability to imagine a world in which things are different is evidence of a decent imagination, plus a possibility of change out of an impossibly hopeless scenarios. For critics who claim it is merely utopia, Oscar Wilde's words apply, ''a map of the world that does not include Utopia is not worth even glancing at... Progress is the realisation of utopias.” A new model will be presented using the principle of parsimony, which is a concept in which an explanation of a theory is created with the fewest assumptions. The Law of Parsimony advocates choosing the simplest scientific explanation that fits the evidence. The model of parsimony presented in this paper will focus on simplicity. Simple steps need to be embraced to heal the planet and do not duplicate the errors of the previous failed approach whose failure can be attributed to various causes. Among them are: the fecklessness of bureaucrats tasked with developing legislative solutions to a global problem; the failure of journalists, scientists and policymakers to explain the severity of the threat to a disinterested public; the refusal by the major environmental organisations to embrace climate change as a cause worthy of their attention; and ultimately the mobilisation of the oil and gas industry around a massive disinformation campaign. If foreign policies of certain countries by competing in the race of greed and exploitation have made the Earth 'foreign' and a foe to mankind, then they can possibly reverse this state of affairs. This makes a sense for them to mobilize domestically and make climate a pillar of their foreign policies. As Lopez-Carlos et al. (2020) noticed, ''Given the compelling circumstances with which humanity is currently confronted, a substantial and carefully-thought-through reform effort is needed to enhance dramatically the basic architecture of our global governance system. Such a reform should be grounded in key ideas that have motivated those of past generations who have risen to the difficult challenge of providing practical leadership and vision in the international sphere.'' Mazzucato (2021), identified four drivers of dysfunctional form of contemporary capitalism, fuelled by and fuelling climate crisis: 1) finance sector short-termism; 2) the financialisation of business and value; 3) fossil fuel dependency; and 4) slow or absent governments. According to Lopez-Carlos et al. (2020), ''The risk of the catastrophic collapse of the present system is not negligible. The rise of autocratic populists and authoritarian tyrants, public disillusionment with partisan politics, and the general decline in the quality of leadership in government are all increasing the risks of fundamental instabilities that could precipitate major crises. If we do not act now to strengthen the international order, we may be forced to rebuild a global institutional framework after a major war, the collapse of the global financial system, a pandemic wiping out a significant part of the world’s population, or extreme climate change producing famines and mass migrations, any of which would overwhelm existing institutions at the national and global levels.'' Mazzucato (2021) identified six key lessons for tackling complex problems from Apollo, developing them into principles for a new political economy: 1) vision and a strong sense of purpose; 2) risk taking and innovation; 3) organisational dynamism; 4) cross-sectoral collaboration; 5) outcomes-based budgets and long-term horizons; and 6) dynamic public-private partnerships. Given above, this paper will lay a foundation for a novel combination of IR theories, particularly green and indigenous theories, plus specific inspection of some of the critical concepts known in Eastern cultures: Chinese and Hindu to emphasize that that we all connected to nature; as well as, to give account for a possible explanation of climate change and effective solutions to interrelated network of global challenges facing humanity in the 21st Century. In International Relations, innovation is related to, but not the same as, invention. While innovation is more apt to involve the practical implementation of an invention such as a new, improved theoretical model to make a meaningful impact. Scholars who aim to create meaning and who are working on cutting-edge research across the social sciences and humanities need to critically evaluate various IR theories and their ability to explain the world. Innovative methods involve application of demonstrable and informative research utilizing both traditional research approaches and new technologies to interrogate many social, political, economic and historical phenomena. Hence, this paper critically analyses the notion that Realism in its various aspects can and should be reduced to a single, internally consistent, and logically coherent theory that could provide for the continuous explanatory power despite the passing of time and a changing mix of complex global challenges facing the world in the 21st Century. The key finding is that Realism is a centuries-old foundational school of thought with many variants which are emerging and can be included into one broad theoretical school. Although search for a parsimonious theory might be a worthwhile theoretical undertaking with an elegant objective in mind, such task often generates lots of evidence-based discussion among competing International Relations scholars pointing towards evolution and sharpening of ideas. Since, Realism is far from being an exhaustive theory, neither has it existed without evident limitations, nor has it remained universally applicable to all times and epochs. Finally, it is neither prescriptive to every possible reality, nor is there a guarantee that it will remain so in the future so the idea of analysing it is fascinating.

Climate change is a challenge of astonishing complexity; it is the biggest civilisational problem... more Climate change is a challenge of astonishing complexity; it is the biggest civilisational problem that humanity has ever faced. As the Union of Concerned Scientists, 2019) stated, ’’At stake are hundreds of millions of lives, innumerable species and ecosystems, the health and viability of the economy, and the future habitability of this planet.’’ Fortunately, climate change is solvable since it is man-made it can be solved by man. Humanity has the technologies and the science. But global civilisation needs strategic and game-changing leadership and the courage to change course on time. With climate moonshot two questions need to be asked: How do you define the goal, and how do you measure success? This paper asks: 1) What is the global strategy or action plan to create the lasting change the word so desperately needs to holistically heal the ailing planet? The answer is: we have to transform civilisation to create a new foundation with a more friendly climate; 2) Can the present generation turn into pioneers by building a solid rock fundament for a solar civilisation? It is possible when successfully mobilising for ‘climate moonshot’ both peoples and governments to strengthen the community spirit thanks to ‘action leadership’; 3) Following what specific, step-by-step strategy can humans carefully disentangle the problem of climate change offering a cool planet for future generations? Attenborough (2019) suggested that there are at least five steps each of us can take ‘to help save our planet.’ Effective climate action has to embrace joint effort that cannot be limited to technological fixes but should be broadened to consider new economic models, building greener civilisation and relying on nature-based solutions that are capable of addressing the deep roots of the ecological crisis. Climate change can be disentangled by a careful, step-by-step policy process starting with halting tropical deforestation and by growing new forests parallel to several other smart actions embraced on all fronts such as rewilding and eco-tourism. Restoration of trees remains among the most effective strategies for climate change mitigation. Both have to applied intelligently and within a broader plan. Halt on global emissions of greenhouse gasses is only part of the solution. Follow-up, pragmatic steps enacting system change have to be nature-based: restoring wildlife, promoting nature-symbiotic engineering and building eco-cities of the future. For instance, the ones integrating trees, combing vertical gardens and relying on biomimicry. We have to start working in an evolutionary symbiosis with Gaia, at a current stage of civilisational development, which is likely to be short-lived. The moment is of the utmost urgency, civilisation must not afford to rest, wait nor to do nothing. We have to move forward to use this moment wisely. To proceed on a ladder of civilisational sophistication we must rely on a supernatural vision of civilisation powered by clean energy, preferably solar. Restoring the world’s lost forests is the first step on the journey of building a climate-friendly foundation. Citizens in wealthy nations have a responsibility to help by being mindful consumers and do not choose products that cause deforestation. This paper outlines a strategy for ‘cooling the Earth’ based on an empowerment of millions of young people committed to enacting a lasting, global change. It will be revealed that it is indigenous peoples who are protecting forests. We have to protect the very last remnants of the delicate balance that existed throughout centuries between indigenous societies and nature. Reforestation could first send a signal of human compassion and care for the planet. This could be a sign of consolance for Gaia and a gesture of good hope on behalf of humanity - an assertion of our continued love for our planet who could reciprocate a favour for favour. Using the language of metaphor, Earth could be compared to a Goddess, our Ancient, Divine Mother, who can use Her powers destructively and malignantly, as well as, creatively and benignly. Imagine novel circumstances in which real cooperation occurs between peoples and the planet which gradually induces a unique configuration of Gaia, who would be more loving and benign. The proposal of a new paradigm based on the theory that the two systems can coexist in perfect harmony. Thanks to which, the next generations amidst a favourable climate could build a new foundation for the future green, sustainable, modernizing and vibrant civilisation. A wise symbiosis though has to lead to an economy not based on exploiting fossil fuels. Humans have to base economic model on modest way of living, and on green, restorative and regenerative growth. Earth must be allowed a natural ability to renew itself. When the natural resources are stretched we cannot replenish them as fast as we are consuming them. This paper will demonstrate an original outlook for a sustainable planet based on healthy coevolution between Earth and human civilisation focusing on how to bridge the divides between a scientific hypothesis and a spiritual image. An idea of Gaia for the 21st Century is a positive, loving image of the returning Black Madonna, who possesses supernatural powers. A caring, sorrowful and gentle Mother, who intuitively guides humanity and serves as a true source of hope even at the present. Our true forbearer, one who comes to give birth to a solar civilisation. This means telling the story of the unfolding Universe in which there are still vast stretches of the unknown, the unanswered and the unfinished, but which an infinite intelligence can reveal in the right moment to change the world while outstripping our expectations and collective comprehension. Humans have to reinvent themselves through a change in consciousness gravitating towards love and preservation of life thereby stabilising climate by renewing communion with the Earth community. A global regeneration of civilisation is possible. This is a humane, unique ability to adapt, to change and to pioneer new discoveries. Just as we are co-creators of ourselves we can create and then built a new model of civilisation. Appreciating the existing beauty of nature alongside with prayer for Earth could give people an impulse to shift global, collective consciousness onto possible paths of a global transformation. Enacted with the agreement with nature, which is not subject to harnessing by exploitative and insensitive humans, but is waiting to work in a co-evolutionary symbiosis with reasoning and compassionate human beings. The world needs to proceed with the consciousness revolution of hearts and minds to mobilise global action enacting a bottom-up system change. Humans can live in a healthy balance with nature rediscovering the reverence for the Earth to coexist with creation thereby surviving as a civilisation. Since the real survivors on the Earth, from the historical perspective, is the evolutive and adaptive species that have lived millions of years without consuming our planet’s ecological capital but looking after it, finely tuning in with the natural rhythm of the planet. Because our planet is the foundation from which all abundance flows and on which all life is based on (Benyus, 1997). A new ‘civilising mission’ could be to offer the positive energy of hope and inspiration. This time, in our civilisation’s moment on the pendulum of history we should not come to learn about nature so that we might circumvent, control, harness her, for domination; but to learn from nature, applying principles of an integral ecology so that we may neatly fit in and coexist, at last, and for good, on the Earth. To do that we also need a change from the top of our leadership, i.e.: global leaders need to recognise the vision of integral ecology and the common good. Such a vision could help humanity inspire a new generation of leaders more familiar with the principles of intergenerational justice. Our cities can live in wise symbiosis with nature. Decision-makers have the tools to do the job of abandoning fossil fuels, but we need a strong, united response that would constitutionalise ‘the Global Green New Deal’. Our planet is the only place in the universe with the greatest diversity of life in our solar system, perhaps in the galaxy or in the universe, but humans are eroding it. There are no winners on a dead Earth; we are in this together. When there is hope there is also our spirit, the moment of crisis can be transformed into an opportunity. Action leadership inspires system change so that goals governing system and the predominant mindset change, thereby civilisation following ‘the spirit of the times’ acts more in balance with nature. The method relies on awakening the deepest levels of human creativity inaccessible normally that can be activated by evoking the powers of imagination. This paper embraces open-minded analysis, which is ’’a division of international phenomena and processes into its components parts, followed by the study of their features, properties and relationships.’’ (Bógdał-Brzezińska, 2006: 7). Global leaders have to overcome catastrophism presented in mainstream science and biblical prophesies to promptly turn things inside out by enacting change the world so desperately needs and the public demands. The goal of this paper is to encourage smart engineers by building with vision truly reaching for the stars. It is high time to reimagine what we can collectively do for the natural environment. Nature deserves a chance for recovery. With climate change there are no permanent solutions, but halting deforestation is of immediate help, thus this paper offers a thorough understanding of forests as a natural and lasting climate solution that could be the first action step towards a global strategy for holistic healing of the planet.

It is a commonly accepted view that the end of the Cold War and the demise of the Soviet Union an... more It is a commonly accepted view that the end of the Cold War and the demise of the Soviet Union and communist system in the early 1990s opened a new stage in the process of globalisation since it allegedly denoted a definitive triumph of capitalism as the only solution for countries to arrange their economies. In line with this argument, Francis Fukuyama (1989) described the process in his famous book, in which he explained that the era of the “end of history” has ensued, in the meaning that liberal democracy and the market economy have finally proven to be allegedly superior to any other authoritarian regime or system. The thesis is controversial, to say the least, even today because as the reality of modern politics shows not all countries have embraced democratic pathways although many in the West would like them to do so. The transition towards capitalism may undergo peacefully or disruptively, but at the end, we live on one planet and the argument that sooner or later all peoples and countries will unite under some kind of 'system' quite makes sense. The debate seems to be even more intense at the present time in the era of globalisation. In principle, globalisation is something nobody can influence and prove that is happening although it is widespread. It is an undeniable and inescapable part of international experience. (Bauman, 1998). Is it a positive process? We do not know exactly, but borders are disappearing, countries trade, people exchange goods, services labour and capital. Certainly, there is always a subtle “but”. Globalisation produces synchronicity and uniformity, and that is why, the whole global system is more prone to financial crashes and economic crises. Besides, mathematical models suggest that simple communities, with few species, are more stable than complex communities. Yet, Mother Nature on our Earth provides examples of a wide diversity of ecological complexity, which produces perfect, finely operating, open system that is beautiful, infinite and panarchic. However, since 1950s humans have been influencing the state of global climate. As King (2017) noticed, "an issue that has not received enough attention in the media and popular understanding is that the Earth is finite and this fact will have real world physical, economic, social, and political implications." Neoclassical economics ignores this obvious fact, yet it is used to guide most policy (eg, economic projections and scenarios), including that for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Are these strategies adequate to solve climate change? Most economists use an economic theory that is simply incapable and inapplicable for informing an unprecedented transformation of the economy. Will then the problem of climate change be solved based on the economic theory? Or some kind of social theory based on the wider social movement of millions of people or perhaps a new paradigm that will arise soon? We do not know yet, what we know is that from time to time, a leader arises who is ready to turn things inside out, by transforming the existing unfair structure while restoring faith in a rotting economic system by initiating so much awaited renewal based on evolution or revolution. The fact of the matter is that our societies and our political systems are addicted to both economic growth and fossil fuels (Tonnessen, 2013). These two addictions, as Tonnessen (2013) noticed, ''combined constitute a Gordian knot in the root system of the climate change problematic.'' Can we cut the Gordian knot, and solve the problem of climate change? That would amount to becoming able to think clearly and consequentially about climate change. In essence. The challenge humanity is facing given anthropogenic global warming is simple: We have to phase out our use of fossil fuels, at least to a very substantial degree. However, ''the discourse about solutions has been muddled by the power of fossil fuels lobbyists and our addiction to fossil fuels.'' (Tønnessen, 2013). Due to human interference with the planet, at critical moments, the system has to show a crucial quality of resilience whether through renovation or adaptation. And it can do so when the economy is resilient, healthy and working properly. But an economy that does not invest in innovation may dry out and will not be renewed even by King Salomon. And to quote Morihei Ueshiba, "Economy is the basis of society. When the economy is stable, society develops. The ideal economy combines the spiritual and the material, and it seems that the best values to cherish are sincerity, love and sustainability instead of fossil fuels and economic growth. ''Cutting or untying the Gordian knot of climate change would probably not solve all our problems with regard to environmental issues'' (Tønnessen, 2013). But if we succeed in decoupling our addiction to economic growth and our addiction to fossil fuels, we would at least be able to envision and then build the low-carbon economy that has now almost become official orthodoxy on realistic terms. As Tønnessen (2013) observed, ''No matter how we approach climate change, it is crucial that other central environmental concerns, including nature conservation, are not sacrificed in the process of phasing out fossil fuels.'' After cutting 'the Gordian knot' that is our current dual addiction, however, we would be faced with another challenge: how we are to reinvent our economic system. ''The current growth model served us well for a long time, but it does not do so anymore. At the very least, this is the case for all already more-than wealthy countries. And besides, the quicker we make a transition to a truly sustainable economic system – one that does not depend on endless growth – the easier it will be to phase out our use of fossil fuels in time to avoid catastrophic climate change.'' (Tønnessen, 2013). ''Those who want to minimize the environmental pressure should pay attention to both the desirability of a long-term decline in the world population and of a shift to a more stable economic system.'' (Tønnessen, 2008: 126). According to the author, ''What most economists tend to neglect is that the growth economy, considered as a historical phenomenon, has a beginning, and, in the time scale of civilizations, is likely one day to come to an end.'' (Ibid.: 116). Unlimited global growth is practically impossible and only the planet will suffer if we orient to achieve it despite the costs. ''All too often, it is simply taken for granted that our economic system is representative of a future without end'' (Ibid.). But this future must be designed and build in agreement with our planet. Renewable energy sources can help us on this right pathway, but ''they have characteristics that are different from those of fossil fuels: They are intermittent and produce electricity directly, while most of our current energy is used in the forms of liquid or gaseous fuels.'' (Heinberg, 2018). To entirely replace fossil fuels with renewables would require a nearly complete transformation in how we use energy. Is a dynamic energy transformation possible in this century? It can be achieved by an extensive redesign of systems for generating, storing, and distributing energy. As Heinberg (2018) observed, ''Switching to new and relatively clean energy sources while trying to maintain growth of the overall economy would be a little like redesigning and reconfiguring an airplane while it's in flight.'' Since the show must go on it might be very difficult to abolish the capitalist system based on an abrupt revolution. Ecological economists argue that one strategy that would reduce emissions would be to shrink overall economic activity and rein in population growth (Ibid.). ''But policymakers are unwilling even to discuss that pathway. Growth has become sacrosanct as a way of creating jobs, ensuring returns on investment, and expanding tax revenues. Every politician in every political party in nearly every country on Earth wants more of it, not less.'' However, ''an economy grows when whenever people take resources and rearrange them in a way that makes them more valuable.'' (Romer, 2016). A resilient model would create a value for something. The research on climate-economy nexus is still in infancy. One idea is that community-led and bottom-up approaches offer more chances for success for climate-resilient development pathways because local, social practices inform global ones (van Ham, 2010). At the level of individuals, communities, coasts and cities' emphasis on well-being, social inclusion, equity, human rights and living in harmony with the Earth helps to overcome limitations in capacity of our leaders. Humanity needs to change politics and the solution has to come from the bottom-up. Leaders often cannot enact policies if there is no support from the peoples. It could be argued that the best ideas belong to the people and power should be placed once again in the hands of the people.

The art of negotiation, conceived in narrow terms, is a sophisticated instrument in the armoury o... more The art of negotiation, conceived in narrow terms, is a sophisticated instrument in the armoury of genuine diplomats enabling thanks to enlightened persuasion and commonsensical reasoning, to mitigate and civilize differences between states by transmuting material power into a bargaining weight used throughout the negotiating process. This reduces a direct appeal to use force by actors and creates a dialogical context for reciprocal interaction under conditions of which states are capable of reaching a convergence point, thereby instantiating a new, more just international environment. Negotiation results in the transformation of the anarchical structure attributable to a collective effort through which actors, by means of elaborate negotiation and cautious communication, are allowed to appreciate each other counter fears, define and redefine their interests, establish common ground and reconstitute their identities. However protracted and intense negotiating has become, negotiators should not become frustrated as the success is reserved only for ones who are the most persevering and patient negotiators. Negotiation is a craft that could be learned and people who are consensual at the end succeed. There is no single blueprint for success, but negotiation remains the main tool in the armoury of a genuine diplomat whether it is multilateral or mini-lateral, global-centric or polycentric, conducted at the formal summit level or informal at the club level, high-table great power negotiation or negotiation at lobbying level. BATNA is often the best source of bargaining power in negotiations. Power can come from a strong role, title, or a position of authority. Negotiators can bring a sense of psychological leverage to the table. Simply thinking about a time in our lives when we had power or achieved something remarkable and substantial can bolster our confidence and improve negotiating outcomes. Simply thinking that negotiation process although difficult can be managed and that we can do it, can immensely boost our self-esteem leading to a consensual decision in the end. Negotiation has been the prime function of diplomacy and it remains so at present. The goal of global diplomacy should be to keep the world in balance. Diplomacy can do it and it still does matter, but skilled diplomats must not permit countries to become fundamentally stronger when they are ready to use their power while other countries become qualitatively weaker to react because this is why great wars and human tragedies occur. In the absence of dialogue, countries form alliances and start to chronically compete with each other. It is true that unchecked nationalism, militarism and populism can lead to wars. If our societies were more equal in terms of North-South divide many global challenges would be resolved more promptly. Whereas the division into rich and poor countries means there is a role for negotiators. One paradox is the variety of various approaches to solving climate change. Against climate change, all nations from North, South East and West suffer equally and yet it is an issue which generates debates and bickering. It is one of the most significant threats facing the world today and it is solvable. Success will depend on how much determination we all can show. According to the American Meteorological Society, there is a 90% probability that global temperatures will rise by 3.5 to 7.4 degrees Celsius in less than one hundred years, with even greater increases over land and the poles (Council on Foreign Relations, 2013). These seemingly minor shifts in temperature could trigger widespread disasters in the form of rising sea levels, violent and volatile weather patterns, desertification, famine, water shortages, and other secondary effects including conflict. In this sense, climate change stands against negotiation. The world may be fast approaching a tipping point concerning climate change. Those who currently hold power would like to see a possible solution not interfering with their established status quo. They are in favour of extending the existing institutions to continue to negatively modifying climate change causing diseases such as furuncles on the face of a virgin Gaia as those in the form of hurricanes. These are created as the winds of punishment that in their anger can dislodge mountains - a sign that God does not approve the way humans conduct themselves. It has been suggested that runaway global warming might cause the climate on Earth to become like Venus, which would make it uninhabitable. In less extreme scenarios, it could cause the end of civilisation. Climate activists who opt for a revolutionary change would like to abolish the existing status quo. Scientists warn that ''If we keep on with business as usual, the Earth will be warmed more every year; drought and floods will be endemic; many more cities, provinces, and whole nations will be submerged beneath the waves. In the longer run, still, more dire consequences may follow, including the collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet, and the inundation of almost all the coastal cities on the planet." (Sagan, 1997). "Those who are sceptical about carbon dioxide greenhouse warming might profitably note the massive greenhouse effect on Venus. No one proposes that Venus's greenhouse effect derives from imprudent Venusians who burned too much coal, drove fuel-inefficient autos, and cut down their forests.'' (Ibid). Sagan's point is different, ''The climatological history of our planetary neighbour, an otherwise Earth-like planet on which the surface became hot enough to melt tin or lead, is worth considering — especially by those who say that the increasing greenhouse effect on Earth will be self-correcting that we do not have to worry about it, or that the greenhouse effect is a "hoax". The truth is that the greenhouse effect generated a critical level of greenhouse gases in Venus's atmosphere. Evidence published in the early 1980s showed that the composition of clouds consists mainly of sulphur dioxide and sulphuric acid droplets. The Pioneer Venus project launched in 1978 confirmed that. Like Venus, our stratosphere even now has a substantial mist of tiny sulfuric acid droplets so we know our limits. Life was given to the human species a billion years ago. We know that previous civilisations were given a chance, but did not manage to survive. We know what happened to other Earthlike planets. Followed by a climate revolution of consciousness, generating a friendly climate would require a different level of thinking, not the same one that created this problem. A holistic climate solution is possible. A supernatural mode has been known in history, Mark (4:39) wrote about Jesus: 'He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.' Only God has the power over the weather, ''He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.'' (Psalm 104). God is so powerful that he set the Earth on its foundations so that it can never be moved. Unless it could be moved by a global climate sensitivity. Gaia (2019) stated, “Current technologies that will mature over the next 30 years will offer anyone who has the necessary resources the ability to modify weather patterns and their corresponding effects, at least on the local scale.'' Only God could have covered the Earth with ''the watery depths as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.'' At His rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of His thunder they took to flight.'' Humans have to use all the powers of our brains to do something extraordinary. But impossible is not a fact, it is an opinion. When we meditate our minds we can achieve even the impossible. Recently, humans wanted to have rather than 'be'. There are more connections in the human body than there are stars in the galaxy, we form a gigantic network of information, and yet, no many know how to transform information into knowledge and knowledge into wisdom. But it is an achievement that inspires dreams, if mankind could change climate negatively, equally, we can influence it for the better. Each generation takes the Earth as trustees. However, the current generation has used it for exploitation and this has to be reversed and changed into holistic healing of the planet. Earth deserves to be honoured even by global leaders, She needs a respite from time to time. Humans treat politics as winning popularity contests rather than a source of wise guidance based on bridging divides through negotiation. Listening to the youth by political elites could offer a constructive start out of the conflict since young people are ready to offer new ideas and pragmatic solutions. The youth of today can help us all find the way, and together we can engineer the civilisation we want so negotiation still proves to be a vital tool in solving global challenges.

This paper discusses strategic theory, which provides a conceptual understanding of how much the ... more This paper discusses strategic theory, which provides a conceptual understanding of how much the nature of war and strategy has changed since the Second World War. It argues that the logic of war and strategy is universal. Although strategy is an art, it is one that can be studied systematically. This paper discusses the logic of strategy in the context of climate activism because this is the strategy for the survival of humanity. It argues that strategy is valid at all times and in all places. This is primarily because human nature has remained unchanged in the face of material progress. The same passions that motivated those who lived millennia ago continue to drive military theorists today. Strategists of our times must study strategy to avert the worst horrific, world-shaking events that can destroy human civilisation. History shows that all the great civilisations eventually crashed, having become decadent, awash in material prosperity, greed or hubris, or lacking grand strategic vision, instead of being educated in wrong knowledge. Strategic theory offers students a toolkit that can be used to analyse strategic problems and global events thereby preventing wars, conflicts, upheavals, destruction and climate catastrophes. The more complex the global environment, the more America needs clear thinking, strategic vision about ways of solving global challenges accompanied by consistent action to set goals and lead the international community. ''Realism - the hard-nosed approach to foreign policy that guided the country throughout most of the twentieth century and drove its rise to great power-remains the best option.'' (Walt, 2019). But there is no proof that leaders are effective in delivering its classical version. But still, the required results are not visible. It is the action that is lacking. When statesmen are untrained or unskilled to apply some of the principles of the realist school, this leaves an alternative for IR theorists to research and experiment with theories or conceptual models that can prove to be more applicable. To a great extent, analysts have to think in terms of global, planetary strategy beyond nation state. In such circumstances, diplomacy would return to its rightful place as a bridge and forum for solving common challenges and Americans would promote their values abroad primarily by demonstrating democratic virtues at home. The world is changing, it is becoming more complex, each problem civilisation faces could be solved only at a different level of thinking. But a dream without action is hallucination. Humanity needs to change its ways, i.e. policies to ensure progress. One idea that is gaining importance in the context of climate change is climate diplomacy. To be successful, climate diplomacy has to achieve what is strategically (in the context of the planetary preservation) desirable and attainable. In the context of the protesting planet, climate diplomacy ought to promptly achieve what is right and optimal. The moral imperative is to do the right thing. For this reason, climate diplomacy must lead, champion broader change, offer a pioneering spirit and innovate with the long-term goal of healing our planet by effectively reversing climate change. In the beginning, climate diplomacy has to offer an inspiring vision of the future. In its spirit, it ought to be non-conformist and it should build on progress and consistently move forward. Climate activism can emerge as a rational and acceptable democratic option of protest or appeal. For example, it could follow the model of the slave revolts of the 1st century BC(E) in the Roman Empire, where under the leadership of former gladiator Spartacus 6,000 slaves rebelled against the Roman Republic. However, without a clear, strategic action plan attempts to solve climate change might become a bottomless pit, consuming time and precious resources. For the protest to be transitional, climate policy should not be seen in isolation but should be considered as an integral part of the broader policy agenda. Once the momentum has been created by climate leaders, it has to advance, to follow up on already awakened ideals and propel new ideas. It should live up to social expectations, have a prompt impact by enacting policies and not only raising attention. High perseverance has to continue until the solution is found that is proportional to the scale of the challenge. The search can occur by eliminating ones that previously did not work. Persistence means continuing with the strategy in an optimal and creative way, over time, despite all the challenges when all join forces and only unconvinced and greedy defectors are left alone. The process of climate campaigning must set realistic, achievable policy goals. It has to determine specific priorities and follow on action plan. It must specify what pressure on politicians will be exerted in the short, medium and long-term. It would be advisable for it to be vibrant and energetic. It must embrace a balanced, sober analysis of what is possible and doable in the long-term. Because climate change is a peoples' issue climate movement should not be a one-off upheaval without a clearly delineated political goal, but rather end in a successful solution to climate change. It should follow with wise policy proposals with the beforehand evaluation of climate strategies. What applies here is a careful, painstaking evaluation of which solution is the best and why it worked. Followed by implications, options and recommendations for policymakers. Probably, for a thousand years there has not been a worse crisis than the current climate crisis and our leaders have not been doing enough to address it. They keep disagreeing and sell to societies distant plans which are rather hallucinations. Climate strategy for change has to continue until leaders are left with no choice but to adopt adequate climate polices. Now is the time when we all need a strong signal from global leaders to solve this. Otherwise, the work of climate activists will be meaningless. As Frishmann (2019) noted ''Climate solutions already exist and are scaling. There is no technology or economic barrier; rather, it is a lack of will and leadership to move farther and faster than the future of upcoming generations demand.'' A social movement could catalyse new action to gather followers, to generate a vibrant, political momentum, change minds, inspire teams of analysts with problem-solving tasks to solve it. Strategy should guide this process. Failure occurs when governments fail to listen and pursue selfish interests. Collective action problem implies that often good intentions are taken advantage of either through free riders or unconvinced leaders spreading the false ideology of denial. For much too long time, as realists noticed, countries who co-operate unilaterally in the tragedy of the commons and collective action problem have seen their good intentions being exploited. Focusing on team-work and collective, all-inclusive climate action could be a breakthrough. It is unlikely that a new foundation for civilisation will be built only by politicians since it is activists, intellectuals, scientists and ordinary citizens who lead to social change inspiring followers. However, for their work to be impactful, it has to be backed up by a coherent, workable strategy for planetary preservation, plus its effective implementation. Any far-sighted and sound strategy must include first of all a plan - a strategic vision of global stability stated clearly defining its aims that would eventually progress from a social, activist movement, towards the building of a political union, a community of shared interest. From a community to a region, and further, slowly embracing the whole planet. Gradually, it would generate an inclusive great power management. Great Powers can be encouraged to act while civilisation still lasts, but Great Powers must not exist in the conditions of denial, disagreement, fear, suspicion, conspiracy, blocks, competition, acts of revenge, nor rivalry. The difference between a sustainable future and a deadly collapse was largely dependent on the population's instinctive foresight based on 'how soon they realised they were destroying their planet. And how quickly they took action.' (Frank, 2019). This should motivate global leaders to take climate change seriously and unite through constructive and meaningful diplomacy the East and the West, the North and the South by educating populations. When leaders are chosen wisely a success in policy implementation will be more instantaneous. The world needs rapid climate policies enacted and enforced globally. These could lead to a global realignment resulting in a more stable geopolitical framework for civilisation. Global peace could be achieved by reversing the other end of the continuum - chaos with its recklessness while revealing a kernel of hope for the planet Earth. This is how the strategy has changed.

This paper argues that creativity is not the mystical attribute reserved only for the lucky few. ... more This paper argues that creativity is not the mystical attribute reserved only for the lucky few. Creativity is a process that can be developed and managed by everyone. All citizens of the planet can crack the creativity code and succeed at innovation by producing mind-blowing ideas. This is because the same processes govern creativity of world-changing​ ideas and our everyday insights. Creativity could be defined as "an ability to generate new and novel ideas, a life skill or an evolutionary cognitive system or machinery that deserves continual attention and passion. But creativity entails something more, the word "creative" involves "doing", action and applying to reality, or in other words, turning a base metal into gold. Creativity is the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality, it is something more than just hypothesising. According to Eliot (2002: 29), "Creativity is considered the ultimate of human qualities, one of the key measures of intelligence that separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom. Our ability to create, or to innovate, is believed to be Godlike – described by some religions as one of those divine qualities endowed to man, who was created in the image of God, the Creator. Anyone who has had a spark of inspiration, a flash of genius, or even just an odd good idea, understands this seeming divinity of creative energy." Originality is the ability to be different from the crowd. Creativity and insight almost always involve an experience of acute pattern recognition. "To understand is to perceive patterns" to paraphrase Sir Isaiah Berlin. To make intelligible is to reveal the basic pattern. To crack the creativity code, it has to be explained that creativity involves two processes: thinking and then producing. But one important "discovery" skills relevant to most innovative entrepreneurs and executives when discovering breakthrough ideas is associational thinking or associating. This involves making connections across "seemingly unrelated questions, problems, or ideas." (Christensen, Dyer and Gregersen, 2009: 60-67). Minds of such innovators excel at linking together ideas that are not obviously related to produce original ideas. Innovation is the production or implementation of a creative idea. It was Victor Hugo, who stated, "An invasion of armies can be resisted; an invasion of ideas cannot be resisted." Everything, including how our world is designed originates within the mind. It materialises in the physical world only afterwards. Ideas can invade like a fountain of light, ideas can also grow, contribute, expand, enlighten... Or they can turn into ideologies and then they can dominate, limit, direct, navigate or demand... Mind you that some incredible ideas do not need complex systems to convince and recruit since they act based on voluntary followership. As Bruce Lee noticed, "If one loves, one need not have an ideology of love." From another perspective, if people have bright and original ideas but do not act on them, then they are imaginative or contemplative, but not creative or courageous. The trick is to charismatically put vision into action, once we know and are confident that the idea is essentially worth a lot and can serve a greater common good. This paper will connect creativity with the alchemy of leadership while showing in what way successful leaders can bring transformational results. Alchemy is the art of transforming leaden thinking into the gold of wisdom. The alchemy of leadership has to do with mining the gold of wisdom in groups and individuals, capturing creative brilliance, and then producing awesome, extraordinary results by attributing others. Above all, gifted children and prodigies who later turn into da Vinicis and Edisons are themselves a great source of inspiration multiplying our efforts. In a qualitative study of the development of world-class pianists, neurologists, swimmers, chess players, mathematicians, and sculptors, Bloom (1985: 533) noted that “only a few of [the 120 talented individuals in the sample] were regarded as prodigies by teachers, parents, or experts”. Rather, accomplished individuals worked day after day, for at least 10 or 15 years, to reach the top of their fields. Bloom observed that in every studied field, the general qualities possessed by high achievers included a strong interest in the particular field, a desire to reach “a high level of attainment” in that field, and a “willingness to put in great amounts of time and effort” (Bloom, 1985: 544). Similarly, in her study of prodigies who later made significant contributions to their field, Winner (1996) concluded, “Creators must be able to persist in the face of difficulty and overcome the many obstacles in the way of creative discovery... Drive and energy in childhood are more predictive of success, if not creativity, than is IQ or some other more domain-specific ability” (Winner, 1985: 293). So to succeed children do not need so much IQ, or control of teachers but practice in engagement that is both desirable and developmental. "Schools should and could – but unfortunately generally do not – facilitate the concomitant growth of knowledge and creativity." (Beghetto and Plucker, 2016: 3). "Of course, not all learning in school is inauthentic, lacking in context, or uncreative." (Ibid: 74). Many educators and creativity researchers have invested greatly in systematic efforts to promote creativity in schools (e.g., Feldhusen & Kollof, 1981; Renzulli, 1994; Renzulli & Reis, 1985; Torrance, 1962, 1963, 1987). Unfortunately, many of these efforts are compartmentalised into privileged or constrained spaces such as gifted child education programs or intermittent afterschool programs. As a result, programs aimed at enhancing student creativity (e.g., Torrance’s Future Problem Solving Program) are not merely extracurricular, but are also often “extra-extracurricular.” Such programs take a backseat to mainstream curricula (e.g., mathematics, language arts, science, social studies) as well as mainstream extracurricular activities (e.g., sports, yearbook, band). (Beghetto and Plucker, 2016: 74). The idea of students creating and exploring their own paths to understanding specific material is understandably threatening to many educators. At the same time, Beghetto and Plucker (2016: ) have argued that "true learning – that is, a deep understanding of content and process that allows the learner to use new information to solve unique problems – is greatly facilitated by an emphasis on creativity in the classroom." It is the ability to solve problems, especially new and unique ones, it strikes many researchers as a critical competency for the twenty-first century. For students to understand what they are learning, they must come to that understanding in their own unique and appropriate (i.e., creative) way. It is not to suggest that students come to this understanding without the guidance and direction of their teachers. Rather, teachers must allow for students’ personal creation of knowledge. This involves teachers helping students to incorporate new knowledge meaningfully into their prior knowledge structures as well as develop the metacognition necessary for monitoring and making personal sense of how, when, and why to use what they have learned (Bruning, Schraw, & Ronning, 1999). Learning theorists, in particular Piaget, have long recognized that meaningful learning involves the personal construction of knowledge. "Creativity becomes the vehicle for understanding – even in the context of predetermined learning goals" (Beghetto and Plucker, 2016: 80). And to remind once again, effective practice whether in creativity or problem-solving is consistent, intensely focused and targets contents or a specific weakness that lies at the edge of one's current abilities in order to transform this weakness into a strength. Teachers can develop this form of pedagogy by balancing teacher direction with student-centeredness, good teachers allow children to surpass their teachers. Creative leadership can put ideas into action. Creativity is a core competency for leaders and managers, and a crucial component of the innovation equation. Innovation requires working through a series of predictions and prototypes to find out which one works. Creativity requires whole-brain thinking: right-brain imagination, artistry and intuition, plus left-brain logic and planning. An artful and imaginative leader has to know how to lead people creatively. Since all great art pushes boundaries beyond established norms, it can teach everyone about empathy, ambiguity, change, courage, and creativity. Thus, it makes sense to learn the principles and practices from the worlds of art, design and music and apply them synesthetically to business and leadership. Creativity can be learned by everyone and becoming creative is an important skill that teaches tolerance for diversity while respecting other points of view.

