You might accuse the authors of having compiled an eclectic collection of maxims and rules – without scientific foundation, without philosophical training, without substance. An accusation that is hard to refute, for who can claim to master all the fields of knowledge addressed here in their full depth? Perhaps this is one of the central problems of our time: specialization into countless individual fields makes it difficult to grasp the greater whole. The universal scholar has disappeared, and we lose ourselves in the thicket of details. You may dismiss it with a smile, yet this handbook attempts, in a direct, forthright, and practical way, to point to a new path: a path toward a peaceful, humane world order in harmony with nature. This is not about sentimental daydreaming, but about a reason-guided insight: the challenges of our existence can only be mastered together, in a spirit of cooperation, mutual respect, and peace. This handbook seeks to formulate an ideology-free order in the sense of a human community of values – or rather: a communal order. A foundation of shared values and rules that makes possible a peaceful and fulfilled coexistence within a healthy environment. It is addressed to people of all cultures and countries and is meant to form the basis for a global movement: a "Bund zur Förderung eines neuen Selbstverständnisses der Menschheit".
Introduction
Our world faces epochal challenges: climate change, the unrestrained exploitation of natural resources, species extinction, social division, the unjust distribution of wealth, the loss of civic spirit, upheavals in the world of work, as well as conflicts and wars. Trust in political institutions is dwindling, dissatisfaction is growing, and with it the readiness for violence. In this crisis, conspiracy theories, absurd ideas, and recourse to failed ideologies flourish. Democratic values are faltering, and authoritarian movements are gaining ground. The excessive individualism of the Western world, at the expense of solidarity and community spirit, has led into a dead end. The temptations of consumerism, fed by greed for profit and avarice, have created a society in which material prosperity is the measure of all things. Ironically, those who benefit least from this system pay the highest price. While wealth is admired, poverty is ignored and wisdom is undervalued. These developments lead to a deep dissatisfaction. Many people sense that our system is not sustainable, yet find no orientation. Without a positive vision, they turn to radicalisms – whether political or religious. But the problem runs deeper: we live without a socio-political guiding idea we can believe in, without a shared perspective that offers us orientation. Humankind has lost contact with its own nature, which is why it has lost a communal and solidary self-understanding rooted in deep self-knowledge. Our political debates revolve almost exclusively around treating symptoms. Yet sustainable change will only be possible if our thinking and feeling change fundamentally. The key to the future lies in the minds and hearts of people. Only if we change our inner attitude, if we understand ourselves as part of nature and of a world community, can we find the right answers. This handbook follows an inverted funnel logic: it begins with the deepest structures of the human soul – values and beliefs – and works its way from there toward social and political organization. It draws on a supra-religious foundation of values that unites people regardless of origin, religion, or culture. For the foundation for a better world can only lie in the reason and the heart of each individual. The following manifesto is to be understood as a coherent whole. To prevent the original intention of the authors from being misunderstood or even misrepresented, individual sentences or passages must always be interpreted in the context of the entire work in order to grasp a correct and comprehensive meaning.
The world is colorful and diverse. This diversity offers both opportunities and challenges. Opportunities, because it opens up new perspectives on our existence; challenges, because entrenched convictions and perceived conflicts of interest can lead to conflict. To create a common basis for a global coexistence, a foundation of values is needed that lies beyond existing value systems such as church, ethnicity, politics, and nations. The goal must be an ideology-free, humane, and ecological pragmatism. Decisions should always be guided by the wellbeing of all people and by their practical feasibility.
Foster commonalities and overcome differences
Envy and chauvinism should have no place in people's hearts. The focus must be on what unites, not on what divides. Every action and political decision should aim to increase general happiness and the common good. Working, singing, laughing, making music, moving, playing, and celebrating together, as well as cultural activities, help to bridge divides and foster peaceful coexistence.
Love is an inexhaustible resource
Every person knows the many facets of love: love for parents, children, friends, animals, landscapes, food, meaningful objects, or music. True love is unconditional and cannot be divided. The birth of another child, for instance, does not diminish the love for the firstborn. Every relationship has its own form and its individual expression of love.
Love of humanity as a fundamental force of coexistence
True love is not a demand but an attitude. It does not require the other person to meet our expectations, but recognizes them in their wholeness. Love means opening yourself to another being without wanting to possess or shape it. It is free of conditions and is based on respect, compassion, and the deep desire for understanding. In a world carried by love, people meet each other with goodwill instead of suspicion, with acceptance instead of judgment. True love recognizes the freedom of the other — and it is precisely there that it unfolds its greatest power.
