Diplomacy and International Respect

Authored and read by Mayasonette Lambkiss

1/20/2024

Episode #11 of the show SPACESUIT MADE OF FLESH

An Academic Voicecast Publication of

The Institute of Universal Human Rights - Hawaii

What is diplomacy? Diplomats are authorized and highly trained communication mediators in sensitive international and domestic affairs between individuals, organizations and government. Literally, anyone involved in public life in a state level, federal, or international arena will need to be skilled at strategic communication styles. Diplomats are professional relationship specialists using skills as advisors of political decision makers, writers and strategy creators of treaties, negotiators, and alliance builders. In a nutshell they face interhuman diversities and they are in the frontlines to negotiate and mediate potential misunderstandings, troubleshoot, remedy unfavorable conditions.

Diplomacy is firmly required to respect a diverse set of values and often categorically different from what the diplomat holds true for themselves. As the public face of international relationships, a prominent level of self-examination and self-control are vital qualities. Ethics and etiquettes of diplomatic protocols are taught and need learning to help bridge communication between radically diverse cultures and produce mutually beneficial results between nations, and on all levels of government. These high-level communication skills need time and relevant long-term exposure to acquire them, nobody is born with them.

The attitude of open mindedness and actualized diplomatic skills are not enough to combine collectivist and individualist cultures. The truth is that one without the other is catastrophically dysfunctional. In a healthy society everyone is using both philosophies, placing themselves on a scale between the extremes in a healthy zone. The more individualist you want to be the more you need to seek unusual opportunities but there is no need to do that at the expense of communitarianism. How can you stand out if there is no one around you who doesn't? How can you lead if none is following? Pay your taxes, don't commit a crime, and everyone will leave you alone. And if you can afford to be alone, you don't even have to work and compromise your uniqueness. My best friend always emphasizes how unique, eccentric, and unusual he is. It frightens him to realize everyone is just as unique, true to their own self, and an extraordinary person as he is, because it would make him the same as everyone else: special. We all need community, we depend on each other, and our shared natural resources, infrastructure, education, and greater variety of food than the pots can grow in the window. We need each other, but it should not interfere with our uniqueness, our hearts' concerns. Martin Luther King was courageous in fighting for his own individual equal rights, only we all do that in our own ways. But he was unique for doing that for the masses, he led his aching community. It is the tiny freedoms of his youthful formation as an individual that raised him as a leader. but without the community, he would have influenced nobody's life. Martin Luther King is an excellent example of how individualism enriches, even makes communal life fundamentally better. Without his soar as an individual, an entire community would have missed a revolution.

The Foundation for Economic Education published on July 2nd 2022, in their article: Individualism, a Deeply American Philosophy:

"It would take many decades before the laws recognized that women and blacks were just as equal as anyone else. However, with the overthrow of caste...

What is the Role of Government in Amercian Society?

Written and read by Mayasonette Lambkiss

for the podcast show of

The Institute of Universal Human Rights - Hawaii

SPACESUIT MADE OF FLESH

1/18/2024

The role of government in American society is a matter of balance between what the members of society expect the government to do, and what they do not want the government to have the right to do.

First, we need to distinguish between federal, state, and local governments.

As citizens we established, we have rights and responsibilities towards our society. We all have the unalienable right to life, but we have the responsibility to register our identity with the DMV. We all have the same legal human rights, but different individuals will understand, interpret, and consent differently. Degrees of compliance will result in different behaviors, and often interfere with other people's rights, may even violate them as such. It is the government's job to regulate the different individual's behavior and distinguish acceptable from not acceptable behavior. It is also the government's job to balance individual freedom with the common good and public welfare and take this exact same context to the level of organizations, business entities, communities. It is the government's job to face and manage challenges that stand in the way of safe and healthy living of people, like environmental, economic, national safety challenges.

While a capitalist free market economy and the society created by it does not leave a ceiling on wealth creation and revenue access to preserve freedom, redistribution of wealth and revenue must be regulated to protect the exact same freedom. It is the job of the government to balance the scales of redistribution with equal access. By equal access we mean to find ways to create opportunities like education for the disadvantaged individuals to elevate their predisposition, benefits like welfare to see them through tough times, and resources like taking a hike in your favorite national park, use of libraries and facilities, microloans for business startups. But it is not the Government's job to decide if someone is too rich, take their wealth and redistribute money to the poor people.

