Growth and Development

The foresight of those concerned was confirmed by the incidence of the Cold War, which divided mankind into two camps and power-blocs. The tension was largely due to fear on both sides, to economic difficulties caused by the World War and prevailing unrest, to the legacy of mistrust and anxiety about aggression and domination handed on to a new generation, to lack of a peace settlement, to the conflict of ideologies,' and to competition in the manufacture of ghastly thermo-nuclear weapons of mass-destruction. There was, indeed, too much terror abroad for wise counsel, and mutual bitterness and recrimination became the order of the day.

This deplorable state of international relations could not endure indefinitely. Something would snap. Moderation of extreme positions had to come in under the name of Peaceful Coexistence to avert a Third World War which might wreck the whole planet.

Nations had to begin to recover their composure, to regain some belief in each other's peaceful intentions, even if at first this confidence did not rise much above the level of admitting that no Great Power could be that mad or stupid as voluntarily to commit suicide. The problems did not materially change, but the atmosphere in which they were approached improved.

Throughout the period 1950-1955 the Commonwealth of World Citizens was quietly developing. Unlike societies seeking members, the Commonwealth as a people could not ask anyone to join. Those "who wished to do so were required to complete an Application Form for Citizenship which made clear to them the responsibilities they were assuming and what it meant to be a World Citizen.

People who want to escape from national obligations do not undertake more exacting world obligations. Those who have no care for their fellows do not concern themselves with the sufferings of humanity. Those who seek personal power do not willingly become servants. Those who want an easy life; do not invite discomfort. Those who value money for its own sake do not make financial sacrifices for a cause. No one had anything to gain by entering the Commonwealth of World Citizens. There was no rush to do so.

For the first four years of its existence the Commonwealth of World Citizens was entirely dependent upon its own limited resources. This is still substantially true; for no considerable gifts from well-wishers have yet been received. In the formative stage this was an excellent thing. It showed that both as regards adherence and support the new Commonwealth was not founded upon any momentary enthusiasm or emotional appeal. Had there been a large scale influx initially it would have been difficult to establish unity of basic principles and a sense of family relationship. A people cannot be made to order: it has to evolve, become conscious of kinship and its own way of life. This process takes a considerable time even when a group shares a common country, language and culture. It is liable to be a much slower and far more difficult process when the citizens are of many races, with a variety of national traditions, and are widely distributed over the world. Had the Commonwealth of World Citizens had to start without any background, unaided by circumstances and its special structure, the hindrances to its speedy creation would indeed have been formidable. As it was, the factors in its favour proved to be quite exceptional.

There were the historic teachings of the great religions and philosophies on the essential oneness of mankind. These throughout the centuries had fostered belief in an ultimately united, peaceful and mutually cooperative world. More particularly in the past two centuries the rapid expansion of knowledge by discovery and invention had progressively been stimulating the growth of a world consciousness. The pattern of thought and behaviour was increasingly adapting itself to world concepts, world relationships and world institutions. World terms were coining more and more into popular currency in a hundred connexions of a theoretical and practical nature. Even war had been expanded into World War, leading to movements for World Order and World Government. By the middle of the present century a substantial minority of individuals were at least partly conditioned to a world outlook, and had transcended the narrower limitations of nationalism. A much smaller minority had begun to acquire the comprehensive sympathies and sense of responsibility of the World Citizen. They were already a. people on their own. They only needed a means of organic coherence, a definition of their common viewpoint, and a means of realisation of their common aims. They belonged to the Commonwealth of World Citizens long before they heard of it. They were not being indoctrinated by propaganda, only awakened to a clearer perception of the implications of their position. As a consequence, in less than five years, without any publicity campaign and with only a few references in' the Press during the last year, the Commonwealth could count its citizens in thirty countries representing every continent.