The Global Harmony Association has defined a principle and motto of harmonious revolution: "Peace goes from harmony! Harmony gives peace, common good and happiness!" The harmonious revolution will gradually clear humankind from the defects and crises of industrialism. It is a sole means for global survival and sustainable development. The harmonious revolution carries a true, harmonious, peace culture, which forever will exclude from the life of humankind the tragedies of war and genocide. Harmony is the key tendency of our time. Harmony quickly grows and becomes more and more of a contrast with world militarization. Harmony accelerates the movement, together with acceleration of an information society, each year. In 2008, the GHR is marked by such an unprecedented harmonious event on a world level as the Beijing Olympiad.
The inexhaustible potential of harmonization consists in a deep social nature of humankind, unknown to it until now. The harmonious nature of humankind is being shown during all of its history, in all local civilizations, and on all continents spontaneously. Unfortunately, the history of the world harmony has not yet become the subject for historical science, the prevailing subject of which in an industrial civilization is war of many possible types.
Therefore, GHR of modernity began not in an empty place. It is connected not only with the growth of an information society, but it has became the subject of intensive development of the traditional, local and private directions of harmonization over millennia: The Chinese culture of harmony numbers more 2500 years; the Russian culture of ‘sobornost’ as harmony of the different peoples and cultures numbers more 1000 years; the American culture as "melting pot" of cultures from different races and nations numbers more 300 years (in the USA 13 towns are called "Harmony", that reflects a certain aspect of the American culture and "dream": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmony_(disambiguation)); musical, architectural, poetic and art culture as the purest expression of harmony numbers thousand of years; and many others are unknown to us. To them, it is possible to relate also the Olympic Movement of antiquity, which was revived in 1894 and aimed at harmonious development of humankind, and the Ecological Movement of the second half of the 20th century, which was directed at harmonization of the relations between people and a nature. The neutral language of international dialogue Esperanto, which was created by Ludwig Zamenhof in 1887, can be related to directions of harmonization also. This language uses now millions of people and it serves to linguistic harmonization.
Though harmony is not a new quality, its global blossoming is just now beginning together with intensive harmonization in the different spheres and countries of the world.
4. Modern necessity of a science about harmony
Harmony is the law of a NATURE, that was approved as a hypothesis still Homer, Confucius, Pythagoras and many others thinkers of an antiquity. A society is part of a Nature and all laws of eternal harmonious being of a Nature are initially inherent to society. At the interfaces between the second and third millenniums in a Planet society arose a global necessity of harmonization of all spheres of its life and, main, necessity of conscious harmonization of the relations between these spheres. To realize harmony deeply, the appropriate scientific knowledge of essence of the laws of harmony is required. This knowledge was not available earlier, but has begun to intensively develop in different branches of modern science.
The scientific hypothesis of a “harmonicity” of a nature, society and man, and the guesses about harmony of the universe arose about 3000 years ago in various civilizations and religions. The first, most powerful, attempt of scientific understanding of harmony belongs, likely, Johannes Kepler (1571-1630), which in 1619 written the treatise "Harmonices Mundi" (Harmonies of the World). In this book the harmony is submitted as the universal world law, to which the Universe integrity and all of its parts is subordinated: movement of planets, music, light, knowledge, astrology etc. The central set of "harmonies" was the musica universalis or "music of the spheres," which had been studied by Pythagoras, Ptolemy and many others (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Kepler#Harmonices_Mundi). Many other attempts to create a science about harmony in this or that variant was in history: Leibniz, Shaftesbury, Florensky, Vernadsky etc.
However, until now there has been no scientific theory — neither natural, nor social, nor individual — though science closely has approached it and has begun its formation. A quantity of scientific works devoted to harmony of nature, society, man and also mathematics of harmony is evidence of this early formation. Nevertheless, a ratified science about harmony does not exist yet, and people, until now, have had no scientific knowledge of the harmony laws. In the consciousness of people, harmony continues to remain as a hypothesis or guess, as a philosophy or faith, as an intuition or imagination, as a dream or utopia, but not as scientific knowledge with laws at different levels.
Why did a science about harmony not exist earlier? And why is it necessary now?
First, humankind was in a mosaic, shattered or antagonistically divided condition until 1990. only now it has entered into a globally integrated condition that requires harmony and a science about it to regulate it consciously in regard to interests of planetary survival. That is the organizational reason.
Secondly, harmony, as an integrated knowledge, requires integration of natural and humanitarian sciences, about danger of split of these ‘two cultures’ wrote still Charles Snow (1959). Comprehension regarding the necessity of bridges between natural and humanitarian sciences comes only now. That is the epistemological reason.