This paper demonstrates that terrorism in the Twenty-First Century has become the primary threat ... more This paper demonstrates that terrorism in the Twenty-First Century has become the primary threat to global security and stability of the modern states system. Globalisation has contributed to the growth of terrorism from a regional phenomenon to a global one. The technology associated with globalisation has enabled terrorist groups to conduct operations that are deadlier, more distributed, and more difficult to combat than they were in the past. Today, terrorists take full advantage of modern technologies and benefit from the weaknesses associated with the processes of globalisation. This paper shows that no one state can effectively confront global terrorists. There is a need for unity of action, cooperation and coordination within intelligence services in various countries around the world. Plus, all countries need to work out a comprehensive security strategy to address the threat of global terrorism. States could use smart technology to diminish the global impact of terrorism. The international community must not stand alone, but should rather be united and apply maximum effort to eradicate the menacing threat that terrorists pose. This threat is based mainly on preventing unity within civilisation. The Moon landing on 20 July 1969, for example, initiated an age which now lies beyond one of the great divides in human history. Humanity is sundered from it forever by the moment when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped out on to the Sea of Tranquility representing one, united and global humanity. One photo of a small, blue marble floating in space, ''Earthrise'' taken from lunar orbit by astronaut William Anders on December 24, 1968, during the Apollo 8 mission initiated a global, ecology movement. Perhaps, it even inspired the Gaia hypothesis which states that “Gaia is like a living organism … whose goal is to maintain the planet in state fit for life.” (Lovelock, 1979). To build the civilisation of Life and Love could become a motto of united humanity once again. However, more recently humans have pushed their planet, Gaia to her limit. In addition to filling the atmosphere with carbon dioxide, we have hacked our way through the "lungs" of the planet (the rainforests) and driven many species to extinction. Lovelock thinks we are heading for a very warm world, where only polar regions are comfortable for most life forms. Eventually, he suspects, Gaia will pull things back into check, but it may be too late for the human race. This is a very pessimistic prognosis for the world, but probably a very realistic one. Several scholars agree on the basics of it arguing that ''It is not ‘saving the planet’ that will kill growth. Rather, the accelerating destruction of nature will undermine not only the global economy, but it could eventually threaten many life-forms on earth, including our own species.'' (Palmer, 2019). Lovelock argues that humanity is like an army with over-extended supply lines — there is no option but to retreat so that to allow Gaia to recover. For example, it has been suggested that ''an optimum population for the Earth in terms of its resources would be nearer to 2.5 billion rather than - as now - 7 billion or even 9 billion by mid-century'' (Tickell, 2012). Today, it is very difficult to control such large masses of people especially through politics which has become divisive, e.g. the perceived 'we versus they'. And, so we have in current politics: remainers versus leavers, environmentalists versus denialists, blue states versus red states - just to name a few polarising, media heated up, populist divisions. What we seem to be lacking is a wise guardianship for the planet or a truly Promethean mission to save it. Besides, these artificial divides are often turning the attention of people from things that do matter. One thing that matters could be a shared destiny for our planet saved in stars and the music orchestrated by them. Have humans figured it out yet? Furthermore, these gloom and doom prognoses and predictions miss a crucial point. This is that human species is an intelligent one and when in danger can adopt wise policies such as fighting infectious diseases, ensuring gender equality, women and children's rights, fighting poverty and terrorism maybe only some suggestions so that to make the world more equal in terms of North-South divide. The pessimists would reply that Gaia will be strong and fighting. Its is true, but Gaia also wants to direct us so that we follow an enlightened interest and offer more opportunities to all. According to many visionary thinkers and prophets, humanity can overcome our tribal divisions and begin to think and act as one, united and global civilisation, or as if we are one big family. That would be real globalisation and cultural enrichment for the planet even though some members of the family of nations do not accept this truth. It is amazing how childishly gullible some humans are. There are, for example, so many different religions — each of them claiming to have the truth, each saying that their truths are superior to the truths of others, these cannot be taken seriously since religion is only a human projection of the divine. Ralph Waldo Emerson in 1841 stated that a man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the lustre of the firmament of bards and sages. We should not dismiss some basic truths. In every work of genius, we recognize our own rejected thoughts: they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty. Both in the Holy Bible and the Holy Quran there are verses about Light: ''I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will by no means walk in darkness, but will possess the light of life.'' (Jesus quoted in John 8: 12). Equally, ''Light upon light, God guideth unto His light whome he will. And God speaketh to mankind in allegories, for God is knower of all things.'' (Quran). There is one civilising, sacred and uniting spirit in these words, making our civilisation look as if destined to one, commonplace. In Isaiah (60: 3) we can find the verse, ''Nations will go to your light. And kings to your shining splendour.'' Equally, weather and climate are subject to God's will, ''Do you know how God controls the clouds, And how he causes the lightning to flash from his cloud? Do you know how the clouds float? These are the wonderful works of the One perfect in knowledge.'' (Book of Job 37: 15-16). The light of wisdom available throughout holy texts says that our civilisation must cooperate and show unity on critical, global issues, e.g. environmental sustainability and climate change so that to be able to turn up the next level of civilisational sophistication. As Coleman (2013) observed, critical geopolitics scholars, as well as intellectuals of statecraft, must actively engage in this debate providing their support for the norm of environmental stewardship. More recently, they were all too much focused on foreign-policy issues, on rivalries and competition. They could approach state-security practices and their experts much more broadly so that to start to think in a bigger picture, in categories of one planet. All states persons engage in in the practice of statecraft whether physically or spatially and this is one of the norms of the world political community. Public intellectuals of statecraft such as Henry Kissinger or Zbigniew Brzezinski who, as former top governmental officials, command a wide audience for their opinions in national newspapers and foreign-policy journals have a responsibility to communicate to the public the necessity of a one in a million chance of saving our civilisation. Their role is critical as guardians and statesmen who give direction to steer advanced civilisations. ''Within political society itself there are different gradations amongst the foreign-policy community from those who design, articulate and order foreign policy from the top to those actually charged with implementing particular foreign policies and practisung statecraft (whether diplomatic or military) on a daily basis.'' (Tuathail and Agnew, 1992: 193). All can claim to be active intellectuals of statecraft for they are constantly engaged in reasoning about statecraft and planetary preservation though all may not have the function of intellectuals in the conventional sense, but rather in the sense of Gramsci’s ‘organic’ intellectuals (Gramsci, 1971). These intellectuals must join in the public debate about the need for planetary preservation. Civilisation has become saturated like filth with false gods, money-making, crony capitalism and misguided politics. However, the same tenacity which enabled it can propel us to reverse it, to change the course in time. The Earth must not lose an enlightened direction. To renew civilisation we must build it on the fundaments of Life and Love. The most basic truth is that we have to be committed to leaving the Planet safe and secure for future generations.

This paper demonstrates that within contemporary American leadership, there could emerge a growin... more This paper demonstrates that within contemporary American leadership, there could emerge a growing consciousness of the interdependence in the emerging global community, which could comprise some ideational elements of a significantly different American foreign policy. America has to build a new architecture for global security and prosperity. American foreign policy and the resulting international, liberal order needs to be open and flexible, ready to engage the forces and sensitive to the “global political awakening” of rising nations and cultures. Such foreign policy could presuppose a positive prerequisite that America can play an active role of ‘a balancer and conciliator’, ‘constructive pioneer’ and ‘a catalyst of change’ in the ‘totally new era of great power management’ that may emerge in International Politics in the future. Such management implies, above all, detecting a chance for it, being responsive and engaging major world’s secondary powers in a constructive, diplomatic dialogue about the world’s most pressing, trans-national challenges, including global, climatic changes. This novel, complex circumstances stipulate that America is being granted a real opportunity, or indeed, a second chance, to mobilise the whole international community into effective action to create a more inclusive, ethical and truly mature community of nations with America’s leadership at the forefront of a common cause. America could promote supranational co-operation and great power management in the century, in which, its power is increasingly being questioned. The Western, liberal international order that rests on a framework of alliances and is built-in global institutions could adapt to embrace non-western Great Powers and other nations and communities as the world clearly evolves. For this to take place, the whole globe needs to focus concentrated action on solving a common global challenge not through half-baked, partial solutions and empty promises but by designing comprehensive healing of the planet. President Obama's climate diplomacy was a step in the right direction. Facing a divided Congress and significant pressure to reduce the federal deficit, President Obama experienced limited options with regard to advancing an effective domestic climate change policy. Indeed some may argue that his promise concerning climate action has been better than his performance (Brzezinski, 2010). That is probably true because despite President Obama's climate action the world is still experiencing devastating climate change. However, this situation is far from hopeless. As observed by Carl Sagan (1990: Episode 1), ''for the first time, humanity has the power to decide the fate of our planet and ourselves. This is a time of great danger, but our species is young, and curious, [and imaginative], and brave. It shows much promise for the future.'' A future in which people and nature can exist in a symbiotic relationship and in which both can thrive. This could define our new, global strategy, that is a strategy to live in balance with nature. (Attenbourough, 2019). At the moment, 'we are totally out of balance' with nature and unless we get our balance back the age of humans, the Anthropocene is due to be short-lived. (Ibid.). At the bottom of this problem, ''there is one underlying issue - our planet is becoming less wild'' (Ibid.). Biodiversity equals stability and stability is what we need most of all. Only when all species are all healthy can our planet can run smoothly. (Ibid.) One common strand in the tail of the history of civilisation on Earth is that that each time, after millions of years passed, its descendants find only ruins submerged in the nature as the remnant of the previous civilisations. This only suggests that previous civilisations were not successful. In other words, they have missed their chance for survival. Gaia acting as a ruthless balancer rightfully regained what was previously had belonged to her. And as Carl Sagan (1985: 359) concluded, ''In the long run, the aggressive civilizations destroy themselves, almost always. It is their nature. They cannot help it.'' When citizens of the Earth loose respect for the creation, the Earth has no mercy. This tale of civilisations shows a repetitive pattern spread throughout history. But now the present generations are braver and much more sensitive to 'the cry of the Earth'. We can become the first species in the Universe to create a planetary structure with the scope of the star. We have to take that remarkable journey, to make important changes from a million of people struggling to survive to several billions living long, healthy lives on a stable planet able to provide for all our needs. How to do it when even the most powerful leaders cannot act being constrained by party politics? One way is to divert the corrupted system as suggested by Greta Thunberg. When a system is corrupted maybe it is time for alternative climate leaders to take the issue of climate justice for future generations more seriously? Finally, saving humanity is within our reach. Organised humanity has a plan and we know what to do. We have to: 1) Stop doing the damaging stuff: pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and digging fossil fuels; 2) Roll out the new green technologies and systems as they arrive; 3) Stabilise the human population as low as we fairly can; 4) We have to keep hold of the natural wealth we have currently got. Thanks to these strategies, we could be building a stable, healthy world that we can benefit forever. In the words of a prominent biologist, ''we a choice to create a planet that we can all be proud of.'' (Attenborough, 2018). Our planet is the perfect home for ourselves and the rest of life on Earth (Ibid.). As Carl Sagan (1990) observed, ''We on Earth have just awakened to the great oceans of space and time from which we have emerged. We are the legacy of 15 billion years of cosmic evolution. We have a choice: We can enhance life and come to know the universe that made us, or we can squander our 15 billion-year heritage in meaningless self-destruction. What happens in the first second of the next cosmic year depends on what we do, here and now, with our intelligence and our knowledge of the cosmos.'' History is full of people who out of fear or ignorance or the lust for power have destroyed treasures of immeasurable value which truly belong to all of us. We must not let it happen again, we need wise, intelligent and far-sighted global leadership for the planetary preservation. As Dror (2017: 72) noted, ''Without a radical transformation of the global order, including limitation of state sovereignty and establishment of a decisive global governance system qualified to make optimal humanity-craft decisions and equipped with the will and instruments to enforce them globally, humanity cannot be saved from itself.'' Leaders must use the climate momentum created by activists to deliver and enact smart, climate-wise policies. For example, one way for President Obama to force progress on climate was to issue more executive orders and administrative rulemakings to partially substitute for Congressional opposition to his climate and energy agenda. This would require skilled rulemaking and energetic statecraft, but the prize was saving the world that we still live in. Working through the EPA and the Clean Air Act, he could have enacted tougher rules that would cut carbon pollution from power plants and mitigate the potential effects of the failure to enact a national cap-and-trade program (Council on Foreign Relations, 2013). An agreement reached with the auto industry in July 2011 to double fuel standards to fifty-four miles per gallon by 2025 is also a step in the right direction, provided that its stipulations are enforced. Other significant measures the administration could have taken include government procurement of renewable energy and energy-efficient products and services, as well as, reductions in subsidies for fossil fuel-related research and extraction. Perhaps one of the most significant steps President Obama has taken towards realizing his climate change policy was to strike a deal with China to reduce global emissions of CO2 (Ibid.). The two nations combined account for 40 percent of the world's carbon pollution, so a bilateral agreement could weaken Obama's opponents in Congress and encourage other nations to follow suit. To unite all nations around the aim of changing the world requires diplomacy. For this to take place, diplomacy must be applied intelligently and constructively with the strategic and achievable goal. That is to say, diplomacy must operate as a bridge between the foreign policy of Realism and foreign policy of Idealism. America has leaders that realise that foreign policy should be understood as a strategy for​ making choices, but it could be equally described as a political tool for building bridges and generating global voluntarism.

Whether we call them superpowers, Great Powers, empires, or hegemonies, one certain thing is that... more Whether we call them superpowers, Great Powers, empires, or hegemonies, one certain thing is that they come and go, they rise and fall. We do not know why it happens, but no state has managed to remain permanently number one. Although few, if any, historical laws exist, it is most unlikely that any state will in the future be able to remain permanently on top. As we learned from Eurocentric history books, the Roman Empire rose and fell; so did the Carolingian Empire, the Hapsburg Empire, and allegedly, three German Reichs; so did the British and the French colonial empires; and by 1991 the Soviet empire had not only collapsed, but the Soviet Union itself was dissolved into its fifteen constituent parts. Whether they collapse a result of a long, lingering whimper or suddenly with a spectacular big bang; whether through the internal dissolution or the outside invasion of barbarians, it seems that the same law applies to every Great Power. Eventually, one civilisation falls and another rises to take its place, which in turn goes through the same cycle of rise and fall (Scarre and Fagan, 2016: 47). There is a repetitive cycle observable throughout history providing a piece of undeniable evidence for this tragic inevitability. The idea of the rise and fall of great powers is both fascinating and widely researched starting from Polybius in ancient Greece through Niccolò Machiavelli to modern authors such as Oswald Spengler (1962), Arnold. J. Toynbee (1962), Paul Kennedy (1987) and Niall Ferguson (2011). Despite numerous theories and in-depth analysis of the process of collapse, no historian has ever managed to find a solution to this conundrum. Although calls for America's decline may be premature and comparisons with the Roman Empire misconceived, there are visible fluctuations of American foreign policy ranging from extreme interventionism to isolationism. These fluctuations have in turn great impact on the world. The innovative idea introduced in this paper argues that it is possible to revitalise Western civilisation and build a new foundation based on a smart, prudent and timely vision of American foreign policy. Such a vision will have to embrace the idea of consensual leadership that will be discussed in detail. However, the caveat is that leadership, however top-notch, alone is not enough to both generate and sustain civilisation. Environmental conditions must provide for the possibility for life beyond the mere struggle to survive so the climate must be favourable for the civilisation to develop (Blaha, 2002: 39). The truth of the matter is that "human civilisation has evolved and thrived in a short period of relative climatic stability." (Berners-Lee and Clark, 2013: 17); and we probably do know entirely why was that possible. The concern is that human beings as the dominant species on the planet might be endangering that stability mainly because humans burn fossil fuel at accelerating and concerning pace. Experts in the history of Earth's climate are among those who raise the alarm. (Ibid.: 170). As Rotham (2017: 1) observed, ''The history of the Earth system is a story of change. Some changes are gradual and benign, but others, especially those associated with catastrophic mass extinction, are relatively abrupt and destructive.'' It happened in the history of our planet that the future generations found ruins of past civilisations so the idea that of a mass extinction cannot be excluded. As Goodell (2006) noticed, "Energy-wise, the fundamental problem in the world today is that the earth's reserves of fossil fuels are finite but our appetite for them is not." The major problem of our civilisation is not simply that there are more people in the world, consuming more fossil fuels, but that as economies grow and people in developing nations are lifted out of poverty, they buy more cars and refrigerators and develop an appetite for even more gas, oil, and coal. (Ibid). In combination with irrational leaders, this is a deadly mixture. According to Homer-Dixon (2017), ''Disaster comes when elites push society toward instability and eventual collapse by hoarding huge quantities of wealth and resources.'' At the time of great civilisational acceleration, in terms of advancement, that is between 1950 and 2000, as the world population grew by roughly 140 percent, fossil fuel consumption has increased by almost 400 percent. (Ibid). Whereas it is estimated that "by 2030, the world's demand for energy will more than double, with most of that energy coming from fossil fuels." This is the path of unsustainable development and to make matters worse it may prove to be catastrophic for the planet unless action on climate change is taken immediately by organised civilisation. As Anderson (2018) noted, rampant capitalism is the main causes of climate change, “The taboo issue of the asymmetric distribution of wealth underpins the international community’s failure to seriously tackle climate change. Only when we acknowledge this can we move from incrementalism to system-change.” ''The time for incrementalism has passed , humanity has squandered that option. A climate catastrophe is heading our way and small tweaks to business as usual will not save civilisation. We must make sure that we do not exceed our carbon budget and we must view incrementalism as a supplemental approach not the main strategy'' (Zarnett, 2019). Civilisation needs more people, especially political leaders and celebrities ('the great and the good'), who could catalyse the system change. They can do things differently while setting an example for others to follow. A system change will not be brought about just by collective, altruistic individuals. But effective climate action requires those of us who recognise the scale of the challenge to feel a moral responsibility and courage to do things differently (Anderson, 2017). By doing so, such an action could catalyse a change of dialogue and scope for governments to implement proper policies. Ultimately, civilisation needs to change policies, regulations, frameworks and standards which can bring about changes in culture. That would lead to circumstances in which hopefully we can solve climate change. (Ibid.). Whereas at the moment, civilisation is gambling on many levels while media are informing each day with more evidence of extreme weather events all over the world - quite a pathetic state of affairs as for the 21st Century. The clear message signal is that the climate system might soon reach a tipping point at which it may switch into an altogether different state (the so-called “Hothouse Earth” conditions) from the one that allowed human society to evolve. (Berners-Lee and Clark, 2013: 17). The novel idea of saving civilisation presented in this paper is based on a mixture of harder great power politics (trilateralism) and the so-called, 'the ripe time' climate diplomacy that could effectively convince the global public opinion about the urgency to solve climate change and make leaders more familiar with the idea of making climate on Earth more manageable. The idea works as and when all Great Powers reflect a willingness to participate in diplomatic great power management. As and when all Great Powers are involved in a global dialogue centred on securing global commons, such as climate, it is in the interest of none to decline as they all will need to cooperate more naturally and spontaneously in front of a common danger and by securing the common good. In such novel circumstances conducive to increased cooperation, they would seek to legitimise their roles by co-opting the major secondary powers as junior partners in the system of global climate management. It could happen that the creation of such an informal, climate community will be completely decentralised consisting of non-governmental entities. According to Kissinger (1950), ''it is a mistake to assume that diplomacy can always settle international disputes if there is ‘good faith’ and ‘willingness to come to an agreement.’ This is true since, in addition to an intensive spirit of good faith what must be generated is a spirit of global solidarity. Solidarity is created when countries unite against a common danger or out of cooperation and good faith. A sober and realistic analysis of International Politics suggests that the first scenario is more likely to emerge in the future although liberal institutionalists would claim that there were numerous cases throughout history when states cooperated more voluntarily. The innovative idea of this paper compares with research by Professor Brzezinski (2012) on a global role of America in the 21st Century and Dr Ahmed Nafeez (2014) on the crisis of civilisation. It follows from the idea that the durability and the quality of the global order will depend on generating a united and inclusive system of great power management representing all peoples and all Great Powers of the Planet.

It has long been known to creative people that the unconscious mind plays a crucial role in all c... more It has long been known to creative people that the unconscious mind plays a crucial role in all creative thought. While creativity in art, music and dance can often function with very little help from verbal left-brain processes, most creative work requires balanced, healthy cooperation between intuition and logical thought. This paper will examine why in most intellectual fields, the most wonderful, creative breakthroughs are the result of intuition. Intuition manifests itself in the evaluation of similarity when decision borders are too complex to be reduced to logical rules. It is also reflected in heuristic reasoning based on partial observations, where network activity selects only those paths that may lead to the right solution, excluding all bad moves (Duch, 2007: 1). The research question is important, equally as are advanced, scientific studies on intuition, because intuition leads to innovation. Intuition is the muse, the spark, the beginning without which many modern, scientific inventions would not be possible. Could intuition shed some light on the understanding of modern science explaining many of its unknowns? Or, are the two disciplines completely independent? Intuition originates in right-brain thinking, while logic is a product of the left brain. Intuition is useless, however, until it can be verified and described verbally and logically. Logic and language are at the basis of modern progress because they make it possible for one person to communicate her or his insights to another person. Knowledge is thus built upon knowledge, from the successive thinking of previous generations of reflective explorers, researchers and thinkers. In this essay, the author will elaborate on the phenomenon of intuition, hopefully leading to a more holistic understanding of the unconscious mind by bringing important elements involved in the process of intuition and science together. The great power of science is its ability through objective laws to reveal to us truth that we did not anticipate. In this role, it continues to be invaluable, and one of the greatest of human creations. Science often provides elucidation as we are bound to grope for a time as we grapple with problems unprecedented in human history. And wisdom is the child of experience which is a measure of truth. "In the years since man unlocked the power stored with the atom, the world has made progress, halting but effective, towards bringing that power under human control." (Kennedy, 1963: 22). The spirit of the times brings another challenge that must be overcome and that becomes humanity's salvation. In the Twenty-First Century, as humanity has learned to master the destructive potentialities of modern science civilisation moves toward a new era in which science can shed more light on the still unresolved novel, global challenges to fulfil its creative promise. But can science explain everything that could be only known at the intuitive level? Can Science shed some light onto some the miracles in the world? It is sometimes helpful to differentiate between the God of Miracles and the God of Order. When scientists use the word God, they usually mean the God of Order. The God of Miracles wonderfully intervenes in our affairs, performs magnificent miracles, destroys wicked cities, smites enemy armies, drowns the Pharaoh's troops (plus other wicked civilisations that do not follow sustainable strategies) and finally avenges the pure and noble (Kaku, 1995); as He is the only one who created the universe and it is at His command. All creation uses its power to punish unrighteous people or civilisations, but it becomes mild and kind to those who put their trust in God. This is not to say that miracles cannot happen, only that they are outside of the realm of explanation of what is commonly called science. Paradoxically, the world of science cannot explain some of the unknowns at the level of sub-consciousness, sense, supernatural or sacral. For example, in the word of God, light and darkness are contrasted several times as are those who follow each (Crawley, 1980: 562). It is contrast rather than comparison because there is no likeness of the two. One is opposed to the other, and one produces positive energy the other negative. One clear thing is that "the person who loves truth hates darkness. "Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way" (Psalm 119:104); and the one who loves darkness hates light, "For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light..." (John 3:20). Jesus had somewhat to say about this throughout His earthly ministry. He made it very plain regarding those who loved the truth (or light), as well as those who loved error (or darkness) when He said, "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil (Crawley, 1980: 562). For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God" (John 3:19-21). From this, we can plainly see why some love darkness and refuse to come to the light and why some love truth. The person who loves the truth above all else, and wants nothing else, cometh to the light, for he has nothing to fear. For even if he is wrong, he needs, and wants, to know it; whereas when he is right everyone needs to know it. Thus, he cometh to the light, and does so continually that he continue to be right (Crawley, 1980: 562). This paper argues that we can subconsciously choose light and good deeds at the same time becoming more skilled and grittier. Grit is the tenacious pursuit of a dominant superordinate goal despite setbacks. According to Duckworth and Gross (2014: 2), "Research on grit is still in its infancy, and much remains to be discovered about its underlying psychological mechanisms." These researchers have shown that "Highly effortful, focused practice is a necessary means to improving in skill" and shedding more light on important psychological concepts such as increased perseverance, passion and determination. Studies confirm that grittier competitors accumulate more hours of deliberate practice over the course of years, which in turn fully mediates the effect of grit on final ranking (Duckworth, Kirby, Tsukayama, Berstein, & Ericsson, 2011). Related research has identified harmonious passion (i.e., autonomous internalisation of a passionate activity into one’s identity) as a predictor of deliberate practice and, in turn, performance (Vallerand et al., 2014). Many other studies of expert performers in diverse domains have found that thousands of hours of extremely effortful deliberate practice are prerequisite for achieving world-class levels of skill (Ericsson & Charness, 1994). If, as Woody Allen has suggested, showing up and being engaged is crucial to success in any endeavour (as quoted in Safire, 1989), and if highly effortful, focused practice is a necessary means to improving in skill, then it may be that grit predicts high achievement by inclining individuals to both show up and work very hard, continuously, toward a highly valued goal for years and even decades" simultaneously overcoming obstacles and excelling in their practice. To be gritty means wisely and holistically combing the whole body resources: subconsciousness and consciousness for the realisation of the chosen goal without burn out but constantly recharging and regenerating. This has much to do with the power of both self-control and volition. Therefore, subconscious could be working in balance with consciousness. Throughout all nature, we can find the law of action and reaction, of rest and motion so balance is an optimal state. When the two are in balance, then there will be harmony, equilibrium and extra energy flow. The novel solution that this paper introduces is that intuition allows seeing things differently by making a picture of reality in our minds ​while acting as a powerful catalyst, a powerhouse of our imagination while dissolving many complex puzzles and perplexing problems existing in contemporary science. It follows that both intuition and science could work in tandem.

The topic that this assignment will address is the possibility of Physics becoming a new, univers... more The topic that this assignment will address is the possibility of Physics becoming a new, universal language of humanity. By penetrating the deeper dimensions of Physics, some scholars may start to feel that their existence is like an orchestra. And that the mind of God is cosmic music resonating through a multidimensional Universe. Should one experience such a feeling, however, have not learned music, one must have arrived at such a beautiful conclusion through an amazing flash of inspiration. There is well-documented evidence for the claim that the greatest, the most path-breaking discoveries and astonishing experiments in fields of Physics would not have been possible without something special like a natural gift, or incredible ability, or perhaps cosmic music. No physicist would dare assert now that our physical knowledge of the universe is near completion, or that there is nothing new to be discovered in Physics. To the contrary, each new discovery seems to unlock a Pandora's box of even bigger, even deeper questions, unsolved problems or mysteries in physics. For example, the concept of infinity found in fractals brings to mind something with no beginning and end where there is no end: patterns which repeat themselves in nature and which give rise to infinite symmetry. Similar patterns are repeated from the micro-atomic to the macro-atomic, from snail shells to spiral galaxies and perhaps even the whole cosmos. Another example includes the parallels between music and mathematics, not many people realise that the first cosmologies, such as those developed by the ancient Egyptians, Hindus, Babylonians, and Greeks, were based on musical ratios (Durant, 1939; McClain, 1978). Pythagoras and Plato applied these same "musical proportions" to their theory of numbers, planetary motion, and to the science of stereometry - the gauging of solids. And so the examples could be limitless how one observation in one field led to a discovery and a fine breakthrough in another field. Although everything begins with an idea, good ideas are not conjured out of anything. Eureka moments may not be a result of the reckless inspiration of the moment but are rather achieved through years of practice, hard work and intellectual effort. Imagination plays a great role and it is more important than logic. For example, Max Planck (1949: 109) held that creative scientists “must have a vivid intuitive imagination, for new ideas are not generated by deduction, but by an artistically creative imagination." Similarly, Albert Einstein reported “to these elementary laws there leads no logical path, but only intuition” (Holton, 1971–1972: 97). Einstein maintained that logic only came later after the creative ideas had emerged through some free, combinatorial process. “Taken from a psychological viewpoint ... combinatory play seems to be the essential feature in productive thought – before there is any connection with logical construction in words or other kinds of signs which can be communicated to others” (Hadamard, 1945, 142). Consequently, Einstein continued, “conventional words or other signs have to be sought for laboriously only in a secondary stage when the mentioned associative play is sufficiently established and can be reproduced at will” (Ibid.:143). When we have initiated this self-propelling process then the invasion of ideas cannot be resisted while imagination is advancing the process of expansion. The question is whether the idea or a detailed pattern could repeat itself in the mind of an inventor so that to naturally lead to a productive breakthrough going into infinity and possibly beyond infinity. Surprisingly enough, in writing about science, historians celebrate a few great names - Galileo, Newton, Darwin, Einstein while often neglecting the contributions of common, ordinary people who were not afraid to be motivated by the spirit and trespass another level in their development. To achieve the level of intelligence demonstrated by the great mind pioneers we have to dare to dream and then put our dreams into reality. To do that try to seep into your subconscious mind, that mysterious source of wisdom which never sleeps, which creates your dreams, and then enables you to transform them into reality. Then you will begin to awake, each morning, with vitality for life, your vigour will increase, and your enthusiasm will rise while your desire to get to know the world and then change it will overcome every doubt you once had. Thanks to this process of awakening people will believe to achieve even the impossible because there are no things that are impossible. If it is possible then this process can be inspired by a single focus of the mind giving birth to a yearning for change. The truth is that the most outstanding triumphs of science rest on a "massive foundation created by humble laborers." (Conner, 2005) As observed by this author, "If science is understood in the fundamental sense of knowledge of nature, it should not be surprising to find that it originated with the people closest to nature: hunter-gatherers, peasant farmers, sailors, miners, blacksmiths, folk healers and others." (Ibid.). The predominant question under discussion in this paper is whether creative and revolutionary thought processes require inspiration often generated through cosmic music. It is widely known from the music of Ludwig van Beethoven and more specifically from his ‘Moonlight’ Sonata (No. 14) that maths is used within the composition. Beethoven used the harmonic patterns to represent the mathematical relationship between the pitch frequencies of different notes, which then would form a geometric series. This is a brilliant talent and a truly remarkable idea. It follows that listening to enjoyable music may improve cognition and math skills, performing music offers even more advantages. Learning music improves math skills because, at some level, all music is math. Students who commit themselves to learn an instrument may also learn other skills that help them perform better in school while gaining more complete education. Nobody else has fully and scientifically explored the research question yet, because there are not many cross-disciplinary works that offer a big-picture overview of this topic. Not many previous works capture the intricacies and hinges between cosmology, mathematics and music while investigating this particular subject matter in sufficient detail and from many angles. Thus, this paper explores whether the Universe is not made of chaos, but of a magical, well-ordered whole, in other words - Cosmos, accompanied by cosmic music.

The last frontiers of the natural world are gone while species of plants and animals are disappea... more The last frontiers of the natural world are gone while species of plants and animals are disappearing. Our civilisation has been growing exponentially over the last century. The most visible side effect of that is the creation of a throw-away society (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 2013). According to the Pope, "Human beings are themselves considered consumer goods to be used and then discarded. We have created a 'throw-away' culture which is now spreading'' (Ibid.) Humanity has been attacking while Gaia has been defending. This paper argues that Gaia deserves a respite which is defined as a period of break away from exploitative human activities and the burning of fossil fuels. These should be replaced by planting trees. It would enable Gaia to catch a breath and renew itself. This could solve many of the world's problems by establishing a symbiotic coexistence between human civilisation and the planet and leading to comprehensive healing of Gaia. This paper aims to analyse whether humans have reached the limits in every possible dimension of life on the finite planet. The key research questions is: Has humanity reached the planetary threshold beyond which civilisation cannot expand without the implementation of sustainable policies? The bottom line of the argument is that accelerating growth cannot continue indefinitely on a limited planet (Nürnberger, 2011: 66). Sooner or later, "there will come a point where the growing nutritional needs of the growing world population can no longer be met, regardless of how generously future generations may want to share their food. The quest for diminishing resources will almost inevitably lead to higher conflict potentials, greater investment in military hardware and expensive security systems for those whose privileges are threatened" (Ibid.). This paper suggests that there is a need for a new paradigm that integrates the continued development of human societies and the maintenance of the Earth system in an accommodating, resilient and sustainable way. Imagine that bright, blue ball rising over the moon’s surface, containing everything we hold dear, e.g.: "the laughter of children, a quiet sunset, all the hopes and dreams of posterity, that is what is at stake when trying to preserve precious biodiversity on the Earth." (Obama, 2013). The earth is a spaceship, with the sun as our energy supplier, which means that it imports energy from the sun that flows into and through the elaborate patterns of energy transfer that make up the Earth system, including the oceans, the atmosphere, the various geochemical processes, and finally, all life itself. Life on the planet absorbs this precious energy and then the energy flows back from the Earth into the universe - it is as if life was participating and almost by chance (Goldilocks) functioning in a perfectly self-sustained, mutual co-exchange based on a renewal of energy and evolution of life. Through argumentative discussion, it will be demonstrated that if an era of singularity is incipient, a time in which human intelligence will become increasingly nonbiological and trillions of times more powerful than it is today, then the present global civilisation must abort prejudices, such as ethnic, religious, gender and national. Such prejudices must not become an equivalent of colonial conquests of the past. Only a steep learning process could prevent humanity from an increasingly violent scramble for dwindling resources on the finite planet. It will be concluded that first, humans ought to resolve some of the ongoing and appearing challenges on Earth, and then think about the “conquest” of the Cosmos. This is necessary to move from the present Type 0 Civilisation to Type I Civilisation when humanity will be capable of controlling Earth entirely maybe even influence the weather, control volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, influence global flora and fauna, geological makeup, plate tectonics and others. And to recall wise words by C. Kennedy, "To the extent that we are all educated and informed, we will be more equipped to deal with the gut issues that tend to divide us." Climate change seems to be such an issue although according to scientists there is a 99.9999 percent chance that humans are the cause of global warming. Humanity burns fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas, which release carbon dioxide (CO2) into the Earth's atmosphere and oceans. CO2 is the greenhouse gas that's most responsible for warming. With only a one-in-a-million chance that humans are not the cause, it is obvious that humanity needs to dramatically reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, according to experts and scientists. Sometimes we experience an intuitive hunch that a particular challenge needs to be overcome at a particular moment in history due to the unacceptable level of hypocrisy and hiding truth to sustain the status quo. Can we solve climate change? Already in 1964, N. S. Kardashev (1964: 221) observed that "if terrestrial civilisation is not a unique phenomenon in the entire universe, then the possibility of establishing contacts with other civilizations by means of present-day radio physics capabilities is entirely realistic." The moment humanity unites, then we can believe we can do it, then we just do it and nothing is impossible. We must act within the defined planetary boundaries to avoid catastrophic environmental climate change. Investments in better preparation for dismantling natural disasters can pay dividends both for the present and for future generations. But global leaders often prefer to focus on more politicised issues of national content simply because they reflect the populist mentality of modern societies and can win easy votes. Had they focused more on long-term projects they would equip themselves with a more farsighted strategy - a strategic vision for a planetary rescue mission. If humanity does nothing effective to offset global heating, if it waits in inaction Gaia will defend against human interference and there will be fewer of us (Lovelock, 2014: 122). It is very likely that the number of humans surviving such a cataclysm will be limited, perhaps less than a million, which is still enough for the survival of our species. The history of humanity on the planet ''suggests that there was a bottleneck when our total population fell to a few thousand, and we all come from them'' (Ibid.). When climate solution will be found it will give birth to a new civilisation based on scientific progress, tolerance, multiculturalism and humility that would enable humanity to transcend national borders, biological limitations, amplify creativity and invest in the power of the human mind. Likely, such a new foundation based on post-growth economy, sustainable growth and green cities will be built in the developing world, mainly China and India. Perhaps, if we move to green cities as efficient as termite nests, there could be hope for survival. The defining characteristic of nature-symbiotic infrastructure is that it is planned and designed in a way that anticipates, prepares for, and adapts to changing climate. It coexists in harmony with the natural world, effectively imitating nature and blending humanity into it. This requires a degree of humility since according to this model, humans are no longer Earth's owners or masters, but act as wise stewards. Earth is not without unlimited reservoirs of anything. In this model, all we have is what is on our spaceship with us – and when that runs out, the money runs out, too. There is a case for working in sync with Gaia and the purpose of climate-symbiotic architecture is that it is resilient, can withstand, respond to and recover from any disruptions. As Romer (2018) observed, ''A healthy climate requires us to move to a post-growth economy with well-being rather than increasing material wealth as the goal.'' The idea of a circular economy is primarily concerned with the flows of materials and energy, and it is often taken for granted that this circulation can happen within a growing economy. However, the demand for materials and energy needs to be considered in the context of the limits of a finite planet.'' (Ede, 2016: 3). The problem with the West is that there are more goods and, more growth, but less faith in ideas, less ambition to make a world a better, a more sustainable place. There are fewer visionaries who think big. As Ede (2016) noted, ''When human demand on nature’s capacity exceeds what nature can supply, we are in a state of ‘overshoot’. It is the amount by which nature’s biological capacity is being used beyond its regeneration rate–e.g. overfishing or overharvesting, or emitting too much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and destabilising the climate.'' Positive energy could upgrade the Earth, but only when humans are able 'to hear the Earth's cry.' The key impact of this research is ​to serve as a modest, informed and objective policy advice for global leaders of tomorrow.