Love should have no boundaries
Love knows no bounds. Relationships between different cultures and identities enrich intercultural dialogue. Desire is nothing bad, but a natural part of life. Respect and regard form the foundation of interpersonal relationships. No gender or identity stands above another — all are of equal worth. The freedom to unfold ends where wrong is done to others.
Don't make your happiness dependent on others
Emotional self-reliance is essential. The responsibility for your own happiness lies within yourself. No one — not even your closest attachment figures — is responsible for making you happy. Happy relationships are built on mutual enrichment, support, and love. Faithfulness means actively nurturing a relationship, but it does not mean that it is impossible to love other people as well.
Love yourself and strive for inner peace
Only those who love themselves can also love others. Inner peace is the key to harmonious coexistence, regardless of religious, political, or cultural differences. Hate is the flip side of love and an expression of unfulfilled longing for respect, affection, and recognition. Only those who find peace within themselves can carry peace into the world.
Don't look for the fault in others
The limit of tolerance lies in the violation of shared ethical principles. But why does one thing wound one person while leaving another indifferent? The cause often lies in inner wounds and past experiences. Anyone who gets upset about others should question whether their own unresolved conflicts are not the true reason.
Distinguish between self-awareness and self-worth
High self-worth arises from self-awareness. To be self-aware is to know your strengths and weaknesses equally. True love means feeling a deep connection despite another person's flaws. This applies both to yourself and to others. The conscious awareness of your own needs is essential for inner strength.
Strive for inner freedom
Passion can become a burden when it springs from an involuntary compulsion. Anyone who cannot say no, or who is driven by an inner fire, lives in dependency. True freedom means leading yourself with a clear gaze. Picture yourself as the benevolent ruler of your own inner realm — the only authority that, with a steady hand, shows the right way.
Grow through otherness
The closer a person is to us, the more they can hurt us. But it is not their traits that unsettle us, it is our own unhealed wounds. Strive to heal these wounds of the soul. It is precisely in the otherness of the other that the opportunity lies to heal wounded places within the soul, to make peace with yourself, and to attain personal maturity. Seek fulfillment in real relationships, never in digital figures.
Practice restraint in upbringing
Children are our future. They should grow up in love, respect, and security. Parents should not impose their convictions but give their children room to grow. Loving guidance is more important than the teaching, let alone the imposition, of particular worldviews.
Education should be growth
Education should nurture individual strengths and preferences. True education provides a framework within which personality and talents can develop. A healthy emotional foundation and social competence are basic prerequisites for successful learning. Only a psychologically healthy person can realize their full potential. Education should be ideology-free and keep the wellbeing of the individual as well as of the community in view. The aim of education is a loving relationship with yourself and with your fellow human beings, to the exclusion of political and religious ideologies.
School should be a school of life
Education is the key to deep understanding and insight. Schools should be places where children of different social backgrounds learn and grow together. Gifted and less gifted children should be taught together, so that they can learn from one another. Greater talent brings no special privileges, but greater responsibility toward others. Private and, in particular, elite schools promote social division and should be avoided.
In the infinite fabric of microcosm and macrocosm, our existence is only a tiny moment. Only our perception creates the reality as we experience it. Yet whether we humans exist or not is relevant only to us. This insight should teach humility: we are at once insignificant and yet part of the whole – just as a wave is part of the ocean.
We humans shape the world according to our own ideas
Whether born of mental construction or divine origin – what matters is that we humans shape our world. Our living environment, as it presents itself, is the result of human will. Every action has consequences. Humans cannot steal away from responsibility: just as an ant colony loses its nest on the riverbank when the water rises, so too do we bear the consequences of our actions.
We humans bear responsibility for our world
Creation remains a mystery. Across all religions and worldviews, there is a shared understanding that the existence of our world is a wonderful riddle. Regardless of how and what each of us thinks about creation, we humans should all understand ourselves as masters of our own reality. Yet independent of any religious explanation, this holds true: no creator relieves us of responsibility. Whoever understands themselves as the shaper of their own world treats it with greater care. This awareness is the foundation for a global sense of responsibility.
We are part of nature
Humanity strives for complete control over nature, and in doing so becomes estranged from it. Animals are degraded to objects, resources are exploited without regard. Yet like a cancer that kills its host, we are destroying our own foundation of life. A sustainable life is only possible once we understand ourselves as part of nature again.