The third reason is social, that is, an insufficient level of social development. Humankind still has not advanced from its animalistic and spontaneously violent and disharmonious prehistory. (The uncountable acts of conscious murders, genocides and wars prove it.) Humankind has only recently approached a true (harmonious) social history. It only recently began to realize a deep need for scientific knowledge of the laws of harmony and the vital necessity of their use in the further development of society and man as in regard to relations with the environment in order to maintain sustainable (harmonious) development.
5. Directions of modern harmonization
Beginning at the end of the last century and, especially, in the beginning of the 21st century, the spontaneous directions of both social and scientific harmonization assembled into an appreciable new phenomenon, which we can title: "Global Harmonious Revolution" (GHR) of modernity. We, the present generations, are the contemporaries, participants and creators of this revolution irrespective of whether we realize this fact or do not understand it. The GHR of an information society goes on in place of the scientific-technical revolution (STR) of an industrial society, keeping, developing and giving a new (harmonious) social sense to all its former achievements. The GHR unites the following revolutionary directions in society and science from 1976:
In societies:
1.European Union (since 1992) as a harmonious revolution of interstate relations: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union,
2.Singapore (since 1997) as a harmonious revolution in interracial and interreligious national relations: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_Harmony_Day,
3.Kazakhstan (since 2001), realizing itself as the centre of Eurasia, called the First International Conference of Peace and Harmony (2003) and accepted on it "Eurasian Charter of Peace and Harmony": http://www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=333,
4.China’s transition (since 2006) from dictatorship of the proletariat to ‘building of a harmonious society’ as a revolution in state policy: http://www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=28,
5.The St.-Petersburg Government approved, in their 2006-2010, urban program: "Tolerance: A Great city requires harmony in diversity"as a revolution in inter ethnic relations: http://www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=ru_c&key=345 (in Russian),
In a science and religious and public organizations:
6.Auroville Community (Mirra Alfassa: "Mother", community founder, 1968, Southern India), numbering now about 2 thousand inhabitants as a harmonious revolution of the settlements on the basis of high and harmonious spirituality: http://www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=329,
7.«Demiurge» Club of harmonious development for the students and youth (Leo Semashko, Russia, 1976-1980) as a beginning of harmonizing revolution of youth associations: http://www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=ru_c&key=305 in Russian,
8.Therapeutic Centre of Harmonious Living (Robert Najemy, Greece, 1976) as a revolution of harmonious therapy and healing: http://www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=327,
9.Understanding of the "Golden Rule of Religions" as the most ancient expression of social harmony (Rudolf Siebert, USA, 1980) as a revolution in religiology,
10.Matrixes of the sphere indices (Leo Semashko, Russia, 1981) in tetrasociological statistics of social harmony as a revolution in a statistical science: http://www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=176,
11.Laws of deep sphere structure of social harmony in tetrasociology (Leo Semashko, Russia, 1982) as a revolution in social sciences: http://www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=324,
12.Information tetrasociological technologies of harmonization (Leo Semashko, Russia, 1983) as a revolution of information technologies: http://www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=177,
13.Philosophical and mathematical theory of structural harmony of systems (Eduard Soroko, Byelorussia, 1984) as a revolution in the theory of systems: http://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=ru_c&key=351 (in Russian),
14.Discovery of the most ancient harmonious highly developed civilization of dolphins andCetacea (Michael Hyson and Paradise Newland, Hawaii 1985) existing for many thousand years up to a human society. These scientists count, that relations with the remains of Cetacea, who survived from human activity, are capable of harmonizing humankind to rescue Cetacea from final human destruction and to establish cooperation of two harmonious civilizations on planet: http://www.planetpuna.com/siriusa/NewDolphinization.htm,
15.Harmony Institute for Psychotherapy and Counseling (Alexander Badhen, 1988, Russia) as a revolution of psychological education and consulting: http://www.inharmony.ru/eng/main.html,
16.Family harmonious development studio for children of 2 to 6 years of age (Leo Semashko, Russia, 1985-1986) as a beginning of a harmonizing revolution of preschool and family education: http://www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=ru_c&key=295 in Russian,
17.Discovery of the sphere classes of the population (Leo Semashko, Russia, 1989) or the actors of social harmony as a revolution in the theory of social classes and forces: http://www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=180,
18.Statistical research of the sphere classes of the Russia population (Leo Semashko, Russia, 1990) and the beginning of empirical tetrasociology as a revolution of empirical researches: http://www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=180,
19.Sphere harmonious structure of legislative and executive authority of St.-Petersburg (Leo Semashko, Russia, Russia, 1990) as a beginning of harmonious revolution of democracy and harmonization of a structure of democratic authority: http://www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=ru_c&key=310 in Russian,