This paper will assess, investigate and explore the idea of the alleged relevance of realist thin... more This paper will assess, investigate and explore the idea of the alleged relevance of realist thinking in International Relations theory vindicated by the notion of “timeless wisdom to Realism’. Examination of some core theoretical assumptions of Realism, its sub-schools, and assessment of the continuing significance of the realist thinking during the Cold War period and in contemporary International Relations will be undertaken. It will be argued that although the realist depiction of International Relations with its emphasis upon the material factors and the distribution of power, in particular, provides an important and continued insight into the understanding of the behaviour of states, it is not in itself definitive. Realism is not yet finished, but there are new, emerging theories which could be skillfully​ integrated into the mainstream. Theories are extremely important since they provide empirical relevance. They provide concepts to produce ordered and, thus, meaningful observations. In other words, ''theories provide intellectual order to the subject matter of international relations. They enable us to conceptualise and contextualise both past and contemporary events. They also provide us with a range of ways of interpreting complex issues. Theories help us to orientate and discipline our minds in response to the bewildering phenomena around us. They help us to think critically, logically and coherently'' (Burchill, 2001: 13). A natural evolution for a strong theory to emerge is through synthesis which is the hallmark of innovation. It is the ability to combine elements of different theories into a whole that is much greater than the sum of its parts. As such, it is beneficial and required tool In IR to push the discipline forward. Not without reason, the creation and refinement of theory is the most important activity in the whole enterprise. Theoretical synthesis, supported by substantial empirical work and applied with evidence, frequently leads to the production of new, objective knowledge, a new discovery. More importantly, the most obvious advantage of pursuing this analytical tool is that dialogue and synthesis encourage a sharpening of ideas what make theories more powerful. Dialogue between different theories helps ideas advance and become more refined over time rather than merely remaining static. None of the theories singularly can provide for a clear blueprint of the reality of politics. Norm-centred constructivism may be only one among many theories and applying it to analyse the effectiveness of climate action by global leaders may be just one out of many tools of analysis. Perhaps, this specific theory may be only relevant when modified or when applied in synthesis with other IR theories. What is clear is that ''scientific knowledge builds over time as theories are refined and expanded and as new observations and data confirm or refute the prediction of current theories and models.'' (NRC, 2010). Therefore, it is not predetermined that norm-centred constructivism is the one silver-bullet theory that can contribute to solving climate change through the transformation of the existing political system. The bottom line is that we will either solve climate change in a clever way, e.g.: through small-step, timely policy innovations such as introducing renewables (technological progress can make solar and wind power competitive with fossil fuels, or by direct personal incentives for members of the public or elites thereby changing the system...; or climate change will get us through system change whereby Gaia may be acting against humanity annihilating life on Earth, e.g.: through natural disruptions: volcanic explosions, earthquakes, massive hurricanes, wildfires, impacts of extraterrestrial objects, or variations in species or ecosystems. As Tickell (2012) noticed, climate change is only one among many novel, global challenges with profound sometimes rapid effects on the natural world. Other challenges include, ''widening divisions between rich and poor within and between countries, shortages of food and water, loss of confidence in ruling elites, the effects of large-scale migration, the high vulnerability of cities, the growth of terrorism, the risks of war with unimaginably horrible weapons, and the exhaustion of often irreplaceable resources.'' However, global leaders who are empowered can constructively approach these problems. The central problem with ideational arguments (as with realist arguments) is their inability to explain the change. Postpositivism recognizes that all observation is fallible, all theory is revisable but it allows for the study of change. In an ideational institutional structure, idea shifts and norm shifts are the main vehicles for system transformation. Norm shifts are to the ideational theorist what balance of power shifts are to the realist. A norm shift towards environmental sustainability and planetary stewardship was introduced by President Obama, who acting as a representative of global humanity tried to convince public opinion to act with urgency to address the climate crisis. The question is whether the public has listened? From space, the Earth looks like a small, blue marble floating solitarily in the cosmos where national borders do not matter. And yet, humanity is obsessed with the so-called growth and ever-increasing consumption. This model may be soon replaced by ''the need to make better use of resources, respect the natural capital of Earth, and measure health wealth and happiness in a more rational way.'' (Ibid). Global leaders could become global pioneers excelling in problem-solving and shaping public opinion. They can create norms that can be emulated by others being gradually accepted into the body of international law. Norms are standards of appropriate behaviour for actors with a given identity. Norms evolve according to a 'life cycle' of three stages, each of which has a unique origin, mechanism of influence, and condition under which norms will influence world politics (Finnemore and Sikkink, 1998: 98). Global leaders can become social enablers of change shaping global solutions since ''agency and structure operate interdependently''. Therefore, global leaders when wisely informed by science and following zeitgeist can initiate systemic transformation. However, this theoretical model is idealistic, every stage of it requires an infallible precision/perfection of a Swiss watch. Who could apply it? Besides, it needs empirical verification, since ''confidence in a theory grows if it survives the rigorous testing process, if multiple lines of evidence lead to the same conclusion, or if competing explanations are to be ruled out.'' (NRC, 2010). Effective norm entrepreneurs use organisational platforms motivated either by altruism, empathy, or ideational commitment to persuade fellow governments to adopt the norm. States motivated by a desire to adopt a norm to enhance their legitimacy, reputation, and/or esteem socialise other states by inducing norm breakers to become norm followers. Finally, domestic and international laws, professional training, and bureaucratic operating procedures widely incorporate the norm that becomes an inherent part of international law. Any remaining non-conforming states adopt it simply to conform. The norm is thereby institutionalised that it becomes a matter of habit and is taken for granted. At first, it seems that climate change does not fit into a perfect IR theory-led solution. For a typical leader, this model is unachievable. But, imagine a committed entrepreneur interested in leaving an eternal legacy by championing a powerful norm of environmental stewardship with rich and positive energy supplies. Through small actions, all world's decisionmakers would soon follow suit. This method is only a suggestion in which climate change could be addressed thanks to the emergence, cascade and internalization of environmental norms promoted by climate leaders. The challenge remains unsolved because nobody has followed this model with sufficient energy and diligence to bring about effective change. Rees (2003) concluded that our civilisation has only a 50 per cent chance of survival beyond the end of this century. If true, it is still a tragic paradox that we have more theoretical models rather than capable individuals, or leaders, who could put ideas into good use. Policies to reverse climate change are known, yet global leaders are still about to turn into proper doers rather than remaining only talkers. Managing and adapting to climate change may be one challenge that could define resourcefulness of our civilisation and whether future generations will think of us as an intelligent species. To paraphrase a famous and established scholar, ”let a hundred of flowers bloom in the world of International Relations” (Buzan, 2012). Because this makes our inherently complex world much more interesting, inspiring and diverse.

One global problem that must be addressed by the international community in a ‘constructive’ and ... more One global problem that must be addressed by the international community in a ‘constructive’ and effective manner by the end of this century is the Earth’s climate. The inconvenient truth is that the climate in the twenty-first century is changing rapidly. The Earth is reportedly warming up, and there is an overwhelming scientific consensus that it is happening on a huge scale and is human-induced. World leaders informed by science have agreed that a temperature increase of 2°C above preindustrial levels would be dangerous for humanity. If leaders do not take action, ''global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will rise by about 70% by 2050, pushing world temperatures up 4oC - 6oC by 2100 (OECD, 2009). In the long term, a warmer world will make dry areas drier resulting in lowers crop yields. For these reasons, climate change is one of the major political and institutional, as well as ecological, challenges of our time (Keohane, 2015: 3). Carbon emissions released by countries across the globe are warming the planet, leading to devastating weather patterns, terrible storms, droughts and famine. Most recent studies show that by 2050, famine could displace more than two hundred million people worldwide (Obama, 2008: 143). Thereby resulting in people competing for food and water, in the next fifty years in the very places that have known horrific violence and instability in the last fifty years: Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia (ibid: 143). With global warming on the increase and with species and their habitats on the decrease, chances for ecosystems to adapt naturally are diminishing. Many scientists have agreed that climate change is one of the greatest threats facing this planet: undermining the stability of ecosystems on Earth. Recent years in particular show increasing temperatures in various regions and increasing extremities in weather patterns. The impact of climate change on our small, blue planet threatens access to secure, sustainable and affordable supplies of key natural resources such as water, land, food and energy, which are essential for life and economic prosperity. Furthermore, while it is unlikely that climate change may be attributed as a direct cause of conflict, in cases where it leads to the loss of land or livelihoods, it has the potential to increase the risk of global instability and conflict, particularly in parts of the world already experiencing other stresses, such as food or water shortages, health issues or demographic and migration challenges. Recent extreme weather events show that communities across the globe will need to build resilience which is ''the capacity of a system to retain essential structures, processes, and feedbacks in the face of shocks or disturbances and continue to develop (Walker et al., 2004). However, the Earth is quickly approaching critical “tipping points”. By crossing these thresholds, the planet may see abrupt, and possibly irreversible, shifts in the workings of the Amazon rainforest, ocean currents and El Nino. Even within the 2°C upper limit Arctic summer sea-ice could disappear, parts of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets could collapse, and most coral reefs could vanish. This paper will analyse whether it is possible to reverse climatic changes whilst working on an idea that will allow ‘spaceship Earth’ to travel through the travails of time with no major disruption to its natural rhythm. This paper indicates that climate change is not insurmountable, but humanity must not simply wait passively to minimise climate change consequences. Strangely, global civilisation has become good at continuing with business as usual or tying out traditional, conventional methods that bring little in terms of comprehensive solutions. In truth, no global solution will emerge without a major reframing in the domestic politics of each country interested in effectively addressing climate change (Keohane, 2015). Our leaders follow either mitigation or adaptation to climate change with the last one focusing on actions that take place in response to a changing climate. Whereas what is needed is something more comprehensive, far more preventive and holistic like global healing of the Earth. We need strategies that directly include actions to reduce the magnitude of climate change by understanding the Earth system. We do not need partial, semi-solutions that are to lessen the impact of climate change, clearly we need a prophylactic by giving Earth some time for regeneration. Going beyond the argument in favour of global emissions limitations, this paper will explore possible the response to climate change: organic, regenerative agriculture based on the global village construction set. Success may be hugely dependent on sufficient levels of international cooperation, such as the ones performed at a highly complex, global level negotiations (Paris 2015). Global action should be accompanied​ by thinking locally and implementing solutions that are sustainable for small communities. Consequently, as there is an urgent demand for change, words must be put into action by global leaders who should be in turn wisely informed​ by science. Earth scientists have warned that human-wrought changes may be creating a climate and a biosphere that will become increasingly inhospitable to human civilisation. The Anthropocene may be characterised by unpredictable and possibly abrupt and cataclysmic environmental changes, but there is still time to save civilisation if drastic socioeconomic changes are made to ensure that human activities operate within the 'safe operating space' of our planetary boundaries. From the perspective of time, solving climate change may occur to be a Columbus' egg, which refers to a brilliant idea or discovery that seems quite simple or easy after the fact. As stated by President Obama (2015), "Climate change is not just a danger to be avoided, but an opportunity to be seized." Urban resilience is a city ability to survive, adapt and grow in the face of the many chronic stresses and acute shocks it inevitably experiences. It means assessing and understanding a city's challenges and finding solutions that address many at the same time in a holistic way. The key question that civic engineers should be asking is how to understand Gaia so that to discharge the most catastrophic disasters and built civic infrastructure in agreement with nature so that to rescue human population and communities even before the disaster actually strikes. If we consider the Earth's climate system as a single, integrated whole, the case for monitoring on a planetary scale is compelling (Young, 2012: 89). Future generations might begin to wonder: how come it has taken us such a long time to solve something so simple and why we did not follow the Ariadne's thread leading us to a successful solution? The last major Ice Age ended around 10,020 years ago. Then the climate became more stable, much warmer and more favourable for the civilisation to grow. The combination of a new genetic disposition of humans towards boldness and novelty, plus a favourable environment may have led to the birth of first civilisations (Blaha, 2002; 39). Human communities cannot probably have an impact on the flow of climatic history with its fluctuations resulting in Ice Ages and periods of mild climate. What we can do is to: 1) Try to understand Gaia; 2) Make it more hospitable to our populations and cities; 3) Act, live and build in symbiosis with Gaia while forming a delicate, interdependent balance. The worst projected climate impacts could be avoided by holding warming below 2°C. Such goal remains technically and economically feasible, but only with political ambition backed by rapid action starting immediately. Action is the key to success. The World Bank has warned in 2015 that the Earth is on pace to heat up more than 2°C by this century's end, and possibly as much as 4°C if the worst-case scenario happens. Stern noticed (2015: 7), "Temperature increase of 4 or 5°C or more not seen for tens of millions of years are likely be enormously destructive." Civilisation would not be able to preserve living conditions for all if this scenario should become actuality. As noted by Fuller (2008: 7), "All of humanity now has the option "to make it" by virtue of our having minds, experimenting with problem-solving solutions, discovering principles and being able to employ them to do more with less." With the right push from governments, a virtuous cycle of technological innovation combined with reduced local pollution and rapid adoption of low-carbon technologies can initiate a movement on a sustainable path away from disaster (Wolf, 2015). And "we can make it" when we act together, inclusively and in agreement. We have an obligation do it. We have a responsibility to do it in order to leave a better world for future generations of our children and grandchildren. But if we do not do it, then nobody is going to do it for us.

Election of President Obama as the forty-four President of the United States of America in 2008 m... more Election of President Obama as the forty-four President of the United States of America in 2008 marked a crucial moment in history that calls for a new kind of leadership, capable of addressing complex, global challenges while holding fast to the timeless values that are essential to working of a good society. As the global civilisation develops, it is facing changes and novel challenges, so there is a need to hold to the imperatives that do not change, the foundations on which humans can build their lives despite the uncertainty of the future. Good, inspirational leadership can be compared to a lighthouse because it acts as a guiding light directing or navigating advanced societies to ensure survival, progress and prosperity. Such leadership requires the strength of character to rise above political divisions, conflicts and societal pressures in order to serve the common good of humanity. What we need most is to restore and revive our faith in humanity. We must create a society where people can live with dignity, a society where people can live in peace and happiness. Why America should be at the forefront of these actions. Because American power provides the indispensable basis for global stability today. The only alternative to it is global chaos. Therefore, the United States of America needs prudent, intelligent stewardship, or some kind of enlightened direction. One part of this type of guidance may be having an individual, possibly the President, who ingeniously solves problems, the so-called ‘transformational leader’. The scale of difficulty facing the President and his team is extremely high, because, from a global perspective, there are some serious, structural constraints on what actually President Obama can do. The idea introduced by Constructivism is that agency shapes and shoves the structure, so a capable leader could, first - attempt to convince the global public opinion of the scale of novel, global challenges, and then - attempt to solve them by enacting consequential policies that at its heart have the preservation of common global good. For our civilisation on Earth protecting the global commons must become the number one priority. The megatrends where civilisation needs immediate action are energy, food production, urbanisation, consumption and production. What civilisation needs is even more than that, we need science-based targets to support the global commons. And we need a new narrative for humanity as a global species in control of its long-term destiny, that is preservation of the global - common, public goods. Hope is that the worldview is shifting perceptibly towards planetary stewardship and responsible management of the global commons. To do that global leadership needs to recognise and accept the three essentials of leadership: 1) Humanity; 2) Clarity and 3) Courage. Humanely practising the virtues of the way promotes the influence of the teaching, pacifies this of both high and low positions and elites those who pass by. Someone with clarity follows proper behaviour and just duty, recognises what is safe and what is dangerous, examines people to see whether they are wise or foolish and distinguishes right and wrong. The courageous see things through to their conclusion settling them without doubt, they get rid of whatever is wrong or false. Humanity without clarity is like having a field, but not ploughing it, clarity without courage is like having sprouts but not weeding them, courage without humanity is like knowing how to reap but not how to sow. When all these are present the community thrives. When one is lacking the community deteriorates. When two are lacking the community is in peril. And when there is none of the three the way of leadership is in ruins. And reassuming and based on the above arguments, there is a role for capable global leaders. That is to say, ‘transformational’ leaders can change reality into positive outcomes. This can be accomplished through the ​normative power and the ability to change long-held identities and embedded practices thanks to their self-knowledge and thanks to a deep understanding of fellow civilisations. Ancient sages have provided many interesting maxims to guide peoples, nations and also organised humanity how to live in peace and harmony, how to build dialogue and cherish the value of peace. When leaders look carefully and study these guidelines they could find a common denominator. They could find a great way among the teachings of the sages, learn and practice civilisational understanding based on them. Clarity, humanity and courage are needed for any community to stay strong including the emerging climate community. In addition, as Israel (2018) noticed, "Every community needs to have values, and the world community is no exception to this rule." These values of the world community reflect the moral framework of our civilisation that most of us believe in and consider as the basis for human existence. These included human rights, religious pluralism, participatory governance, protection of the environment, poverty reduction, sustainable economic growth, elimination of weapons of mass destruction, prevention and cessation of conflict between countries, humanitarian assistance, and the preservation of the world’s cultural diversity (Israel, 2018). Doing what is right means protecting these values. Actions align with purpose, as opposed to doing what is desired, is a courageous act because global leaders need to exercise an enlightened interest in building a shared global community. When any individual or leader rises above circumstances by the power of courage, all conditions of life, however dark or grim become like the blanket of mist that disappears with the warm glance of the sun. The sorrows of the normal man are not inherent in the conditions of life. They are born out of the weaknesses of the human mind. So our global leaders must remember a ceaseless motto: "Try to awaken the sleeping hero in yourself, and no sorrow will defeat you and the world will open more windows of opportunity for you." For, example, as Nilsson (2016: 271) noted, "There is widespread agreement that science, technology and innovation (STI) have a role in helping countries tackle social challenges such as climate change, pollution and public health." Providing comprehensive solutions for these global and interconnected problems, however, exceeds the capacity of single states or market forces alone. There is a need to move beyond just governmental cooperation. As Nilsson continues, "By definition, Grand Challenges involve “a need to cooperate worldwide to create public goods (mitigation of climate change, health), or protect the global commons (the environment, fisheries)” (OECD, 2010: 165), calling for action that goes beyond the conventional role played by governments. For policy-makers, thus, the task is how to develop and align new policies and practices to address shared societal problems and enhance the impact of solutions to the problems of tomorrow. However, to do that our global leaders have to abandon egoism and abort luxury and materialism connected with their offices. Instead, they could focus on a bigger picture, on building a sustainable, modernising and vibrant civilisation. Their focus could be appreciating the needs of the younger generation which is evidently stirring. The last and catalytic step in the process of bottom-up climate diplomacy and the vision for building 'a whole earth economy' is the igniting of a broader, social movement of non-violent action that changes hearts, minds, and finally policies toward the right, symbiotic relationship between humanity and the Earth. Young people from all corners of the globe can feel more empowered and show an example of climate diplomacy. Any young leader who would like to implement wider, social change must be a champion of it. If you would like change to be successful, you must lead people towards it. Intelligent leadership is hard to execute because everyone likes progress but no one likes change. ''The global economy today is overwhelming the ability of the earth to maintain life’s abundance.'' (Garver and Brown, 2009). A new mass movement is needed that bears witness to a right way of living on our finite, life-giving planet. The key is giving the world hope that generational challenges such as climate change are no match for people who believe there is no problem we cannot solve together. Think about how our civilisation would look like when next generation of leaders such as Greta Thunberg would become more empowered? Older leaders would have to abort low politics, tribalism and putting their nations first. These are the values reminiscent of the era of rivalry and colonisation. But these long-held identities can be changed thanks to diplomacy, charisma, heroic, ethical and ‘transformational’ leadership that acts primarily through the smart power of dialogue, exchanging ideas, respect and kindness.

The question of how to learn to be more creative has recently gained heightened attention both am... more The question of how to learn to be more creative has recently gained heightened attention both among brain scientists and within various educational institutions, not to mention educational portals and blogs. The key research question that this paper will address is whether music and cosmic music, in particular, can stimulate creative processes in the mind while enhancing the amazing and creative workings of the brain. The current literature and numerous blogs available online on how people get new ideas abound with examples of the latest advancements in neuroscience. These aim to uncover the workings of the most complex and most mysterious object known in nature, namely, a human brain. Previous work has failed to address, however, what is the principal impact of subconsciousness on human lives and how the theory of multiple intelligences can provide for a more accurate, holistic understanding of an individual in modern society. The latest evidence indicates that the brain’s abilities are in fact malleable and plastic. According to the principle of neuroplasticity, the brain is constantly changing, developing and adapting in response to various stimuli. If true and correct, then human brain must likewise respond to cosmic music and meditation. In the end, all humans are the children of the Universe and our future is in the stars. The central question that this paper will answer, is in what specific way cosmic music can affect the workings of the mind for people to become more creative problem-solvers. It is a cosmic melody that creates interesting, new vibratory patterns in the Universe providing a proof for the truth that the Universe is a symphony of vibrating strings. These vibes can be then replayed or recreated in our brains to come up with new connections and original ideas or even ideas on ideas, the so-called meta-ideas. The bass line introduces changes in frequency, or pitch, but these are just repetitive, imitative patterns. Melodies are the ones that are completely new and original. They are the results of the changes in vibration frequencies. They introduce novel arrangements of frequencies with amplitude changes adding further light into our intuition. Melodies can both repeat and go into novel, unexpected directions providing us with better and better ideas, enhancing imagination and leading to infinity. They can move in and out of sync with the back beat and in turn, become constraints or unlimited chances for the emergence of novel vibrations and melodies of the mind. This rapid explosion of diverse melodies ends up with endless, skyrocketing possibilities as further productive improvisation leads to unbelievable levels of interactions where even a more vivid variety of infinite patterns soon begin to emerge. Theoretically, this process could go into infinity providing for the limitless number of patterns and their simultaneous multiple generations. At a first glance, repeated failures during a creative process in response to music stimuli could lead to the perception of creative frustration (He, Yao, Wang and Caughron, 2016; Sapp, 1992) that could produce a mortification of the creative attempts (Beghetto, 2014) and lower perceived self-efficacy (Baumeister and Tice, 1985). However, as some authors have shown, contrary to this stipulation, repeated creative success could generate the opposite overwhelming emotional condition, a sort of ecstasy in front of repeated achievement (Ivcevic and Brackett, 2015). In reality, the durability of this process depends on the person's prerequisite for determination to search for ikiagi, passion and inspiration. As Ivcevic and Brackett (2015: 484) noted, ''The relationship between emotion regulation ability and creativity was mediated by teacher ratings of persistence and passion.'' Perseverance is a key skill since it leads to the build-up of character and character gives hope. ''Collectively, these results provide insight into the role of emotion regulation in bridging the gap between creative disposition and behaviour.'' (Ibid.). For the purpose of this paper, creativity will be defined as changing a way of doing things, or a way of thinking. That, in turn, requires having mastered the old method of doing things. He who overcomes all weaknesses with a firm mind excels. As Confucius says, "To like learning is akin to knowledge; to put it into practice diligently is akin to benevolence; to be conscientious is akin to courage." (Cleary, 2009: 38). Only through conscientiousness can we solve predominant problems of the given era. Problems are usually solved either intuitively or systematically. Intuition is used when no new knowledge is needed - then we know enough to be able to make a quick decision solving the problem instantly, or we can use common sense or experience to do it. But the key to success is feeling. ''Our feelings are central to our learning, our intuition and our learning. They allow us to make sense of rich data sets that our rational brains are not equipped to comprehend.'' (Neumeier, 2013: 41). In fact, ''emotion is not a substitute for reason, but a partner to it. If our rational brains were deprived of emotion even the most banal decisions would become impossible.'' (Ibid.). ''Feeling is a prerequisite for the process of innovation, it powers creativity'' (Ibid.). More complex, unpredictable problems will require a more systematic, not only logical but also the abstract brain to come up with an eureka idea. For this, we will need to use creative thinking. Emotional learning leads directly to intuition, it is 'the ability to think without thinking', to arrive at a solution without the use of logic, to awaken our infinite imagination (Ibid.). Besides, complex problems need the superior processing power of the emotional, intuitive brain. Advanced problem-solving involves also having self-discipline. It is not just about consistently doing something, it is instead about systematically regulating, correcting, and adapting our behaviour to the changing conditions and circumstances of our life. Self-discipline, is, therefore, effectively about proactively training ourselves to follow a specific set of rules and standards that help shape and align our thoughts and behaviours to the task at hand. The quicker a brain can shift between analytical and holistic thinking the more complex, creative and effective the thinker becomes. Scientific studies have confirmed that listening to cosmic music increases performance in our daily tasks and improves divergent thinking. How does it impact on problem-solving skills? Music enhances the cognitive flexibility needed to come up with innovative solutions. The key here is the ability to switch between different concepts and perspectives, trying different approaches rather than coming up with unnecessarily clever ways of solving a problem. The caveat is that not always known and tested solutions are effective, therefore sometimes acquiring a fresh brain stimulated by music is more resourceful rather than seeing the problem from a rigid point of view. Sticking stiffly to our routines, to schemata and proven ways of doing things not always proves successful. Sometimes, there is a clear need for an element of surprise and an unexpected eureka moment or change of established patterns. Problem-solving skills enhanced by cosmic music, maths and a state of prepared mind or the state of flow can contribute as the essential input into the discovery process. A well-balanced brain is very achievable if we are prepared to sometimes break away with routine, do something originally and differently by regularly mixing up both hemispheres and challenging ourselves we can blow the dust out of even the creepiest of cognitive corners. People with problem-solving skills are the fuel that fires the innovation engine (Romer, 2016). That proves the point that what we do and what we accomplish in life is only a tip of the iceberg of what is actually possible for us - impossible is possible. Cosmic music can stimulate divergent thinking, which is a thought process used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. Once we have multiple solutions we can experiment. After that, we are almost there, as through eliminating solutions that do not work we can choose one solution that will be do the job. We have to take time to critically think, do the research, analyse, evaluate etc. Investment in time, developing passion to learn and curiosity to discover are necessities. But they are worth the fruits since the painstaking process of discovery brings results. After the long process, we can reveal our novel idea. Divergent thinking typically occurs in a spontaneous, free-flowing manner, so that many ideas are generated in an emergent cognitive fashion. For many brain scientists and psychologists, this state is known as flow, the true process of discovery and invention. Then we can go with the flow and the only limitation is our imagination.

World-class economists, prominent statesmen, professional organisations, often called think-tanks... more World-class economists, prominent statesmen, professional organisations, often called think-tanks, and farsighted prophets frequently discuss the notion of what should happen in the future, preferably in the current century, to make a world a better place. Often though, these prognoses and predictions are not reliable, not valid or missing a bigger picture. There are many issues waiting for inspired, motivational and collective ‘Yes, we can’ ranging from global climate change, fight against poverty, equal voting rights for women and rights and respect for all children around the world. America as the most powerful state in the world could address global challenges. American leadership, backed up by the enlightened generosity of its people could push global public opinion towards the resolution of global challenges. One issue which has not been named and which requires urgent attention on behalf of the world of politics is the Middle East Peace process. Problem-solving is a vital skill for global leaders, politicians and diplomats. Often the problem as given is misleading, and we have to work through a mass of data to define the real problem, to get to the bottom of the problem. Often this step consumes more time than deriving the solution. For example, Einstein said: “If I were given an hour in which to do a problem upon which my life depended, I would spend 40 minutes studying it, 15 minutes reviewing it and 5 minutes solving it.” This paper will discuss arguments in favour of one possible idea-solution based on the statement that Jerusalem must be shared, while presenting an explanation of why the Israeli-Palestinian peace process needs to be addressed as a priority. It is argued that it will be extremely difficult for parties in conflict to be able to reach a solution by themselves, therefore, they have to be helped. America, with Europe’s help, can do so by defending explicitly the fundamental requirements of genuine peace of reconciliation. Peaceful accommodation between the two parties has to involve a demilitarized Palestinian state. Both parties in conflict need to receive security assurances and the conflict must be resolved immediately through a process of honest, reciprocal negotiations. It is imperative that to be successful negotiations have to be genuinely reciprocal. In the Anthropocene, it is a human agency that largely determines the course of human history and the planet. This means the humans have a purposeful impact on the development of history and on major trends within society. But humans yet need to find an enlightened direction so that to intelligently steer the Earth in the direction She shows, i.e. away from international conflicts and natural disasters. Humans need to act as wise stewards consequentially and consistently renewing the face of the Earth by finding a comprehensive cure so that to heal the planet by reversing climate change. The stars awaken a certain reverence because though always present, they are inaccessible; but all natural objects make a kindred impression when the mind is open to their influence. If nature wears a mean appearance, it is what humans have made it to be. Imagine that the Star has no anger, She advises us to use our imaginations and analytical intelligences to reframe the problem of climate change and natural disasters to generate problem-solving solutions while protecting the victory for the civilisation of Life and Love. To change the system through championing climate norms requires a universal change of life-styles, continued learning, refinement of possible solutions and the process of adaptation. Humanity is entrusted with the great cause of protecting our civilisation of Life and Love. Metaphorically speaking and without sounding overtly religious, humanity lives now in difficult times with many prevailing ethical problems such as a massive global attack by the forces of sin, death and darkness. Many innocent people are perishing as a result of various international conflicts, international catastrophes both natural and man-made, unborn children, the aged and the sick. Each day an estimated fifty thousand children die in their mother’s womb. Many people do not want to have any children at all. Means of destroying fertility and life are becoming more and more common. The human child is becoming a product of modern technology, a donor of cells and organs. Children “are produced” with designated attributes, subject to selection. More and more countries are legalizing euthanasia. Often the values of a healthy family are under undermined. Climate change and natural disasters are making people feel depressed. For example, ''for the first time in history, over half the world’s population now live in cities, many of which are located at rivers, along coastlines, or both. A new study shows that the total urban area exposed to flooding in Europe has increased by 1000% over the past 150 years'' (Paprotny et al., 2018). But our Star watches with patience and with Love all of that while showing a possible pathway of change, a new positive direction, and some wise guidance. The task of every statesman is to tune in, be responsive by actively defending human life and being committed to building a new civilisation by applying problem-solving. Thus, solving international conflicts such as the Middle East conflict and solving the climate crisis would not only save lives but would also represent the unifying force within our civilisation - a kernel of hope signalling a readiness to move to the next level. The key question is how can humans incentivise heads of states to make long-term decisions for the common benefit of mankind? Global leaders need to have a considerable level of wisdom, a sense of proportion, sanity of judgement and faith in the capacity of man to rise to higher mental and spiritual levels. They must turn into doers instead remaining only talkers. They need an extra dose of energy, a positive, renewing spirit to show a decisive and consistent action. When they intervene they need to do it effectively to activate people, to energise people to commit to the common goal of healing the Earth. Alone we are unable to win in that global struggle. In every age, God has been our refuge and the source of limitless hope, so maybe we need to turn to Him again. Long before the creation of the mountains, the land, sea and stars of the night through the endless seasons of all time, God has always been there. (Whitaker, 1988). He will always be. Because He is timeless and eternal overcoming everything through His power. As the Scripture says, ''In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing You will change them, and they will be passed on. But You remain the same, and Your years will never end...'' (Psalm 102: 26). Destiny is often cast, and at His silent word people return to dust and scatter to the wind. Yet, God remains since He is eternal and almighty. A thousand years are like a single moment for Him, as the light that fades at the end of the day. Thus, God wants to turn our eyes away from worthless things; false gods, money-making, self-interest so that to preserve our lives according to His word. This way, the whole Earth will be filled with His Love, cleansed of sin and recreated, reborn, renewed, made whole by His redemptive activity. The major problems in the world such as climate change are the result of the difference between how nature works and the way people think. ''It is for you, mighty kings, that I write these words, so that you may know how to act wisely and avoid mistakes.'' (The Book of Wisdom: 6-10). God wants to teach us His way. For that, we need the help of the Northern Star to lead us to ensure the victory of the civilisation of Life and Love. Resolution of the climate crisis requires both idealism and optimism, ''A commitment to 100 per cent clean energy at home will also ensure that American-made solutions are exported to the rest of the world. American inventiveness has made us a technological leader in the past — we are the country that has, against all odds, put humans on the moon, cured diseases, and ushered in the digital age. That same tenacity can propel us to the 100 per cent clean economy that we need.'' (Gore E., 2019). Energy around the world is both scarce and expensive in economic terms only because humans have not thought cleverly enough about how to capture it, use it in humanely useful terms and make it widely available for all (Hepburn, 2015). As for the second problem, this paper will defend the argument that durable peace of reconciliation will require the genuine sharing of Jerusalem as the capital of two states. The approach​ presented in this paper considers peace as a means and not an end, whilst defending a cosmopolitan and holistic, not instrumental approach to negotiations and peace.

