Abuse of power and lies rule the world. At the same time, the foundations of human life are acutely endangered by global warming and the biodiversity crisis. The way out is a feminist revolution that takes human evolution a sensible step forward.
Victoria Har Monia*
«World gone wrong», Bob Dylan
«I need another world», Joan Baez
Although it seems as if those in power are unstoppable in their insane quest to destroy the foundations of human life, we humans have the opportunity to change the course of history. We have everything we need to do so: we have a motive, we have the opportunity, and we have the means.
Admittedly, the terrible news that bombards us every day is anything but encouraging. And the history of humanity so far does little to inspire optimism about the future.
Nevertheless, we are capable of taking humanity a decisive step forward. If we overcome the awkward years of the human species and grow up, if we complete the evolution from Homo sapiens to Donna Armonia, we will overcome the dark Age of War and head toward the harmonious Age of Love.
I would like to outline a path that will enable us to leave war and chaos behind and usher in an age of harmony.
The system is incapable of solving problems
The time for revolutionary change has come when the ruling system and its rulers are incapable of solving existential problems. Our greatest difficulties are well known: for more than 30 years, the international community has been discussing whether and how global warming and the irreparable destruction of biodiversity can be stopped. How we can end the destruction of our natural resources.
Without success. The situation has worsened in each of the last 30 years.
The reason for this is that the prevailing system cannot be reformed, because those who profit from it are unwilling to make any concessions in their lifestyle.
And there is no alternative to the Roman American empire in sight.
The empire that rules us is based on private property, patriarchy, violence, and obedience. It is lubricated by profit, which all political and economic measures are geared toward maximizing.
Accordingly, efforts to focus on the life and survival of people and their natural environment are doomed to failure. Anything that reduces profit is fought by the empire and its mercenaries.
The resistance lives on
The fact that human history has so far given little reason to hope that this system can really be changed is only part of the truth. It is true that the last 5,000 years of human history have been marked by violence and war. But it is also true that in this last percent of human history, countless people have actively resisted it. The fact that they have rarely been successful so far does not diminish their legacy.
We can take inspiration from their resistance to subjugation, enslavement, and rape. We are continuing their commitment to finally shaping our shared history successfully. To this end, we are drawing on the experiences of resistance fighters and the knowledge that we have always won in the fight for freedom and justice when we have worked together in solidarity, when we have joined forces to fight together.
Unlike earlier attempts to change the world through revolution, we rely neither on class nor on the power of gun barrels. We build on people's emotional intelligence, energy, creativity, and ability to self-organize.
We have seen how powerful institutional politics can be during the Covid pandemic. Because politics always takes precedence in a democracy, we will strive for political power by all legitimate means for our nonviolent revolution of love. That may not sound very sexy. But I promise you, it will be hellishly fun.
«Liberty, equality, fraternity»
The narrative of the empire still admiringly recounts mass murderers such as Alexander, Caesar, Columbus, Cortés, Andrew Jackson, Leopold II, Wilhelm II, Mussolini, Franco, and Pinochet, to name just a few of the worst state criminals. Even the worst mass murderer in history, Hitler, is still sometimes referred to today as the «greatest leader of all time. » On the other side of the coin are serious criminals such as Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot. Those who demand and enforce obedience and submission are considered wise, strong men.
The basis of the hierarchically organized community is Roman law, which, in the form of Patria Potestas, gave the father of the family absolute power over his house and estate, making women, children, and slaves his property. Roman law, which justified violence to an end and demanded obedience and submission, is still the basis of the so-called modern constitutional state, of which the countries of the Roman American Empire are so proud. The slogan of the French Revolution, «liberty, equality, fraternity, » could never really be implemented.
A society based on solidarity needs a new foundation
Private property, patriarchy, and war are so intertwined that they can only be overcome as a whole. In order to build a free, just, and united society, a new foundation is therefore needed. This consists of individual freedom, equality, equal cooperation, mutual helpfulness, and self-chosen community. These are values that shaped humanity during the first 99 percent of human history, before emperors, kings, and presidents began to rule the world with their soldiers.