Religion must not be instrumentalized
Religion has often been abused for worldly purposes of power. Whether out of missionary zeal or a striving for dominance – it has often served as a pretext for coercion and violence. Yet religion should serve only the salvation of one's own soul, not as a means of exercising power or paternalism.
Never force your convictions on anyone
Religions and ideologies have led to great crimes throughout history. Even in everyday life, political and religious conflicts are often the cause of violence. Practice peaceful coexistence – both in personal and in global contexts. Yet when threatened, this holds: defend yourself, without becoming an oppressor yourself. Defend your values, but do not proselytize.
A shared foundation of values unites us
Faith explains our existence in a transcendent way. Yet the spiritual and the worldly spheres must be kept separate. Everyone has the right to their own convictions, but no religion may determine the ethical foundation of society. Our shared values must be universal and humane. The common ground stands above all religious doctrines of faith; only personal integrity decides between right and wrong, between good and evil.
Strive to be a good person
In every religion, nation, and culture there are people who treat others with respect. Likewise, there are those who impose their convictions on others and demean those who think differently. What matters is not origin or religion, but ethical conduct – carried by love for people, nature, animals, and oneself.
Live genuine love for humankind
The goal of every personal effort should be true recognition and respect toward one's fellow human beings. Tolerance is only the first step – a bridge to genuine appreciation of those who think differently and those who are different. True love for humankind begins where mere toleration turns into sincere recognition. Different convictions and ways of life are to be respected, as long as they harm neither other people nor the environment. Everyone should strive to overcome what divides and to build bridges between people and communities.
Do not search for eternal life
Life and death are part of a natural cycle of renewal. The pursuit of immortality strips life of its uniqueness and turns death into the ultimate catastrophe. Yet it is precisely finitude that gives life its depth and meaning. Without transience there would be no societal renewal, no passing on of experience and wisdom to future generations. Whoever accepts death can appreciate life in its full richness.
Strong agitation is often a sign of inner delusion. The less knowledge someone has, the firmer their convictions seem. Always seek out experiences and arguments that cast a matter in a new light. True thinking is free, unburdened, and flexible – it arises only when you do not let yourself be ruled by rigid convictions.
Orthodoxy is a delusion
Life is full of contradictions – in small things and large, in the personal and the social. An open mind is a prerequisite for constructive dialogue. Wise thinking does not spring from an "either/or" but from allowing a "both/and."
Illuminate the mind and widen the heart
Practice dialectics and active listening to think flexibly and draw closer to the truth. Read widely and diversely to gather experience and widen your heart. A narrow heart leads to a narrow mind. Overcome self-righteousness and complacency – they stand in the way of genuine encounter.
Practice the art of mindful communication
Be mindful in how you deal with your fellow human beings. Be aware of the many forms your messages take, and develop a way of expressing yourself that is appreciative, attentive, and conscious. Healthy communication fosters mutual understanding – and this understanding is the key to encounters on equal footing.
Practice fidelity to the truth
Never manipulate information of any kind to achieve personal, business, or political goals. Remain always bound to the truth.
The life of every human being is of equal worth
Every human being – whether poor, weak, stupid, or living with a disability – has the same right to life. There is no life of lesser worth. Whoever regards disadvantaged life as a burden diminishes compassion, responsibility, and solidarity. A just society supports the weakest.
Learn to distinguish between needs and wants
Many people confuse necessary needs with mere wants. Needs are essential to a happy life, while wants, by contrast, are boundless – and can lead to self-alienation. Practice the art of discernment: What do you really need? What is merely a substitute for genuine happiness? True happiness arises in human togetherness.
Practice modesty
Among the basic prerequisites for a life of dignity are food, water, education, housing, and protection. Social bonds, health, and a meaningful task are essential for lasting happiness. Everything beyond that is not strictly necessary. No personal luxury may come at the expense of others or the environment. Any advantage that harms others or nature is reprehensible.
Reflect on what truly matters
Material things that are not necessary for a dignified life do not make you happy. Superfluous possessions lead to alienation from yourself and from the environment. Consumption is a treadmill – the joy it brings fades as quickly as morning mist on a summer's day. True appreciation grows through rarity and depth.
You should not try to dazzle
It is not the size of your house, the costliness of your jewelry, or the exclusivity of your meals that determines your worth as a human being. Status symbols often spring from a craving for recognition and an attempt to mask your own feelings of inferiority. Whoever loves themselves needs no outward splendor. Own only what you truly love and need for a fulfilled life.
