STRENGTHENING THE UNITED NATIONS

V.

The Three Minimums

The decent minimums consist of the following, and it is to these that a reformed United Nations structure must address itself. For universal well-being, every person is to have recourse to:

a.) A decent subsistence, including sufficient plain food and clothing, ordinary medicines and clinical access, drinking water, and six square meters of living space within an hour of one's workplace.

b.) A reliable and promptly responsive system of law and order, providing freedom of movement, speech and assembly, a fair trial of civil and criminal cases, an equal access to jobs for which one is qualified, and protection against abusive discrimination from officials and private parties.

c.) Education to the level of reading some of the classical literature of one's culture, of arithmetic and elementary numbers theory, of communicating by writing to persons occupying responsible positions, access to audio-visual media of entertainment and information, and affordable means of travelling by public transportation.

The three minimums are today foreclosed against five-sixths of the world's people. Of six billion persons, five billions cannot obtain most of the goods contained in each of the three categories.

Moreover, the proportion of people obtaining these minimums is decreasing as the world population rapidly rises.

Yet, the practical means of helping over five billion persons to reach the minimum levels and at the same time to accomplish the arts and sciences enhancement also contemplated are known: the practical means are at hand; the resources are available; the technically competent man-and-woman-power is adequate for the task.