Three European scientists have examined this topic in their book «The Evolution of Violence». For German archaeologist Harald Meller, human aggression is as old as humanity itself. War, on the other hand, is a «very recent invention». German historian Kai Michel defines the point of cultural change as the invention of property between 14,000 and 5,000 years ago: «A completely different social logic emerged. Before, the rule was: sharing makes you rich. Now, the rule is: hoarding makes you rich». With the advent of so-called advanced civilizations, war conquered the world.
The Dutch primate and behavioral researcher Carel van Schaik shows that humans can also behave differently, referring to our kinship with chimpanzees and bonobos, with whom we share around 99 percent of our genetic makeup: We are not simply driven by violence like chimpanzees; we can also choose to be like the peaceful bonobos within us, who prefer love to violence, even when it comes to resolving conflicts.
So if we want to overcome the culture of war that our rulers have imposed on us over the last few thousand years, we must find our way back to where humanity took a wrong turn: «Historically, the path to success has been to be generous, to share, to do something for society», says Carel van Schaik. In their conclusions, the scientists identify democratization and equality, as well as the reduction of immense social inequalities worldwide, as the most important elements for an age of peace.
However, we cannot simply draw on early human history to conceive, plan, and build this age, the Age of Love.
We also draw on the creativity and experiences of resistance over the last 2,000 years or so. For example, on the energy of Spartacus, the indomitability of Pocahontas, the wisdom of Olympe de Gouges, the courage of Harriet Tubman, the audacity of Emma Goldman, the acumen of Rosa Luxemburg, the foresight of Albert Einstein, the humor of Charles Chaplin, the insight of Simone de Beauvoir, the determination of Rosa Parks, the tenacity of Nelson Mandela, and the hope of Jane Goodman.
A dignified world for all is possible
Today, we are intellectually, economically, and emotionally capable of fulfilling the hopes of our militant ancestors: a world in which all people have the opportunity to satisfy their needs and develop their potential, in other words, to live a life of dignity.
Just as the smart part of humanity has long known what needs to be done to stop and reverse global warming and the destruction of biodiversity, we know that we are capable of building a free and just society. We prove this every day by resolving our conflicts without violence, helping our neighbors, and working for a better world.
We do not rely on artificial intelligence, which tech billionaires use to try to manipulate us. We rely on collective human intelligence. We just need to use it wisely. If AI helps us do that, there is nothing wrong with it.
Numerous role models inspire us to think and act
In the US alone, there are numerous clever and smart people who know a lot and have a lot to say. We should listen to them carefully when they explain things to us. The following women, among others, were enormously important for this essay:
Joan Baez's love and commitment encouraged me to continue my path;
Kimberlé Crenshaw opened my eyes to how racism and misogyny are connected;
Rebecca Solnit made me really get to the bottom of things;
Anne Applebaum showed me what we need to watch out for to avoid sliding into authoritarianism;
Jill Lepore gave me a new perspective on history;
Zoë Schlanger helped me perceive plants as intelligent beings;
Megan Rapinoe demonstrated moral courage and self-confidence.
Inside and outside the US, there are also countless smart women and intelligent men from whom we can learn a great deal for the next big step in human evolution. But the insights, knowledge, wisdom, and actions of the women mentioned above give us enough courage to confidently venture into a new era.
Pseudonym protects against revenge
About me: Victoria Har Monia is a pseudonym. I use it to protect my friends and family from the revenge of powerful men who feel threatened by my essay.
I don't need this protection. Because weeks before this article is published, I embarked on a journey of no return. Two years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer. Treatment was futile. The doctors gave me a maximum of five months and recommended that I enjoy my life as much as possible.
However, I had the feeling that I wasn't done with this world yet. It took me a while to realize that it was this essay that I needed to find peace. Since I had nothing to lose and nothing to gain, I was able to put my thoughts and insights down on paper without worrying about vanity or fear.
Shortly after I had largely finished the work, my cancer finally defeated me, so after a beautiful farewell party, I chose to take my own life. So, I will no longer be able to stand by your side as you realize our old dream.
Humans can live together peacefully
Based on my work and research in over two dozen countries and my studies of the social lives of species as diverse as humpback whales, African elephants, and brown hyenas, I had already come to the conclusion that the human species is fundamentally intelligent enough to live together peacefully.
As humans, we are capable of resolving our conflicts without violence. This is also shown by new research findings. Dominic Rohner, a professor of economics at the University of Lausanne, has even developed a formula for this in his book «The Peace Formula».