20.World Harmony Network (Trevor Osborne, Australia, 1991) as a revolution of the global network relations: http://worldharmonynetwork.site.voila.fr/,
22.Group of sphere democracy in St.-Petersburg Parliament (Leo Semashko, Russia, 1992) as a harmonious revolution of political parties and beginning of a harmonious political multi-party system: in Leo Semashko’s book "Sphere Approach", 1992, pages 355-358,
23.Scientific symposiums "Golden Section and Problems of Harmony of Systems" (Alexey Stakhov, Ukraine, and Victor Korobko, Russia, 1992-1996) as the first scientific discussions of a problem of harmony becoming a revolutionary turn of a science (of natural sciences and mathematics) in research of harmony,
24.Mathematics of harmony (Alexey Stakhov, Ukraine, 1996) as revolution in mathematics: http://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=330,
25.Hypothesis of Scale Harmony of the Universe (Sergey Sukhonos, Russia, 2000) as a revolution of representations about the Universe: http://www.trinitas.ru/rus/doc/avtr/00/0010-00.htm (in Russian),
26.Harmonious Peace Culture idea (Ada Aharoni, Israel, 2000) as a revolution of traditional, military and peace culture: http://www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=2,
27.Harmony Science Academies: a college-preparatory charter school system in Texas and Louisiana, USA (since 2000 14 schools are) as a beginning of a harmonious revolution in sciences education: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmony_Science_Academy,
28.International site and community "Museum of Harmony and Golden Section" http://www.goldenmuseum.com/ (Alexey Stakhov, Ukraine and Anna Sluchenkova, Canada, 2001) as a revolution in the sciences and mathematical communications on harmony,
29.Declaration of Religious Harmony of Singapore (Chan Soo Sen and Goh Chok Tong, Singapore, 2003) as a revolution of the interreligious relations: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_Religious_Harmony,
30.Project of the law "Children’s Suffrage," ensuring social priority for children (Leo Semashko, Russia, 2004) as a revolution in value and political hierarchy of social groups: http://www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=211,
31.Political "Harmony Centre" (Latvia, 2005), in 2006, won 17th place out of 100 in the country parliament and initiated a beginning of harmony as a political measurement: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmony_Centre,
32.International bilingualism (Leo Semashko, Russia and Renato Corsetti, Italy, 2005) or recognition of two equal in rights international languages, English and Esperanto, as a linguistic harmonization and revolution: http://www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=97 and
http://www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=107,
33.The appeal of Pope Benedict XVI (2006): "to discover life meaning to the great cosmic harmony": http://www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=308, http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/,
34.The first in the world a Festival of Harmony (Oleg Bodnar, Ukraine, Lviv, 2008) as a harmonious revolution of festival activity: http://www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=344,
Global Harmony Association projects
:35.International site and community "Peace from Harmony" (2005) as a revolution in social and humanitarian communications on harmony: www.peacefromharmony.org,
36.Making children a priority in the world (movement and law) (2005) as a revolution in the relations to the most perspective resource of humankind, children: http://www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=121
37.Harmonious Era Calendar (2006) as a revolution in the system of chronology and estimation of historical events: http://www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=ru_c&key=190,
38.Magna Carta of Harmony (2007) as a revolution of the worldview and vision of modernity: http://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=3,
39.World Harmony/Peace Academy (2008) as a revolution in general (global) education: http://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=277,
40.Russia - Georgia: Harmonization through education instead of militarization (2008) as a revolution in the armed conflicts resolution: http://www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=337
41.(2008) World Harmony/Peace Festival 2010, similar to Olympic Games, but devoted to revealing of the best achievement of world (global) harmony in all spheres outside sports, as a revolution of advertising and exhibition activity: http://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=342
42.Fractals of social harmony and index of harmony in tetrasociology as a revolution in mathematics of social harmony: http://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=343,
43.A Global Harmonious Revolution of Modernity: Movement toward a Peaceful World as a revolution in a scientific estimation of modernity and forecasting of the future: http://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=336,
44.Textbook: "Tetrasociology: Science about Social and Individual Harmony", which prepares now by the co-authors of Global Harmony Association for the World Harmony/Peace Academy as a revolution in the scientific educational literature for the students of all ages: http://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=345
All listed directions of a global harmonious revolution of modernity, except for five, have been collected since February 2005 and are submitted on the site "Peace from harmony" (www.peacefromharmony.org). There is no doubt that the number of GHR similar directions will grow continuously in the 21st century. on the other hand, through deeper and all-round research, the list of similar directions of harmonization can also increase repeatedly; this is due to the fact that we do not know all of them from the last decades.
