Introduction

The document published here is the text of the Provisional Constitution of the Commonwealth of World Citizens. It is thus a political document of a remarkable character, of concern to every government and people throughout the world. When this Constitution is adopted at a duly convened Constituent Assembly of those who have elected to become World Citizens in fact, and not merely in name, not only will a new people have come into legal existence, but a people of a new order without exact historical parallel.

Why is this happening? And what does it mean? As founder of the Commonwealth of World Citizens, and to a large extent the architect of its Constitution, it devolves upon me to answer these questions as exactly as possible, and to explain the position of World Citizens in relation to the States of which at present most of them are nationals.

I wish to make it immediately clear that the Constitution is not a blue print for World Government. The structure it will create is that of an additional world institution in the sphere of government, but not one that requires the adhesion of sovereign States or seeks to impose any direct obligations upon them. Neither does it represent any attempt to change their political structure or intervene in their internal affairs. No higher authority is set up in the international sphere comparable to the United Nations, only an auxiliary authority at the service of every nation.

The idea of the Commonwealth of World Citizens has been no secret for a good many years, though comparatively few have known what was taking place. Everything connected with this enterprise on behalf of mankind has been stated openly from the beginning, and it has been a fundamental principle all along not only that nothing should be concealed, but that there should be nothing to conceal. That is why in 1944, when the project was taking shape under the auspices of the Service-Nation Movement and the Second World War was still in progress, all the Allied and Neutral Governments were informed of what was intended. And that is why in 1951, when work began in London to put the plan of the Commonwealth of World Citizens into operation, the British Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary were duly notified of what was being done. It would have been most improper to start to build a new people on British soil without reporting the fact to the Government. Both letters were acknowledged from Downing Street without comment, and the Commonwealth of World Citizens was thus free to go ahead.