According to this formula, the three most important foundations for peace are:
1. Democratic freedom and the right to have a say.
2. A productive economy that provides people with work and prosperity.
3. The guarantee that security is ensured, including a functioning education and healthcare system.
In my 70-plus years of life, I have also learned that we are made for peaceful coexistence through countless encounters with extremely friendly and helpful people. Too often, however, these people and their projects have been hindered and opposed by those in power. This motivated me even more to consider how we can finally disempower the macho clans of the empire and their mercenaries; how we can bring the Roman American empire to its knees without spilling a drop of blood.
For many years, I lacked the time and leisure to write in depth about how we can achieve this. It was terminal illness that prompted me to get to work.
I spent the last years of my life in the country where I was born, Switzerland. That's why I was inspired by several smart Swiss women to create the Roadmap to the Age of Love.
For example, the writer Milena Moser with her empathy and zest for life, or the gender researcher and sociologist Franziska Schutzbach with her acumen and fearlessness. Her «Revolution of Connectedness» made me think even more carefully about how we can organize the social basis of the revolution and what we need to pay attention to so that we are not deceived again in the end.
Younger women such as world cycling champion Marlen Reusser and former soccer player and committed activist Sarah Akanji helped me overcome occasional self-doubt with their disarming openness and courage.
But there were also three Swiss men whose work and influence encouraged me to aim for the really big goal: author Peter Staub with «Die Blaue Revolution» (The Blue Revolution) and the «Erklärung von Biel/Bienne» (Biel/Bienne Declaration), Swiss ice hockey coach Patrick Fischer with his mindset, and Granit Xhaka, captain of the Swiss national soccer team, with his determination and team spirit.
Plan for a smart feminist revolution
An important reason for me to write this essay was also my responsibility towards my grandchildren. Their grandchildren should also be able to experience how the world changes when snow falls from the sky.
So, I sat down at my desk to put this plan for a smart feminist revolution on paper.
If we want to overcome war, violence, destruction, and exploitation in the long term, we must build a new society based on solidarity on a new foundation. This can only be achieved if we redistribute power and property democratically.
We can only end the millennia-old rule of men if we ensure that women have a majority in all relevant bodies for at least the next 200 years. This applies to politics, the economy, culture, and science. Whether in parliaments, governments, boards of directors, or executive committees, we will ensure that women form the majority. Otherwise, we will never be able to break the power of men and their old boys' networks.
We will not engage in discussions about whether this discriminates against men. Men have had more than 5,000 years to shape society to their liking. They have failed. Across the board. Now it is time for them to take a back seat.
However, we are by no means prohibiting friendly men from participating in the construction of a new society. With female majorities, we are preventing men from sabotaging the feminist revolution.
Property will be redefined and redistributed
In addition to the question of power, the question What is property? must also be answered anew. Intensive discussions will be necessary to agree on binding answers.
The following key points will be useful for this discussion: Property is what belongs to us and what we actually use ourselves. This includes, for example, our apartment or house and its contents, our vehicles, and all personal private items that we have worked for or acquired. In addition, every person should have enough money in their account so that they do not have to worry about material things for themselves and their loved ones.
However, our property also includes the companies we work for. It goes without saying that a fundamental financial reform is necessary to implement a new definition of property.
As a sign of recognition of this injustice, all adult women should receive symbolic compensation of, say, $50,000. That would be $10 for each year that women were dispossessed, oppressed, exploited, and raped during more than 5,000 years of male domination.
The new parameters for defining property also include land, water, and air becoming public property again, i.e., being removed from private ownership. This also includes all mineral resources. The livelihoods of female farmers and agricultural workers who previously owned their land can be secured with long-term leases.
We are therefore striving not only for a social revolution, but also for an economic one. There is nothing wrong with there still being rich people in the future. But we will ensure that, in future, everyone will be able to satisfy their primary and secondary needs.
To this end, it is essential to set an upper limit on private wealth. This should enable those who own property to live a carefree life. However, their private property must no longer be sufficient to enslave, exploit, or manipulate people on a massive scale. I therefore advocate setting the upper limit on an individual's private wealth at 100 times the average annual wage. All wealth above this amount should be taxed at 100 percent and thus benefit the general public.