This paper will analyse the style of leadership offered by President Obama and his team. The curr... more This paper will analyse the style of leadership offered by President Obama and his team. The current president came to power in 2008 as the first African American candidate in the history of the United States of America at a time of severe economic crisis. Preceding his inauguration to office there was an urgent need for change and intense spirit of expectation, which implies that the scale of difficulty facing the newly elected President must have been extremely high. Notwithstanding, the President has not only promised change but also brought about effective change. His years of public service have been based on his unwavering belief in the ability to unite people around a politics of purpose. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.” Barack Obama started as an inspirational leader and so remained the rest of his presidency. This does not mean that forty-fourth President of the United States of America has not been serving as ‘the president of action’. As his second term is drawing to an end, the debate resumed on what are some of the tangible achievements of his period in office. What is still to be done in terms of American domestic and foreign policies and what are some of the challenges remaining that have not been addressed by the administration so far? President Obama may well be described as a transformational leader. According to the John F. Kennedy Library (2017), ''Throughout his two terms in office, President Obama upheld the highest standards of dignity, decency and integrity, serving not just as a political leader, but a moral leader, offering hope and healing to the country and providing young men and women of all backgrounds with an example they can emulate in their own lives.'' On key global challenges, Obama put policy above politics, leading America to extraordinary achievements benefiting not only America but also humankind (Ibid.). Therefore, President Obama qualifies to the great man theory, which is a 19th-century idea according to which history can be largely explained by the impact of great men, or heroes; highly influential individuals who, due to either their personal charisma, intelligence, wisdom, or political skill used their power in a way that had a decisive historical impact. This is at least a mythology behind the world's most famous pioneer leaders such as Joan of Arc, Abraham Lincoln, Amelia Earhart, Mahatma Gandhi, Marie Curie who helped contribute to the notion that great leaders are born. In many examples, it seems as if the right man for the job seems to emerge almost magically to take control of a situation and lead a group of people into safety or success. A Scottish philosopher and historian, Thomas Carlyle also had a major influence on this theory of leadership, at one point stating that, "The history of the world is but the biography of great men." According to Carlyle (2015), effective leaders are those gifted with divine inspiration and the right characteristics. It seems that President Obama suits more adequately to the transformational style of leadership which is often identified as the single most effective style. This style was first described during the late 1970s and later expanded upon by researcher Bernard M. Bass. Some of the key characteristics of his style of leadership are the abilities to motivate and inspire followers and to direct positive planetary changes. Transformational leaders tend to be emotionally intelligent, energetic, and passionate. They are not only committed to helping the organization achieve its goals, but also to helping group members fulfill their potential. This paper will discuss what makes him such a unique and effective leader. There seems to be no compelling reason to argue that President Obama is unproductive. It is argued that much of the success of the style of the leadership he has offered is dependent on personal qualities, such as charisma, interpersonal intelligence, a sense of timing and drive for change. American people have long-awaited such talents in their leaders. President Obama’s story will always represent the unique promise of America. This is because President Obama could be considered among the ranks of pioneers of change. President Obama is part of a legacy of courageous trailblazers each of whom took a giant new step, building on sweat, toil, struggle, and sacrifice of slave forebears, to make better nations for the next generation of black Americans and all Americans. "Rosa sat so that Martin could march. Martin marched so Barack could ran. Barack ran so our children can soar higher, faster and stronger as they go." This means that just Mrs. Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., President Obama was part of a larger American story. A story that brings history alive and reinforces the idea that anyone and everyone can use their lives to make a difference. To paraphrase the thought of Bayard Rustin, every community needs a group of angelic troublemakers, people willing to stand up and speak up against the status quo and many students around the world have always been uniquely positioned to do it, to put ideas, visions and hopes into words that can spread across the globe and enact change. American history is the collective story of many, many inspirational people who never gave up and never turned around, but instead always quietly took that next step forward in faith so that their children would be able to go even further and have better lives. And they never lost their passion to help American nations honour its creed of freedom and justice for all. That is why, Barack Obama's story is the story of hope. And those who think that President Obama's project has been already completed and mission has been accomplished should be reminded a simple statement: "Nobody inspires you more than the person who speaks to the greatness whether a leader or an ordinary man that inspires greatness within you." Work by global leaders is unfinished as long as there are unresolved global challenges. In many examples, it seems as if the right man or woman for the job emerge almost magically problems are solved and we can all envisage progress, ''Work that enables us to do so is work that we value and we give ourselves willingly to it." (Adair, 2006: 116). As Kahil Gibran put it, "When work is the expression of love, then motivation will never be our problem." Perhaps, the real challenge of global leadership today is to enable the planet to renew itself while locating, releasing and channelling the power of love that flows from deeper inner springs within us all. This is what the story of President Obama's tells us about powers that each of us can awaken. The challenge that President Obama faced was how to encourage other global leaders to act on key critical challenges such as climate change. As Mahar (2017: 54) noted, ''Leaders high in task focus are not opposed to working with others, but rather focus less on the feelings and needs of individuals and more on attending to the problems that face the administration. As Hermann (1999) noted, problem-solving is one of the primary motivations for seeking office for these leaders. Such leaders are equipped with determination, higher levels of motivation and can generate millions of followers. According to Mahar (2017: 52), ''Goal driven predominant leaders conversely bring specific issues to the table when they take office, for example, climate change, healthcare, or immigration. These leaders are less likely to accept constraints and more likely to manipulate policymaking to suit their own “beliefs, attitudes, passions and principles.'' (Hermann et al., 2001: 89). These leaders score high in task focus, persistence, imaginative ideas, persevering with determination to the very end in solving novel global challenges. Had all global leaders learned critical lessons in 'spacecraft Earth leadership' and had they all been wise, prudent and far-sighted they would have immediately tweaked their global policy choices towards planetary sustainability for the Earth as the time for creating a safe operating zone for the human civilisation might be running out. This paper will answer the question of whether the leadership of President Obama was flawless and whether President Obama combined power and principle in his practice by assessing his eight-year lasting performance. The final stage of the problem-solving process (assuming that President Obama's foreign policy focus was to address these challenges) requires an evaluation of the outcomes, results and effectiveness of the embraced solution process. Top-notch leadership may or may not necessarily be transformational neither transactional, but it will require a careful understanding of the context of change whilst applying multiple intelligences available in the diplomatic corps and services to implement that change to heal the planet.

This paper explores different approaches to solving climate change. Climate change is the definin... more This paper explores different approaches to solving climate change. Climate change is the defining issue of our time and as Diamond (2005) argued in his book, "Collapse" how we respond to such life-threatening phenomena largely determines our ability to survive and overcome them. As weather patterns around the world display extreme conditions, a large majority of scientists present a view that humanity is running the risk of catastrophic climate change that may result in habitability crisis. Historically, when there are severe environmental strains on cultures, civilisations or nations the byproducts were unpredictable and dangerous. If the current trends continue the strain on our global civilisation could me enormous and leading to disruptive events. Human activities from hunting to habitat destruction have already driven countless species to extinction, and despite the reasonable voices of scientists and ecologists, the process is accelerating. The destruction of the Earth and its sustainable indigenous cultures has led to tragedy in almost every place around the world. Meanwhile, scientists have confirmed what indigenous cultures have taught for thousands of years: all forms of life are vitally connected. Removing even a single strand from the web of life produces a widening ripple of catastrophe (Ney and Thompson, 2011: 43). Previous research focused on two broad, problem-solving approaches: 'a global strategy' and 'a sustainable retreat strategy'. Both approaches display strengths and weaknesses. According to the first one, global co-operation mainly through multilateral, summit diplomacy and particularly among world leaders, is a vital element of reaching governmental consensus on climate. The second strategy advocates that humanity ought to be acting locally while implementing methods of a civilised retreat allowing Gaia for a temporary respite. There is a significant gap in knowledge as none of the approaches examine the contention that because climate is 'a global public good' it belongs not only to human beings but also to all Life. Elements of both approaches could be combined to gain a broader and unique perspective. Hence, this paper critiques both approaches and sets an agenda for a new perspective. The focus of research centres on the idea that it is in the common interest of all of humanity to preserve civilisation for future generations. This paper suggests some keys to solving climate change in an intelligent and constructive manner. It suggests that human ingenuity and inventiveness can do it. To save civilisation, secure a better future for the next generations humans will have to allow Earth to restore balance in the natural environment, ecological balance. Our planet needs a respite to return to its natural rhythm that humans have been undermining what resulted in a great imbalance. Mankind needs to work with Earth as a medium so that to listen to the signals Gaia sends. Humanity must enact nature-based solutions and be ready to turn them ''into viable and implementable public policies. Governments have to make choices as to the types of policies to create, the sectors they should cover, ministerial jurisdictions and funding'' (Massey, et al. 2014: 10). Gaia is awakening what results in extreme weather events. Consistent with Toynbee, (1976: 290), who researched and examined ancient Meso-American, Hellenic and Indian civilisations Earth could be compared to a goddess, who can use her powers destructively and malignantly, as well as creatively and benignly. According to these beliefs, "even if Mother Earth can sometimes turn savage, it is no wonder that the weather is morally ambivalent power; for the weather is capriciously inconstant, and its caprice can either devastate the crops by flood or drought or can make them yield a harvest by giving and withholding rain in due season." (Ibid). These ideas were further developed on the grounds of 'Gaia hypothesis' by Lovelock (1972). This theory aims to explain why, unlike other planets in the solar system, the Earth’s atmospheric composition and history alongside physics and chemistry can be explained through a strong influence of biology. It explains the survival of life on Earth for nearly 4 billion years by treating life and the global environment as two parts of a single system. In effect, micro-organisms, plants and animals behave in such a way that the Earth’s environment becomes adjusted to states optimum to their maintenance. This is not a conscious act on the part of the biosphere but instead, it argues that adjustments arise from natural selection (Burroughs, 2012: 342). Given humanity's interference with the climate on Earth, the process of 'Gaia awakening' may be happening either in symbiosis with organised humanity or destructively to it. While Gaia is awakening human consciousness must synchronically become more sensitive to the planet. Each of us can become a global citizen and each of us remains individually responsible to stay informed, to vote and keep politicians and institutions in check. We must be conscious that civilisation has its durability which has certain limits and if they are exceeded, cataclysm might occur. Considering the age, the Earth is still powerful and global leaders must take into account rare events such as the conjunction of planetoid impacts, increased volcanic emissions and eustatic lowering of seal-level which cannot be ruled as impossible. Gore (2013: 374) noted, human civilisation on the planet "has reached a fork in the road, we have long travelled to achieve almost a pinnacle of progress as the most powerful of all predators on Earth, who now can undermine its very own existence.'' Gore (2013: 274) states, "One of the two paths must be chosen. Both lead us to the unknown. But one leads toward the destruction of the climate balance on which we depend, the depletion of irreplaceable resources that sustain us, the degradation of uniquely human values, and the possibility that civilisation as we know it would come to an end." The other pathway leads towards a sustainable future and living within the means of the often underappreciated benefits that our sacred planet provides for us. The essence of living green, of being global citizen respecting Gaia is neither naive optimism nor a predisposition to pessimism. If humanity can think about itself as a part of a giant living organism and a cause of Gaia's ailing, equally, we may be guided to live within the limits of our planet in a way that is seemly and healthy (Lovelock, 1991: 20). Humans can never be healthy in a world without wilderness, clear air, crystal blue oceans and beautiful parks. Despite the potential ruthless destructiveness of nature, Earth is not yet at war with us. Earth might be though seriously outraged. In truth, Earth is humanity's best friend, the almighty Protectress of life, the Goldilocks planet that ''has been, so far and all in all, just right for life: not just right at any one time, but continuously so for three billion years'' (Zalasiewicz, 2012: 2). Earth has no hatred, but she also has no fear. Gaia is awesome, fraternal and maternal. It is impossible to lessen her, to humiliate her or to irritate her. Mother Nature loves all Earth’s children unconditionally being resilient against human harm. After so many catastrophes, She still sends her Love to all the peoples from heavens expecting that caring humanity will be responsive by rearranging civilisation wisely with respect for Life and Love. Earth is our shelter and wants to give us everything we need to live intelligently, in good health and with dignity. As Attenborough (2019) noted, ''Each community on the planet has been blessed with a special kind of energy, such as wind, solar, hydro-electric, biomass, hydrogen, geothermal. Each region can help humanity choose a wise symbiosis.'' Thinking this way, however, are we not closer to establishing a world government? And is it a better tool for managing climate than ineffective leaders chosen by materialistically motivated populous? A coevolutive symbiosis has to lead to an economy not based on exploiting fossil fuels. Instead, humans have to create a new economy that is based on restorative and regenerative growth. Stop digging fossil fuels and wisely rearrange civilisation by halting deforestation, restoring forests and investing in clean sources of energy. This energy shift needs to happen well before the fossil fuel reserves are exhausted. Policy decisions to subsidise an energy source can influence investment decisions. Our cities can live in symbiosis with nature. Decision-makers have the tools to do the job of abandoning fossil, but we need a strong, united and global response that is more than an aspiration on the piece of paper. Humanity is running out of time, but there is still hope. We need the political will, a degree of persistence and readiness to act wisely with a long-term goal in mind and following the right strategy.

The role of sound theory in the outcome of strategic endeavour is not to be underestimated. As it... more The role of sound theory in the outcome of strategic endeavour is not to be underestimated. As it has been often widely believed that that a superior theory of strategy is an important determinant of military effectiveness. The importance of good strategy suggests strategic theory to be highly relevant, but the difficulties arising whilst formulating such a strategy also entail developing good strategic theory to be highly problematic. Despite obvious difficulties, there are some timeless, universal principles of war and warfare that regulate achieving a strategic victory. The key research question is why theory is of value for the practice of strategy. The main objective of the research question is to show why having a good theory is important, what benefits it may bring, but at the same time, to point to the limits of theory. Previous works have failed to address the research question by going to the theoretical roots - examining classical works of strategic theory, i.e. the worldviews of Clausewitz ‘On War’, Sun Tzu ‘The Art of War’ and Jomini ‘The Art of War’. Above theoretical works, regarded as the founders of modern military thought, perform an educating function, enabling students of war to understand the central elements of warfare. The focus of the paper is analysing effective strategies in practice of successful, legendary leaders such as: A) Alexander the Great, B) Elizabeth I, C) Miyamoto Musashi and D) Jan III Sobieski. Since only by learning from historical case studies practitioners of strategy are able to develop an independent analysis. Could so distant theoretical works be still applicable even at the present time? The big idea confirms the continuing dominance of Clausewitz, who uses the concept of theory in connection with his attempt to identify the nature or essence of war, and whose contribution to the study and understanding of war remains relevant even in the Age of Technology and Information. Equally, Sun Tzu’s writings are as pertinent today as they were when written in 500 B.C. to the extent that it is difficult to juxtapose and compare between two great thinkers as they were writing and observing warfare at different epochs. The paper answers the research question through a method of careful, critical analysis of case studies. The main results indicate that strategic theory has less significance when juxtaposed with the concept of strategic genius of enlightened global unification. No superior theory of strategy can overcome a strategic genius. One educated person who had mastered the art of strategy in total could defeat the whole army. It takes bravery, but it can be done. Analytical pointer suggests now is time to combine great traditions of the West and East in the service of global peace, not war. It is vital to search for a common ground, particularly between the United States and China, rather than constantly counterpoising these civilizations and strategic traditions of Clausewitz and Sun Tzu against one another. Irresponsible speculation, i.e. which tradition is better or which is more relevant to contemporary realities is inadequate as it may bring about self-fulfilling prophecies in the scale of apocalyptic consequences. The study of war is a necessary condition for maintaining peace what has been neglected, particularly recently in the age of media saturation. It is vital, thus for strategic analysts to prudently choose topics of their analyses to help in establishing peace rather than inciting irresponsible speculation on war. The paper advances the knowledge and practice in strategic studies by designing an innovative theory of strategy based on the gospel peace - ‘the true way of strategy as a warrior’ by synchronising global civilisation with the Mother Earth ensuring a favourable climate for mankind. The gift of civilisation just as the gift of peace is very precious, therefore, it needs to be cherished and boldly protected. As the spirit of the times is dynamic and always changing throughout history, and so are civilizational norms and laws that govern it, humanity has to carefully look after and treasure what is really the most important for all peoples and for sustaining all life on the planet Earth. Amidst all the adverse change, we humans are doing to Earth as a result of industrialisation and development of civilisation, Earth has been patient, transforming herself in adjustment to human negligence. But now it us who must start to listen and finally synchronise human civilisation with the living planet. We must reduce in extent and severity the change we are generating to quell the fury of her transformation. At the end try to remind ourselves of the worthy words, “Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” (Crazy Horse, Tasunké Witkô, 1840-1877). War is not obsolete yet, but the world needs to be redirected from weaponry to livingry -'the world of livingry.' The discovery of a pioneering, path-breaking and enlightened ‘Alexandrian solution’ could offer help. Alexandrian solution is an example where innovation emerged from the depths of problem-solving. The case study of Alexandrian solution serves as testament to the transformative power of confronting challenges with ingenuity, adaptability, and an unwavering commitment to finding path-breaking solutions. In essence, the lesson for strategists of the modern era from Alexander of Macedon is that innovation is not merely about creating new products or services; it is about identifying problems that hinder progress and devising solutions that unlock new possibilities. It requires a mindset that embraces challenges as opportunities for growth, curiosity as a driving force, and collaboration as a means of amplifying creativity. Such an innovative, Alexandrian solution inspired by cultural fusion between different civilisations could accelerate clean energy transition connecting the world of the East with the West, and the North to the South, in turn, overcoming the energy crisis, halting addiction to fossil fuels, reducing health crisis, ameliorating self-fulfilling prophecies and serving as a catalyst for East-West, North-South global unification. Culture is condensed wisdom that each civilisation treasured for centuries of human development. Civilizations have spent thousands of years figuring out the best norms and values through trial and error. If civilisations and Great Powers can globally share culture and do not compete over cultural norms leading to unnecessary security dilemmas, security competitions and self-fulfilling prophecies, they will be likely the ones who will survive the 21st Century. Making 'the whole world switch' by switching to clean energy sources is an important step which would allow other changes to happen more easily. But in order to achieve clean energy transition fully, the world needs to revaluate current political structures and societal norms, which tend not to value nature. One way of doing that is by improving existing environmental policies and regulations, as well as removing and reforming harmful policies. Living in harmony with the living planet could become a new grand strategy for the global civilization. Perhaps, this way, through Earth-Humankind synchrony, all humanity would have the chance of becoming enduringly successful; ensuing 21st Century is balanced, peaceful and the planet healthy. Instead of geopolitical competition, conflict and war in the Eurasian continent. Since the aim of the paper is to serve as a modest contribution to the cannon of great works in military history, its function is to be part of the solution to the problem of war to save next generations from the scourge of uncivilised war.

This paper discusses economic context of each of the models of global development mentioned in th... more This paper discusses economic context of each of the models of global development mentioned in the title, outlining and evaluating advantages and disadvantages of each while concentrating on the appeal each model exerts now and in the future. Such method is applied in order to compare respective attractiveness and finally predict which model of development is likely to be the most successful in the world, in the twenty-first century. The paper excels in an ability to critically inspect more than one aspect of an issue, thus questions and challenges of historical prediction are discussed. By analysing globalization forces, aspects of the International Political Economy (international trade, the international monetary and financial system; multinational corporations, economic development and inequality), the geopolitical balance of power, historical context, distribution of wealth and word systems theory, modernisation theory, dependency theory and post-development theories, the paper will point in which direction systemic forces are tending. Which economic model could exert the greatest influence? On which model efforts in emulation should be focused on? Based on an examination of extended periods of time and historical forces, the paper will draw conclusions from historical trends and patterns. It will also discuss which economic models are likely to be imitated or adopted. In the longue durée of economic history, beyond, or beneath, the cycles and structural crises, lie ’’old attitudes of thought and action, resistant frameworks dying hard, at times against all logic.’’ (Braudel, 1958: 733). The development of the world economy is strongly influenced by three major phenomena that seem to be accelerating beyond the control of any system determining which model of development will be the most appealing. These are: demography, the worldwide interdependence of official and private actions, and scientific and technological progress. Critically building on the theory of environmental determinism, the paper will discuss arguments in favour of the factors which predispose societies and states towards particular development trajectories. The importance of geography like the constraints placed by the natural environment upon human production and communication will be inspected. Equally, the importance of geography in the context of Global Political Economy will be highlighted, more specifically: the effects of terrain on trade and productivity, i.e. why population densities tend to concentrate on coastlines and why states with large coasts benefit from higher average incomes compared to those in landlocked countries. The effects of climate on productivity, e.g. climate water navigability impact on economic growth and GDP per capita (studies by Paul Krugman, Jared Diamond and Jeffrey Sachs). By using variables to measure environmental determinism, such as: climate, land composition, latitude, and the presence of infectious disease, trends in worldwide economic development on local, regional and global scales will be predicted. Based on 'The Limits to Growth' theory, it will be deduced that given the possibility of exponential economic and population growth with finite supply of resources being reduced alternative theories such as Earth system justice could have more bearing on the discussion about the optimal, global development model. At the same time, deterministic theories will not be treated as magical ‘theories of everything’. An opposite way of thinking about the financial system is that it is a highly complex system, made up of a very large number of interacting components that are asymmetrically organized into a network. When economists accept the idea that global economy operates as a complex system, it may be assumed that certain complex systems are wholly non-deterministic. It would be next to impossible therefore to make predictions about the future. To speculate about the most likely appealing models of global development based only on past data is futile. The task is difficult as experts cannot see into the future. The factors affecting economies are too numerous and complicated to predict with accuracy into the long-term future. Economic predictions are notoriously unreliable. Sometimes, economic gurus can make slight misjudgements, but there are plenty of times when they miss the mark altogether. Yet, many experts tend to believe that economics can change the world. Without economics, it is impossible to affect any substantive change. Economics is the study of scarcity and its implications for the use of resources, production of goods and services, growth of production and welfare over time, it is the driving energy of society. Consequently, what is required is a coherent theory behind long run processes of systemic change and these are best modelled separately, and not as part of a fully integrated development model that imparts false notions of determinism and precision. Finally, the economy is waking up to its dependency on nature. Global development of the twenty-first century is unlikely to be focused singularly on one of the above-mentioned models. It is more likely that it will be focused on a hybrid or none of them. However, critics would respond that the future development has to be based on some existing blueprint. Therefore, looking to nature for inspiration to solve problems in a regenerative way, this paper constitutes a quest for economic development model that respects the planet’s ecosystem. What if the global development model protected people and the planet? The preferred model discussed is: sustainable model of global development, i.e. the model for the creation of regenerative communities that strives to provide a healthy environment for all people and living systems. However, it is unclear whether policy makers will implement it. Thus, the search for the most appealing model could be compared to the search for the Holy Grail - such a task is very difficult and the model could hardly exist, if at all. It is difficult to equivocally state on which economic theories the model for the creation of regenerative communities will build on. Therefore, it is not justified to discuss simply which economic model is likely to prevail. Policy makers, economic planners and world’s leaders will have to make smart choices while the globalization processes are unstoppable and accelerating. Lessons amongst countries can be shared and the relevant models adopted to meet each country’s independent conditions. Although there is unlikely to be a model that is universally applicable for every country or every part of the world, having conducted an objective analysis, two general observations are evident: earthly societies and political systems with no exception are addicted to economic growth as much as to fossil fuels. Economic growth has taken precedence over environmental protection on the premise that raising living standards for people now must have priority over preserving nature for future generations. But this way of thinking runs into trouble when the destruction of natural capital rises to such a height that it blocks growth itself. (Thomas, 2023). The crucial question is whether runaway climate change puts to rest the growth-versus-environment dichotomy, necessitating that they be seen as the two sides of the same coin. The answer is an unambiguous yes at the global level, and a qualified yes at the country level (Ibid.). The adoption of the new model of global development would have to follow the cutting of the Gordian knot of global civilization’s addiction to economic growth and fossil fuels. Societies would be faced with another challenge though. Namely, how to reinvent the economic system? This is the question of how to reform capitalism, thus the concept of regenerative capitalism refers to business practices that restore and build rather than exploit and destroy. The argument goes that current growth model served politicians and big corporations – the wealthiest in our society - well for a long time, but it is not environmentally sustainable. At the very least, this is the case for all already more-than wealthy countries. Besides, the quicker the world makes a transition to a truly sustainable economic system – one that does not depend on endless growth – the easier it will be to phase out the use of fossil fuels in time to avoid catastrophic climate change (Tønnessen, 2013). Economic growth will become sustainable only if governments, political actors, and local communities combine natural disaster prevention and controlling climate change into national growth strategies. When considering all types of capital, particularly human capital, climate action can drive economic growth, rather than hinder it (Thomas, 2017). The winners of the world crises are ten percent of the overconsuming wealthy, the overpopulated planet pursues reckless growth models, but positive change takes longer than expected. The limits to growth, in twenty-first century usage, refers to the limits of the ecosystem to absorb wastes and replenish raw materials in order to sustain the economy (the two populations of dissipative structures). Climate change is not a problem; it is a symptom of an ailing planet - God’s most brilliant gift to humanity, protesting against growth.

W niniejszej pracy ukazana jest ewolucja w jaki sposób kształtowała się kategoria siły zbrojnej w... more W niniejszej pracy ukazana jest ewolucja w jaki sposób kształtowała się kategoria siły zbrojnej w prawie międzynarodowym, jakie były ramy prawne jej organiczenia, jak przedstawia się współcześnie zasada powstrzymywania się od groźby użycia siły lub jej użycia, która została zamieszczona w Karcie Narodów Zjednoczonych oraz jakie są wyjątki od stosownia tej zasady. Wskazane są kwestie związane z użyciem siły, które budzą najwięcej wątpliwości na gruncie współczesnego prawa międzynarodowego. W pracy ocenie poddana jest skuteczność zasady użycia siły, omówione jest jej znaczenie we współczesnym prawie i stosunkach międznarodowych oraz ukazane są wyzwania i niebezpieczeńtwa jakimi staje u progu XXI wieku.

This paper will assess the alleged relevance of the realist thinking in International Relations b... more This paper will assess the alleged relevance of the realist thinking in International Relations by answering the question whether Realism still dominates the theory and practice of International Relations. Examination of some core theoretical assumptions of Realism and assessment of the continuing significance of the realist thinking during the Cold War period and after will be undertaken with regard to both theory and practice. To answer the key research question whether Realism is still dominant, arguments against and in favour of the claim will be presented. Based on evidence, the line of argument establishes that although the realist depiction of International Relations, with its stress upon the distribution of power, provides an important departure and continuous insight, not to mention the ‘timeless wisdom’ into the understanding of the behaviour of states, it is not in itself definitive as Realism has some noticeable weaknesses. This paper begins from the premise that although Realism alone is insufficient for understanding of contemporary international relations, its insights remain necessary to that enterprise. The method adopted is Toulmin model of argument, which serves as a basis for structure and organization. The big idea is an elucidation on ‘an enlightened Realism’, which confirms the continuing validity of Realist principles throughout history. It is explained through a juxtaposition between statecraft by Henry Kissinger and Zbigniew Brzezinski. Despite arguments questioning the relevance of the classical paradigm Realism is nowhere near becoming irrelevant in the practice of some states. Whereas the discipline has witnessed an astounding flourishing of numerous post-classical theories of International Relations. Despite emergence of such new theories, it is reasonable to suggest that Realism has not become obsolete. Undeniably, Realism produces numerous prolific critics, perhaps deservedly, because in its power political mode, it provides instrumental interpretation of the international system. Some would argue even, immoral examination of international politics, as opposed to a normative one, unlocked by the study of alternative International Relations theories, such as the English School, Constructivism, Feminism, Green theories or Global Environmentalism. It will be argued, however, that scholars of international politics cannot totally discard the Realist paradigm since security, rather than economic development, still remains the most important concern for many states in the developing world (although emancipation concerns are coming to the fore as well). Realism’s applicability and ability to explain the current international politics remains unparalleled. Although the world is changing (45% of the world is democratic), in certain fundamentals, it has not changed as much as many contemporary International Relations theorists believe. To a large extent, it remains characterised by anarchy, and its attendant logic of self-help and struggle for survival. The world is still decentralised, the key political actors are states which are competitive. This confirms Realist analyses of power politics with states compelled by their anarchic environment to act in a ‘functionally undifferentiated’ manner while using capability advantages to gain more influence over outcomes based on power accumulation, as timeless. In other words, Realism as one of not many theoretical paradigms remains relevant despite the passing of history, in other words, it aspires to explain events even beyond history as it is the longest tradition of thinking about international political reality. Thus, Realism remains essential to understanding states’ choices and actions. Consequently, despite the emergence of postpositivist approaches, it would be incorrect, some would argue even naïve, to state that Realism is not dominant. However pessimistically it may sound, based on data and evidence of states' practice Realism persists. Realism is far from being an exhaustive theory though, neither has it existed without evident limitations, nor has it remained universally applicable to all times and epochs (despite claims for it being beyond history, i.e. being relevant in all epochs), but its savage, simplistic variant is still evident in the world. Whether in brutal acts of war, acts of avenge, revanchism, competition and breaking of human rights, Realism is still unrivalled when it comes to the conduct of states in the non-democratic world. However, Realism's influence is not monolithic when it comes to theory. Realism persists in acts of states only when weak leaders sacrificing integrity and objectivity decide to allow so, for example, by not disarming an aggressor in time, or by turning a blind eye to unlawful military interventions, or by not being guided by ethics. Hard military power counts for more in the context of international politics than it does in democratic domestic politics. In international relations, conquest, or pure coercion, is not leadership, but mere dictation. In other words, 'offensive' Realism exists, as long as, weak leaders who are on top of states follow the realist precepts and its attendant logic of competition, rivalry, carnal revenge and retort to war. In so doing though dictators put whole societies as well as liberal order in danger. In contrast, strong leaders help groups create and achieve shared goals. Successful transformational leadership is about change. When strong leaders allow for the possibility of transformation of the structure towards security community, then the realist logic no longer holds true and is not accurate. Realism and neo-realism are unable to explain structural change in world order. In line with the evidence, although Realism is not definitive (i.e. even weak leaders have alternatives and societies have democracy to choose strong leaders), it is alive and well, and it looks like it is not likely to disappear anytime soon from both theory and practice of International Relations. Primitive, savage and brutal elements are unfortunately still visible in 21st century civilized world. What can IR scholars do to make Realism less dominant in both IR theory and practice of states? The relationship between theory and practice is that of mutual, dual causality. If Realism persists on top echelons of power, it persists also in the practice of states. To change this, scholars have to initiate a theoretical innovation among the top most powerful statesmen. Realism persists unless IR scholars are actively engaged in innovative refinement and eclectic creation of new theories which could then be, in turn, readily applied by strong, transformational leaders, i.e. leaders who believe in change and bring about real, multiple social change. In principle, good theories lead to good policies since policy problems inspire theoretical innovation. Theories inform policy although policy makers pay relatively little attention to the vast theoretical literature in International Relations. If this trend could be reversed, if more scholars would become more interested in doing policy-relevant work and if more policy makers started to listen to IR scholars, then this would enable more effective bridging of the gap between theory and policy. If it is accepted that the point of IR theory is to enable a convergence in which political theory meets practice. Then, such an analytic activity could be, thereby leading to a smoother and swifter transfer of new, well crafted, fine-tuned, and more innovative theories strengthening 'transmission belt' from theory to policy. This would be followed by implementation of effective, successful policies to enable peaceful change though within the system, in actual reality, leading to the innovative and technological transformation of the whole system. Perhaps, even civilizing the International Society in the way that some of the English School scholars have long time ago envisaged. Creative, original ideas exist, but they are rarely applied by policy makers and statesmen who often discard eco-movements, feminist, postmodernist, pospositivist theories. Thus, if scholars and academics produce useful knowledge, as for example with the theory of 'an enlightened Realism', such constructive ideas could be implemented into the practice of statecraft. When successful, research for policy’s sake could perform an enlightenment function of social sciences (this metaphor illustrates the role of a theory in understanding the world of IR - we can only shed light on what is known, and even then, we cannot be 100% certain about the activity of theorising, for what is unknown remains in the darkness) making the discipline more diverse and the world a better place. Reminding at the same time that each of the theories whether classical or post-classical, reveal only part of truth about contemporary international political reality, and thus, from this standpoint, none is sufficiently satisfactory.

From the perspective of a local community, understanding social networks and relationships within... more From the perspective of a local community, understanding social networks and relationships within communities can inform research of local bias, discrimination and inter-related accepted community behaviours. The cycle of deprivation of generations remaining on government social benefits displays an attitude that not working is acceptable. People born into such a culture of non-work may well react very differently by having aspirations to improve themselves, through parents encouraging and supporting their children to do well academically to obtain good jobs. Encouraging spontaneous changes through local activism is more effective than any imposed by outsiders, e.g. central Government. This is because effective empowerment of local communities, for instance by taking ownership of practical relevant interventions; living by a set of rules and principles, allows for more civilised behaviours within society. Local people must take responsibility. However, if not handled sensitively, carefully, with appropriate in-depth ethnographic local knowledge, it is possible to do damage whilst attempting to encourage positive betterment. Activism has played a major role in ending slavery, challenging dictatorships, protecting workers from exploitation, protecting the environment, promoting equality for women, opposing racism, and many other important issues. Social activists build connections among communities and influence social change. Activism combats helplessness and hopelessness. To build self-efficacy we can join a cause such as improving local community or volunteering thereby broadening horizons. We can catalyse a new social contract for education by believing in change and bringing about large-scale change and innovation in education. This can be achieved through connecting millions of individual and collective acts of courage, leadership, creativity, and care. A new social contract needs to overcome discrimination, marginalization, and exclusion. We must dedicate ourselves to ensuring truth, justice, love and freedom and the rights of all regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, age, or citizenship status. A massive commitment to social dialogue, to thinking and acting together, is needed globally and it can start with reforming education. Education is the foundation for the renewal and transformation of our societies. It mobilizes knowledge to help us navigate a transforming and uncertain world. The power of education lies in its capacities to connect us with the world and others, to move us beyond the impossible. Education helps us to believe in infinite possibilities, it makes the impossible possible; it also helps to unite us around collective endeavours by providing the science, knowledge and innovation we need to solve common challenges. Education builds character, broadens horizons, nurtures understandings and builds capabilities that can help to ensure that our futures are more socially inclusive, economically just, and environmentally sustainable. Education enriches our learners and uplifts our schools making communities more resilient. It shows the importance of human dignity, hard work, tolerance while helping to grow. Thanks to education we become caring citizens with respect for our fellow human beings and for all Life. This essay shows that local activism works in real life. Generating waves of social activism can work miracles not only from the perspective of the economic development. Being a good global citizen is not just about voting, earning a living and not breaking the Law. It is about participating in a wider community where learning to behave, govern yourself in an acceptable manner, gain education, promote the dignity of the human person, help the less fortunate, look after the planet and fight crime, is fundamental to ‘self-help’ that gives us hope that social challenges will be solved. We are at a critical moment of transformation of our societies. Are we not? Or, is actually every human epoch on the trajectory of time, an hour of change and challenge and an age of both knowledge and ignorance? If so, then every moment in the capsule history of planetary progress, every relative second teaches us that we must not await to rest, nor to wait, but become doers: ''Seek and savour the things which are above. This duty in no way decreases, but rather increases, the weight of our obligation to work with all people in building a more human world.'' (John Paul II, 2003: 101). A civilisation where people understand how viable cities are and what awesome potential they have. Every city would like to participate in its own way in local or wider, global energy transition by making their own contribution to solving climate change. Creating more green jobs, transforming homes to be energy-efficient, schools and parks into solar, green and clean places, making the cost of energy economically available to everyone, and unlocking the potential that has always existed in cities such as Hull can shine an example for the world. We cannot let our eagerness for progress in energy and in technology outstrip our care for our land, for clean water access and for clean air, and for the plants and animals that share all of these precious, vital resources with us. As President Carter (1980) stated, ''Every time we dig out minerals or drill wells, every time we ignore erosion or destroy a sand dune or dump garbage or create pollution, we are changing the living Earth. Sometimes this change might be beneficial, but we should always change the world in which we live with great care.'' Technological progress should not involve acting against the living planet, passing the tipping points and planetary boundaries; instead it should entail tapping into her awesome powers which are designed for humans but which are also created for our care and stewardship. As Karim Amin (2022) said, ''Nothing in life is black and white and so is our energy transition journey. We know that fossil fuels are no longer the answer but neither is a complete and sudden stop of gas fired power generation.'' Solutions that seemed so evasive, so obscured earlier now appear effortlessly, they become to gain a clear, visible shape, ''The bond of our common humanity is stronger than the divisiveness of our fears and prejudices. God gives us the capacity for choice. We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can choose to work together for peace. We can make these changes – and we must.'' (Carter, 2002). We all have the duty, a global responsibility - to ourselves and to our descendants, to the environment and to the world itself - to protect and restore nature, clean our air, revive our oceans, build a waste-free world, conserve and preserve, to reuse, but above all, to think before we act, and always to care. As President Carter (1980) noted, ''But we must never forget that as vast and dark and forbidding as the forests may seem, they are very fragile; and as wide and as boundless as the oceans may, they are quite vulnerable. For all that the Earth has given us, we owe it our respect and, more importantly, our understanding. We are the stewards of an irreplaceable environment. That is an awesome task as well as a precious gift.'' By tapping into the boundless talent of our city we can transform it to become 'a city worthy of man' built in dignity and partnership with all peoples since culture is shining torch of civilization. By tapping into infinite forces of nature e.g. earth, solar, wind, water and heart we can build a green port with a brighter and carbon neutral future for all generations. Everything humans have needed to survive, and thrive was provided by the natural world around us: food, water, medicine, materials for shelter, and even natural cycles such as climate and nutrients. Despite Earth's enormous powers, the true power comes from within peoples and their ability to pass the baton of progress to next generations. The ultimate responsibility of saving the planet rests with the people of Earth based on humane coexistence in justice, peace, freedom and solidarity. Governments can limit climate change by following wise policy choices, divesting away from fossil fuels towards renewables so that private capital can follow. If we can transform one settlement, we can also change a village, and if we can do the same with a town, then we can uplift a country, then all countries, and equally a civilization. Hope is such a transformational energy that illuminates with infinite solutions. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Only a faithful person who rules his spirit in temperance and hope can help educate young generations of children, the young 'leaders of tomorrow' who in the world of tomorrow will make the great decisions, who are our future and who are yet to become more caring about natural environment and planet and more aware of the amazing possibilities that it encompasses.

