GOLDEN MEAN PHILOSOPHY LEADS TO HARMONY DIPLOMACY

Golden Mean philosophy leads to Harmony Diplomacy
www.chinaview.cn 2007-07-26 10:02:19
By Francis C. W. Fung, PH.D.

BEIJING, July 27 (Xinhuanet) -- The philosophy of the Golden Mean is the highest value of progress through dialogue and consultation. Its true essence is to prevent ideological extremism from taking hold. It is definitely opposed to the current religious confrontational strife. This broad East and West concept of balance, when earnestly applied globally, can be the solution for resolving extreme disparity between rich and poor, minimizing religious confrontations and restoring ecological balance for sustainable development.

Harmony Diplomacy, as defined here, can be the Golden Rule of Global Governance. Harmony Diplomacy can be conceived as the common value of the most fluid-like, dynamic balance; encompassing tolerance, mutual respect, acceptance, equity and humility to achieve world harmony. Truth in world affairs, unlike mathematics, often is the Golden Mean between two opposite sides. When one powerful nation forcing its belief on other weak nations as the only absolute truth, it disregards the reality of diversity and defies reason.

Good global governance is the foundation for a harmonious world. To pursue world harmony is the common destiny for the human race. Good global governance must include new world political and economic order to build international democracy. We must promote global cooperation through mutual win-win development and resolve conflicts through dialogue and consultation. We must strengthen the United Nation through needed reform to discourage unilateralism and extremism. All these global undertakings can only begin when major nations of the world start practicing Harmony Diplomacy.

A grand strategy of Harmony Diplomacy to build world harmony must be able to face the challenges of today’s unilateralism, extremism, rich and poor disparity and ecology unsustainability. The important elements of a grand Harmony Diplomacy strategy must include dialogue and consultation, win-win mutual development, unity in diversity, tolerance and openness, equity and humility. Harmony Diplomacy must act through equal, friendly and open dialogue and consultation to achieve mutual understanding, trust and respect. This is to accomplish the greatest possible harmony consensus among nations of the world.

Harmony Diplomacy is to seek commonality and minimize confrontational difference. In the desire to foster win-win common development we must take a long strategic view.The reality of the world is multi cultural and not all in sync of the path and stage of development. We must accept and tolerate different economic and political development. Old colonial mentality and big power chauvinism will never be accepted again. By forcing our culture and value on weak nations is counter productive to Harmony Diplomacy. The best governance system is a nation’s own harmonious system developed from within in active interaction with globalization.

The objective of Harmony Diplomacy is to pursue a higher level of human accomplishment beyond European Renaissance through World Harmony Renaissance. Harmony is an ideal; Renaissance gives it life. The human race relieved of cultural conflicts, political infighting and religious strife will be invigorated by new creative energy. This new found vigor will bring humans to the next phase of true global development that we are waiting for.

To be more specific, through greater Harmony Consensus we will minimize the chances of war and bring about more lasting peace. Without Harmony Consensus, peace can only be temporary. When nations set their sights on win-win mutual development, common world prosperity can be realized. In so doing, the rich and poor disparity can be reduced and the North and South gap breached. The world will be more level. All nations can finally enjoy the fruits of our common cultural and economic accomplishments.

Harmony Consensus, encompassing harmony with nature is the order of nature. It will rally world citizenship to be more conscious and united to protect our common environment. For world sustainable development we must at last move in lock step to strive to conserve energy and resources and protect the environment. As severe as the effects of climate change may be, the world will run out of precious resources sooner because of the current wonton consumption.

Most of all, the current world order is far from democratic. Harmony Diplomacy, through the essential principle of dialogue, consultation, negotiation and harmony consensus, can pave the way for a more just and democratic world order. In Harmony Renaissance, we can finally rediscover the wisdom of tolerance, acceptance, mutual respect and humility. The harmony universal common value will give the human race the necessary true inner peace and strength, to face the diverse and daunting challenges of a world in catastrophic disharmony and extreme self- destruct- selfishness.
Editor: Feng Tao