In the US, the average annual wage is around $85,000, so the future upper limit for private wealth would be $8.5 million. That is enough for a decent life.
The capital skimmed off above this amount would be invested to turn tenants into homeowners and workers into owners of their companies, to compensate women and other victims of slavery, war, and imperialism. The capital would also be sufficient to finance the ecological restructuring of the economy and to build the infrastructure necessary for a dignified life worldwide.
The driving force of social life will no longer be the greed for power, but the will to work together peacefully, to help each other, to enable everyone to live a good life. This will be accompanied by a new, appreciative, and cooperative approach to our natural environment.
Who is driving the revolution?
One might argue that this all sounds wonderful and is a great idea but will always remain a utopia.
Who, pray tell, is supposed to bring about this revolution? And how is it even supposed to happen? To answer these questions, it is worth taking a step back to get a better overview.
Mother Earth is around 4.5 billion years old. At around 500,000 years old, humanity is the youngest relevant species that the Earth has produced. By comparison, whales, which are also intelligent and emotionally related to us, have been inhabiting the world's oceans for around 50 million years. Humans are the most gifted species that has ever lived on Earth. But even as highly developed animals, we are still part of the Earth.
As humans, we are both individualists, endowed with self-awareness, a right to freedom, and a personal drive to live, and highly social beings.
Our individuality means not only that each and every one of us is a unique work of art created by nature, but also that we are responsible for what we do. And what we don't do.
Inspired by anthropologist David Graeber, I name the five basic individual freedoms to which all humans are entitled. I have had the privilege of always being so well provided for materially that I have always been able to exercise my rights to freedom. The majority of humanity does not yet have this privilege. In order to enforce these rights to freedom, it is also essential that humanity grows up.
1. Every person has the right to say «no». No person can be forced to do something against their will.
2. Every person has the right to travel when, where, and with whom they want.
3. Every person has the right to make friends and form alliances.
4. Every person has the right to get involved, have a say, participate in decision-making, and stand up for its rights.
5. Every person has the right to be happy.
However, we are not only individuals, but also social beings who depend on recognition and appreciation. Humanity would never have reached this age if it had not practiced mutual affection, cooperation, and helpfulness from an early stage.
We call the feeling behind this social cohesion love. Every human being is capable of this love. It is deeply rooted in all of us.
So, who is leading the feminist revolution that will enable us to take the next evolutionary step from Homo sapiens to Donna Armonia, so that we can lead dignified social lives as free individuals?
A general answer is: all responsible, friendly people, especially women.
A more specific answer is: you, if you are aware of your social responsibility. Together with socially or ecologically committed friends, you can make a start.
The organization of the smart revolution
This brings us to the question of how this revolution should unfold.
There is a simple answer to this as well: we must organize ourselves in a smart and democratic way.
It becomes more concrete when we consider how exactly we should organize ourselves. As a Swiss citizen, I am aware that if you want to build a high-quality watch that is reliable even in space, every detail counts. And when we consider how miserably and disastrously previous attempts at organized revolutions have ended, we know that we must rule out fundamental mistakes from the outset and also pay attention to the details.
Even though more than 5,000 years of male domination have had disastrous consequences for people and the environment, we can still draw on a number of democratic achievements that we know work in order to build a new society. Of course, we will optimize these, as befits a Swiss watch.
At the same time, we are guided by one of nature's most successful systems: we form a mycelium with a gigantic network, and our countless fruiting bodies pop up around the world when it suits us, where it suits us, how it suits us.
We are guided by success
One of the largest, most successful, democratically constituted non-governmental organizations in the world provides us with the blueprint for our organizational structure. We will know how to prevent the notorious mistakes of its leadership, such as abuse of power or corruption.
I am talking about FIFA, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association. FIFA is an association under Swiss civil law, so it is fundamentally democratic: each member has one vote. To stay with the analogy, I will call the future organization Fédération International de Personnalité Association (FIPA). The purpose clause of FIPA is simple: FIPA and its members are committed to building a society in which every human being can lead a dignified life through nonviolent means.
As befits a democratic organization, we are building it from the bottom up. As in soccer, we organize ourselves into teams at the most basic level. These teams form themselves and choose their own work and commitments, so they are autonomous in their decisions. The teams consist of three to seven members each. If a team becomes larger, it splits up.