It is the government's job to educate its citizens about their rights and responsibilities, the functions of democracy and republic and how they work together and protect their rights and democratic voice within that society. It is also the responsibility of the government to keep its citizens informed of formal democratic process participation opportunities like voting dates. It is the government's purpose to apply the democratic, administrative, and legal decisions the collective has made to daily life. Therefore, the government is a secondary decision maker and manager of the running of life of society. The government is created to regulate society and not to interfere in the life of the individual if the citizen has not violated any laws. The same principle applies to organizational and business entities as incorporated members of society.

Having all that said, the "If the right to live and be free is natural, then the government are doing wrong when they are protecting your rights, and doing wrong when they violate your rights. As much possible then, the government should create rights that are compatible with and don't contradict your natural rights." (Prof. Aeon Skolbe, Bridgewater University, Libertarianism Explained: What Are Rights? Learn Liberty, YouTube, 2011 (3:46). Consequently, reasoning can lead us to understand the above statement, that the government can only do right by controlling as little as possible....

The Significance of Democratic Participation

Written and Read by Mayasonette Lambkiss

as Episode 9 of SPACESUIT MADE OF FLESH

on 1/13/2024

Radio On Demand of The Institute of Universal Human Rights - Hawaii

For today's topic of democratic participation an old saying comes to mind recorded somewhere in the universe: 'Those who live together, eat together, and those who work together, sing together'. I chose this very popular hula song 'Over the Rainbow' to introduce my show today followed by Polynesian rhythms because hula are cultural community events where most local civic involvement takes place. Just as music is a natural expression of every culture, the same way the characteristics of their community participation, leadership style, sense of democracy will be different, yet remarkably just as beautiful in every culture. Just as every voice has a harmonious part to sing, every instrument knows when to join into the play, and each dancer naturally moves in harmony, so is a healthy community, a healthy democratic participation in public life. Not effortless is performing arts, and it is live, so won't be flawless, but it exudes love and beauty into the life of those participating or witnessing. When will our shared lives on local and international level be as harmonious as our artistic expressions?

The local civic participation in Hawaii where I live is controversial with varying intensity from decade to decade. The Big Island Sovereign movement never ceased, but slows down from time to time, but every so subtly and powerfully present. The Anthem of Hawaii an almost all national songs are rather unwelcoming of the foreigners even today, promoting loyalty to the chief who protects its people with spears. Will not enter this topic any further today than describing the local Hawaiian attitude for community participation. There is much to observe here. Local Hawaiians have distinctly different social norms from island to island that can still be very strongly felt when isolation is significantly less now than was in historical times. The most generous care for the broken, destitute, hungry is shown daily by the locals. They take visible pride in giving generously, food, smile, entertainment, sharing their culture with foreigners and local equally. None-the-less, when it comes to the affluent, wealthy, capable foreigners should watch their back. Nature provides just enough for the dwellers of the land, so surplus cannot be trusted. Hawaii is not only an expensive luxury tourist state for the visitor, but just as expensive for the locals, who do not have equal resources than tourists. Even if the business thrives, envy remains. So, how do they engage in civic activities? Decades old resentment still fuels a subtle but powerful resistance called sovereignty movement, passing down traditional culture to the new generations, and fostering the solidarity of the older ones.

“the American states with the highest levels of social capital are precisely the states most characterized by economic and civic equality.” (Putnam: Bowling...

SPACESUIT MADE OF FLESH

Podcast Show authored and read by MAYASONETTE LAMBKISS

on January 6th, 2024, Hawaii

on behalf of the Institute of Universal Human Rights - HAWAII

Episode 8: VALUES FORMING THE RIGHTS OF HUMAN LIFE

Values are deeply held beliefs guiding attitudes, behavior, decisions. We already discussed the nine highest rated American values of the US citizens in an earlier episode. Today we are going to look into the most significant legal documents forming this country that influence public opinion on values about the rights of a human being in society, and how we perceive the value of a human life.

It would be a mistake to compare the Declaration of Independence and the Declaration of Universal Human Rights without a deeper study of their author's mind and chosen leadership path for comparison first. Second, we will compare the two documents for form and structure as legal documents, qualitative content of their fundamental messages, and lastly, the influence they have on our historical and current political atmosphere.