If the end of the Cold War marked one of the greatest turning points in the field of internationa... more If the end of the Cold War marked one of the greatest turning points in the field of international politics of the late twentieth century, September 11 was a reminder that the international order that has come into being as a result was not one that has found definite acceptance and universal recognition in every place on the globe. As the debate about the extent to which September 11 changed global politics continues, this essay seeks to investigate whether, how and to what extent the events of the early twenty-first century really presage fundamental, as opposed to merely epiphenomenal, shift in world politics. What will be argued is that without denying the obvious importance of September 11 and its impact on global public opinion – that world politics displays far more continuity than change. (Kennedy-Pipe & Rengger 2006:540) Certainly, events from September 11 exerted a great shock on millions of people around the world, but rather than heralding a new era in world politics the events were symptomatic of certain key aspects of world politics that should be familiar to all serious students of the field but which, for a variety of reasons seem to have been forgotten in the aftermath of attacks. (Ibid.) In fact, we can only understand the events form September 11 if we understand the history of the cold war. As Layne (2006: 2) noticed, ''after the Soviet collapse, the United State stood head and shoulders above the rest of the world, militarily and economically. The United States, moreover, was imbued with an expansive conception of its world role and its interests.'' This was the moment to exercise strategic restraint by adopting a prudent, far-sighted grand strategy. Indeed, ''by removing the only real check on U.S. power, the Soviet Union's demise presented the United States with the opportunity to use its capabilities to exert more control over - to ''shape'' - the international political system and simultaneously to increase its power.'' (Ibid.) This is a great power trap that almost all great powers fall into. As Layne (2006: 2) clarified, ''when the risks of doing so appear low - and the potential rewards appear high - states with lost of power usually succumb to the temptation to use it. In the years since the cold war the United States has extended its strategic reach because it has had the motive, means, and opportunity to do so.'' This paper will evaluate whether September 11 attacks really changed everything. It seems to reasonable to agree with Layne (2006: 2) that after September 11, as before, geopolitical dominance has been the ambition of the United States, ''If anything, 9/11 gave the Bush II administration's 'hegemonists' a convenient - indeed, almost providential - rationale for implementing policies they would have wanted to pursue in any event, including 'regime change' in Iraq (and possibly Iran); the projection of U.S. power into the Middle East and central Asia; a massive five-year defense build up, which when completed, will result in U.S. military outlays exceeding the combined defense budgets of the rest of the world's states.'' By making wrong policies when at the height of its power, the United States decisionmakers underestimate the possibility that other actors will emerge and balance against U.S. dominance. U.S. hegemony fuelled terrorism against the United States by groups such as al Qaeda. As Layne (2006: 7) noticed, ''In this respect, 9/11 itself is a reminder that U.S. predominance has spawned new, 'asymmetric' responses to U.S. preeminence.'' In short, the Bush II administration has sought security by expanding U.S. power and pursuing hegemony by doing so it has squandered the chance of legitimate global leadership that has been vested by the whole International Society. Whatever is thought about the claim that September 11 irrevocably transformed global politics it cannot be denied, however that for many Americans it was a cataclysmic event. (Kennedy-Pipe 2008:406)

This essay deals with the criteria for statehood laid down in the Montevideo Convention on the Ri... more This essay deals with the criteria for statehood laid down in the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States signed in 1933. Art. l of the Montevideo Convention says, ''The State as a person of international law should possess the following qualifications: (a) a permanent population; (b) a defined territory; (c) a government; and (d) capacity to enter info relations with the other States.‟ (Crawford 2006: 45-46). However, such defined criteria of states recognition in effect encompassing a principle of effectiveness have characterized the international system as such before 1945. As Zadeh (2021: 18) noticed, ''The Montevideo Convention is a relatively old, inter-American convention, with few ratifications.'' In actual fact, the predominance of the Montevideo criteria may reflect the lack of a better model rather than the sufficiency of Montevideo itself. (Warbrick 2003: 221). The main hypothesis is that we live in a globalized, interconnected world of today that has witnessed a period of decolonization. That is the end of the Cold War gave rise to a strong push-forward of Globalization, i.e. in particular the economic (liberalization) and political dimensions pushed a modification of the modern state. It is a process whereby states borders seems to be disappearing so the provision of these criteria may pose many serious problems from the perspective of international law. It is often the case that participating in international relations means that the state needs to be first recognized by other states. Consequently, the convention could do with an update on all four criteria, as this essay will attempt to discuss whilst criticizing the criteria. Conventional approaches in determining State creation emphasise and focus on statehood criteria and recognition theories. However, the practice of State creation shows that statehood criteria alone are inadequate for determining when a State emerges. Basically, for over a century there has been a great debate between the ''declarative‟ and ''constitutive‟ schools of thought on statehood. According to the “declaratory” theory of recognition, which is supported by international practice, the act of recognition signifies no more than the acceptance of an already-existing factual situation—i.e., conformity with the four criteria of statehood. Although the declaratory approach to recognition is generally favoured over the constitutive one, under limited circumstances, (collective) recognition could nevertheless have constitutive effects. According to Zadeh (2021: 1), ''The declaratory theory prescribes that recognition of a State by existing States is nothing more than expressing the willingness to enter into relations with that State: in other words, accepting the existing conditions of statehood.'' Recognition as a declaratory process reflects the realist account of international relations since recognition is a declaration of material facts - government declare a fact, check four criteria and then a State joins a club. Recognition that a State exists involves exercising power and recognizing four criteria of statehood. However, in reality much depends on whether the government has effective control. The government must be capable of exercising effective authority over the territory and its population (Crawford, 1977: 116-119). One of the main problems with a declaratory understanding of recognition is that it is too mechanical. It suggests that the process of recognition is given and that this state of affairs will always continue. Declaratory theory is not always true, for example, Taiwan complies with the four criteria of statehood, but it is not a sovereign state as it is not recognized, it belongs to China. The second theory is the “constitutive” theory, which in contrast, contends that the act of recognition itself actually creates the state. As Zadeh (2021: 2) noted, ''according to the „constitutive‟ theory, a State only becomes a State by virtue of recognition by the other States.'' The constitutive theory is not about recognizing any material set of facts, it is not simply about accepting the projection of power. Through the process of recognition, the international society of states endows a State with a legal personality. Only through that process can a State claim legal rights that come from being a State and some legal responsibilities. Historically, there were different criteria attached throughout different periods of time. Hedley Bull (1977), who described a developmental process of international society demonstrated that initially 'joining the club' was about being Christian, then about being European, then international society admitted non-European actors. So constitutive understanding of recognition illustrates how the criteria of recognition have changed over time. It shows that some states were always full members and some only part-time members. Suitable at this stage is observation made by Züfle (2007) who noticed, ''Panta rhei – all things flow – philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus once stated, and so it is with the state system and the modern (Westphalian) state as such.'' Today's world is a more dynamic and continuously changing world, where “forms of state, meanings of sovereignty and conceptions of territoriality are neither fixed nor constant across time and place” (Biersteker 2002: 157). In the course of history, the world of states has changed, and with it the above mentioned criteria of statehood. The state system underwent a fundamental change during the second half of the 20th Century: The Westphalian state has become globalized. After the end of the Second World War, when a new post-war order was established by the victorious allies, the world formed into a territorial world of independent nation states, with the number of sovereign states having more than doubled between 1945 and the beginning of the new millennium: from approximately 75 states in 1945 to nearly 197 as of 2022. Such occurrence really makes the world more diverse and colourful. It is surprising, because when people talk about relations with people whom they regard as 'other' and 'outsiders of the club' they sometimes feel different. This sense of difference may be malign and take the form of an alienation and estrangement that pushes some to treat people badly (Der Derian, 1987). It can also be benign, however, acknowledging the value of diversity and the different ways in which human communities can live (Constantinou, 1996). Either way, the sense of separateness and difference leads to a special sort of human relations, different from those within groups of recognizes States, requiring special handling and, arguably, a special class of people (diplomats) adept at handling them in such a way as to avoid unwanted conflict (Sharp, 2009). To the extent that this is so, then we should neither want not expect the process of recognition of States to disappear anytime soon although it is undergoing constant evolution, as was presented above.

This essay is about impartiality in international mediation. The core research question is: To wh... more This essay is about impartiality in international mediation. The core research question is: To what extent is impartiality a component of international mediation: when it is important, when not? Mediation is defined in this essay following the definition offered by the United Nations (2012: 4) ''a process whereby a third party assists two or more parties, with their consent, to prevent, manage or resolve a conflict by helping them to develop mutually acceptable agreements. The premise of mediation is that in the right environment, conflict parties can improve their relationships and move towards cooperation. Mediation outcomes can be limited in scope, dealing with a specific issue in order to contain or manage a conflict, or can tackle a broad range of issues in a comprehensive peace agreement.'' The Charter of the United Nations identifies mediation as an important means for the peaceful settlement of disputes and conflicts, and it has proven to be an effective instrument to address both inter-State and intra-State conflicts. According to the United Nations (2012: 10), ''Impartiality is a cornerstone of mediation – if a mediation process is perceived to be biased, this can undermine meaningful progress to resolve the conflict. A mediator should be able to run a balanced process that treats all actors fairly and should not have a material interest in the outcome. This also requires that the mediator is able to talk with all actors relevant to resolving the conflict. Impartiality is not synonymous with neutrality, as a mediator, especially a United Nations mediator, is typically mandated to uphold certain universal principles and values and may need to make them explicitly known to the parties.'' Evidently, there are cases in international mediation when impartiality matters more although effective mediation has got its unique logic of which impartiality is a cornerstone value. For example, according to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon (2012), ''To be effective, however, a mediation process requires more than the appointment of a high-profile individual to act as a third party. Antagonists often need to be persuaded of the merits of mediation, and peace processes must be well-supported politically, technically and financially. Ad-hoc and poorly coordinated mediation efforts – even when launched with the best of intentions – do not advance the goal of achieving durable peace.'' Mediation often exists alongside facilitation, good offices and dialogue efforts. Mediation, however, has its own logic and approach, aspects of which may be relevant to other approaches to the peaceful settlement of disputes. Mediation differs from “good offices” in that the mediator usually takes more initiative in proposing terms of settlement. It differs from arbitration in that the opposing parties are not bound by prior agreement to accept the suggestions made. However, in this essay, mediation will be considered in the context of studies on International Relations. There are not many works that aim to trace the idea of impartiality to the original debate between opposing camps of idealists and realists within the field of International Relations. The big idea is that the essence of mediation is to bring the conflicting sides to the negotiating table, establish some legitimated norms whilst attempting to understand parties’ motivations, and the source of force that pushes them to remain in conflict. The concept of 'cosmopolitan ethics' and 'dialogic community' will be discussed, as well as the notion of ripe time for resolution will be highlighted. A conflict becomes ripe for resolution when the parties realize that the status quo, namely - no negotiation - is a lose-lose situation (because they cannot win), not a zero-sum (win-lose) situation. Thus to avoid the mutual loss, they must consider negotiation. For example, Zartman (2001: 8) observed, ''While most studies on peaceful settlement of disputes see the substance of the proposals for a solution as the key to a successful resolution of conflict, a growing focus of attention shows that a second and equally necessary key lies in the timing of efforts for resolution (Zartman 2000). Parties resolve their conflict only when they are ready to do so—when alternative, usually unilateral means of achieving a satisfactory result are blocked and the parties feel that they are in an uncomfortable and costly predicament. At that ripe moment, they grab on to proposals that usually have been in the air for a long time and that only now appear attractive.'' As Zartman (2008: 9) noted, ''Ripeness is only a condition, necessary but not sufficient, for the initiation of negotiations. It is not self-fulfilling or self-implementing. It must be seized, either directly by the parties or, if not, through the persuasion of a mediator.'' If a mediator is impartial, it could only enhance peace process. ''MHS can be a very fleeting opportunity, a moment to be seized lest it pass, or it can be of a long duration, waiting to be noticed and acted upon by mediators.'' (Ibid.: 13). In mediation, there are different approaches that prescribe different levels of impartiality depending on the nature of conflict. It will be argued that there are two opposite styles of mediation that can be applied under different circumstances. The first is the power-political approach, which operates within the neorealist framework whereby stress is placed on strategic rationality and cost-benefit calculations of mediators. The second is the facilitative approach whereby mediators serve as communicators whose main task is to sustain dialogue between the parties. The chosen method of this paper is critical analysis and balanced discussion. This leads to a conclusion that there are some situations, in which impartiality is more important; and others, in which impartiality does not serve as a decisive factor. There are analysts who agree with the traditional thesis that mediator impartiality is a critical quality for successful mediation (Jackson, 1952: 125-9; Young, 1967: 81; Northedge and Donelan, 1971: 299; Assefa, 1987: 22; Miall, 1992: 62; Hume, 1994; quoted in Kleiboer, 1996: 369). These authors ''seem to assume a chain of effects following from impartiality: mediator impartiality is crucial for disputants' confidence in the mediator, which, in turn, is a necessary condition for his gaining acceptability, which, in turn, is essential for mediation success to come about.'' (Ibid.). There are also analysts who claim that ''a mediator need not to be impartial to be successful (Touval, 1975: 67; Kochan, 1981: 133; Smith, 1985: 371; Orme, 1989: 60; Jabri, 1990: 8). Some analysts go a step further by arguing that mediator acceptability is neither contingent upon impartiality not on trust in the mediator, but instead on a mediator's bias towards one of the parties (Touval and Zartman, 1985: 15; Bercovitch, Anagnoson and Wille, 1991: 15; quoted in Kleiboer, 1996: 370). Thus, if any summarizing statement can be made is that impartiality is not a definitive component of all successful mediation cases in all geographical settings and all contexts though it remains a substantial factor, at least, according to the first group of analysts mentioned above. Impartiality is among the key fundamentals that should be considered in a mediation effort next to: preparedness; consent; inclusivity; national ownership; international law and normative frameworks; coherence, coordination and complementarity of the mediation effort; and quality peace agreements. Although no golden formulas for achieving mediation success has been found yet, this essay argues that impartiality has to be at all times exercised by a skilful mediator since alongside other key fundamentals it may determine the overall success of international mediation process. According to the United Nations (2012: 23), the importance of a supportive external environment for the mediation process is vital. For the success of international mediation to be complete, emphasis is also placed on the need for cooperation among entities involved in mediation, ''While all these factors are important, the success or failure of a mediation process ultimately depends on whether the conflict parties accept mediation and are committed to reaching an agreement. If the parties are genuinely willing to explore a negotiated solution, mediators can play an invaluable role.'' The impact of the essay is to bring attention of statesmen, decision-makers and wider world to the peaceful resolution of conflicts through international mediation since the benefits of mediation outweigh costs plus the potential risk of legitimising past violations of international law. Consistency with international law and norms contributes to reinforcing the legitimacy of a process and the durability of a peace agreement. When applied skilfully international mediation could bring peace to many ongoing conflicts around the world.

This paper is about how ius ad bellum "right to war" has developed throughout history. The resear... more This paper is about how ius ad bellum "right to war" has developed throughout history. The research questions is has international law governing the use of force been sufficiently effective in limiting wars and international conflicts? In the literature, there are not many historical accounts of ius ad bellum enabling a comprehensive understanding of this principle in the international law. The author offers a historical overview starting with the ancient times, the Middle Ages, the Enlightenment through to the modern era of the 20th and 21st Centuries. As Tehranian (2003: 143), observed, ''It is certainly true that the 20th century has been the bloodiest in all known human history. From the first and second world wars to Hitler’s holocaust, Pol Pot’s massacres, and all the postwar bloody conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, and more—leaving no breathing space, they caused the death and destruction of millions of people. Over 170 million people were killed by governments in official acts of genocide such as the Holocaust.'' However, ''Since 1900, about 250 new international and civil wars have been waged in which over 100 million soldiers and another 100 million civilians have died.'' According to Ikeda and Tehranian (2003: 143), ''Counting only military casualties, the 18th century had a casualty rate of 50 per million population per year as compared to 60 per million during the 19th century and over 460 per million for the 20th century.'' Consequently, the evolution of the jus ad bellum and its significance in different historical eras presented may prompt one to assume that it have had a minor impact on states’ propensity to wage wars. The decision about going to war was based on the ‘necessity of nature’, justified on the grounds of just war theory, claimed to be a legitimate privilege of sovereign states, or it was determined by power politics and balance of power rather than by international law. It might be concluded that a state with the power to project force feel free to use it whenever they think its use will advance their national interest. This is particularly in the context of recent unlawful military interventions by permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. The critical question has been asked by Morris (2005: 287), ''can international society utilize international law to constrain the behaviour of states, especially great powers and particularly with regard to the use of force?'' Had Great Powers acted motivated more by normative concerns - by aborting competition in spheres of influence, great power chauvinism, false pride, annexations, military invasions, and cruel, senseless war causing cruelty in the form of humanitarian tragedies and refugee crises, there would have been more peace. As long as some leaders of Great Powers are stuck in Cold War mentality - practising political repression - progress in international politics is stalled. Resurgent revanchism, imperialism, competition over territory and resources, historical rivalries and grievances, plus great power rivalry i.e. trying to prevent a rival dominating the geopolitical space, the zone of strategic interest, or from becoming more integrated with the opposing alliance are only some examples of the reasons for why countries go to modern wars of choice. Security dilemma remains the essence, the threat from an opposing alliance only serves as a sufficient pretext to invasion and creation an external enemy that obviously aims to unite its nationals around the flag, escalating and blinding nationalism - this way, nations become angry. The Bible teaches in Revelation 11: 18, ''And the nations were angry; and Thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that Thou shouldest give reward unto Thy servants the prophets, and to the saints and them that fear Thy name, small and great, and shouldest destroy them that destroy the earth.” Power competition happens because power abhors vacuum, all states struggle for is power, it is inherent in the human nature. Pathetic, as for reality of the 21st Century great power politics, but on top of states, there are often weak human beings. In the past, there have been lot wars caused by power hungry leaders who wanted more territories, resources and money for themselves. Such leaders actually destroy the Earth as they are not educated in survival research and not trained in building trust between nations and states through diplomatic means. They believe there is nothing wrong with sacrificing millions of innocent civilian lives whether their own citizens (soldiers who are forced to fight) or citizens on occupied territories to the war machine. Where is international law in the cases of humanitarian crises, refugee crises, human rights violations, war crimes, heavy and hideous bombardment, destructive, demonic and apocalyptic shelling and other international crimes committed by mad tyrants? Where is international law when cataclysmic war between great powers might have significant global impacts for human and energy security, food market leading to social unrest and financial collapse? This might happen since there is not yet a well-functioning international mechanism for sovereign debt restructuring and it should be at the top of the global agenda (Krueger, 2022). Can international law effectively stop the ridicule of evil, a modern war machine that could aggravate wider economic and social upheaval? It would seem that international law is manipulated by the great powers to suit their national interest while the whole world suffers. Does the law which is upheld mostly by the most powerful great powers exempt them from abiding by the same law? However, the above does not mean that law is not effective most of the time, or that it is not necessary in contemporary international relations. Historical analysis presented below (if it is any consolation) suggests that it is very likely that there would have been even more wars and they would have had more disruptive character if not for the jus ad bellum. Can humanity be hopeful that the 21st Century will be a century of peaceful life? To do that humanity must continue to make progress in reducing armaments, limit the production of the most destructive weapons, continue with denuclearization and invest in the strong body of international law which decisively constrains armed conflict, thereby sending a clear message to dictators, mad tyrants, ruthless autocrats and nostalgic imperialists. This way, a new century can be peaceful. This world has endless problems, these are in fact, global challenges that are spiralling out of control. Many perplexing problems such as: conflict, climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, violence, security and well being, lack of education, unemployment, government corruption, malnourishment, hunger, food security, population growth, extreme poverty and war remain unsolved, hindering the realization of global peace. A sense of complacency in the West continues, with the Soviet Union gone in 1991, there was no clear adversary that made it possible to rally behind a common cause. Václav Havel, a statesman and the first president of independent Czechoslovakia observed in 1994, “All of us continue to pay lip service to democracy, human rights, the order of nature and responsibility for the world.'' However, the West erred in thinking it could turn its attention elsewhere, assuming that the struggle for peace and freedom—the future Havel and many others had fought to secure—ended with the Cold War. Today, armed conflict in Europe and a global crisis of democracy give renewed resonance to Havel’s warning: winning the peace is “an even more difficult task” than winning the war.'' To win peace there has to be a strong framework of international law worldwide. Therefore, it is in the interest of all members of the international society to ensure that international law is adhered to, tightly regulated and covers most recent and current developments (i.e. is sufficiently innovative and reduces a perception of hypocrisy - at the moment, too many states make a false impression that they obey the jus ad bellum, as they justify a breach on the grounds of this law when actually, and intentionally, they break it in an outright manner). As Johan Galtung noticed, a major fault in Western civilization is not rule of law but focusing only on acts of commission and not on acts of omission. Consistency of norms creates norms of international law. All states must abide by these norms or these norms will evaporate. An effective law must be able to be enforced and be enforceable. When law is breached, there is a reasonably high likelihood that the offender will be caught and punished for violation so that traitors and tyrants fight in vain. Only a strong body of international law with strong enforcement mechanisms could limit cases of possible breaches, thereby giving a chance for the 21st Century to be peaceful.

This paper explores the case for system change as theorised by the idealist/humanist tradition in... more This paper explores the case for system change as theorised by the idealist/humanist tradition in International Relations theory with the most explicit example of Alexander Wendt’s constructivism, as the difficult to accomplish, yet creative solution to the climate crisis. The paper aims to offer an innovative, original account of the climate crisis based on studies of specific authors within constructivism, international political economy and philosophy. The paper excels in examining the significance of a complex issue that has been 'a tough nut to crack' as clearly as possible summarizing a lot of complex information into a well-organized synthesis of ideas by relying on meditative flow followed by objective analysis and policy recommendations. Climate change is persistent just as the predominant theory of International Relations, Realism, is. To solve it, scholars have to change paradigm. Although among the top leadership, progress within the existing global climate governance architecture is steadily proceeding in averting the worst security impacts of climate change by attempting to significantly reduce global carbon emissions, there is also a common perception among societies that action happening within the system is disappointingly slow, even considered ineffective. Despite the existence of several solutions such as: 1) climate negotiations within the system of global governance focused on significantly reducing global carbon emissions, 2) the commitment within the private sector, that is, a hundred companies in the world that produced 70 percent of the world’s emissions, 3) introducing of the carbon tax, 4) reforming capitalism, 5) giving more credibility to the scientific community and scientific solutions and 6) politicising the issue to the point when people can vote for climate leaders who make climate as the number one priority; none of the above offers a sufficiently comprehensive or lasting solution. The idea is to introduce radical solutions that could have a massive, exponential impact. The unconventional solution offers a more spontaneous way out of the problem. The research problem is the most profound issue humanity has ever attempted to solve in the history of civilization, arguably requiring a complete transformation of the system. It comes down to the conscious evolution of human species to act in time since the climate clock will soon be surpassing tipping points which make humanity close to transgressing planetary boundaries after which cataclysmic climate change occurs alongside the increased risk of conflicts over water, migration crises, food shortages and humanitarian disasters. Paper consist of an introduction, the chosen method, educational research on creativity is explained; a brief overview of constructivism where the possibility of system’s transformation is explained; an overview of the system change theory; an evaluation of whether system change is a viable way forward; plus section explaining pathways of advancing civilization to the next level followed by conclusions. A major, analytical finding is that with people’s power inspired by hope even the most difficult, seemingly impossible is possible. Agency, the capacity to make things happen to envision and enact change, can bend and shove the structure. The majority of people have bought into the false idea that we have to serve, and behave, and be enslaved else chaos will engulf the world. We need to carry out objective analysis of the situation to the point where people believe in change and make change happen. If the majority of people continue as up to this point, then the fate of the whole planet might be in peril. Why are so many so submissive? Why are they so forgiving to gangsterism and horrendous evil done to the planet by the autocratic and corrupted politicians, 'big fish' who impudently swim in the water of the system. The answer may be that the established structure of the system is not only very entrenched but also increasingly sophisticated in its perfection of subliminal mechanisms of control of the people and exploitation of the planet. It is not only through the action or inaction of authoritarian tyrants or grandiose, imperialistic thinking of obsessive dictators or through press releases and the enforced idiocy of television, the drama of the dying world has been turned into a soap opera for most people. People do not understand that climate change is their story and that they will be in one way or another affected by climatic changes. At the end, all will be affected. Earth must be healthy and Nature benign again. Our Lady of Fátima on 13th May 1917 asked for the Consecration of Russia to Her Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of reparation on the First Saturdays. If Her requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated. ''In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she shall be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world.'' (Santos, Fatima in Lucia's Own Words I, 2003: 123–124). There must come a moment for penance, repentance, turning back to God, prayer and belief in salvation of one's soul. Humans cannot be happy without God in our lives. There must come time of global, spiritual awakening, accepting the beauty of the Earth, rejecting militant conquests, enslavement of humanity under repressive doctrines which justify militarily invasions, conforming to rapacious materialism and secularism. There is a need for cleaning up of the system, giving a second chance to the planet, draining of the water, getting rid of the ageing 'big fish' swimming in the dirty water of system - climate-denialist politicians who do not respect the ecological balance with nature. The rise of the movement is inevitable when the machinery or machinations of the unjust structure of the system become so odious, and so exposed that people are willing to strive for change and force the re-evaluation of the situation. The forces of the status quo weaponize gangsters in the system who want to thwart change. As Steffen (2022) noted, ''We need a politics of boldness and possibility, one that brings people and institutions together to achieve spiky successes and strong ruggedization.'' Somebody has to stand against the unfair structure of the system, defend trees, and somebody has to make the point: we disown our past, and we will start living according to our own inner being and create our own future. We will not allow the past to create our future…. And, it could be done by marching for the Earth, claiming our vision, our being, our intuition and acting from that without regret inspired by hope. More recently, a broad array of influential climate action advocates started to demand immediate, disruptive changes to destroy fossil fuel demand and drop emissions in decisive ways. Change comes from the people - to beat a machine, change the structure of the system with a movement. Climate change is a global, multi-generational threat featuring impacts that lie entirely outside anything that modern humanity has ever experienced. Indeed, the most sustainable society is the one which passes forward the best possibilities to future generations. Justifiably, the issue of global climate change has moved to the centre of the international agenda. Actively, rapidly and deliberately driving high-carbon industries out of business is an unavoidable step in every real climate action strategy. Those industries do not deserve our sympathy. It is their own predatory delay over decades that has led to their on-rushing demise. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Address to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference on August 16, 1967) reminded, ''the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Change takes a long time, but it does happen. Energy transition from addictive and dirty fossil fuel structures is inevitable. As François Jacob said, ''It is hope that gives life meaning. Hope is based on the prospect of being able one day to turn the actual world into a possible one that looks better.'' Thus, ''let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe, working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows.'' (Martin Luther King, Jr, “Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution.” Speech given at the National Cathedral, March 31, 1968). In the service of the above, this paper constitutes a modest, cutting-edge, interdisciplinary policy-relevant research with the aim of exposing a pertaining political problem through an experiment with Gordian-knot, style-resolved, possible creative solutions leading to cascading dynamics of solution activating momentum.

Mediation is a highly disputed concept as there is no universal definition of the term. (Jones 19... more Mediation is a highly disputed concept as there is no universal definition of the term. (Jones 1999:10) In fact, there are different approaches and styles of mediation that may be applied in different situations. Out of them the two main ones are: the power-political approach and the facilitative approach. Both of these approaches are designed to help parties in dispute in their resolution of the conflict. Thus, understood in this way mediation is a form of conflict management which primary purpose is to assist parties in conflict to move them away from rigid positions and help them to arrive at a peaceful settlement. However, there is also one more distinctive style of mediation: ‘cosmopolitan mediation’. It has been recently popularized by numerous scholars including Andrew Linklater, David Held or Jurgen Habermas. It borrows elements from both approaches at the same time moving beyond them. Its unique nature and exceptional value stem from the fact that its primary aim is not necessarily to insist on ending the conflict, but to reach some normative goals, subsequently, maintaining strategic objectives. These may include: establishing conditions for a “dialogic community”, upholding democratic dialogue between participants, expanding the area of moral responsibility and creating cross-cultural relationships which incorporate the mutual recognition of validity claims (Ibid.: 4). Music as a form of mediation has been known since ancient times in many cultures around the world both these considered within the western and non-western world. Above all, music brings harmony, it acts as a vehicle for expressing human emotions without generating interpersonal conflict. Confucius' followers believed that music has played a considerable role in political life and served to unite the nation and promote its spiritual enrichment. It is also commonly accepted that of all the arts, music is the art form with the potential to affect people more immediately and more deeply than any other (Cohen 2008:15). Music and nature are deeply connected, for example: the natural sounds of the forest atmospheres include: buzzing bees, various birds sounds, leaves rustling in the wind, the soothing sound of a water stream and many other fascinating sounds. Humans have a deeply rooted emotional connection with nature. Birds, whales, and even bats are frequently defined by their use of musical patterns. Recent research has found that the music of both humpback whales and many bird species have surprising similarities to the structures of our human music. The music of the natural world provided the foundation for crucial aspects of our human evolution, making our connections with both music and nature innate. The enlightened mind holds all life sacred, all life respectful and all life created by God; the enlightened mind knows how one aspect of imbalance can affect another. Just like nature, music can heal and restore, it is magical quality. How could we reorganize civilizations if this ancient truth was widely available and accepted? Sometimes, nature guards her secrets with the unbreakable grip of physical law. Sometimes, the true nature of reality beckons from just beyond the horizon. As A. Rieu stated, ’’I believe that music in itself heals and that everything is about the power of the mind. I thought if you are happy, you do not get ill. Your health is in your head. When you are satisfied with your work, you do not get ill.’’ Music also inspired the minds of great scientists such as A. Einstein, whose dream of a unified theory of Physics was based on a string theory. A single, overarching framework that would be able to describe all the forces in the universe. A central idea behind his theory is that if we examine any state of matter more finely, at first we will find molecules, then atoms and subatomic particles; but if we could probe much smaller than we can with existing technology, we would find something else inside these particles. That is, a little tiny, vibrating filament of energy, a little, tiny vibrating string. And just like the string on a violin, they can vibrate in different patterns producing different musical notes. When these little, fundamental strings vibrate in different patters, they produce different kinds of particles, e.g. electrons, quarks, neutrinos, photons, all other particles. These would be united into a single framework, as they all arise from vibrating strings of energy. This is a compelling picture, a kind of cosmic symphony, where all the richness, and diversity that we see in the world around us emerges from the music that these little, tiny strings play. Would all interstellar civilizations be invited to such a majestic project? Carl Sagan in 1973, in "Ideas riding" files asked: ''Might interstellar communication not be messages but music - perhaps a 600 part invention, each part on an adjacent frequency channel.'' Would humans have the wit to distinguish this music played at unconventional frequencies from noise? Other forms of such many part interstellar musical inventions in which each civilization provides a part might be able to recognize this as music by the harmonies or are what we consider harmonious a mere function of our biology? Humans sometimes passionately aim at accumulation of material things they consider permanent, e.g. falsely investing in cement, concrete and glass. On the planet that is billions of years old, in just 500 years, much of the human race has come to see itself as rulers and centre of all life - aloofness and lack of sensitivity. Homo sapiens is trying to bend the planet's environment, natural processes and biodiversity to their will. Vast, concrete and sprawling cities have pushed nature to its limits. According to this brutal paradigm espoused by some ruthless politicians, homo sapiens is somehow separate from nature. But from the perspective of time and the universe, these are just transient things, whereas the natural world is unity. The whole human civilization is built around temporary pursuit of material things: natural resources, finite sources of energy, economic growth etc. The paradox is that human values are focused on what is worthless from the perspective of Gaia. Cosmic music could enable Earth's citizens to participate in a common, unifying project - shaping common programs of fraternity between people and nations - out of which a truly cosmic perspective could emerge. For instance, a resurgent indigenous view of Pachamama, inspired Bolivia and Ecuador to pass the laws granting all nature equal rights with humans. In an interconnected world, can we humans find way to truly reconnect to all life on the planet? Certainly, music can enable creation of this connection. Moreover, on such a permanent foundation, a more lasting civilization with splendid interstellar, scientific inventions could be progressively built, and who knows - perhaps building the ladder to the stars. Sagan (1973) noted, "there are phenomena from the atomic to the stellar and galactic where harmonies and resonances are marked. Maybe the more spectacular of these have large audiences visiting to watch." He even suggested, ''it would be interesting to transcribe to music the Rankin polarization plots for quasars or the amplitude variations of pulsars and OH sources.'' If so, then, there are perhaps possibilities of bridging ideas on effective solutions to global challenges (such as leading the way towards regenerative economy) during such enlightening interstellar concerts could be articulated. There are extra dimensions of space, even some existing in the minds of powerful leaders allowing for the transformational, mediating and musical energy of peace, bridging divides between the West and East, the North and South. (“West-Eastern Divan”, is a central work for the development of the concept of world culture). This paper shows that that the power of music can enhance and have a lasting, profound impact on the process of diplomacy and peacemaking. Peace will reign to the extent that all humanity manages to discover its original vocation to be one family. Music can play a role of 'a cosmopolitan mediatior' in accomplishing this project. When applied recklessly music can be utilized for sinister purposes moving people apart. Yet, when used with far-sighted vision and tempered by self-control music can serve some noble goals such as efforts at peacemaking. Music can break down barriers previously considered insurmountable. Indeed, classical, subtle music applied as a tool in a repertoire of eminent composers, conductors and maestros can become an extremely powerful, unifying language. A universal medium which speaks to everyone across all borders. Just as music can bring peace in people's hearts and minds - as it overcomes linguistic barriers - so it can between nations. Music builds bridges that connect people from different parts of the globe and promotes a common appreciation of our cultural diversity.