The teams freely choose to join forces with other teams and work together with them, regardless of where they are based. At the same time, the teams form alliances in clubs, known as Personality Clubs. The PCs, for their part, organize themselves at local, regional, national, international, and global levels in corresponding associations, all of which belong to FIPA.
Women make up the majority of board members and delegates.
Instead of playing soccer and scoring goals, the teams are active in four different areas. Success in these areas enables us to gain political power through democratic means. This, in turn, empowers us to implement the program for harmonious coexistence. These four areas each form a pillar of the Capitol of the feminist revolution.
The foundation of this Capitol is formed by the activists and their teams, who, following the example of FIFA, are present wherever soccer is played. In other words, all around our wonderful blue planet.
1. Love: The Blue Ring
2. Action: The Emergency Coalition
3. Hope: The Lobal Councils
4. Security: The FIPA
The roof of the Capitol of Love is our goal: a free and just society in an intact environment where all people can live according to their needs and contribute all their abilities.
The Blue Ring – You'll never walk alone
Under the name The Blue Ring, we organize the area of solidarity and coexistence. We have adopted the slogan of Liverpool FC: «You'll never walk alone». We leave no one behind.
As the first pillar of the Capitol, The Blue Ring forms the social basis of the revolution. The teams ensure that as many peaceful and friendly people as possible are included in our activities, that they can participate, no matter how old, how lonely, how vulnerable they are.
The Blue Ring organizes neighborhood assistance and ensures that all important discussions can be held at the grassroots level. For example, how we can reclaim our homes and neighborhoods and how we can organize them fairly and democratically.
The anchor point of The Blue Ring is Blue Saturday: every Saturday, we want to celebrate together. We enjoy a good time together, laughing, singing, and dancing. And we remember our ancestors who fought for freedom, justice, and peace before us. The joint celebrations not only strengthen our bond, but they also give us the energy to continue our work with motivation in the coming week.
Everyone can get involved in a Blue Ring team. Blue Ring teams are primarily organized locally, where they build and maintain reliable interpersonal relationships. But The Blue Ring also has a global dimension. We connect The Blue Ring across local and national borders and across continents so that people can show solidarity globally, beyond their place of residence.
The Emergency Coalition – It's time to act
We are not only in a situation of social upheaval, but also in a global ecological emergency. Accordingly, it is imperative that we do everything we can immediately to solve the climate crisis and the biodiversity crisis as best we can within the prevailing system.
This is the task of the Emergency Coalition, the second pillar of the political Capitol of Love. It is made up of responsible politicians, committed trade unionists, NGO activists and scientists, attentive public service employees and mindful economic actors. The Emergency Coalition teams develop solutions that already work today. Depending on the problem, they work together locally, nationally, internationally, and globally.
The Emergency Coalition exerts influence at the political level by helping to ensure that progressive parliamentary majorities and responsible governments are elected in as many countries as possible. These can often achieve more than they have dared to do so far.
One of the Emergency Coalition's tasks is to drive forward the transformation of the oil- and profit-based economic system. This also means working with nature and exploiting its potential and capabilities on an industrial scale. Keywords here are the ecological circular economy, the establishment of non-profit cooperatives, and the research and development of new energy sources and composite materials that are not based on oil or coal.
Natural raw materials such as hemp, algae, fungi, ferns, and mosses can not only help to replace oil products. Used on a large scale, they will also make a decisive contribution to reducing the CO2 content in the atmosphere.
Examples of areas where the Emergency Coalition teams can take action include a progressive global CO2 tax and stopping deforestation of the rainforests, overfishing, and pollution of the world's oceans. A ban on harmful insecticides and pesticides and a reduction in industrial overfertilization are also goals that must be implemented quickly. A massive reduction in motorized road traffic must also be a primary goal.
A significant general reduction in speed, for example, would massively reduce both the environmental impact of microplastics and CO2 emissions. In addition, lower speeds would lead to fewer accidents and help to cool down the overheated economy and slow down our hectic lifestyle.
The Lobal Councils – Rethinking the future
The third pillar of the Capitol of Love are «The Lobal Councils». Their task is to develop the democratic foundations for organizing life in the Age of Love so perfectly that it functions like the proverbial Swiss watch.