Solidarity makes you happy
Human beings are social creatures. Our species has evolved through solidarity, cooperation, and co-creation. Community makes us strong. Yet today's models of society foster isolation and self-alienation. Whoever becomes alienated from themselves loses their connection to the environment and to other people. Happiness requires a return to genuine community spirit – and this begins with loving mindfulness toward yourself.
Leave a place better than you found it
Practice mindfulness toward your environment and do your part to care for it. Treat places the way you yourself would like to find them. Whether a village square or a restroom – it is a sign of respect, courtesy, and refinement to leave public places better than you found them.
Society should become community
The social status of a person or institution must not depend on wealth, but on their contribution to the common good. Intelligence and education confer no right to a higher social standing – rather, they bring responsibility with them. The sighted help the blind, the clever help the inexperienced.
Everyone should ensure that all people have the foundation for a good life
Happiness requires food, shelter, education, medical care, and social inclusion. Our actions should be directed toward making these preconditions possible for everyone – locally and globally. The unequal distribution of wealth and personal self-enrichment endanger social peace and lead to the unjust use of resources.
Everyone should be able to have a meaningful task
A meaningful task is essential to happiness. Every human being – regardless of origin, gender, or age – should be able to pursue an activity that matches their abilities. The elderly can care for children, the artist can nourish the mind, the farmer can till the soil. Everyone makes their contribution and receives fair pay. Laziness is not rewarded, but whoever is sick or weak should be able to count on unlimited solidarity.
Property should serve the well-being of all
You should feel responsible for your property, but not own more than is necessary for a life of dignity. Nothing can be taken with you, and descendants should make their own contribution to their lives and to the common good. Whoever has more than they need for a happy life should put it to use for the well-being of the community and of nature.
Property should stand in the service of the common good
Possessions bring responsibility with them. Everyone should have only as much as is necessary for a dignified life – for nothing can be taken with you. Descendants should have the opportunity to make their own contribution to society, rather than living solely off what they have inherited. Whoever owns more than they need for a happy life should put it to use for the well-being of community and nature. Inherited property should be passed on when doing so serves the common good – for instance through the preservation of cultural assets or sustainable businesses that secure jobs while also taking responsibility for people and nature.
Sharing makes you happy
Everyone who enjoys privileges by the grace of birth has the obligation to live up to their social responsibility. Goods and wealth should be justly distributed. The rich give, the poor take. Poverty should not exist. True satisfaction lies not in possession, but in sharing.
Time is a sister of happiness
True wealth lies in time. Whoever forgoes the superfluous gains time for what truly matters. Haste leads to frenzy, reflection to clarity. Walk, rather than rush. If you are in a hurry, walk all the more slowly. For you do not stumble over mountains, but over stones.
Do not let yourself be deceived by false promises
Companies constantly invent new products to move people to consume. Many promise a better life, yet happiness often fails to follow. Examine every decision: Do I really need this? If even the faintest doubt remains – forgo it.
Limit your friendly contacts to a manageable measure
Excessive use of social media makes you unhappy. Digital friendships should also hold up in the real world. Maintain only as many close relationships as you can truly nurture.
Live in reality
A fulfilled life arises from a balance of time for yourself, relationships, meaningful activities, work, exercise, and health. Uncontrolled use of digital media, television, and telecommunications disturbs this balance, fosters isolation, and weakens community spirit.
Prefer the real world
Digital worlds create illusions that alienate us from reality. Excessive use leads to dissatisfaction, self-alienation, and a loss of the sense of community.
Contribute to the development of your fellow human beings
Every human being changes the world – do not overestimate your significance, but do not underestimate it either. Get involved for others, whether through music, art, movement, social projects, education, research, or the care of the shared village square. Create spaces in which people can grow.
The Earth does not need humanity – but humanity needs the Earth
On the vast scale of the cosmos, the existence of humanity is insignificant. Even for the Earth, the existence of humanity is ultimately meaningless. Yet for its own sake, humanity bears the responsibility to preserve its environment. Humanity cannot destroy the Earth, but it can destroy its own habitat. Yet even without humans, life on Earth will continue to exist.
All life has the same value
The value of living beings must not be determined solely from a human perspective. Humanity is not the master of nature, but part of it. It depends on flora and fauna – not the other way around. Therefore, it should respect and protect all living beings.