In connection with the given list (above), a specification of the concept of "harmonious revolution" arises. It has two opposite aspects.
On the one hand, this revolution from the point of view of diversity, place, time, quality, degree and intensity of directions of harmonization is a chaotic and disharmonious process of bifurcation of an industrial society. on the other hand, all directions of harmonization have a united quality of nonviolence and common vector toward harmony. This allows all to unite in a process for the common global phenomenon of a "harmonious revolution" as a transition from an industrial society to an information harmonious civilization. The harmony of an information society is born from chaos of an industrial society and its spontaneous directions of harmonization. History mills chaos into harmony.
6. General harmonious education as the locomotive for global harmonious revolution and harmonious civilization
The number of the Global Harmonious Revolution’s similar directions will grow continuously in the 21st century. The natural consequence of GHR is an understanding of the necessity of general (global) harmonious education and its generator, the World Harmony/Peace Academy. This Academy will allow humankind to unite, to develop and to simultaneously transfer to new generations the embryos of a science about harmony in different branches of knowledge. General harmonious education will motivate all people of the Earth to understand scientific harmonization as a universal method for resolution and prevention of disbalances, conflicts and crises (including political and financial) at all levels: individual, regional and global.
General harmonious education is simultaneously peaceful and pluralistic. Harmonious education is the GHR vehicle for the creation of a global harmonious civilization and global harmonious peace. This education is the most effective and "soft", though also long-term (20 to 50 years), way to facilitate the resolution of modern armed conflicts and response to challenges regarding ecological, demographic, economic, political, poverty, violence and spirituality degradation. GHR finds in this education a universal, necessary and an acceptable mechanism for all peoples of the world to join in peaceful and creative coexistence, which is an alternative to their previously violent and military coexistence in an industrial civilization. Global peace can be supplied only within the framework of this second, positive, harmonious tendency of modernity through general harmonious education.
7. Project importance
The project has double importance: scientific and educational. Its scientific importance consists of a new estimation of modernity, as well as, within science, an allocation to the two opposite tendencies and definition of one of them as a priority, which will, thus, determine the vector of development of humankind in the 21st century. For humankind, this is a very important problem, a modern challenge to science that will take it to the central place, a focal point. That is because only science can answer the question: What future can humankind expect in the 21st century?
The role of science in the future depends on its ability to answer this question and to be transformed from a “scientific and technical revolutionary process” to a “scientific and harmonizing process.” This is a matter not only of honour but also of the life of science and humankind’s trust in its abilities and opportunities. That will cost all of our science if it is capable to produce only a nuclear, genetic, chemical, technical or some other kind of butcher of humankind and if it will unable to offer a positive alternative for the common good, global peace and survival? (Other editing: What would be the cost if our science were to produce a nuclear, genetic, chemical, technical or some other kind of butcher of humankind and would be unable to offer a positive alternative for the common good and survival?)
Science’s framework and role will depend on many essentially new and basic researches caused by an integrated character of harmony in a nature, society and man.
The educational importance of this project is that it represents an "Introduction" to the textbook: "Tetrasociology: Science about Social and Individual Harmony", which prepares now by the co-authors of Global Harmony Association for the World Harmony/Peace Academy. This "Introduction" should convince young readers and students about the barest necessity and the highest utility of universal scientific knowledge of social and individual harmony, and also about general harmonious education that will ensure all people of the planet by this knowledge. Without this knowledge and this education in the 21st century, there can not be global (harmonious) peace, common good (justice), and sustainable development (survival).
Was approved by the Board, the Honorary Advisory Committee and General Directorate as the Global Harmony Association Project on October 5, 2008
Edited by Robert M. Weir, writer, USA
Dr Leo Semashko,
Global Harmony Association President,
State Councillor of St.Petersburg,
Director, International Website "Peace from Harmony",
Author of Tetrasociology as social science about harmony,
Director, Public Institute of Tetrasociology,
Social philosopher and sociologist,
Author more 200 scientific publications, including 12 books,
Member of four International organizations.
Address: 7/4-42 Ho-Shi-Min Street, St. Petersburg, 194356, Russia
Tel: +7 (812) 513-38-63
E-mail: leo44442006@yandex.ru
Webpage: http://www.peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=253
August 18 – October 10, 2008.
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