The organization of the Lobal Councils is based on the proven democratic model of the Swiss cantons: there is a kind of parliament, the «Discussion Board», and a kind of government, the «Action Board». The members of the Discussion Board are either elected or selected from among the candidates by lottery in such a way that women are in the majority and, at the same time, all social, cultural, and demographic groups are fairly represented.
The Discussion Board then elects from among its members the three to seven equal members of the Action Board, which is composed according to the same criteria. This functions like the Swiss Federal Council with a president who changes annually, but who, as an equal among equals, has no more power than the other members of the Action Board.
The Lobal Councils work at the local, national, and international levels. Their tasks are to draft democratic constitutions that can be voted on after the revolution. Since we need to completely rethink a future full of joie de vivre, it is also their task to make proposals for a new civil law and a new criminal law that contribute to the formation of a harmonious society.
The Lobal Councils—lobal is short for local and global—are entirely focused on the future. However, in their discussions about future constitutions, they will also develop solutions to today's problems. The Action Boards provide the Emergency Coalition with relevant input.
In addition to developing the constitutional and legal foundations for a future free and just society, the Lobal Councils are also creating the structures necessary to elect a global congress in worldwide general elections at the appropriate time, from which the first democratically legitimized global Government Council can ultimately be elected.
The FIPA – Security is essential
The last and fourth pillar of the revolutionary capitol, which connects the foundation of love with the roof of freedom and justice, is the organization of FIPA itself. In order for all teams to work together smartly and efficiently and to strengthen the cohesion of the teams and their members, a powerful grassroots organization is needed. All team members who are organized in a Personality Club automatically become members of FIPA.
FIPA is responsible for ensuring that The Blue Ring, The Emergency Coalition, and The Lobal Council fulfill their purpose and receive the necessary resources to carry out their tasks. In a figurative sense, it ensures orderly and regulated game operations.
FIPA is responsible for ensuring that the teams, clubs, and their associations can concentrate on their tasks. It uses internal financial equalization to ensure that everyone can operate on a secure financial basis and that internal and external communication runs smoothly.
FIPA also ensures the safety of its members and the organization. Of course, we will not be able to prevent agents and mercenaries of the empire from joining us in order to spy on us or manipulate us. Let them. They force us to remain true to our values. By the way, we can make good use of their criticism and concerns to find even better solutions.
For the safety of FIPA and its members, members who deliberately harm the organization can be expelled after a fair trial. For example, there is a yellow card for justifying violence. A direct red card is given for the use of violence. Anyone who has received two yellow cards or one red card will be permanently expelled from FIPA.
FIPA takes on all the necessary administrative tasks of the global organization, but it is also the living home of the teams and their members, offering support and stability. Switzerland not only invented collective government, which is the inspiration for the Lobal Councils.
Switzerland is also home to the headquarters of FIFA and the International Red Cross, which works for peace and refugees.
Following the example of the Red Cross, the Fédération International de Personnalité Association FIPA has adopted the blue ring as its symbol. It is a global symbol of solidarity, cohesion, and togetherness.
Anyone who joins the feminist revolution of Love is invited to wear a blue ring as a sign of peacefulness, the desire for freedom, and commitment. This simple symbol will allow activists and sympathizers to recognize each other at a glance, even if they have never met before.
A new era within six years
According to responsible climate scientists, humanity only has a small window of opportunity left to turn things around and ensure a livable future. Whether we have 5, 10, or 20 years to achieve this turnaround depends largely on what happens in the next few years.
Although I am not a climate scientist, I dare to say that we can get away with a slap on the wrist by actually building a sustainable, peaceful, and just society.
My thesis is that we will reach our goal within six years if we consistently follow the roadmap to the Age of Love, continuously improve it, and commit ourselves to the work that lies ahead.
If everything works out, the year 2033 will be the first year of the new era, Year 1 of the Age of Love.
Let's do it
Anyone can play with a soccer ball on their own. But we can only play soccer together.
I could conceive of the Revolution of Love on my own. But we can only bring about the Revolution of Love together.
The first step is to take yourself seriously, fight for your freedoms, and take responsibility.
The second step: form a team with your friends and found a personal club with other teams.
The third step: get to work and celebrate your first Blue Saturday.
The rest will follow.
May The Blue Ring be with you.
Thank you and good luck.
(Translated from German by DeepL)
* Victoria Har Monia is a pseudonym.