Recognize your duties and rights in dealing with nature
Every person may consume only as many resources as allow nature to remain a lasting foundation of life for everyone. Likewise, everyone has the right to use as much as is necessary for a happy life – but not at the expense of others or of future generations.
Keep the Earth in order, instead of searching for other planets
Looking to the stars springs from human curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge. Yet a distinction must be made as to whether space travel serves the good of humanity or economic, power-political, or self-serving interests. Every scientific or technical exploration of space should aim to improve life on Earth – not to escape it.
Practice frugality
Own only what you need for a fulfilled and dignified life. Consumption is not an end in itself – regard possessions as a loan from nature. Make sure that your actions harm no one, and always pay the fair price for what you use.
Strengthen your community through self-empowerment
Basic provisioning should be organized locally – through ecological agriculture, a circular economy, and communal building. Cities should become more village-like again, villages should become lively again. Urbanization is not an end in itself; sustainable, local structures are the key.
Think globally, act locally
Live and work within your community, yet remain connected to the world. Exchange ideas, cultivate relationships, engage in trade, and foster communal research – always with the goal of strengthening humanity and the environment alike.
The progress of the future must not be guided by the pursuit of power or profit. Instead, it must be based on knowledge, wisdom, and true happiness. It should bring modern technologies and an intact environment into harmony.
Technology for the common good and the protection of the environment
Technology and nature are not opposites. They must be in harmony. Innovations must not endanger the environment but should preserve and enrich it. Technological developments must support natural cycles and promote the life of all living beings. At the same time, it is essential to integrate sustainable practices into our lives.
Artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity
Artificial intelligence is one of the most powerful tools of our time. Its use must always serve the common good and the environment. It should be used to address global challenges such as climate change, poverty, and educational inequality. Its development must follow ethical principles that place fairness, sustainability, and the well-being of all at the center.
The importance of universal education
Since the Renaissance, science has fragmented into ever more specific disciplines, causing a comprehensive understanding of our world to be lost. The great questions of our existence remain unanswered. It is essential to foster universal knowledge and an understanding of interconnections. Universities should devote themselves more strongly to universal education and philanthropy.
Money is not shameful
Money is neither shameful nor reprehensible as long as it serves the common good. It enables the exchange of goods and services. Money should be available to everyone to an extent that makes a dignified and adequate life possible.
Too much money is shameful
Money is shameful when it concentrates in the hands of a few in inappropriate amounts. Distribution must be just, so that a balanced social equilibrium is maintained. Money should serve only the acquisition of necessary things that promote happiness in harmony with community and nature.
Free yourself from the belief that money brings happiness
Money can buy pleasure, but it often clouds the view of what truly matters. True happiness comes from inner freedom and meaning. Money can create an illusion of happiness, but it does not give life any real meaning.
Making money with money is not earned money
One person works their whole life and yet remains poor, while another leads a life of abundance without working. Increasing money through money is not backed by any fair labor performed. The capital economy promotes an unequal distribution of wealth. When money is increased through money, it should benefit the community and nature.
The economy must serve the common good
Unrestrained capitalism leads to injustice and environmental destruction. Growth and competition at any price is a wrong path. The economy must serve the well-being of all people and the preservation of our foundations of life, and must shift from competition to cooperation. Every economic decision must take social and ecological consequences into account.
Strengthen the community with conscious decisions
Be aware of your influence as a citizen and consumer. Support companies that represent sustainable values and promote peaceful coexistence. Avoid those that strive for power and profit. By strengthening the right ones, you contribute to a better community.
Pay the fair price
Unbridled capitalism is based on constant growth and causes companies to act at the expense of people and nature. Competition does not compel innovation but rather decisions that undermine ethical and ecological values. Every product and every service should reflect its true price — including the costs of the environment, resources, and social justice. Whoever acquires something should therefore consciously pay the price that is fair and sustainable.
Use local resources — physical and intellectual
Build with what your surroundings offer. Draw on traditional building and living principles that have proven themselves over generations and are adapted to local conditions. Promote and use craftsmanship as a valuable resource. Supplement this knowledge with modern technologies and innovations to ensure a sustainable and healthy way of building.
A profound cultural shift is the prerequisite for a humane and sustainable world
Neither capitalism nor communism, neither democracy nor totalitarianism has created a world in which humanity and nature live in harmony. A fundamental cultural shift is necessary, carried by a shared foundation of values that transcends nations, cultures, and religions. All over the world there are people who respect other ways of life and are open to new paths. These people must unite to bring about an epochal change together.