Professor Brzeziński’s (1970) above assertion, made nearly four decades ago, continues to be cont... more Professor Brzeziński’s (1970) above assertion, made nearly four decades ago, continues to be contentious, relevant and thought provoking, because of the ambiguity of understanding caused by his wording, i.e. his assertion can be interpreted in two quite opposing ways: the obvious one, which is non-relevance of the role of foreign ministries and embassies and their supposed relevance when applying theoretical lens of a certain school of thought. The following discusses the issue of the importance and survival of foreign ministries and embassies offering arguments for and against their relevance whilst attempting to contextualize these arguments within the framework of the realist and the English School divide. Previous work has failed to address these two contradictory perspectives on the research question through the lens of a Rogerian argument. It is an argument which is a rhetorical and conflict resolution strategy based on empathizing with others, seeking common ground and mutual understanding and learning, while avoiding the negative effects of extreme attitude polarization. So the method is “dialectics”, which is a term used to describe a method of philosophical argument that involves some sort of contradictory process between opposing sides. In line with this argument, first, complex understanding of the different perspectives on the research question will be shown, after that both approaches will be discussed showing points of agreement and disagreement. Rather than trying to win the argument overwhelmingly by giving credit to one of them, the author will work towards finding the middle ground where both perspectives are included. That is, the realist perspective and its emphasis on the importance of leaders of great powers being more effective, credible diplomatic institutions rather than foreign ministries and embassies; and the English School theorists' persuasive point on the evolution of the diplomatic system and the need of the institution of diplomacy to adapt to changes within the International Society. This signifies the innovative perspective adopted, as it will balance and discuss two, contradictory opinions on this contentious issue. As it will be shown throughout the argument, the new perspective will lead to pioneering, original insights. The key impact of research and often the goal of writing academic papers is to change people's behaviour: for instance, to change the way they think about a research problem or to convince them to use a new, more innovative approach. The following argument emphasises the idea that gradually diplomacy needed to evolve, similarly as the whole of human civilization developed. Evolution and resilience of complex systems, particularly their remarkable ingenuity advantage when overcoming complex, global challenges is an area of study that deserves a further investigation with detailed, learnable case studies. What is known from historical record is that classical diplomacy evolved into modern diplomacy and that was an inevitable process. Perhaps parallel to that process, the concomitant question that arises is whether the essence, or the so-called 'the grammar of diplomacy' has progressively or concurrently changed throughout the ages?

In the 21st century, humanity has entered an era of a turbulent, globalised and politically awake... more In the 21st century, humanity has entered an era of a turbulent, globalised and politically awakened world of the Anthropocene where science clearly shows that we need a global energy transformation for a sustainable future. Science is fundamental and it seems that nobody even global leaders can deny its unquestionable proofs. It provides evidence-based directives that are helpful for humanity to safely navigate its way through a period of the novel, global challenges. Unfortunately, more recently, the future and our existence have been undermined since the prevailing structure of the international system is not fair towards the Earth. “The present system has been inducing states to comply with global norms in ways that actually exacerbate unsustainable development rather than sustainable development.” (Stevenson, 2012: 4). Recent cataclysmic weather events ranging from raging wildfires, torrential rains, widespread floods, devastating droughts, catastrophic earthquakes, crippling hurricanes and spectacular volcano eruptions show that Earth is ailing. Unfortunately, it seems that there is a limit of what human civilisation can do against the forces of nature. Science shows that there is a connection between climate change with its most visible signs such as melting glaciers, rising sea levels, increasing weight of oceans, increased volcanic activity worldwide with human actions. Are these all not the signs that our planet is awakening? Undoubtedly, the living Earth or Gaia is an open system and it seems that it might be protesting against human actions that are evidently harmful to her. According to ancient beliefs, earth is a goddess, who can use her powers destructively or creatively (Toynbee, 1976: 290). Throughout history, climate has been variable, it has also impacted in various ways on the development of past civilisations what will be discussed in the paper. Up to 1950s, it could be argued that climate variations could be explained by natural factors. However, from the mid-century, the steep rise in temperature occurred, so it is clear that the most recent warming of the climate is due to human factors (Attenborough, 2006). Moreover, science has delivered numerous proofs that global warming is a result of human-induced climate change. Plus, some IR scholars argue that climate change is a global issue that is likely to exacerbate migration, civil unrest and even conflict. Realism states that it is a threat multiplier since it exists in the nexus of catastrophe, conflict and migration in the worst-case scenario leading to the global turmoil. Many prominent authorities in the world of science, such as Steven Hawking, point to the doomsday scenarios arguing that population rise, climate change and finite resources on Earth will result in life becoming increasingly dangerous on the planet. So the only way to preserve civilisation to build upon the progress made over the last century will be to look out to the rest of the galaxy. However, other scholars state that it might be incredibly difficult for humans to reach for the stars and colonise cosmos unless major, global problems will be first solved here, on Earth. Despite these opinions, as always, there is also a bright side to the problem. There were periods in the past when Earth’s climate has been relatively stable. Such conditions happened for the last 12,000 years. Such stability and reasonably balanced and mild climate without any major Ice Ages have been critical for the development of modern civilisation. Favourable climate conditions enabled humans to pursue agriculture, domesticate animals, settle down and develop culture and arts leading to the flourishing of civilisations and creative and splendid periods of Golden Ages. Space observations, astronomy combined with archaeology and climate science, give us valuable clues as to how ancient civilisations, like that of the Mayans and the Old Kingdom of Egypt, collapsed. Scientific evidence suggests that climate change and drought, in particular, has been at least partly responsible for the rise and fall of many ancient civilisations. This paper argues that stable way of life for present civlisation depends on a stable climate. Humanity must listen more carefully to the voice of our planet, living Earth or Gaia. Faced with a changing climate, we must learn the lessons of the past, study past civilisations, and simply adapt. The primary requirement is that civilisation builds just and responsible management of the global commons by overcoming the tragedy of the commons. This could be done when states commit to solving, or at least, understanding, and to some extent, wisely managing climate on Earth. Throughout centuries, science has been a reflection of our instinct for civilisational survival. In 1908, Svante Arrhenius argued that an increased greenhouse effect due to human activity would be a good thing, preventing a new Ice Age. At the time, he did not consider the risks of rising sea level and local disruption of agriculture. Today, humanity faces a choice: either to enact smart actions leading to homeostasis or to remain in a passive, climatic impasse resembling 'a Gordian knot' or rather a contest with the forces of creation. The latter would probably end in increasing strains on the finite planet. This would signify a regression on the trajectory of human progress. The old truth says that the Earth could be hospitable, but it can be also destructive. We must appreciate the fact that humanity is intrinsically part of nature, but sometimes, we have to be made to feel very small and insignificant because the laws that govern it are beyond human domination. According to the Gaia theory, Earth's natural cycles work together to keep the Earth healthy and support life on the planet. As a result, we have to listen more sensitively to Gaia so that to start to live in harmony with her. To do that, we have to act in sync with nature and try to understand it better, so that our solutions are more approved by her and are not only selfish and functional only from our point of view. Humans have to preserve the delicate, ecological balance that has been formed between indigenous societies and our planet. At the moment, rare species face the danger of extinction, humans continue with deforestation while the cultural heritage of tribes and simple societies who managed to coexist with nature is replaced by consumer society. “The Earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth.” (Pope Francis, 2015: 16). Individuals no more have a connection with the spiritual, they no longer care and respect Gaia. However, Gaia will not allow operating beyond its natural limits, she will inevitably bring back the ecological balance what in the worst-case scenario might lead to diseases, protracted suffering, or even a dangerous climax. Essentially, Earth wants to clean itself and take on another new look, it can be done with humans. Earth will be showing the right pathway. Humanity has to simply listen and engineer our way forward. Humans can either prepare for adaptation and live in a healthy symbiosis (which is a mechanism of evolutionary innovation) with the natural world or remain in stagnation, chronic disease, complaining about reappearing and unbearable heatwaves, wildfires, sea level rises and mass displacements of people, all televised by the mass media, with the ailing Gaia and suffering humanity - quite pathetic and unacceptable. Such an unhealthy condition or rather 'the clash of the titans' with an increasingly hostile civilisation in which people become alienated and detached from God and His cosmic Master plan for our planet, might be risking a confrontation after which there might be a decline in civilisational growth. Heroic leaders though can in the nick of time gain a strategic vision for planetary preservation. Following sensitivity to 'the cry of the Earth', they could make our planet great again and not just individual nations great again. But self-indulgent, hedonistic, consumption-oriented society cannot project a moral imperative on the world. Heroic leaders have to direct organised humanity onto the sustainable pathways of clean energy, preservation of natural ecosystems and peaceful coexistence. Science says that to avoid climate catastrophe civilisation needs to reduce carbon emissions by 80 per cent by the middle of this century. Putting pressure on global leaders to act is one strategy, but equally, we have to propose practical solutions of Earth's healing. As Pope Francis (2015) noted, “Strategies for a solution demand an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature.” Comprehensive and holistic strategies require education in elucidating insights from norm-centred constructivism (the life cycle of climate norms), climate philanthropy, education of girls, meteorology, cultural and spiritual ecology and biomimicry.

This paper will build on and further develop Viktor Frankl’s idea that meaning in life originates... more This paper will build on and further develop Viktor Frankl’s idea that meaning in life originates from action more than from talk or meditation. Action is the connecting link between a desire, plan and fulfilment. Many people forget about this principle and remain statically behind the iron curtain of impasse staying in the shadows of hesitation or in a quagmire of inaction. To achieve success in life we have to establish a fair balance between vision of what is possible, which powers our dreams and consequential action which gives us real fulfilment in life. Action is essentially the most beautiful thing in the world because it derives from a silent and focused mind. Destruction is a product of a restless mind, it appears from an activity which is absorbing not focusing mind. Action is when it has relevance, it is a moment to moment, it is a spontaneous response. As Bruce Lee noticed, “Be a practical dreamer backed by action. Dream something that is achievable, and then go for it. If you are in the now, you are creative. If you are in the now, you are inventive.” Action is not singular, it is a flow that is spontaneous and total. It is not based on strategic judgement that emerges from a completely unanticipated direction but from a clear sense of purpose. Strategic vision applies here much more adequately. Creativity requires treating the impossible as possible and this is a skill based on belief, talent, learning, practice and mastering. As Doerr (2018) noted, "truly transformational teams combine their ambitions to their passion and to their purpose, and they develop a clear and compelling sense of why'' - a sense of mission. When we feel we have the wind in our wings magical things can happen, but everything starts from a simple belief to make things happen. Only by consistent action can we change the world. The best leader is she/he who puts words into action. A strong man is he who sets his will to achieve his aim and steadily strives to put this aspiration into practice. To do that we have to have GRIT which does not relate positively to IQ but is highly correlated with Big Five Conscientiousness. GRIT nonetheless demonstrates the incremental predictive validity of success measures over and beyond IQ and conscientiousness. The achievement of difficult goals entails not only talent but also the sustained and focused application of talent over time (Duckworth, et al., 2007). GRIT is defined as perseverance and passions for long-term goals, it entails working strenuously toward challenges, maintaining efforts and interest over years despite failure, adversity, and plateaus in progress. The gritty individual does not concentrate on the moment, learns lessons from past failures and is not complacent about his or her achievements. As the great master, sensei, Morihei Ueshiba said, "Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something." The gritty individual approaches achievements as a marathon, his or her advantage is stamina and his will to survive and build on the success. "Whereas disappointment or boredom signals to others that it is time to change and cut losses, the gritty individual stays on the course" (Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews and Kelly, 2007: 1088). Creative and visionary leadership begins when a person imagines a state of affairs not presently existing. Such initial creative insight or spark is elaborated into a broader vision of change while possible ways of accomplishing it are conceived, and in a faithful act of leadership the vision is communicated to others. Such a vision could be revolutionary changing perceptions and established habits. A perfect example of a leader who put his vision into action and managed to change the world was Martin Luther King Jr. What kind of energy can positively change the world? The world needs sensitive to others and courageous leadership so that to confront the narrow interests of egoists who make a lot of noise and argue for the postponement of action. We can construct a better world, but people must first feel empowered and believe that their dreams can be realised. The world needs intelligent, clear, value-based, almost heroic leadership more than ever before to make many innovative changes and lead civilisation to progress. When we possess the treasure of hope, it gives rise to other treasures too so people could become real miracle workers. Hope draws forth our inner potential and strength. Hope draws from perseverance, it is a magical quality enabling us to have joy, peace in believing and to renew our strength. As the Scriptures say, ''Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.'' (Hebrews, 11:1). Hope lies in dreams, in imagination and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams become reality. Hope fights fatigue and anxiety, equips us with a vision of a more meaningful life. Between stimulus and response, there is always space. In that space is our power to choose your response thanks to vision and as long as we are wisely motivated by a worthy ideal. In our response, or in our action lies our growth and our freedom so again we have to choose wisely our actions so that to lead to positive results while bringing about rich fruits of our work. A major source of meaning in life is through the value of all that we create, achieve and accomplish. The first step is to have that magical person or somebody who would volunteer to become a pioneer, a bridge-builder, a light deliverer showing the way in the often dim and dark world. We must each initiate decisively bold action in the direction we have chosen. The ultimate direction can be intuitively suggested by our subconscious mind carefully guided by the stars. Eventually, we have to be moving towards the light because light is redemption. Essentially, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights... (James 1:17). However, just as with the beginning of the Universe, first there must be an igniting spark of the search for meaning that could enlighten our minds and empower our actions. When we crack the creativity code we become as if blessed since the energy of creativity is like a fire that transforms all kinds of obstacles into opportunities for dynamic new growth and advancement. To paraphrase Howard Thurman, “We should not ask what the world needs, but ask what make us come alive and then go and do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” We must refuse the temptation to passively accommodate ourselves to present realities and embark upon the challenge of actively creating a new reality and of genuine awakening to our dreams, living up to our potential and our true vocation. Simultaneously, we can be blessed with possessing new perspectives, new solutions and ways of solving problems. It has long been confirmed that global, organised civilisation can prevent disastrous climate change. There are many ways of pursuing smart actions, and at the same time, reducing emissions of greenhouse gases caused by human activities such as: 1) Generating electricity from solar panels and other renewable sources instead of burning fossil fuels; 2) Using electric cars and investing in electric energy infrastructure; 3) Recycling, reducing consumerism by buying less and wasting less. Some ideas are better than others, but every great idea grows from the potting soil of hundreds of bad ones, and the single biggest reason why most of us never live up to our creative potential is from an inability to match our action to our vision. Vision and action can change the civilisation. Man can accomplish nothing by his own power, but everything can be accomplished through man by the power of faith. If we did not have faith in our ability to think we would not be able to accomplish anything. If we accomplish anything whatever, Spirit accomplishes it and through us. Faith does not come from man, and no man can create faith or make himself faithful without true faith, but faith is a power coming from God. A scholar who trusts only in his scholarship will accomplish little, but he who has faith in the power of God acting through him, and who employs that power intelligently, will accomplish much. The Lord gives power to those who trust in Him: ''They shall mount up with wings like eagles''. The eagle depicts the strength that comes from the Lord. The power of true faith extends as far as the power of God radiating through the Universe. Being closer to God means meditating when we climb through the levels of concentration, the energy of the mind is fresh and spontaneous. Meditation teaches the mind to be ''without mind'' and remaining fully conscious. It calms down the body, emotions and mind, brings inner peace. Thanks to the process of awakening of our souls, tuning with our intuition and cosmic intelligence we can fulfil our dreams and bring about important changes to our lives while also changing the world for the better.

It is commonly believed that nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm, effort and deter... more It is commonly believed that nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm, effort and determination to succeed. Some people may ask: ‘Why climb the highest mountain?’ or ‘Why choose such a difficult challenge over another at a particular moment of time in our lives?’ Why do we want to achieve this specific goal? Why are we not just staying where we are waiting in inaction or resting on the laurels? The answer is simple, it is change and action that are mutually reinforcing and that are the ultimate determinants of progress. Only vision plus action can change the world and both excel at the edge of challenge. So nothing is impossible for a soundly motivated person. Do we need to be constantly moving, changing, reaching for higher goals, overcoming obstacles, improving and learning from our failures? The answer is positive: “Yes, we can!” With a positive attitude, we can literally move mountains. We cannot only realise our dreams but also become change-makers. Hope helps us to believe and overcome problems and move forward equipped with even stronger spirit. The truth of the matter is that doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will. If we did all the things we were capable of, we would astound ourselves for we would reach boundless achievements in a variety of disciplines thanks to the powers of our imagination and subconscious mind that can continuously expanding themselves. In truth, the reserves of energy available in the cosmos are potentially infinite and it is our task to tap into them more spontaneously when we need them and to do so regularly. When we are in the process of creative flow, suddenly, there comes a moment out of inspiration and concentration when we believe that we can do it and then we simply decide to do it. In the process, intuition is our greatest friend and a great gift. Our focus increases, we carry on the journey of an eternal excelling. We select goals, we choose to solve difficult challenges not because they are easy, but because they are hard. For example, there are numerous theories of the Universe, whether there was a big bang creation event or not is subject to science which not always is explicit, transparent and verifiable. What we can observe for sure is that in the natural world patterns repeat themselves from the micro-atomic to the macro-atomic, from snail shells through to spiral galaxies to the shape of hurricanes viewed from satellite images. The discovery of a unifying symmetry and a theory of everything will be possible only if the repeating patterns of symmetry found throughout nature and the Universe, are understood correctly, deciphered and applied to the entire earth system alongside with human coevolution and our cohabitation with one planet that we all share. This is a challenge of higher-level difficulty, but remember that nothing is impossible when hope is soaring and people are determined to become ‘seekers’ freely seeking out to reach for stars to fulfil their modest dreams. The Universe is beautiful and there is lots of symmetry just as in fractals, but the symmetry, based on repeating patterns leads not always to a big bang creation event, but to an infinite Universe or some kind of spark that ignited it. Its sources could be eternal and have no beginning and no end. For centuries scientists thought the Universe always existed in a largely unchanged form, that it was static or run like clockwork thanks to the constant laws of physics. Only in 1927, the Belgian priest and scientist, George Lemaire proposed that the Universe began as a large, pregnant and primaeval atom, exploding and sending out the smaller atoms that we see today. His idea went largely unnoticed until 1929 when the astronomer Edwin Hubble discovered that the Universe is not static but is expanding. So it may only be concluded that infinity is the name of the game and it is comparable to such phenomena as relativity or turbulent flow in fluid dynamics. It is the ultimate goal on the journey of ‘seekers’. It can be reached by seeking the truth and by immersion in creation. Truth, in turn, has no path although it is not a formless or abstract concept but is something real. Truth is outside of all fixed patterns it is not subject to scientific laws, it is about being able to adapt and change. In other words, truth is living and, therefore, changing accepting creative challenge and experimenting with possible solutions. This essay will argue that we are always in the process of becoming and nothing is fixed. It takes real courage to admit personal failures and to take actions to overcome them. Those who take that journey possess the strength of character which is generally not seen in others. Everyone can undergo a metamorphosis, thus as proven by the great scientist, a long time ago, the travel is fascinating, but arrival is more often disappointing. That is partly because there is something unsatisfying about reaching the goal, a sort of an anticlimax. Reaching the goal does not nourish us psychologically and we end up with trying to find a new goal. So it is the journey which is fulfilling rather than reaching the specific signpost. For instance, starships are meant to fly them high to touch the sky so that our dreams could reach the stars. This is the essence of the journey which usually starts with a bright idea. It goes something like this. In 1865, author Jules Verne published his successful and influential early science fiction book 'From Earth to the Moon'. Approximately a hundred years later, humankind actually goes to the moon inspired by Kennedy's Moon Speech of 1962. When President Kennedy said we will go to the moon within the decade, Americans knew they would build a spaceship and they have met that goal. As a collective, humanity has made a good start on our journey to reach the stars, but we still have a long way to go since it is the journey that really counts. And if you are lacking a proper goal in life imagine going to the Moon at the speed of light which would take us approximately two quick blinks of the eye (this is about 1/7 of a second) when we assume travelling from the surface of the earth to the surface of the moon. Travel with the speed of light is a very ambitious goal but, in a similar vein and at a similar speed, mankind could attempt to invent nature-based, pragmatic and down-to-earth solutions to solving problems on Earth and in space, man-made or environmental, and improving the human condition while harmonising cultural relations among countries and civilisations. Such a doable mission or goal could become our strategy for global change or a set of guiding principles to help “steer” the whole civilisation in the direction of hope, progress, justice and prosperity. Humanity's progress, at this stage, will be measured differently if the crises will be averted and a planet preserved then mankind will succeed in reaching the earthly and doable goal. And this then will allow for the pursuit of 'the stars' or more ambitious goals. Can we imagine a more worthy goal? If we could succeed in solving novel, global challenges such as climate change we would have literally 'reached the stars' for we would have found the meaning of life - solved the seemingly insolvable. We can reach a more advanced level of civilisation, possibly making the climate milder. So it is worth climbing every mountain higher and higher, following the voice of our heart, and when the North Star is shining that is the moment when our dreams will all come true. Mind you that "The star possesses no anger and the dawn bears no malice" (Hugo, 1877). Thus, every scientific pioneer must follow the Star by staying on the track, overcoming challenges always in search of a brilliant solution beautiful in its mathematical expression. Following the Star means following the spirit of wisdom which is intelligent and holy, loves what is good. It is sharp and unconquerable, kind, and a friend of humanity. It penetrates every spirit that is intelligent and pure, no matter how delicate its substance may be. (Book of Wisdom, 7: 22). Irrespective of doubts, cynicism, dogma and long-held denial, sometimes, an Avatar advances such as Thunberg, who is judged by time and who helps humanity to overcome ignorance while helping everyone distinguish the truth from the falsehood. It is definitely worth to experience the journey of continual improvement and spiritual, intuitive awakening of our hearts at the individual and global level, for experience is a measure of truth. And when we have come so far, we must not lose our way, neither abandon hope nor to lose our focus nor motivation. We cannot look back, do not throw it all away since dreams are made for chasing them. Wonders are still waiting to be discovered, so set sail to start a new journey and expand the horizons of your moral imagination. In the meantime, let your story have a measure of faith because without it nothing great was ever achieved in the history of mankind.

Each era has its own set of consecutive and fairly proportional challenges (some challenges are n... more Each era has its own set of consecutive and fairly proportional challenges (some challenges are necessary for civilisation to grow and evolve) which are waiting to be solved by the prepared and adequately equipped minds that are motivated by the 'common good of humanity'. These challenges are never too complex, so sometimes they can be described as the opportunities to be seized opening new gateways, enabling new worldviews and perspectives. Chances of solving them must be taken because one critical skill that humanity excels at globally is creativity. Without creativity, it would be difficult to distinguish humans from other animals. Creativity leads to a fuller, more satisfying lives, but more crucially, without it, mankind would not progress. Throughout human history, capable, inventive individuals managed to push the frontiers of the unknown knowledge, thereby accelerating universal, human progress by working on something with natural passion and determination. Gradually, it became a piece of skilful machinery resembling a giant cog mechanism accelerating our understanding of the complex issues the world is facing. Inventors did it thanks to tuning with an understanding of ‘the spirit of the times’, the prevailing trend at work, which shapes the events of the given era. This paper will argue that these inventors figured out its trajectories, demands and details. The inventive ideas initiated by the bursts of imaginative spirit and remarkable ingenuity, gradually and subsequently, connected with one another, and as a consequence helped to find answers to the defining questions of the given era. As van Mulukom (2018) brilliantly observed, "Imagination is what propels us forward as a species – it expands our worlds and brings us new ideas, inventions and discoveries." But even the most striking invention process is incremental, it tends to be equally exponential as it builds on itself. To enable progress ideas need environments in which they could grow, connect and mature. How to awaken the enormous reserves of infinite intelligence available throughout the universe for the improvement of mankind? How to sharpen our minds and come up with brilliant ideas? Anyone can have a great idea, ideas in truth were the biggest game-changers in previous centuries, they actually accelerated our understanding of the world whether it was the invention of paper, painting in oil, the mariner’s compass, printing press, light bulb, aeroplane, or personal computer. Inventions created their own systems, nexuses or 'Disneylands of thoughts'. Ideas grow in minds and scientific seekers must always believe in their wishes because they are the most beautiful magic in the world. When stars are born they have the power to make a wish come true. This is, at least, a theory behind wonder and magic in fairy tales for children. Idea generation is boosted by creativity and we know that: “creative individuals alternate between imagination and fantasy at one end, and a rooted sense of reality at the other. They break away from the present without losing touch with the past.” (Csikszentmihalyi, 1997). But, even, in the real world, it is very plausible that we could allow our subconsciousness to guide us, to set sail on the new seas, or unknown areas of our minds to experience something we have never experienced before. And, as long as there are challenges to our civilisation, the creative minority of scientists and intellectuals will continue trying to invent novel, creative responses to challenges that our civilisations face. As Gunderson and Holling (2002: 18) showed, "change and extreme transformations have been part of humanity's evolutionary history." People, societies and civilisations have adaptive capabilities that make it possible not only to persist passively but also to dynamically innovate at critical moments when limits are reached. Civilisations can develop successful, remedial policies incrementally once the need is apparent. These qualities could help to renew civilisation ensuring longevity. The key to regeneration may be reestablishing the indigenous, flexible network of cooperation among societies who naturally cooperate with the planet, who put planet Earth first, and who invest in smart, technological innovations (McIntosh, Tainter and McIntosh, 2000). Adaptive societal responses to climate change constitute a vibrant research arena. Human mind enlarges with its new conquests, and each new step gives encouragement to proceed with another, and we do not estimate where a limit could be placed to the grand expansion of man’s consciousness that humans may obtain in the end. Infinitely ingenious human beings need to continually learn something new, most notably different ways of cooperation with Mother Nature. In real life, there is no alternative because in any long-term competition for limited resources those organisms that collaborate will survive and the selfish defectors eventually are bound to fail and disappear (Allaby, 1989: 118). All human beings have imaginative ability to various degrees, and it is difficult to imagine where humankind and our present civilisation would be without this critical skill (Van Mulukom, 2018). By creatively analysing novel, global challenges to civilisation we could increase our knowledge, we could listen more attentively to the voice of the Earth. We could discover a whole new world of imagination, unbelievable sights, indescribable feelings, perhaps a thrilling chase after a wondrous star, or even, a whole new cosmic blueprint suggesting in what way to organise our society progressively leading to 'the Golden Age' for our civilisation. How to reach a more advanced level of civilisation with new horizons to pursue and in agreement with the principle of sustainability? Nobel Prize physicists agree that the Universe has been expanding as a consequence of the Big Bang about 14 billion years ago. If the expansion will continue to speed up the Universe will end in ice. Earth could experience another Ace Age at least in some regions. So the trick is to find a superhero who would help humanity survive this difficult time by sharing enlightened insights to 'melt a little the frost' from the ice of human ignorance ensuring that the future is bright, sustainable and prosperous. So, why not continue on the journey, feeling empowered by the fabulous idea of a boundless imagination that is accelerating and skyrocketing into infinity? The answer is already acclaimed: "Yes, we can!" - proceed with the rewiring our brains towards more creative, evolutionary processes that foster bold, adventurous personal traits. This is the method of changing the world through action with the help of stars. As long as there are unsolved problems, there is always a new knowledge to be discovered that can multiply creativity, inspire insight and awaken cosmic ingenuity. And ponder a few seconds on a brilliant insight by Dewey (1980): "Knowledge is validated — only when it helps an actor to dispose or settle a problem." Such problems can solved since the purpose of creativity, principally, is to solve problems that require abstract thinking. It is worth to remind a noteworthy quote from the scientist, whose name does not need to be reminded, "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it." Some people think that civilisation cannot respond to climate change in a way that will make a real difference. They are wrong because if humans were created by the infinite intelligence they can equally rely on it. Over her 3.6 billion years of life, Gaia has survived many catastrophes including injuries by planeteismal impacts; she is ageing, but she is resilient and humanity's actions are merely making her catch a fever. Despite all of the harmful interference, the Gaia open system is ensuring constancy of the climate on the Earth. It has kept the temperature comfortable despite the warming from the Sun and the pumping of carbon dioxide. Every innovation such as earthquake and hurricane-resistant green cities fitted with renewable energy systems must include thinking about Gaia. As a civilisation, we face great responsibilities of the unity of effort. To achieve a breakthrough we have to work from different angles, acquiring tenacity, absorbing unconventional ideas, developing a sense of expectancy and building steadily while experimenting with something new. Namely, enabling our imagination to expand and play with different solutions in the search for the right one. If climate change is human-induced humans can reverse it. We can solve it thanks to: philanthropic thinking, spiritual ecology, norm innovation and the ‘building blocks' approach of climate community based on energy transformation. So each of us could become a hero saving the life-span of a typical civilisation. If successful, hopefully, we could be leading in universal progress by generating human solidarity while finding longevity of a modern civilisation.

Sudden political phenomena often surprise critics of International Relations (IR) in terms of the... more Sudden political phenomena often surprise critics of International Relations (IR) in terms of their complexity, as such scholars struggle to explain them through designing applicable models of social reality. Equally, events such as presidential elections in one of the most powerful countries in the world cannot be easily qualified within the established research traditions such as Realism, Constructivism or Liberalism. It is because one paradigm cannot easily explain every single development in states' policy. More often it is the case that foreign policy initiatives could be explained by several theoretical strands rather than one paradigm. Therefore, much more accurate are eclectic approaches which shed light on particular trends in the foreign policy rather than explaining the whole approach in full. That is why, intellectually predisposed scholars often pursue analytic eclecticism as their main method to explain political reality. Scholars apply this method not only due to its powerful explaining power but also to address the growing gap between theory and policy in the field of International Relations. This paper will answer the question of how the world of theory relates to the world of policy. Nye (2009) rightly noticed that there is a growing "gap between theorists and practitioners in the field of international relations. In recent years, the gap has been widening and bridging efforts have become more difficult." The growing withdrawal of university scholars behind curtains of theory and modelling leads to the situation in which 'scholars are on the sidelines' since they do not have a real, tangible impact on policymakers and the decisions that leaders make (Nye, 2009). To make things worse, as Walt (2005: 23) observed, "Policy makers pay relatively little attention to the vast theoretical literature in IR, and many scholars seem uninterested in doing policy-relevant work." Such trends and tendencies are unfortunate because theory is an essential tool of statecraft and not paying attention to theory might lead to major foreign policy disasters. Decision-makers who act on behalf of global leaders on their behalf do not want to rely on the voices of the so-called 'outsiders' as they have their own narrow circle of policy advisors. In such situations, voices who defend the common good and objectivity are often rejected or neglected and states pursue their own particularistic policies missing the bigger picture. Thus, it rarely happens that a politically neutral, modest scholar, who is seeking progress on the global stage and who may have worked on an innovative idea or a breakthrough approach to solving world's problems could be given a chance to influence the policy of a Great Power. This does not provide an excuse for the ​abandonment of further attempts and efforts of resourceful scholars thereby giving them a chance to excel at International Relations Theory. Many scholars are accused of wanting to advise top state leaders and influence policy, but if the analysis, plus the original perspective adopted by such scholars prove to be accurate, tested and verifiable then it may serve as a basis for discussion among supportive institutions leading to the much-needed change based on the ripple effect in international policy analysis. Great leaders listen to their advisers and can creatively weave the future by bending the political reality (Dror, 2008: 84). Even the grand policy can change. Grand policy is an instrument aiming at (to use a striking term coined by Plato in 'The Statesman'' - ''weaving the future''' through creatively combining present contradictory materials and processes into making a better future. A good statesman can creatively bend political reality by creating new ideas, norms and solutions. More specifically, grand policy tries to reduce the probability of bad futures (for example, the one with extreme climatic impacts), to increase the probability of good futures, at their visions, images and evaluations change with time, and to gear up to coping with the unforeseen and the unforeseeable. (Ibid.). To use a different analogy, in grand-policy crafting rulers perform as both composers and conductors because there is a creative element. Why is creative problem-solving needed in leadership studies? Because creativity drives innovation and evolution, providing original ideas and options thereby ensuring progress, but it is also a reaction to the challenges in the life of politics. In this sense, creative advisory and problem-solving are both reactive and proactive. It helps when solving problems and sometimes allows problems to be avoided, to choose a better option. Therefore, grand policy strategizing can be compared to composing. Composing is much more difficult, original, personal, and important than conducting, however, essential for the latter is a realization of the various compositions, giving them different interpretations, and adjusting them to changing situations (Ibid.). A ruler or leader is very different from a composer as he is working within organizations and composing in union as well as competition and conflict with peers, advisers, organizations, and societies. A great composer has the freedom of innovation that is larger by many orders of magnitude than the constrained space of creation open to rulers. Policymakers are often constrained in what policies they can pursue. Still, creation is at the core of grand-policy crafting (Dror, 2008: 85). And this is more so in our epoch when rapid change makes the wisdom of the past into the stupidity of the future, and invention of the options fitting radically novel situations and values is a must (Ibid.). Therefore, the ruler should in part operate as a creator (as well as a transformative agent of change) guided by his strategic vision and inner leadership instinct. (Panek, 2004). This natural talent can be compared to the mind-music that Bethoveen heard when he was deaf (Gelerneter, 2004). If the ruler himself cannot be a real creator, at least, he should facilitate policy option creatively and by being eager to consider and absorb new ideas, by being open to consider and balance different options and always being open-minded to critical evaluation and further re examination. To explain it in other words, high-quality grand-policy crafting in an epoch of transformations requires reliance on both idealist visions of a better world with a realist policy implementation. This is crucial for rulers who would like to enact a world-changing impact. Grand-policy training cannot make rulers into visionary leaders. But training can achieve awareness of the importance and awareness of the future-weaving mission of rulers and their creative advisers (Dror, 2008: 85). On a more operational level, to be emphasized and illustrated is the scarcity of promising options for main policy issues, and therefore, the practical need to choose the option invention, a creative and brilliant policy that is to be sought, encouraged and implemented by rulers and leaders. For the reasons explained above, sceptical and unconvinced professors should never doubt the simple truth that International Relations Theory analysts can provide valuable ideas for policymakers without sacrificing professional integrity and objectivity. Creative leaders can creatively solve important global problems. What is certain in the world of politics is the inevitability of decline of leaders, of empires and their pretensions to greatness. Is then a myth of a leader who has the power to change our world only an utopia or is it a true reality? There were cases that capable global leaders managed to change history. To paraphrase Garrett James Hardin's idea: "To survive indefinitely in good shape a nation [or civilisation - emphasis of the author] must take as its advisers people who can see farther than typical leaders.” Equally, political critics, speculators and cynics often present a distorted view of political reality, of what is politically possible and achievable. In light of this, the actions of every leader need to be re-examined and re-evaluated, so that to draw important lessons for future leaders and prevent the destructive collapse of civilisation. Arguably, what the world's needs, at the present, is to bridge the gap between academic ideas and their possible impact in solving real-world problems. Humanity simply needs more practical, ingenious adaptations for the survival of our civilisation that often, in the past, proved to come not from policy circles, but from academia. Also, ​this trend would not have wider significance if it did not raise questions regarding the preparation of new generations of scholars to influence the world of policy and enrich it through public and official perceptions and discourses of international issues and events while providing original​ insights, timely analysis, objective comments and not just hypothesis testing.