Thomas Jefferson's objective creating the D.I. was to fight for and protect the freedom of a new birthing country against tyranny, which is the greed and selfish power of one individual, while Eleanor Roosevelt was on the path to protect the fundamental freedom of the individual human against the greed and selfish acts of society in large. Jefferson's vision was to form a country based on new world values of the individual, and each and every grievance against the king was a collective right of this new country to be protected even by the threat of a gruesome war, while Eleanor Roosevelt's vision was to form a coalition of countries to protect the rights of the suffering individual in gruesome war against crime.

Both documents are legal documents, therefore formalize and define legal rights, guaranteed by law, and reinforceable by law, they are written for such reason, and filed at court. To declare something, it means to make a statement of truth in writing, just as if someone made that same statement at court. It legally binds someone to make a true statement to authority, then to the government, and then make it public, and if it is found untrue, the writer legally perjured himself.

The writers and signers of the Declaration of Independence appointed themselves, they made the formation of the coalition of 13 states official and legally enforceable, all relevant parties have been officially informed of their actions, and the content has been made public to the people. If they had lost the war the same document would have become a false statement, and its writers be guilty in the King's court of perjury and other things. The same thing is true for the Declaration of Universal Human Rights, which is an international legal document, a coalition between originally 48 countries, but today of 193 countries, and their enemies are organized crime, international crime, war crimes, and any form of crimes against humanity. While the war for Independence lasted through a few years of chaos, it created order and invented a new form of society. But the war for the respect and freedom of the individual never seems to end, it is continuously current, and every offense only challenges our very humanity. Is it true, that the writers of the D.U.H.R. perjure themselves every time we lose the fight against a human trafficking brothel, whenever an illegal organ-hunter gets away from justice, or a sweatshop continues to operate for decades with forced labor in a hostile environment? Why? Why are they not guilty of perjury declaring the fundamental right of every human to life if they guarantee to millions their right to life, yet the fight is lost on millions of fronts per day? What is the nature of a...

The Nature of an Amendment

Authored and Read by Mayasonette Lambkiss

on 12/29/2023

as a voicecast presentation of

The Institute of Universal Human Rights - HAWAII

In agriculture originally, especially in historical times, adding an amendment to soil meant to improve drainage, texture, and fertility. The Constitution of the United States is the ultimate law of the land, and since 1791 it has been amended 27 times. In a metaphorical frenzy we may even say that the land's soil needed its drainage, texture and fertility improving 27 times in 232 years, and it was done by adding amendments to do the job. The agricultural reference is also obvious in a quote from Jefferson: "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."

Benjamin Franklin was asked right after the signing ceremony of the D. I. outside, before leaving the building, whether they got us a democracy or a republic. His iconic answer has especially used and quoted repeatedly in 2022 for obvious reasons since the events that appalled the nation regarding the integrity of the presidential elections for the past decade: "A republic, if you can keep it"- was Franklin's answer. In the United States Constitution every amendment was birthed and inspired by grievances the people needed internally and nationally regulated, just as the articles of the Declaration of the Independence was inspired by the grievances against the King's injustice. Therefore, it is a document that established Brittain as a foreign country, while the Amendments were necessary to address the offences suffered domestically. The most significant difference between articles and amendments is that the seven articles of the constitution are the original body of the constitution's text dealing with establishing an independent government, while the twenty-seven amendments are a document of later years regulating internal disputes and grievances need to be settled for good on a federal and indisputable manner, made legal for the sake of future peace and the protection of each and every citizen of the country.

As the constitution itself defines itself and therefore its articles purpose, let me quote the first paragraph of it: "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." Therefore, the constitution and its articles define the foundational working together of the elements of the government, but the amendment, also called the Bill of Rights, has a completely different purpose. It takes its own place to protect the independence of the individual states within the workings of the federal government, and the freedom of the individual citizens within those states. While the Constitution has never been subject to change and modifications, the amendments provide the place for potential expansion and additions as they become necessary throughout history. As it is clarified on the 'Support' blog pages of 'ConstitutionUS.com' in an article written by its editor Edward Savey: "In short, while we see the Bill of Rights as part of the United States Constitution due to its housing, it is its own document with a crucial place in American history. Its adoption in 1791 guaranteed many fundamental rights of the people not clarified by the Constitution itself."

