My friend Martin Rutte noticed that we commonly talk about ‘hell on earth,’ but rarely talk about ‘Heaven on Earth.’ Initially, he thought that talking about Heaven on Earth might be taboo because of its religious connotations. He soon found that it is a very useful phrase because everybody knows instantly what it means for them. His ‘Project Heaven on Earth’ asks three simple questions:

1. Recall a time when you experienced Heaven on Earth. What was happening? 
2. Imagine you have a magic wand and with it you can create Heaven on Earth. What is Heaven on Earth for you? 
3. What simple, easy, concrete step(s) will you take in the next 24 hours to make Heaven on Earth real?

These questions can be asked by anyone in relation to any particular issue. The classic comeback Martin receives is that it is unrealistic, too big, naive or unachievable. Try it and see. It is the third question that makes it practical, achievable today. Ask yourself what is Heaven on Earth for healthcare, the family, energy policy, childcare, managing disputes between neighbours, a good night out, Christmas, maintaining a healthy weight, whatever is important to you right now. A thousand mile walk starts with one step.

Here follows my Heaven on Earth vision for our future civilization. See if you can improve upon it:

Let us choose to harness the energy of every human being alive to create a new civilization which enables each one of us to fulfil our potential, to flourish, to be the best we can be, to thrive and to help others thrive. Our civilization exists to provide the security, law, education, love, support, discipline and the structures to do this.

We are fast evolving into a global civilization. Science, imagination, spirit, philosophy, freedom, creativity, democracy, the rule of law, the productive power of capitalism and the continual struggle for justice and equality are the greatest drivers of human potential in the history of humanity.

We love ourselves and others and treat everyone as human beings. Each individual is a free, sovereign being with our own personal authority and right to be who they are. We are both conscious beings and social animals who desire security, territory, status, sex, property and power. At our core, we are loving and good, but when our heart feels wounded by violation or injustice, we can do great harm and evil. We strive to purify the love in our hearts. Where we feel anger, grievance and emotional wounds, we do our best to heal and empower ourselves, never regressing into victim mentality for a moment. When evil arises, we immediately contain and correct it. We see the best in everyone, but deter and contain our dark side. We are conscious of our values and walk our talk.

Ultimate reality remains a mystery. We use science, reason, wisdom, intuition, instinct and experience to understand the world, to distinguish right from wrong, good from bad, true from false. We who believe in God or a universal consciousness draw upon those. We use our head, heart, gut and spirit to make wise judgments. We challenge our beliefs and authorities with doubt and criticism, improving ourselves to be the best we can be.

Life and the human spirit are sacred. Individual freedom, democracy, love, care, family, sex, justice, science and nation are also sacred. We respect and protect those. None of us has the right to impose our beliefs upon anyone else, except in the service of the law and in maintaining security and democracy. We are sensitive to the feelings of those who hold different beliefs from our own, but we never sacrifice freedom, democracy, truth or security. Religions serve all the population and are never used as an excuse to do harm. We are exploring to find a common spirituality, meaning and purpose that unite humanity.

Each of us has freedom of thought and speech, movement, association and assembly so long as we respect the rights and freedoms of others and so long as we do not violate the rules of democracy. Recognising our unity, we judge others according to their behaviour and values, never according to their race, gender, sexuality or prejudice. Men and women are equal but different and free to express our gender, sexuality, masculinity and femininity as we choose.

Throughout life, we honour and celebrate our rites of passage. We prioritise the raising of children as a service to the whole community. We endeavour to give every child the best and fairest start in life possible. We support those whose families need extra help, especially in the crucial early years. Childhood is a magical and sacred time for play, love and learning. We teach our children to think for themselves and equip them with the skills they need for a successful, healthy, happy and fulfilling life. At the other end of life, we honour and respect our elders and make the most of their wisdom and experience. We die well. We build resilient, safe and caring communities. We protect the weak, sick, old, young, disabled and vulnerable.

Our nations are positively patriotic and confident and we welcome and integrate newcomers. Government is there to protect and serve the people and to enable the maximisation of human potential. We choose our governments through free and fair elections having been well informed by a free, diverse and vibrant media. We practise transpartisan politics, drawing upon the best of each perspective for the best outcomes. All voices are heard but extremists are never allowed to bully others and no groups get special privileges. We don’t allow money to influence politics. We resolve conflicts, injustice and resentments at the earliest opportunity. We make it safe for our comedians to challenge and ridicule everything without exception. Taxation is fair, transparent and kept to the minimum necessary. We upgrade political correctness to suppress the full diversity of bigotry.

Everyone has a decent standard of living and freedom from exploitation. Those who work hard, obey the law, serve the community and use our initiative are well rewarded. Every part of society contributes to the wellbeing of the whole. We give a helping hand to those of us who have fallen on hard times and empower everyone to make the most of their lives. We share an abundance of love, opportunity, security, family, support, skills, discipline, community, spirit or imagination to eradicate poverty.

We are in rapid transition from our origins as local tribal groups, separated by race, tribe and religion, into global post-racial, pluralistic societies in which everyone is free and equal. People from any race, religion or background can apply to join us if they share our core values, pledge primary allegiance to their chosen country, fully support democracy and obey the law of the land. We help those who do not accept this to choose an alternative home. We carefully manage migration to enable maximum freedom of movement, whilst protecting the security, rights, freedom and way of life of the receiving communities. Citizenship is precious and is earned through loyalty, commitment and good conduct. We protect those who need asylum from tyranny and persecution.

The internet, travel and the media provide us with the opportunity to achieve global consciousness, to spread knowledge, to learn quickly and to harness the creative and entrepreneurial capacity of every human being alive.

We lead and run our organisations in line with human nature, each adapted to its purpose, people and context, taking care of its people. We promote healthy authority and rigorously hold power to account with transparency and regulation. We harness the productive power of capitalism in the service of community, family, security, health, care, freedom, justice, prosperity, creativity, fairness and wellbeing. Each is represented on the balance sheet. Each individual and business look after their own needs and simultaneously serve society.

Every civilization and every organism need energy. We have discovered and implemented abundant, cheap, clean, secure and renewable energy technologies.

We do everything we can to be fit, healthy and to prevent illness. We make food that is healthy, delicious, affordable and easily accessible. Medicine places compassion, healing and wellness at its centre and is both scientific and truly holistic.

Everyone has the right to security. We do everything possible to deter, detect and punish abusive, violent, corrupt and criminal behaviour. We have a fair and transparent legal system that maintains our traditional rights: freedom from arbitrary arrest and a prompt and fair trial from a jury and an independent judiciary. When we commit crimes we are effectively punished and rehabilitated. The rights of victims and law abiding citizens come before those of criminals.

We take good care of our home planet. We protect its resources and ecosystems and leave it healthy and vibrant for future generations. We live in harmony with nature, aligning our science and businesses with it.

Each country and civilization join the global family bringing its own perspective, values and history, and at a different stage of development. We respect each country’s right to make its own choices. We make our civilization so attractive and successful that the others choose to align with us. We are powerful and ensure that stability and security are maintained during this time of rapid transition. As the other countries take their place in the world, they share responsibility for maintaining a secure, stable and fair international system that enables maximum freedom of movement, trade and relationships. We help the poor and weak to develop themselves and give assistance to others in a crisis. We provide help where it is needed and requested. We support other countries in becoming the best they can be. If we have to resort to military force, we do it wisely, with clear goals, strategy, well resourced and overwhelming force and causing minimum harm.

The New Magna Carta lays out some of the steps required to achieve this vision.

http://www.amazon.com/New-Magna-Carta-Psychiatrists-Prescription/dp/1506191673