Whether in political science books, mass media programmes, or records of ancient philosophers we ... more Whether in political science books, mass media programmes, or records of ancient philosophers we repetitively encounter the statement that no relationship will be as important to the twenty-first century as the one between the United States of America (USA) as the world’s superpower, and China (PRC), the world’s rising power and the candidate to sharing global primacy. China’s development is directly transforming the lives of one-fifth of the world’s population and is otherwise influencing billions more. China’s rapid economic growth, expanding regional and global influence, continued military modernisation, and uneven human rights record are also shifting the geopolitical terrain and contributing to uncertainty about China’s future course. After thirty-five years of “engagement,” the USA and PRC have a relationship that was truly unimaginable two generations ago. At the same time, there are some Americans who believe that China’s strategic interests are incompatible with those of the USA. Offensive realists like Mearsheimer (2001) maintain that it makes good strategic sense for states to gain as much power as possible and, if the circumstances are right, to pursue hegemony. The argument is not that conquest or domination is good in itself, but that overwhelming power is the best way to ensure one's own survival. This paper argues that survival must be considered in terms of the survival of the whole planet and not just egoistically only by the most powerful states. Why is that? Since selfishness in international politics has led to two destructive wars for world domination, thus one idea that scholars of International Relations ought to be working on how to prevent great power rivalry and arms racing.To achieve that goal countries must engage in honest negotiations to resolve differences in a civilised manner. For that reason, the development of a de facto G2 between USA and China during the administration of President Obama, which has previously emerged in the finance sector is a very positive, promising trend. A widely held promise is that it will gain momentum and begin to play a more important role in global climate politics eventually leading to a solution to the climate crisis. The U.S.-China relationship is of particular strategic importance, and clean energy cooperation has become the centrepiece of this bilateral relationship. America and China have been cooperating on climate change and clean energy for several decades. Since 2009, this cooperation has been greatly enhanced and expanded, resulting in thousands of people from both countries working together to do collaborative research, to share experiences and information, and to develop commercial ventures to deploy clean energy technology (Lewis, 2017). While a longstanding debate continues among realists whether bipolarity or multipolarity is more or less war-prone, this paper argues that China should be able to coexist peacefully with both its neighbours and America. Surely, the structure of the international system will at some point force both great powers to compete among themselves for power, but China can rise peacefully if USA and China agree on the crucial priority of the upgrade of civilisation, and subsequently, the creation of joint institutions of global power sharing thereby avoiding of the resource-draining rivalry, a rivalry that would surely disrupt the stability of global markets and trade. In an era in which the risks of a massively destructive “clash of civilisations” are rising, the deliberate promotion of a genuine conciliation between the Chinese and Western civilisations is urgently needed. The concept of “a harmonious world” reflects most accurately the shared future of both civilisations. It is a mission worthy of the two countries with the most extraordinary potential for shaping the Sino-American future. How much sincerity is there in numerous attempts to integrate both countries into common institutions aimed at global power sharing such as G2? Are the political leaders trying hard enough, or is it just an unrealised, starry-eyed idea full of diplomatic splendour, high-ranking visits, flash photography, but without a deeper, realistic meaning? If the idea of US-China mature, strategic partnership is to be realised in this century while upgrading global civilisation, it will require more active engagement and building common institutions as the demand for global cooperation is greater than ever. This paper outlines in what way such an upgrade could be realised. Type I: Planetary Culture civilisation as described by Kardashev (1964) would be slightly more advanced than those currently found on Earth. It would be capable of utilising all available resources on the planet, skilfully harnessing the energy output of an entire world while economically​ sharing energy among the most powerful states, not wasting it on unnecessary competition or conquests. Such development would be a bold step for the whole civilisation in the direction of a more secure and prosperous future. The planet needs urgently genuinely shared efforts mainly by the USA and PRC but also by other great powers to institutionalise stability. As Brzezinski (2017) noted,, "the ideal geopolitical response to the crisis of global power is a trilateral connection between the United States, China and Russia." America and China have a particularly high stake in providing for a framework for global prosperity and stability. U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue and U.S.-China Dialogue on the Global Economic Order are the institutional arrangements that have a chance to build mutual trust, enhance communication, identify issues, and propose solutions to novel global challenges. Climate change and clean energy have become powerful, unifying issues in the U.S.-China bilateral relationship (Lewis, 2017). In particular, "high-level engagement between the leaders of the two sides, including but not only through the Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED), allowed both countries to discuss politically sensitive issues, from trade barriers to international security, and it ensured that the two largest national economies in the world had a diplomatic means of diffusing potential conflict." (Ibid). The two world’s largest economies have a strong incentive to work together to fix the current order by solving these challenges rather than see it fall apart. The good news is that a grand bargain to achieve this objective may be achievable. However, "with President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, China’s leadership has responded with the disappointment and disapproval now shared by many other countries around the world." (Ibid). Climate change is an area of global concern that could unite various great powers in problem-solving sharing of sovereignty. Despite the U.S. withdrawal, China has made clear that it will stick to its commitment to fulfilling the 2015 Paris Treaty pledges. China had shown itself both a great collaborator and leader in global governance. When America retreats, China could take responsibility for global issues. As American climate change politics evolve under the new Trump administration wise advisers always appreciate the benefits of the partnership since ''Sino-American action could stabilize the world. At a minimum, we should agree to limit our disagreements; more sophisticatedly, we should identify projects we can undertake together'' (Kissinger, 2016). There are many untapped areas for fruitful cooperation when countries build trust. Thus, Americans must avoid a major, recurring problem from past outlooks on China, namely the mistaken belief that U.S. policies will have a decisive effect on China's future. On the contrary, in military, economic, cultural and strategic positions America should be cooperative and supportive, not hostile and threatening (Oksenberg and Oxfam, 1973: 12). Ultimately China's future will be decided by Chinese people and in their response to domestic, Asian and global developments. When both countries cooperate the seeds of ingenious activism are sown while other great powers such as Russia could join in the common, trilateral project of global stewardship. Opportunities for collaboration in addressing climate change are plentiful, but moving forward at the scale needed will require high-level political support in two very different societies: American and Chinese that have to develop so much needed trust for each other. Great powers willing to create 'a more inclusive system of global power management' must accept joint sacrifices, open more formalised channels of dialogue and resolve some of the most pertaining regional issues, i.e.: climate change, energy security and nuclear proliferation for the sake of collective stability, global peace and given the unpredictability of any projections of world order. This is a project for a new, Chinese-American future and civilisation's advancement based on partnership.

"The word democracy (dēmokratia) derives from dēmos, which refers to the entire citizen body, and... more "The word democracy (dēmokratia) derives from dēmos, which refers to the entire citizen body, and kratos, meaning rule" (Cartwright, 2018). The ancient Greeks have provided current civilisation with fine art, breath-taking temples, timeless theatre, and some of the greatest philosophers, but it is democracy which is, perhaps, their greatest and most enduring legacy (Ibid.). Why is that? Maybe because it remain a timeless idea, a wave spirit spanning the whole world and uniting peoples of different political systems, races, ages, genders, faiths and geographic location. Democracy survived the ongoing passing of epochs of the merciless time, its reawakens each time becoming stronger, is it an idea a man can hold to? Democracy works when peoples, citizens, leaders, community organizers, activists and educators are willing to work for its unlimited, infinite potential. Democratization, defined by the Oxford Dictionary as: “the introduction of a democratic system or democratic principles” is never easy or unproblematic. Democratization is, in other words, the transition to a more democratic political regime. It also refers to substantive political changes moving in a democratic direction, so directing towards more globally accepted civilisation, a global civil society while embracing liberal values. Whatever defined and although imperfect democratization under one form or the other has been really an a force in international politics that has been truly unstoppable. From Physics we know that for a force to be unstoppable it would have to have infinite energy. The only thing in our universe we know of that could possess infinite energy is an infinitely massive black hole. An immovable force also cannot be altered. And since they are both already moving they have to be moving together. Equally, light itself is an unstoppable force. Every photon that hits our bodies changes our momentum a tiny little bit, and there is nothing we can do about it other than avoid light altogether or become transparent. This is possible thanks to light which is one of the most universal and fundamental symbols in the universe. It is the spiritual and the divine, it is illumination and intelligence. Light is the source of goodness and the ultimate reality, and it accompanies transcendence not only transparency. For example, Earth has been bathed with light from the Sun that is our most important source of energy. Sunlight warms us, causes weather patterns, allows plants to manufacture oxygen and our food from carbon dioxide and water, and it allows us to find our way around in the daytime. Observations of the sun date back to ancient times when Babylonians were keeping a record of solar eclipses as well as the ancient Chinese astronomers who were observing solar phenomena (such as solar eclipses and visible sunspots) with the purpose of keeping track of calendars, which were based on lunar and solar cycles. Because the Earth orbits the Sun this is connected to seasons transition. Using this comparison, equally, states can gradually transition from an authoritarian regime to a full democracy or delay democratization processes, but they cannot completely escape light. A transition from an authoritarian political system to a semi-democracy or transition from a semi-authoritarian political system to a democratic political system in different forms is unstoppable because the world is build on democratic foundations. As Amanda Gorman (2021) brilliantly declared, ''But while democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated.'' The outcome of democratization processes may be a consolidated democracy (as it was, for example, in the United Kingdom), or democratization may face frequent reversals (as it has faced, for example, in Argentina), but although democracy in itself is not a perfect system is it is inevitable. One of the finest of American Presidents, James Madison devoted the whole of Federalist No. 10 to a scathing critique of democracy and offered that republics are a far better solution, saying: "...democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths." Madison offered that republics were superior to democracies because republics safeguarded against tyranny of the majority, stating in Federalist No. 10: "the same advantage which a republic has over a democracy, in controlling the effects of faction, is enjoyed by a large over a small republic". Different patterns of democratization are often used to explain other political phenomena, such as whether a country goes to a war or whether its economy grows. Democratization itself is influenced by various factors, including economic development, history, and civil society. The ideal result from democratization is to ensure that the people have the right to vote and have a voice in their political system. This makes people more empowered and it is together that we specify, are more skilled and apt to create innovative solutions to real world challenges. By going after our problems with new solutions, we can move progress forward. And in that unstoppable movement of the 'spirit of the times' there is magic. There is a speck of hope - something that holds the promise and drives it forward. Equally, there is innovation and there is change. In that spirit, there is our collective human mission of improving mankind: How can we creatively collaborate, critically think and communicate in ways that make our world a better place to live. Democratization processes are conducive to this unstoppable force, an intrinsic part of the story of humanity on the planet. Has the democratization process been in any way unusual or special in Poland and Greece? And what were the significant characteristics of the process in both countries? What were the similarities and differences? This paper will attempt to answer these pertinent questions by describing the main features of democratisation in Poland and Greece in the following sections.

In what way can indigenous, local communities, green cities and coastal ports overcome the impact... more In what way can indigenous, local communities, green cities and coastal ports overcome the impacts of disastrous climate change? This paper will discuss possible solutions in which resilient, local communities can apply smart, local-tech and sustainable development strategies to harness ecosystem services so that to promote the physical, social, environmental and economic well-being of individuals and large cities. By building green ecocities with vertical gardens we can adapt to a changing climate by establishing symbiotic bond with nature. By relying on solar energy we could decarbonize economies while reducing the cost of energy, and increasing global prosperity. Recent climate disasters are the result of two factors. First, humanity’s lack of awareness of the spiritual wisdom that could be learned from 'ancient alchemists' alongside with a failure of forecast intelligence resulting in overall helplessness. Second, protesting Earth, who as a feminine being is trying to communicate the message: “The light within the sacred of creation, and humanity’s relationship with this light have been eradicated from our consciousness, and thus dying” (Vaughan-Lee, 2015). Global civilisation is facing a serious ecological crisis which has to do with forces in creation that are acting against humanity since humans have been destroying the planetary ecosystem. Mankind participates in a strange madness of a culture of erase which has been undermining something very precious, the very thing that it subsists on. It is our responsibility to preserve the beauty and the magic of creation. There is always hope and even the impossible is possible, but intelligent actions must be embraced while ineffective half-solutions aborted. Wise inventors have a long time ago discovered that the greatest ideas are the simplest. Pundits speculate about complex, avant-garde solutions. But clearly, previous work has failed to attempt to address the problem of climate change from a spiritual consciousness level of a living organism, our planet, Gaia. Mother Nature cares deeply about all living beings so why we should not help ailing Gaia to cure it? Environmental alarms are the symptoms of an illness, so we could examine them in the context of the whole organism, discover their underlying cause, evaluate seriousness, and prescribe medicine that is precise, appropriate and involves a minimum of possibly harmful interference - a small amount of leverage can produce maximum advantageous change. Scholarly work discussing smart solutions from the local communities perspective together with possibilities of cooperation with nature are scarce. Suggested solutions are incomprehensible to local people, thus hardly ever implemented. Governmental policy responses presented to the public as big ideas are difficult to organise and slow to execute. Policy agenda set at global summits is slow, does not apply to communities in less developed countries and agreed long-term goals can only be accomplished if they are undertaken in an integrated manner. For global climate governance to be effective it would have to be ''much deeper, with much more costly controls on emissions" that would require "the ability to assess whether each nation is doing its part and linking together the different national efforts into a more integrated, collaborative set of international agreements" (Victor, 2015). A regime complex for climate change is an ambitious strategy that implies building global trust, dialogue, positive feedback loops, flexibility across issues and adaptability over time. (Victor and Keohane, 2010). Can humans tune in with a source of magical wisdom as an infinite natural agent of change leading with an energetic impetus unstoppable in ceaselessly healing the planet. Why not supplementing global treaties with smart, symbiotic, biomimetic solutions at the local, community and regional level? The expression 'think globally, act locally' could be a buzzword, but also an apt picklock. As Debasish Mridha said, 'Hope opens the door of opportunity and shines the way to possibilities.' Innovative green technologies can be applied to enable communities to follow policy innovations at a small, more efficient scale rather than automatically assuming that problems have to be tackled at a national level. As Lambin (et al., 2019: 29) noted, ''the polycentric model of governance recognizes the importance of multiple vectors in driving change. Multiple small, bottom-up solutions can have synergistic effects and reinforce each other to lead to rapid change provided that, in addition to the design of small solutions, efforts are dedicated to their scaling-up.'' Local communities could become economically self-sufficient while acting in sync with Nature. Smart solutions such as growing new forests (offsets arrangements for forestry) are life-saving for the planet. Balance with Earth is possible when humanity abandons political quarrels that typically befuddle international treaties to give way to local, natural adaptations. Prolonged negotiations and antagonizing political solutions are an utopia. Gaia begs for a spiritual compassion and the widespread, small but decisive adaptations that could: 1. Show more respect for Nature (green architecture); 2. Coevolve with nature (solar civilisation); 3. Reduce the greenhouse blanket (planting forests). How can we bring spiritual values, a sense of the sacred and respect for Earth into action to help heal the planet and restore nature? Each citizen on the planet has a responsibility to shepherd Nature. The spirit of God created Nature, so when the physical creatures of His creation ignore their Creator, He reminds them "in the whirlwind and in the storm." God is primaeval and Earth is his child created to treat with dignity to sustain the long-term viability of Life and Love. "The cry of the Earth" is audible throughout the Universe, but we need to respond with an instinctive compassion to heal. Otherwise, nations of the world will reap the whirlwind. We need to redeem the sacred balance with Earth working with the forces of Creation not against them. Solving the climate crisis will not require the same degree of mobilization as the two World Wars did, but it will require a new, socio-economic system for limiting our abuse of the planet, priorities for public investment and convincing the public opinion about the urgency to act. Using Maths, students can make sense of the world e.g. by calculating how fast will be the melting of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets to prevent the worst. Climate diplomacy is a spark that reveals the truth that is often obscured by politicians. We need speedy policy change - implementation to create a decisive space for climate adaptations to replace fossil fuels so that the work of climate pioneers such as Greta Thunberg is not futile. The world needs a comprehensive solution as if an energetic "Samurai sword cut" through the Gordian knot of the climate crisis. The world needs a decisive push for clean energy transition away from the outdated system structure. Much of the policy debate focuses on emissions - can we really slash emissions pursuing political action as if we had machetes? Can we simultaneously reverse climate change by disassembling the Gordian knot step-by-step, sector by sector through energy transition? Global leaders have to act rapidly since "Our children and those as yet unborn deserve to live in a world that is healthier, more equitable and which offers a sustainable future, the world we ourselves would like to live in. Climate change is not just an environmental problem, it is a human rights issue. It is the biggest child rights problem of our time" (Puttnam, 2009). We were told that we need a paper agreement about the nature of the problem and the way to address it (Weiss, 2013: 158). Earth will not wait, nor let it be controlled by politics since it is governed by its own natural cycle. If climate belongs to all peoples and to young generations why delaying action? Nature is 3.8 billion years of evolution while Homo sapiens are 200,000 years old - global leaders need to learn more humility. Earth is as happy to help as to destroy. In principle, She is pro-life. A climate solution is incipient which is no secret. The global climate movement by children is not only justified but also inspiring - ''the idealism of youth is something that should be treasured and respected'' (Attenborough, 2019). Climate change is dynamic, but when people get involved it can be solved. As Jefferson (1892), noticed "... climate is one of the sources of the greatest sensual enjoyment." A popular understanding of the issue is a prerequisite, but humanity needs a strategy for action. Thanks to continued global efforts of hard work, perseverance, learning from previous failed attempts and determination we can solve the seemingly unsolvable if we break down a big global problem into smaller units amenable to practical action.

With a climate moonshot, the two key questions are: How do you define the goal, and how do you me... more With a climate moonshot, the two key questions are: How do you define the goal, and how do you measure success? This thesis tests climate diplomacy by President Obama through a method of norm-centred constructivism. This thesis’ core research question is: to what extent was President Obama’s diplomacy successful in addressing the problem of climate change? Chapter One contextualises the subject matter. Chapter Two argues that there is a lack of consensus regarding what classifies as effective climate diplomacy. This chapter explores the core assumption of norm-centred constructivism. Chapter Three outlines the methodology. Chapter Four assesses the extent to which President Obama’s climate diplomacy was innovative and creative. Chapter Five discusses his achievements and lost opportunities. Chapter Six summarises the research findings.

The Obama administration promised dramatic changes regarding climate leadership accepting that tackling climate change is one of America's greatest economic opportunities of the 21st century. More notably, President Obama (2014) promised that a low-carbon, clean energy economy can be an engine of growth for decades to come and that America will build that engine. Although climate change was presented as a market opportunity the momentum occurred late in the second term. President achieved a reasonable degree of success given the lack of sustained support from public opinion, a number of competing national priorities, political gridlock and constraints exerted by the system's structure. He did not manage to change the system’s structure completely, because people did not see and feel that climate change has been adversely affecting their daily lives. As Weitzman (2013: 163) noticed, "When the average person feels that climate change is as immediate a threat to global welfare, as a deep, pronged recession, then strong action will be seriously contemplated." The failure of the present system, which is unfair towards the Earth, is that ''the current trajectory of more-or-less business as usual in politics of climate change is going to continue probably until the frightening actual impact (or perhaps actual real imminent threat) of some scary geoevent mobilizes a genuine popular groundswell of bottom-up demand for action creating a serious worldwide coordinated attack on the problem'' (Ibid: 151). A principled climate action is not in the interest of elites in democratic societies as their motivation is eternal economic growth. The process of adaptation that the climate response demands requires a new approach in politics away from vested interests, so the President encountered strong resistance. His leadership on climate was robust as he pushed towards reshaping of the system towards more accountability, openness and sensibility. He would have succeeded in his climate diplomacy had he matched his vision with a corresponding firmness, consequential and principled action. He would have succeeded had he treated his vigorous climate diplomacy as an energetic, double-edged sword and followed his rhetoric with more transformative policies. Proverbially, he could have made a 'Samurai sword cut' through the gridlocked political system. Domestically, he was constrained due to party politics. Internationally, he attempted to bend the rule-based international order by working through institutions, invigorated alliances and partnerships. Such a strategy would have been more successful had it found enough followers based on a wider social movement as the one initiated later by Greta Thunberg. What was required was not just a gentle moulding of the existing regime, but rather a shakeup of "'the established institutions out of their current ineffective path'' (Stevenson and Dryzek, 2014: 216). He would have succeeded had he offered a more dynamic leadership championing bottom-up change. In reality, he encountered opposition from the vested interests defending the status quo. Einstein said, "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." However, ''Agency is necessary in fostering, promoting, and implementing change'' (Lakshmi, et al., 2018). ''Collective agency and action emerges from the beliefs, intentions, perspectives, values, and interactions of unique individuals.'' (Ibid.) President has prudently chosen change through evolution within the system. Acting so implied that the results of his work will not be immediate though as the solution may be in the making. To achieve a quicker effect he might have pursued more indirect strategies based on a build-up of a social movement that would provide a change from the bottom-up to empower oppressed populations and resist the more powerful, advantaged elites. When the system is corrupted then a leader can wisely act beyond it. The impression might be that politicians are unsuccessful. As Thunberg (2018) said, ''Our civilisation is being sacrificed for the opportunity of a very small number of people to continue making enormous amounts of money. It is the sufferings of the many which pay for the luxuries of the few.'' And: ''We cannot solve a crisis without treating it as a crisis... if solutions within the system are so impossible to find, then... we should change the system itself.'' (Ibid). Social agency can change the system as a result of a global, social-ecological transformation. Climate change research needs to ''dedicate more analytical attention to social power; not only due to justice and other moral imperatives, but because power relations will determine how societies choose to respond.'' (Ibid) Manuel-Navarette (2010) stated, ''climate change will require socio-political transformations beyond ecological modernization and revamping the energy grid with renewables.'' Thesis aim was to focus on the transformative social action and revitalise the idealist/constructivist tradition in IR Theory. ''Climate change is not a collateral effect of globalization, or a market externality. It is rather a persuasive, global civilising force pushing us towards reframing the rules and power relations under which globalization takes place... Unfortunately, climate change research has been inclined towards either paying little analytical attention to power itself, or embracing a realist stance.'' (Ibid.) Realist tradition to solving climate change ignores a long idealist/humanist tradition which would highlight the potential of climate politics to liberate humanity from elite-based constraints.'' (Ibid.) Often realism-motivated leaders are helpless while politics becomes a pure cynicism or a hopeless denial. Leaders have to start thinking outside the box and have faith that it can be solved. Paraphrasing Fuller (2011), to enact an effective system change humanity has to build a creative order that makes the existing model obsolete. President Obama succeeded in creating the norm of environmental stewardship initiating the norm cascading dynamics by motivating the international community to join in climate followership leading to action. After norm entrepreneurs had persuaded a critical mass of states to become leaders climate norm reaches a threshold and it becomes part of the international law.

The signing of the 2015 Paris Agreement generated unprecedented levels of global solidarity as it bets on the force of social norms and expectations rather than law to achieve its aims (Stern, 2019). Humanity has to act faster though, accelerating collective efforts towards full implementation, encouraging deeper international co-operation, championing principled, coordinated and speedy action in each economic sector focused on deep decarbonisation. The phrase 'Gordian knot' refers to any problem that seems too complicated to solve. As Mr. Reagan (1975) said, "The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one who gets the people to do the greatest things." Political agency is the key to tackling climate change, but it is individuals who play a central role in transformations for change. Since the times of Moses social movement leadership has been successful. President Obama tried to solve the problem with the help of peoples. His example shows that decision-makers now take greater responsibility. With the new political resolve, trust and unity global leaders are determined to solve it. The greatest change always begins at the grassroots when citizens are mobilized. President Obama mobilized the normative community with the strength of principled leadership and strategic vision. From history, Alexander the Great simply, skilfully and swiftly cut through the knot with a sword. This did seem to go against the conventional wisdom which suggested the problem will be solved by slow manipulation of the knot. The creation of an informal, transnational climate community resembles persistent efforts towards climate progress offering a long-awaited hope for a spontaneous, instantaneous and unconventional climate solution.

This dissertation aims to identify, explore and consider parallels between the treasured, traditi... more This dissertation aims to identify, explore and consider parallels between the treasured, traditional ideals that guided the United States of America throughout its history and the English School and constructivists values in order to demonstrate why values per se play an important role in the foreign policymaking, identity formation and perception of a ‘Responsible Great Power’ such as the United States of America in International Politics. Certain values are universal and America will work to promote them worldwide. These include an individual's freedom to speak their mind, assemble without fear, worship as they please, and choose their own leader; they also include dignity, tolerance, and equality among all people, and the fair and equitable administration of justice. America was founded upon a belief in these values. At home, fidelity to these values has extended the promise of America ever more fully, to ever more people. Abroad, these values have been claimed by people of every race, region, and religion. Most nations are parties to international agreements that recognise this commonality and nations that embrace these universal values for their citizens are ultimately more successful. It will be argued that American values and ideals are durable and prone to a process of continuous evolution as well as perfecting, throughout history. America rose the greatness as a revolutionary community, following the lead of creative pioneers who welcomed and initiated timely and constructive changes instead of remaining in stagnation. President Obama attempted to renew these values by reclaiming the American dream. As Maraziti (2017: 125) argued, he restored America's reputation destroyed by an unnecessary war, generalized ignorance and arrogance of leadership. Instead of using military might, President Obama invested in diplomacy, honest negotiations and collective responses to the novel, global challenges. President Obama's grand strategy might be summarized as preserving American leadership of an eminently favourable international order, but doing so at reduced costs, via more supple and energetic climate diplomacy, and in ways that better reflect the shifting balance of power on the global chessboard. The climate change problem is real, as the Report by the National Intelligence Council states, "Extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfalls, floods, droughts, cyclones, and heatwaves, will disrupt critical human and natural systems. They could trigger crop failures, wildfires, energy blackouts, infrastructure breakdown, or infectious diseases outbreaks. The frequency and magnitude of such events are increasing as the climate changes, according to the IPCC." (2016: 5). The analysis presented in this thesis reveals that for the success of President Obama's climate diplomacy to be complete he could have mobilised the initiative of global leaders embracing coherent and swift decision making in response to, and even more importantly, in prevention to natural disasters and various climatic changes. For the radical green environmentalists and climate activists, President Obama was not consequential enough. Environmental problems our civilisation faces probably cannot be solved within the current system as it is too much established in the vested interests of big oil corporations and fossil fuel industry. As Thunberg (2019) said, ''We cannot save the world by playing by the rules because the rules have to change.'' The argument that solving these problems requires a more decisive move towards the rational institutionalist approaches to understanding multilateral institutions and far more tightened cooperation between states within established institutions, or perhaps even, the creation of some kind of new, more flexible institutions is something we have been hearing for a long time. But so far, the efforts of liberal institutionalists have been ineffective while the planet is suffering. These new institutions, the so-called 'third generation of global governance institutions', even if they would have materialised in the near future, they would have to speak for future generations and stand as a counterweight to selfish, national interests. Their creators should also have enough courage to oppose the vested interests of fossil fuel industry and big oil corporations which have been institutionalizing unsustainable development that is based on exponential curves which cannot go for all time. "With tens of trillions of dollars' worth of fossil fuel reserves and infrastructure at stake, it is perhaps not surprising that some of the businesses and individuals with the most money to lose from addressing climate change have done whatever they can to block progress" (Berners-Lee and Clark, 2013: 126). For decades, many of those invested in ongoing oil, coal and gas use have pumped money into lobby groups, think tanks and PR agencies with the express purpose of persuading that climate change is not real. The more recent changes in climate producing extreme weather events are the best proof that their system is crumbling and it will lead to the 'carbon bubble' which poses a significant financial threat to the world's stock markets. Evidently, fossil fuel companies have huge amount to lose from a successful effort to tackle climate change. Ensuring symbiosis with the Earth does not, however, require a world government or a new industrial revolution that would destroy the old system. Earth needs a long-awaited regeneration or respite or sustainable retreat. Combating climate change does not require accepting lower growth or a lower standard of living. "Moving away from fossil fuel use and toward clean energy can boost innovation, productivity and efficiency." (Obama, 2017). During the course of Obama's presidency, the economy grew by more than 10 percent despite a 9.5 per cent fall in carbon dioxide emissions from the energy sector. Humanity can and indeed must envisage a future powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, which may help break the link between economic activity and climate change. Rather than fighting and exploiting the environment, humanity needs to recognize alternative measures of sustainable progress. In reality, there is no conflict between human progress and environmental sustainability; well-being is directly and positively connected with a healthy environment. (Rogers, et al., 2012: 61). To move towards sustainability human civilisation "must address social as well as environmental issues." (Ibid.: 63). Humanity must not continue to sacrifice the environment to safeguard a vision of the world based on the illusion of infinite economic growth. Robert F. Kennedy once said that a country’s GDP measures “everything except that which makes life worthwhile." Global civilisation could break away from artificial GDP measurements and start to look for the smart cure to the ailing planet. A good start, as Nordhaus and Romer (2018) observed, is to include care for the climate in the value of the national growth. Many economic goods, such as natural resources and clean air, are hard to reproduce. Climate change and its effect on everyone’s well-being, is not a part of national accounts, while profits and GDP are. Had more countries valued more favourable climate they would have convinced leaders not only to preserve liberal order but also to try to heal the Earth. (Liberal order is dependent on climate stability). If we could give more choices to people and more choices to leaders it would result in a broader set of rules to change rules. Gradually, this would lead to a systemic change thereby avoiding coordination trap (Romer, 2009). According to Anderson (2018), ''the only conceivable way forward to prevent the world from turning into an oven is “system change” via transformation to decarbonized energy supply technologies with deep penetration of efficient technologies and a profound shift in behaviour and reframing the value propositions re success and progress, an economic model that fits the purpose of mitigation, like eco economics.'' Redirecting America's policy on climate is a practical, prudent strategy initiating global system change. ''We either change the system rapidly to reduce our emissions or we do not bother and then system change gets us through climate change.'' (Ibid). Decision-makers must be in the forefront since successfully addressing climate change could open new avenues in space while offering a chance for a civilisational upgrade. We need a new burst of pioneering spirit, focus on the world's youth and innovative policy. The planet needs a long-awaited spiritual, moral renewal. Prudent global leaders invest great effort and demonstrate political sagacity to do the right thing at the right time, (listening to science and acting in time) instinctively​ choosing the right idea. They do not only promise change but also deliver it to leave a better and safer world for future generations.

Most contemporary International Relations academics and experts agree that with the collapse of t... more Most contemporary International Relations academics and experts agree that with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the deconstruction of the bipolar arrangement of the global stage, the present international order based on the pre-eminent domination of the United States of America in almost every sphere of international politics is essentially a unipolar one. Advocates of the structural realist account in international relations theory, however, believe that unipolarity will not last forever. Inevitably unipolarity must lead to the rise of other powers, who in turn will attempt to challenge the status quo based upon the dominance of the leading superpower. According to realists, China is poised to change the shape of the international configuration of power as it is working to ensure having a responsible status on the international stage. Furthering this desired perception, Chinese leaders assert that their country is committed to peace, harmony, and co-operation with other nations, and not global domination. Consequently, the prospect of China becoming a new superpower in the twenty-first century has triggered much-heated debate, along with endless speculation. War was almost always the case in the past when one major power was ceasing to rise and another rival rose on the scene and aspire to replace the previous power that usually resulted in a major conflict. Therefore, arguably, the most important question that faces scholars of international affairs is whether the relationship between the world's most important rising power and its established power will be peaceful or bellicose? Will the rise of China - and the reaction of America to that rise - have the effect that so many great power ascensions have had in the past, leading to general war? Or will the new constraints of economies and nuclear deterrence create powerful incentives on both sides for a peaceful, though highly competitive relationship? (Zakaria quoted in Keohane and Nye, 2012: xv). Assuming continued domestic success, as Brzezinski (2012: 179) noted, "it is unlikely that China will experience in the relatively near future - say by 2030 - what many in the West hope: the emergence of a middle-class-based constitutional democracy of the American-European variety. Therefore, the length of the process suggests that any fears of a modernising, assertive, impatient, triumphalist, aggressively nationalistic China are not justified. So far, despite a rise that rivals or even outstrips those of any previous rising power, China has been largely uninterested in a grand global role, particularly a military one. Why is there so much fear and envy surrounding China's rise? Perhaps, because China had a glorious and great past that could potentially put into shade other, distant civilisations when they choose to compete. As observed by some scholars, "in its heyday, China had no global peer, in the sense that no other power was capable of challenging its imperial status or even resisting its further expansion" while China built ships larger than any other civilisation (Brzezinski, 1997: 15). The fear of China rising might be only an ill-perceived anxiety existing in the mindsets of Western policymakers rather than an objective reality. This is because as observed by Khanna (2019), ''the biggest story today is not the rise of China, it is the collective resurgence of Asia''. China is the midpoint in this process. Indeed, “For most of recorded history, Asia was the economic, technological and cultural centre of the world. From that perspective, the last 500 years of western dominance almost appear an aberration.'' (Khanna, 2019). But the future does not need to be mono-civlisational because, in truth, America, did also have a great past. It would be a great idea if America could continue to work with rather than against China. Thus, whether it is possible to unite both civilisations will depend on the internal condition of both countries. The world needs evolving, harmonious China and renovating, energetic America. An America that renews its infrastructure, that recognises its technological innovation, that regains its sense of historical optimism, and that overcomes its paralysing political gridlock (Brzezinski, 2012: 178). Such America will be able to more confidently adjust to, and cope with, a rising China. Such an America will be likely to have a clearer, less Manichean view of the world, and thus would be better able to face a world in which its political preeminence in the future has to be shared and accept cooperation between civilisations. If that process of cooperation changes, on either side, it will surely alter the basic stability of the global system. However, despite this reality some analysts evidently remain rather unsettled with it and they predict the inevitable conflict between China and America. According to this logic, the prevailing story of power in the 21st century will be the rise in the power of China that will create fear in the United States of America, which will lead to a great conflict. However, this is a simplistic interpretation, bad history and a poor understanding of power for our century. In contrast to pessimistic predictions, this thesis argues that the future of global politics will not be based on zero-sum games ​but on honest partnership and measures designed to build trust between both Great Powers. Bipolar systems throughout history have been, arguably, the most stable ones. Once there is a degree of balance there is stability. For every power that competes in Great Power politics, there must be a check just like in chess game so that there is a relative equilibrium or the conditions of balance of power and therefore no advantage is taken by the more dominant country. At least, this idea prevents tribalism or nationalism and takes more care of the Earth. If such an equal partnership could develop between America and China, and then, be channelled, for example, onto cooperative solutions to the novel, global challenges such as climate change the world and the whole planet would probably witness much-needed progress, advancement and prosperity born out of bilateral, more spontaneous and inclusive system of cooperation. One truth that still proves valid in global politics is that no country can solve the challenges of our time effectively unless it solves them together. Another truth is that America and China together emit about 45 per cent of the global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels (Gallagher and Xuan, 2018: xii). It is perfectly justifiable and technically reasonable, thus to focus global efforts of reducing greenhouse gases emissions starting from these two countries. Without good cooperation, we cannot solve climate change effectively. Using justice claims and accusations that the other country does not keep the standards are no longer appropriate. The planet will not wait for united climate action. By studying the climate policy process in both countries analysts can shed more light, and indeed, understand each other's goals, differences and similarities between both countries. ''Through a better understanding of each other, leaders of both countries might be able to turn distrust into at minimum a cautious scepticism and perhaps even, a more realistic approach to cooperation.'' (Ibid: 12). In international politics, ''empathy and understanding are the foundations for partnerships. Through a better understanding about each other's differences and particular constraints, future negotiations between these two countries will be more productive because we will understand the fundamental interests of the other side.'' (Ibid.) Both countries need to develop more trust, more common interests, they need to be less suspicious, and more respectful about fundamental uncertainties and they need to learn from each other's experiences.'' (Ibid.). If such conditions were to develop gradually, it is more likely that climate cooperation could succeed in the future (Ibid.) The difficulty in the complex process of climate policy regulation is that ''climate change was not considered a top-tier issue by the foreign policy establishment in either country, and the United States and China had been deadlocked in the international climate negotiations for decades.'' (Gallagher and Xuan, 2018: 1). This is because politicians have kept the public away from the truth of the suffering Earth. Global climate unity requires abortion of party-politics, bureaucracy, culture of denial and war through geo-economics. Great Powers could build and not only compete, construct and not only constrain. If so, the planet could experience a more holistic civilisational advancement. ''Every great achievement was a vision before it became a reality (Kissinger, 2011: 530). Strategic vision for the 21st century implies that China and America work together with other Great Powers while building a new architecture of global peace and stability.

The aim of this thesis is to analyse current American foreign policy through International Relati... more The aim of this thesis is to analyse current American foreign policy through International Relations Theory. The idea is to develop a theoretical and practical foundation that offers suggested ways in which the United States of America may restore international legitimacy in the world. It is not to create a completely new theory, but to develop better, more accurate and more useful concepts for capturing the world. Clear thinking brings our knowledge into close and correcting of the empirical reality. Working towards this aim the political scientist seeks to sharpen the conceptual toolkit by revising and refining, or if necessary inventing new concepts to build better theories and improve our evaluating techniques. According to this thesis, any leader ought to try to gain that something special called international legitimacy whether it is associated with ‘the mandate of the heaven’ or whether it comes from acceptance of the whole society. Legitimacy is an underestimated process linked to power that facilitates compliance more subtly. Legitimacy is driven by the logic of appropriateness, whereby compliance can result from a self-imposed obligation to do what is right. It reflects widespread positive experiences and favourable outcomes resulting from previous encounters with complaint behaviour. But as Weiss (2013: 110) observed, "the main strength of legitimacy stems from the societal compunction to behave in a manner consistent with generally accepted norms - when the standard becomes internalised by actors and is accepted without question." Consider if legitimacy could be understood internationally where in the condition of a lack of global government it could be quite handy. Since unlike coercion or self-interest, international legitimacy could result from collective understandings of what is appropriate international conduct.