Practice civic courage and understand yourself as a political being
Every person shapes politics. It is essential to take responsibility, to stand up courageously for values, and at the same time always remain self-critical. Openness to other perspectives is essential. Whoever actively engages for the common good experiences personal fulfillment.
Politics must serve the general happiness of the people
Politics must have the goal of creating living conditions that ensure the well-being of people and the protection of nature. Capital, infrastructure, and resources are means to an end – not an end in themselves. All political institutions, whether local or global, must commit themselves to the happiness of the people.
Find and strengthen like-minded people
Those who commit to the shared values of a solidary, humane, and sustainable world should organize, act together, research, help, and strengthen the community. Those who are not conducive to the cause should keep to themselves.
Foster the good in people
People are shaped by their environment. A benevolent, respectful environment strengthens their positive sides, while a hostile environment brings out the bad. Everyone should have the opportunity to develop the best within themselves. But violence, greed, envy, and deceit must have consequences. Punishment should always be linked with the possibility of reform.
The existing ideologies must be overcome
Political categories such as left and right must be overcome, as they have failed to bring about a flourishing development of humanity and nature. In the name of ideologies, the end is used to sanctify the means, and the greatest crimes against humanity are committed. Ideologies are not guided by evidence and sound arguments, but aim to change or stabilize power relations. Moreover, ideology leads to unfreedom in thought and action. Public discourse must be free of ideology and guided by pragmatic, humane solutions.
No end justifies the means
Repression, violence, and lies are not legitimate means of bringing about social change. Instead, peaceful forces worldwide must be united, dedicated to a humane and ecological pragmatism.
The age of empires is over
The pursuit of great-power status springs from lust for power, greed, and vanity. Humanity must understand itself as a global community. From where the sun shines, the current flows to those whose seed sprouts in the moist earth. Every region of this earth has a task that serves the creation of a peaceful, healthy, and sensuous environment. The geopolitics of the future must be defined by building a house of togetherness together.
Politics as an ideology-free administrative task
The politics of the future should be based on pragmatic solutions that serve the needs of the community – locally, regionally, supra-regionally, internationally, and globally. Money and monetary interests must not be a driving force, but must remain subordinate to the common good.
Reform of the United Nations
The United Nations must effectively fulfill its core tasks – peace, human rights, and international law. A parliamentary world government should be pursued. The veto right in the Security Council must be abolished, and the General Assembly should be given legislative power. A new world constitution must form the shared foundation.
Creating global justice through a unified legal system
A worldwide judiciary must ensure that all people are equal before the law. Wealth must play no role in the administration of justice. Every person and every people should have equal opportunities for justice, regardless of origin or status. To enforce the world legislature, a globally functioning world executive should be established.
The pursuit of general happiness as the standard for political decisions
Only in harmony can a functioning society emerge. Egoism and interest-driven politics inevitably lead to inequality and conflict. Everyone should contribute to the well-being of the community within the scope of their abilities.
Create trust and overcome chauvinism
Many geopolitical conflicts are rooted in mistrust, greed, and hunger for power. These often arise from insecurity and feelings of inferiority. Political leaders deliberately stoke resentment to secure their power. Trust between peoples and cultures must be fostered in order to create a peaceful and sustainable world.
Freedom means responsibility
Freedom is not unlimited self-realization, but means taking responsibility for one's own actions. Excessive individualism leads to alienation and undermines the sense of community. All actions must be in harmony with the interests of the community.
Strengthen subsidiarity and civic participation
The basic needs of people should be regulated and organized at the local level. Decisions affecting the common good must be made democratically – taking into account the ethical principles of universal love for humanity and nature and the preservation of the dignity of every person. Self-sufficient, self-determined communities create the foundation for a happy life together.
Freedom of the press and of expression
A free press is essential for a functioning society. Journalism must be responsible and committed to the truth. Freedom of expression ends where it calls for violence or demeans people for their unchangeable identity. Socially shaped convictions, on the other hand, must always be critically questioned.
Power belongs in the hands of the responsible
The pursuit of power alone makes a person unsuited for leadership tasks. Suited are those who can bear responsibility and who are sought after because of their experience and abilities. Freedom from ideology, prudence, connection to nature, and love of humanity are prerequisites for wise decisions.