The Declaration of Universal Love: a prescription for hope

Preamble

We live in a time where technology has advanced tremendously. But it is unclear as to where these advancements will take us.

We have developed efficient means of harming millions of people; for instance, either directly through sophisticated weapons, or indirectly, via far-reaching communication systems that rapidly convey misleading information and foment discord, unrest, and hate.

Industrialization, while contributing to the growth of nations, has led to the destruction of the very environment that we are dependent upon for our lives. Our air and land are polluted, and important ecosystems such as rainforests and the oceans are in decline.

In parallel with technological advancements, humankind continues to face long-standing problems whereby millions of people live in poverty and face basic insecurity.

The above-mentioned issues raise pressing questions as to what they mean for us, and more importantly, what they mean for our children and grandchildren.

What is the world that we are currently passing on to future generations?

What can be done on individual and collective levels to ensure that we are engaging in responsible action?

To solve these and other urgent large-scale problems of our time, it is important to ensure that all people live in conditions that support optimal growth and development, and that all can flourish.

Violence does not only exist between nations and factions. Research informs us that violence also exists within intimate relationships, within families, and within schools. Furthermore, hate crimes threaten the basic security of large numbers of people.

All together, approximately two billion people are affected by various forms of inter-personal violence in the course of their daily lives.

Additionally, when children experience violence, the violence inflicted upon them not only causes long term adverse consequences for these children, it also has adverse consequences for their families and their communities as well.

We as parents, teachers, community leaders, and concerned neighbors acknowledge that when a large percentage of humanity is immersed in interpersonal violence, it is an impediment to fully addressing other challenges of our time.

We acknowledge that when people live under threat of violence, it is difficult for them to engage in future planning and solve problems creatively.

The 19th century American philosopher Henry David Thoreau famously wrote that “the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” This is substantiated by epidemiological data on the global prevalence of violence, depression, anxiety and related forms of emotional distress.

For humankind to reach its fullest potential in problem-solving and creating a better future—especially amidst widespread discord and limited resources for health promotion and disease prevention—we must take rapid action to address one of the most pervasive and damaging elements of "quiet desperation," namely violence.

In the face of massive challenges that we as humans face, we can look to the as yet untapped power of love as a realistic source of hope.

Love in humans can be understood through the integrated lenses of biology, psychology and socio-cultural factors. It is a pro-social emotion that enables individuals to care for one another.

Love is what has allowed us to survive across generations.

Love has enabled us to not only endure, but to transcend numerous challenges—individually and collectively.

Love is central to our makeup as human beings, and is intrinsically linked to our biology, our psyche, and our social collectives.

Love is a universal construct that transcends differences of language, culture and religion. It is humanity’s highest value.

The practice of love offers us a means of overcoming differences and achieving concordance so we can work collectively to solve the pressing issues of our time.

Love offers us a pathway to peace.

Love offers us hope.

Love offers us a way to create a better future: for ourselves, for our families, for our communities and the world.

Articles

Article 1

We define love as compassionate action undertaken for the benefit of another. This can be for the purposes of alleviating suffering or it can encompass actions to support human flourishing.

Article 2

We as humans have yet to realize the full power and potential of love to ameliorate social ills and improve basic living conditions for millions of people who lack clean water, shelter and enough to eat.

Article 3

We hold, as supported by research, that love is a psychological nutrient essential for human development across the lifespan.

Article 4

We hold that every human being has a right to this essential nutrient.

Article 5

To bring this essential nutrient to billions of people, we look to existing methods such as those found in public health, which aim to promote the health and wellbeing of all people.

Article 6

In addition to serving as a psychological nutrient for optimal human development, love, as understood through neuroscience, can serve as a behavioral vaccine against interpersonal violence.

Article 7

Love can be further understood as the ongoing practice of compassionate actions, directed toward the self and others, for the purpose of alleviating suffering and promoting wellbeing.

Article 8

We advocate for promoting the active practice of compassionate action in all spheres of our lives: in our homes, in our schools, in our workplaces, and in both tangible environments, such as our geographic communities, as well as intangible environments, such as mass media and social media.

Article 9

We advocate for the adoption of compassionate action in decision-making by policy makers, corporations, and other organizational entities.

Article 10

We advocate for the promotion of compassionate action on the level of the individual, and the level of the various environments that surround each individual and which influence people’s health and wellbeing.

Article 11

We affirm that the practice of love is a skill that can be learned, and as supported by research, our capacity to love effectively can be increased.

Article 12

Through the large-scale active practice of ongoing love-informed actions – on individual, organizational, community, national and international levels – we will forge new pathways to reduce the prevalence of quiet desperation, and advance the health and wellbeing of people.

Article 13

Reducing violence is a prerequisite for engaging millions of people in collective, forward-thinking actions that will benefit our children, grandchildren, and future generations.

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In adopting this declaration, we commit to acting in a manner informed by universal love.

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