America currently faces serious dilemmas in its global policy and more specifically in the formulation of its foreign policy. These difficulties can be attributed primarily to the loss of international legitimacy. Consequently, America must recover international legitimacy, leadership and respect around the world. Numerous scholars, engaged in a debate over the future of American foreign policy have advanced many suggestions of how to recover international legitimacy. However, there is no clear choice between them as many are incompatible and contradict one another, so none of the suggested theories is​ sufficiently persuasive.

This thesis synthesises the most promising ideas within three theories of International Relations: the English School, Constructivism and globalization to suggest ideas for recovering international legitimacy. This synthesis suggests that America’s main tool for restoring its legitimacy will be skilful diplomacy based on the principle of ‘consensual leadership’, which will require an individual to act as ‘a transformational leader’. From American President, Barack Obama’s campaign rhetoric it may be suggested that he aspires to fulfil this role. Equally, one of the main findings of this thesis is based on a combination of both: Realist and Constructivist insights. Constructivism has offered a challenge to Realism with its focus on states and their security. If the nature of international political reality is socially constructed, human beings have in their power to construct a better world thanks to ideas, norms and discourse. The impact of Constructivism on conflict resolution is yet to be discovered, as is its influence on world politics. Consistent with Constructivists, diplomacy is one of the main methods of conflict resolution.

Diplomacy, which traditionally has been preoccupied with advising, shaping and implementing foreign policy, is not a simple concept. And today, it is a far more diverse and challenging process. In the present, interactive, interdependent and unstable world, traditional diplomacy may be not enough. More importantly, the nature of diplomacy is subject to constant change. Therefore, modern diplomatic practices, such as: negotiation, persuasion, agenda setting and coordination must be understood properly and applied adequately in the context of ‘transformational leadership’ and ‘forward-deployed’ diplomacy. This kind of diplomacy could perform its traditional function of contributing to international dialogue, peace and stability. Good diplomacy must rest on the will of the people, display a preference for working with allies and reject the war option.

Different regions of the world assume different importance at different times. The circumstances, in which modern diplomacy takes place, imply that all actors have to adjust their goals and actions to the new, emerging, geopolitical reality of the shift of the centre of economic gravity from Atlantic to Asia-Pacific. One of the central tasks of diplomatic engagement at an international level is a contribution to the pacific settlement of disputes. In the coming decades, diplomacy and its primary function of negotiation could be still useful because of the lack of strategic trust among leaders of great powers. Thus, there is a high risk of militarized responses leading to ‘spirals of insecurity’ and self-perpetuating ‘security dilemmas’.

One task of modern statecraft may be a reform of the United Nations system so that it is more capable of taking on the heavy responsibility of managing the planet’s serious problems, such as climate change. Climate governance implies adopting diplomatic measures that aim at steering advanced civilisations towards preventing, mitigating and adapting to the risks posed by climate change. Improved problem solving on a global scale, however, need not involve the establishment of additional, powerful and formal institutions. It does involve building consensus on norms and showing the unity of efforts in building climate-resilient infrastructure systems that are crucial areas of investment required to adapt to a climate-uncertain future. It will be a long-term project to transform international politics, not to be based on universal principles of morality, but on rules of coexistence, common understanding and environmental sustainability.

My research is about America, its global role and the impact of American foreign policy as a forc... more My research is about America, its global role and the impact of American foreign policy as a force of good in the world. According to Friends of the Earth (2018: 2), ''the world’s richest 10% produce 50% of carbon emissions, compared to the poorest 50% of humanity who are responsible for just 10% of emissions. While climate change affects us all, it is the poorest and those who have contributed the least, who are often on the frontlines of climate impacts and are some of the most vulnerable.'' So America, the United Kingdom and other great powers need to show responsibility offering something more ambitious than what has been introduced so far. We need a national, or even, a global effort similar to the creation of the welfare state in the United Kingdom that followed the devastation of World War II. In a crisis, usually, it is the people who force governments to act to reconstruct society more reasonably. Once America directs the vastness of its great power on an ideal it can achieve success. The Manhattan Project from 1939 to 1946 is a historical case study when six thousand scientists and engineers from leading universities and industrial research labs were at work on the development of nuclear weapons. But these weapons proved deadly to civilisation. If America could mobilise a comparable initiative on directing its energy to the cause of healing the Earth while reframing climate change problem in an incentive-compatible way this could lead to a possible success (Keohane, 2014: 25). It accounts to finding a smart and simple method or at least building a movement. If humans could have developed weapons to annihilate the Earth, equally they can reverse this logic by engaging in an activity focused on the preservation of planetary ecosystems. Climate change seems to be one challenge where America could become a champion of change. ''American inventiveness has made us a technological leader in the past. America put humans on the moon, cured diseases, and ushered in the digital age.'' (Gore, E. 2019).

Norm-centred constructivism offers a challenge for Realism. If the nature of international political reality is socially constructed, human beings have in their power to construct a better world thanks to norms. Modern diplomatic practices: discussion, persuasion, negotiations, plus agenda setting, coordination and policy pressure can be understood properly and applied adequately in the context of forward-deployed climate diplomacy. It could serve as a first-step for Earth's healing. Renewal of Earth could become possible only when ripe time action is undertaken in the form of immediate policies. And such change must start with America. As Kennedy stated in 1963, “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past are certain to miss the future.” As Brzezinski (2012: 185) noted, "Americans must place greater emphasis on other dimensions of national power such as innovation at home, creative education to offer equal start to every child, the ability to balance intelligently force and diplomacy, the quality of political leadership, and the attraction of democratic life-style." The quality of leadership is what has been particularly missing, therefore we have to demand action from our leaders. Skocpol (2013) has powerfully argued that efforts need to be made to construct a broad grassroots coalition to press for climate change legislation: “The only way to counter right-wing elite and popular forces is to build a broad popular movement to tackle climate change.'' (Ibid.). When it comes to solving climate change ''members of the American public have a strong aversion to what they see as pollution of the natural world and about their local environments.'' (Keohane, 2014: 24). However, they do not feel the urge of responsibility for a global issue such as climate. Sometimes, politicizing along the lines of climate change heats up. But there seems to be no coherent strategy, nor a far-sighted plan, nor a policy that would satisfy all. In the absence of unity, leadership and coordination at policy levels, there will be no thoughtful national dialogue nor planning while global civilisation may be getting closer to “crossing the Rubicon.” The current situation of indecision of policymakers puts children and younger generations ready to lead boldly on the global stage. They are the primary although unofficial decision-makers. But this stage must have a larger spotlight and a wider audience to have a real impact.

Climate change is the type of challenge that America ought to be energised and eager to solve in an accountable and transparent method. This is because the current system is unjust to children. A robust, effective and energetic climate diplomacy usually rests on the will of the people, offers an impetus start and carries on consequentially and consistently through while making critical decision points and displaying a preference for working with allies, listening to people and rejecting the delay in policy implementation to keep the momentum going. America and the world need to change laws and policies through collective political action on a large scale. American decision-makers must remember that ''great challenges are great opportunities, and it is each generation's responsibility to meet those challenges with the same combination of energy, faith and devotion that President Kennedy and his contemporaries displayed decades ago.'' (Schlossberg, 2017). Leaders can solve climate change when they invest in innovation technology and implement policies informed by science. Science is extremely important since it may already have all the answers and solutions. ''There is a critical role that climate change science, broadly defined, can play in developing knowledge and tools to assist decision makers as they act to respond to climate change.'' (NRC, 2010: 1). Above all, global leaders need to show a pioneering spirit and realistic optimism based on the idea the climate change can be solved. Equally, solving it could be treated as an opportunity for civilizational advancement. Leaders will need to take actions that are energetic, flexible and robust (The National Research Council, 2010: 5). They will need to learn from new knowledge and expertise and adjust future actions accordingly to save civilisation. The problems of the world cannot be solved by sceptics and cynics, whose horizons are limited. If leaders are only reactive, not far-sighted or sagacious that might leave them more vulnerable. Current actions just to limit the magnitude and scale of climate change alongside with actions to mitigate/adapt to the impact of climate change are probably not sufficient to comprehensively address this problem. It does not work with leaders who pay attention only to the next election and have short-span political horizons. Nordhaus'es (2013) metaphor of leaders entering a Climate Casino is valid. Pursuing economic growth at the expense of suffering planet is a short-sighted strategy since ''it is producing unintended but perilous changes in the climate and earth system.'' (Ibid.). Such a policy will lead to unforeseeable and dangerous consequences (Ibid.: 3). Leaders who choose to be denialists are rolling the dice in a game of Russian roulette. Soon they will have to accept a basic fact that Gaia is ailing. As early as in the turn to the 20th Century, Aldo Leopold, a pioneer in the development of modern environmental ethics and in the movement for wilderness conservation, suggested a living Earth in his biocentric or holistic ethics regarding land. He argued that ''It is at least not impossible to regard the earth's parts—soil, mountains, rivers, atmosphere etc,—as organs or parts of organs of a coordinated whole, each part with its definite function. And if we could see this whole, as a whole, through a great period, we might perceive not only organs with coordinated functions but possibly also that process of consumption as a replacement which in biology we call metabolism or growth. In a such case, we would have all the visible attributes of a living organism, which we do not realize to be such because it is too big. (Harding, 2003: 44). Another influence for the Gaia theory and the environmental movement, in general, came as a side effect of the Space Race between the Soviet Union and the USA. During the 1960s, the first humans in space could see how the Earth looked like as a whole. The photograph 'Earthrise' taken by astronaut William Anders in 1968 during the Apollo 8 mission became an early symbol for the global ecology movement that crossed borders. At that time, the world understood how small and vulnerable we are as members of a particular species in a particular environment at a particular moment. It was international recognition and agreement on the unity of the globe. Humanity needs a similar global movement so that everybody is convinced about climate change including our decision-makers to make change happen.

Appeasement was a foreign policy of pacifying an aggrieved country through negotiation in order t... more Appeasement was a foreign policy of pacifying an aggrieved country through negotiation in order to prevent war. The prime example is Britain’s policy toward Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany in the 1930s. British Prime Minister, N. Chamberlain sought to accommodate Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia in 1935 and took no action when Germany absorbed Austria in 1938. When Hitler prepared to annex ethnically German portions of Czechoslovakia, Chamberlain negotiated the notorious Munich Agreement, which permitted German annexation of the Sudetenland, in western Czechoslovakia. The idea behind appeasement was Christian pacifism - peaceful rather than violent or belligerent relations should govern human intercourse; arbitration, surrender, or migration should be used to resolve disputes. Pacifism became widespread as a reaction to the scale of killing in the WW I and the use of universal male conscription, and gained further support after the creation of nuclear weapons. However, the Holocaust, and other industrial scale abuses of human rights, caused many to think that there could be cases when war was the least-bad course of action. Appeasement was a huge mistake on the part of the Allied nations. It is what caused WWII to occur on an even larger scale than WWI as it allowed Nazis to gain an enormous amount of power and time, posing a threat to all of Europe. Appeasement emboldened Hitler’s aggression as he gained increased confidence after annexing each new piece of land without any intervention by the League of Nations. Appeasement led to WWII. As Hitler continued to invade territories and build a military capable of fighting a major war—despite the Treaty of Versailles—Britain and France allowed him to continue, hoping he would leave them alone if they left him alone. As Sikorski (2008: 14) noted, ''In Western Europe, our friends like to say that they went to war for Poland in 1939. What actually happened was that Britain and France declared war, but then did not lift a finger to help us.'' Although allied help came late, appeasement, provided the Allies with more time to prepare for war. The idea that the Munich Agreement had restored peace fooled the Allies into a stagnant state since none of them were fully prepared for the war when it arrived. Some people saw Communism as the biggest threat to European stability. They thought that Germany could act as a buffer, especially as Hitler was very anti-Communist, besides Britain was not ready for war. In reality, the policy of appeasement is what allowed Hitler to successfully transfer troops to the Rhineland in 1936 which led to further military actions (eg the annexation of Austria). Hitler later said that the march into the Rhineland was one of the most stressful periods of his life since he knew that if the French opposed them they were not strong enough to put up a decent resistance and would have to withdraw. If the Allied nations had intervened collectively at this point in time, then perhaps Germany’s increasing military aggression could have been suppressed and WWII could have been averted (or at least reduced in size). But the policy of appeasement gave Hitler what he wanted and nurtured Germany's confidence in Hitler’s plans of European domination. The annexation of new lands by Germany contributed to the increase in German strength. For example, the Rhineland provided Germany with stronger defence of its borders and Austria provided Germany with gold, weapons, soldiers, and deposits of iron ore (which resulted in the increased production of munitions). All of these things that increased Germany’s strength and contributed to the enormous scale of destruction in WWII when the direct clash happened. Appeasement was a mistake as it provided the public and politicians with the misconception that peace was restored and war averted when Germany’s demands were met. This prevented people from realizing Hitler’s true goals (world domination — as stated in 'Mein Kampf') and taking action to stop him earlier on. The Allied leaders had simply been tricked into a passive state by Hitler. Appeasement was a mistake since it allowed Germany to make agreements with other countries (which Germany was not allowed to do according to the Treaty of Versailles), increasing German confidence in its military dominance. For example, nothing was done in 1936 when the Rome-Berlin Axis formalized the alliance between Italy and Germany. Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact, Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact in 1939. This occurred because Russia observed that the allies had not stood up to Hitler when he had invaded Czechoslovakia, he thought that the allies would adopt the same nonchalance if Hitler attacked Russia. So, the Nazi-Soviet Pact was made. This pact (in which Russia and Germany secretly agreed to divide Poland between them) permitted Germany to invade Poland, effectively starting WWII. It also increased Germany’s influence in Europe to the east and temporarily removed a major power from the Allied side. All of this contributed to the enlarged scale of destruction and death during WWII. Appeasement was a mistake since it failed to achieve its one goal, keep the peace. Chamberlain, felt it was his duty to ''strain every nerve to avoid a repetition of the WWI.'' Even if the Allied leaders themselves had decided earlier on that military action was necessary, it is quite likely that they would not have had enough volunteers to sustain a proper military campaign. The citizens of Allied nations mainly supported the policy of appeasement and were not willing to go to war over small, new, foreign lands that they had never heard of before in their lives. At that time, many people did not see Hitler as a threat and very few outside of Germany knew what he was really planning (although he had outlined many of his ideas in 'Mein Kampf'). Many politicians thought that if Germany could regain its national pride and the territories it had lost after WWI then perhaps a war could be avoided. Perhaps it would have been possible to influence the public opinion through propaganda in order to garner support for stopping Hitler. Then maybe the Allies could have set up an armed force large enough to stop Hitler in the Rhineland (since his forces were weak there). However, the Allied leaders themselves had little idea of Hitler’s true intentions, so they likely had similar opinions to the public at the time and did not wish to engage in armed conflict. The Allies had decreased their armies after the end of WWI while Germany had started doing just the opposite once Hitler came to power. The Allies needed more time. Lastly, many people believed that Nazi Germany was a necessary asset in holding back the communists from Europe and the rest of the world. Appeasement was quite popular, people did not yet understand the magnitude of Hitler’s plans for all of Europe, they feared the start of another world war. Appeasement seemed a pragmatic option that will keep the peace. People naively believed in Hitler's promises underestimating military expansionism. Instead, allied leaders should have put in place an immediate threat of crippling economic sanctions, a robust force posture and an assertive strategy. Above all, the Allies should have prepared a united front and a response - when attack occurs on one country others are ready to stand up in collective self-defence to quickly disarm an aggressor. The absence of a firm Western response only encouraged Nazis to act aggressively without impunity. When dealing with an opportunistic aggressor that will continue to make demands, including the seizure of territory, as long as the costs and risk of doing so are manageable, coercive strategies work better than reassurance/appeasement ones. Martin Wight (1978: 137, 143) was right, “War is inevitable, but particular wars can be avoided.'' Appeasement could have been avoided, instead it dictated when and how WW II started and it likely influenced both the length and magnitude of the war (considering how long it took for the Allies to get involved, had there been an earlier action much of human suffering would have been prevented). The lesson on how to prevent small wars turning into world wars - appeasement of any kind, notably concessions to dictators, only fed their appetites. Appeasement caused tensions to build up for far too long, thus resulting in a war that affected much of the globe. It impacted much of the 20th Century through the foreign relations that it created. Tense Russian-American relations originated from the decision to appease Hitler. Appeasement was simply the dire circumstances of the war that eventually threw them together. After the end of the war, these tensions increased, resulting in the Cold War and the deadly nuclear arms race that threatened world peace once again. It is important to understand the meaning of appeasement and its implications to properly assess and act on future world conflicts.

This literature review aims to summarise current scholarly debates about the contribution of Cons... more This literature review aims to summarise current scholarly debates about the contribution of Constructivist and the English School theories in defining American grand strategy and American foreign policy in particular. As far as American grand strategy is concerned, Niall Ferguson has asked an important question: What principle we should use to describe American grand strategy (Ferguson, 2011). Some authors who argue that the English School and Constructivism can be really useful to define American grand strategy. Authors like Brooks and Wohlforth argue that by pointing toward strategies the most powerful state in the system can use to mould legitimacy and shape rules, Constructivist and the English School scholarship can make an important contribution to debates on American grand strategy. (Brooks & Wohlforth, 2008: 207). On the contrary, there are some authors within the realist camp such as John Mearsheimer, who argue that Constructivism cannot provide a valuable tool in explaining American foreign policy as it cannot explain change in world politics. Realists argue that international politics is beyond human control as it is governed by external, objective forces. In realist thought, humans are characterised as being preoccupied with their own wellbeing in their competitive relations with each other. Realists say that humans are selfish, power-oriented and desire to be in the driver's seat. They do not wish to be taken advantage of; they consequently strive to have the edge in relations with other people - including international relations with other countries. According to realists, the desire to enjoy an advantage over others and to avoid domination by others is universal. This paper will challenge this position while offering an alternative point of view stating that if individuals would not have any impact on the world of politics it would simply resemble a continuous struggle for power, chaos and war. Everybody can change and our leaders can change too. Action is rule based, but only partly so. There is great diversity in what motivates human beings. Over time of practised deliberation and evaluation of options reasoned arguments become habitualised and informatively accepted, turning even the greatest egoists into global citizens and the greatest nationalists into change-makers (Habermas, 1989). Mills (1940: 908) hypothesized that the long acting out of a role or rule of appropriateness ''will often induce a man to become what at first he merely sought to appear.'' Rules are likely to be abandoned when rule following creates catastrophic outcomes, and in periods of radical environmental change when we need a change-maker to introduce new norms. Our world can be socially constructed thanks to ideas, norms, language etc. Diplomacy is extremely important since history is filled with tragic examples of wars that result from diplomatic impasse, inaction, lack of dialogue or lack of interest to the cause of international peace. And enthusiasts of empire, warmongers and proponents of the indefinite expansion of the national interest among politicians, for whom foreign policy is the continuation of war by the admixture of other means ought to ponder on, more carefully, and perhaps even, learn one, critical lesson. Arnold J. Toynbee urged scholars to remember that "Militarism... has been by far the commonest cause of the breakdown of civilisations during the last four or five millennia." (Toynbee, 1946: 190). The reason for this is that a dominant but also militant civilisation, convinced of its own righteousness, unintentionally tends to replicate the barbaric evil that it has been contesting, with the result that "the alien universal state... becomes more and more unpopular. Its subjects are more and more offended by its alien qualities" (Ibid.: 419). Toynbee concludes that "the destruction which has overtaken a number of civilisations in the past... has always been in the nature of an act of suicide." The historian has a pithy phrase for it: "Suicidal statecraft." (Toybeee, 1946: 422). This may sound like a distant theory, but it may well turn out that the wisdom flowing from this statement is timeless, enduring and it applies to contemporary International Relations. In the end, every great dominion, every great empire and every Golden Age may end in a self-fulling prophecy if its subjects and leaders pursue with a blinding passion an unrealistic aim. Such leaders and civilisations surely will fail since they fail to pursue wise policies focused on problem-solving. Rules are likely to be abandoned when rule following creates catastrophic outcomes, then civilisation needs an avatar-style leader. Recourse to rules and standard operating procedures is likely when consequential calculations of consequences are seen as having produced catastrophes. This logic of action could be applied to solving climate change. In particular, rational calculation of consequences is easiest when problems are of modest complexity and time perspectives are short (March and Olsen, 2008: 705). When applied to more complex problems and longer time perspectives they are more likely to create big mistakes, afterwards seen as horror stories (Neustadt and May, 1986). Therefore, our leaders face a great responsibility. Whether in our local communities or in international politics, the skillful use of our communicative capacities to negotiate and resolve differences is the first evidence of human wisdom. And many conflicts would have been avoided had humans invested more in honest negotiations, seeking the truth based on sound logical explanation of argument and resolution of conflicts. The world needs strategic guidance and checks on those holding power because without them it would probably turn into chaos resembling the past two world wars. Equally, we need more space for a positive agency that would introduce norms and norm innovation because without the role of the individual anarchy is what states tend to make out of the International Society. At the opposite end of anarchy is a belief in humanity. The principle of humanity means that all humankind shall be treated humanely and equally in all circumstances by saving lives and alleviating suffering while ensuring respect for the individual. It is the fundamental principle of humanitarian response, for example, in prevention to climate disasters. How to create norms that would cement the International Society in that dimension? States can do that relying on the process of orchestration, thanks to which IGOs decrease political frictions that usually hinder public-private and private–private collaboration; reduce transaction costs and bargaining problems through the identification of participants and enabling negotiations; decrease mistrust by acting as a neutral broker and offset power imbalances by assisting weaker participants (Nilsson, 2016: 174). For rationalists and constructivists alike, being perceived as independent actors exercising a neutral, impartial, value-neutral knowledge to transform interstate relations is central to IGOs’ legitimacy claims (Abbott and Snidal, 1998, Barnett and Finnemore, 2004). IGOs gain legitimacy from influencing state behaviour through the establishment and diffusion of norms, while states gain international legitimacy by adhering to them (Claude, 1966, Finnemore and Sikkink, 1998). As Nilsson (2016: 174) observed, "Legitimacy is also related to being seen as serving a useful function valued by the International Society and key constituencies which, in turn, secures autonomy and material resources to perform the job." Creating norms and relying on legitimacy-producing IGOs is necessary since if not constrained the pursuit of power would lead to a more unjust world. But it works in both ways, in the sense that that we share the planet altogether and the idea of holism allows for an agency. It is based on recognising that agents have some autonomy and their interactions help to construct, reproduce and transform those selfish, conflict-turned, money-oriented or unjust structures. So individuals, who often turn out to be diplomats have the power to make the society of states more civilised, less war-prone, more equal and more just. At the same time, American leaders and global leaders alike need training and lessons to be learned as part of their education, in the dimensions of planetary sustainability as the planet is becoming increasingly global and shared. This may help them take action that might lead to a virtuous circle of trust and cooperation initiated thanks to a willingness to choose dialogue, negotiation and peace rather than the opposite. Therefore, approaching International Relations in a holistic, idealistic and innovative manner with significant stress on the powers of the individual and hope of his transformative power could help to solve some of the novel, global challenges which applied previously realist approaches have failed to do.

This paper argues that in order to initiate a new era of peace and cooperation in climate politic... more This paper argues that in order to initiate a new era of peace and cooperation in climate politics particularly between China and America, but also among all great powers leaders from these countries have to overcome problems related to the embeddedness of the system's structure. The current structure oriented on global growth and financial profit is maintained at the expense of the suffering Gaia. The human's job is to keep the garden into which he has been placed (Genesis 2: 15), that is the Earth, safe. The idea of stewardship states that humanity is responsible for the world. Thus, global leaders have to take responsibility for the planet since they act on behalf of all humanity. Leaders have to take into account common good and not only prestige and tribalism connected with the pride of their own country. Systemic change is necessary since we have to reboot the Earth, renew its face and ensure sustainability. Changing the system's structure can be initiated thanks to the bottom-up process of ''social movement built around climate change that could generate momentum to push the issue into a positive equilibrium.'' (Keohane, 2014: 24). Then humanity may share a concern for how humans might live more sustainably within the "living system". The key is to orient the new, emerging consciousness towards the sensitivity of the living Earth. The current structure is based on profit for vested interests, mainly fossil fuels companies and oil industry. It is only a result of the practice of everyone preserving it consciously or unconsciously. To change the system, leaders need some kind of motivation or stimulus to change - a need for a social pioneer, who would inspire hearts. Leaders need to attack and effectively shape the embeddedness of the system's structure. The clever way to do it is to ensure that what emerges is marked by an element of cohesiveness and robustness. It would not result in a new system, but in a more inclusive, ''shared community of global interest.'' As Bandura (2001: 2) observed, ''To be an agent is to intentionally make things happen by one’s actions.'' This is a critical lesson since agency embodies the endowments, belief systems, self-regulatory capabilities and distributed structures with the possibility of constructing a new arrangement. The core features of agency is to enable people to play a part in their self-development, adaptation, and self-renewal with the changing idea of 'the spirit of times', which awakens from time to time requiring a collective response on behalf of all humanity. Effective policies aimed at changing the structure may be simply not enough since as Moe and Wilson (1994: 4) observed, ''Policies mean little or nothing until they are given concrete expression through bureaucracy... A powerful, well-designed agency can turn policy goals into reality, while a weak, poorly designed one can get nowhere. A president without effective, subordinate staffing is weak. Thus, ''much of the struggle over policy is in reality a struggle over bureaucratic structure, its design, location, staffing, and empowerment of administrative agencies as well as a struggle to control them once they are set up.'' (Ibid.). A political success by any president, American or not, is dependent on the extension of presidential tasks through effective diplomatic institutions. However popular global leaders are what matters is whether popularity is translated into sound policies. President has to transform popularity into action so that his policies are supported, amplified and extended through the communicative actions of a robust set of public diplomacy mechanisms (Hayden, 2011: 786). Most people who do not closely study politics are probably under the impression that politics is largely about issues of policy. However, the impression is that issues of structure are decided on more-or-less objective grounds based on the policy goals to be achieved (Moe and Wilson, 1994: 4). Such perception is far from the truth. Precisely because structure is a major determinant of policy and an effective leader must either accept it (extend) or manage to overcome finally changing it and building something new. When the prevailing structure is unfair towards the Earth global leaders face ethical responsibility, ''Human beings and their organisations are purposeful actors whose actions reproduce and transform society of states.'' (Wendt, 1987: 337). It is within the scope of capable, transformational leaders to transform the structure of the system. Is it easier said than done? By their very nature, structures tend to remain stable, it might be difficult to change them when they become more entrenched. But structures can be modified if agents reinterpret their interests and/or understanding of “appropriate” behaviour. A winning leader with his diplomatic corps will be the one who is flexible, responsive, and who is more likely to use influence to create effective agency. What counts are institutions and ability to have a legislative policy impact. The American system is more complicated than any other because there is an array of checks and balances that constrain the action of any branch thereby making a victory more difficult especially in the absence of some compromise with others (Moe and Wilson, 1994). ''The result is that, if the winners want to shift the status quo, they will usually have to let the losers participate in the design of any organization being created.'' (Ibid.). The nature of presidential role implies that they have to think in grander terms about broader problems and the public interest, and to resist specialized appeals. Indeed, ''American presidents are held responsible by the public for virtually every aspect of national performance. When the economy declines, an agency falters, or a social problem goes unaddressed, it is the president who gets the blame, and whose popularity and historical legacy are in decline.'' (Ibid.). Presidents who would like to be described as effective agents of change have to respond to the zeitgeist by trying to build institutional capacity for effective global governance. The public wants the presidents to be strong leaders implying that they must not only do what is popular but also they have to ''chart the way'' leading by example. This means that ''wise leadership can both chart a new vision for living in harmony with nature and inspire shared commitment in achieving it (Palmer, 2019). ''Strong leaders must develop a capacity for rising above momentary politics and for pursuing not only their own vision in the face of political odds, and for doing what is right rather than what is politically expedient (Moe and Wilson, 1994: 12). Such leaders have to demonstrate their true mettle by being responsive and showing readiness for action building on public support. Presidents are expected to stand up against injustice, be humble, honest, trustworthy, read history and energetically address the prevailing 'spirit of the times.' Their leadership suffers when they fail to do so. A good president will have an understanding of major trends and act on them. A weak president will want more for his own bureaucracy. Presidents who act on the international stage can also shape the system's structure by directing a political vector on key global issues. Stimulating public debate, fashioning a new society and ensuring civilizational progress thanks to interactions with fellow leaders. Domestically and internationally, they can ''in some measure, create their own structural context, and either prevent others from doing so or counteract what others have done.'' (Ibid.: 13). Neustadt (1960) defined presidential power as the way to persuade or to convince members of Congress. Presidents are expected to do much more than their authority allows them to do. This strategy involves the effective presidents not only take the system as given but also to be ready to manoeuvre and shape it, to deliver, act beyond it to bring about desirable outcomes. A successful leader can change the system and positively transform the word. As leaders seek strong leadership, the best strategy is not to take the structure as a given to become the prisoner of it, ''Their best strategy is to use their comparative advantage, their residual decision rights as chief executives, by taking aggressive action within their own sphere of authority to shift the structure...'' (Ibid.:15). They can do that by shaping global public opinion and creating norms that later are accepted as international law. Leaders can become social enablers of change shaping global solutions since ''agency and structure operate interdependently'' (Bandura, 2001: 15). Impact of global leaders is maximized when they unite acting boldly always serving the common good. Key decisions may be taken locally, but ultimately, they have to have global impact. The affluent developed West must take into consideration the needs of Gaia and the poor Majority World.

With the end of the Cold War and demise of the Soviet Union, having raised its supremacy to an un... more With the end of the Cold War and demise of the Soviet Union, having raised its supremacy to an unprecedented level, The United States stands as the sole, global superpower. Across the Pacific Ocean, however, encompassing 20 percent of the world’s population, People’s Republic of China has embarked on a process of reform and modernization. Indisputably, this country is emerging as a great power, both economically and militarily, and becoming a potential challenge for the United States of America. In the past, there were many forecasts concerning China and its pursuit of world supremacy and domination. Napoleon Bonaparte, for example, warned about the rising giant: “When the sleeping dragon awakes he will shake the world.” Furthermore, the history of International Relations reveals that power transition process between the competing powers may lead to the outbreak of conflict. Since the process of ‘rising China’ is underway - from the early 1990s - it has generated enormous interest and attention in the United States of America and worldwide. An immeasurable number of reports, analyses and documents have been produced from the academic, specialist and governmental institutions. First and foremost, most recognized experts and professors are taking part in the debate: Could the two countries avoid future conflict and is war avoidable? Opinions and judgements of various professors and experts are diverse and very interesting. According to the theory of the far Eastern anchor American policy for Eurasia has to have some kind of bearing. America should not exclude itself nor be excluded from the Asian mainland. ''For China, America across the Pacific should be a natural allay since America has no designs on the Asian mainland and has historically opposed both Japanese and Russian encroachments on a weaker China.'' (Brzezinski, 1997: 151). According to Brzezinski (1997: 151), ''to the Chinese, Japan has been the principal enemy over the last century; Russia, 'the hungry land' in Chinese, has long been distrusted; and India, too might become as a potential rival for China.'' Therefore, the principle ''my neighbour's neighbour is my ally'' fits the geopolitical and historical relationship between China and America. China knows that America is trying to encircle it and America knows that it the end, China may become a democratic society and a friend of the West. Both could cooperate more effectively when they could find a common interest in resolving a common challenge such as climate change. However antagonistic relationship between both great powers is, there is always a chance for hope to channel it onto cooperation. To use a brilliant metaphor by Anderson (2019), ''perfect storm’ is often evoked as a prelude to impending doom – but it may also offer a metaphor of hope, or at least opportunity.'' Similarly in relations between states, a period of tension and rivalry may be creatively transformed so that to give birth to a new, more optimistic reality. Imagine, for example, a force that could wisely guide both countries towards something much more than just revolutionary moment – perhaps even ''a progressive and epoch-changing confluence of circumstances initiating a new era of climate action'' (Ibid). Imagine space and atmosphere enabled by diplomacy and negotiations where climate academics could be truly honest with policy makers from both countries about their analysis and conclusions, and where disagreements could be discussed openly and constructively being resolved based on the best, objective and scientific evidence. What is meant here are leaders listening to academics to make wise and informed decisions. Add to this, vociferous engagement by younger generations, listened to by a new breed of policy makers who are genuinely motivated by the common good of humanity (Ibid). In support of this new era of climate politics, ''imagine an enlightened “quantitative easing” transferring resources, not to banks, but to mobilise a rapid transformation in energy infrastructure, retrofitting existing buildings, decarbonising transport and constructing zero-carbon power stations.'' This way, a new deal could be initiated, a new low-carbon economy could be constructed. Moving towards low carbon society is vital to our planet and it calls for action from all countries, organizations but also from individuals. Energy efficiency gains in recent decades have been significant, but there is still much more that can be achieved thanks to breakthroughs in renewable energy. Related to a low-carbon economy is the idea of ''an inclusive knowledge economy that requires action to democratise the economy – widening access to capital and productive opportunity, transforming models of ownership, addressing new concentrations of power, and democratising the direction of innovation.'' (Unger et al., 2019). As the experts from Nesta (2019) noticed, ''It demands that we establish a social inheritance by reforming education and social security. And it requires us to create a high-energy democracy, promoting experimental government, and independent and empowered civil society.'' Restraining the technological development only to small areas, or in other words, the confinement of the knowledge economy contributes to stagnation and inequality. ''But it also contributes to the confinement of the human spirit.'' (Unger, 2019: 55). The power of the human imagination is still not thoroughly examined. Its main advantage is the ability to see beyond the limits that appear natural and ordained in the world around us, and to push forward into the realm of the adjacent possible. (Ibid.). In a knowledge economy, everyone can participate, it holds the promise of advancing human freedom, realisation and individual fulfilment (Ibid.). The story of the growth of civilisation on Earth beginning from the most basic communities to the advanced civilisation of the 21st Century is not simply a story about economic growth. It is about the power potential of the individual, his or her place in the society and collective imagination to overcome challenges. As Unger (2019: 55) brilliantly noticed, ''It is a story of people taking control as makers, not just as consumers.'' People who can become change-makers in their small parts of the world. Leaders have a responsibility to create spaces for institutional experimentation that will create problem-solving solutions. With a concerted effort and strong policies in place, future energy efficiency improvements are more likely to be successful. As Anderson (2019) noticed, ''A reformist political agenda could begin to emerge, facilitating secure, local and high-quality employment, eradicating fuel poverty, improving urban air quality, driving innovation and eliminating carbon emissions.'' If we could stretch the imagination a little further, we could imagine a democratic media reporting on this massive transformation and on effective climate solutions to an increasingly savvy and responsive audience all around the world. This dream idea of living in agreement with our planet and creating eco-friendly economies could become a reality. If we equip ourselves with the optimism of the spirit and unleash our imagination we could be on a journey to discover something new not only in terms of a new exciting product but also in the way a society organises itself or a way of solving problems (Stanley, 2019). We could imagine a possible world beyond the one in which we have grown-up, thereby changing it for the better. Finally, we could imagine a chief diplomat and a global leader in one person skilled at reframing climate change not as a threat to some arbitrary economic indicator (politics based on spreading fears does not work well in civil society), but as a secure, local and high-quality jobs agenda (Anderson, 2019). Imagine a leader who would be capable of both: communicating to the public a vision of a world without climate change and looking deep into the nature of the problem. First, trying to understand it. Second, trying to methodically, systematically and comprehensively address it. Finally, solve it, bit by bit. Global public would more likely support such a deal. This could lead to a new, green epoch promising hope in solving climate change. Epoch based on a new paradigm embracing the necessity of giving a respite to and living in balance with our beautiful planet. An epoch, in which global leaders would become more of social enablers and would be more sensitive to the idea of healing the Earth. An epoch marked by a period of a long-term planetary partnership, a symbiosis with Gaia ensuring a peaceful and mild climate in which civilisation could progress. To do that, instead of regarding ourselves as the responsible managers of the Earth, we could humbly acknowledge our dependence on the care with which Gaia supports life. In such circumstances, an alternative, progressive paradigm could be ushering a new era of climate politics.