But the explanation of amendments shouldn't be limited to the Constitution of the United States only, since it is a universally...

How has the United States Constitution influenced

American values?

VoiceCast Authored and Read by

Mayasonette Lambkiss

12/26/2023

as a public content of the Institute of Universal Human Rights - Hawaii

"The American Revolution ushered in an age of democratic revolutions. Some of those revolutions resulted in functioning democracies, but as noted, not all such revolutions were peaceful. Some ended in extensive violence and dictatorship. America’s revolutionary war and its Declaration of Independence did not lead to chaos, rather it culminated in the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and the peaceful transfer of political power between parties in 1801."

(AMERICAN VISION AND VALUES, Bellevue University Nebraska.)

It matters a great deal how we classify or define the structure of our government, because those words either resonate with the heart of people or will thwart their thinking. Democracy resonates with the heart of every American citizen, but it is such an ideal that would cause the collapse of this country to eliminate any form of empowered structure to manage that democracy, as if such democracy were the enemy of itself. It is important for the governed to understand how the government is set up, how and why the government is empowered to govern the people, in order to preserve the power of the governed people. It is the design that is genius. How to fill it with the correct officers is a whole other question.

But why is citizenship education important for the governed as much as for the government? The answer can be as simple as the answer Andrew Oldenquist's reasoning published in Educational Leadership, 1980, titled The Nature of Citizenship: "Citizenship education should foster group loyalty and values", even if he also flavored it with critical specifics such as 'white middle-class values in black and white poor neighborhoods'. Today we are just hoping all citizens will learn about the academic interpretation of the government systems.

The United States is not an autocracy, because it is not governed by a supreme monarch. The United States is Governed by democratically elected representatives; therefore, it is a democracy, meaning the will of the people is heard first, and made effective by the appointment of the representation. The assembly or House of Representatives than is entitled again, as the result of a secondary democratic election to conduct any national decision making, even the creation of an electoral college to appoint a President. The United States is currently a confederation of 50 self-governed states. To manage the bureaucratic duties of such vast territory effectively, legally, and transparently, additional structures are necessary to implement. The 50 self-governed states empower one or two representatives via democratic elections to conduct state interests on a federal level. It is highly commendable that they hear out the Mass of People's opinion on the matter first by a general Presidential election before voting themselves. It is not only power preserved for the people, but respect given to the people by those in whose hands the decision ultimately stands. Why elect representatives, if you are only going to strip them from power by debating their office to be unconstitutional or as a violation of the rights of the people. You either elect representatives and give them due respect and power, or you don't and end up with a chaotic, unmanageable democratic bureaucracy. But you can't elect representatives to just sit and be your puppets. Have respect for the office that is there to represent you, and the excellent process to get the right people into those offices.

Therefore, the United States operates and realizes the vision of its constitution by inventing a...

WHO INVENTED THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA?

Authored and Read by Mayasonette Lambkiss

on 12/16/2023 in Hawaii

I find the most remarkable value the Declaration of Independence humbly reveals and gently teaches to its admirers is in the power of wording. And thus, the first value I regard as the most powerful value is revealed here to only increase over time as the value the modern American people grade the highest: It is intentional and mindful wording in order to create. The Founding Fathers chose to sign a Declaration of Independence and not a Declaration of War against the English king, though those two were likely to be the same if the British doesn't back off. Thomas Jefferson had a great deal to do with the choices made in the content of this iconic document. Its every word is powerfully placed in the context and reveals authority produced by a systematic ascension of thoughts. Beautiful example of the most touching American value as a rockstar among the values: DIRECTNESS which we could define is respecting RESPECT. In the published article 'SO, YOU’RE AN AMERICAN?”: A GUIDE TO ANSWERING DIFFICULT QUESTIONS ABROAD' the CULTURE magazine writes timeless statements: "A direct communicator doesn’t intend to be rude, but rather desires clarity and speed. Conversely, Americans may consider indirect or subtler forms of communication to be incomplete, dishonest, or insincere." "Many Americans will not necessarily shy away from conflict if they feel it will help them reach their objectives, even if it creates disharmony".

"The Declaration of Independence is divided into five parts: the preamble, the statement of philosophy, the grievances, the operative words, and the statement of the signers." (By: Rob Natelson|Published on: Nov 27, 2021|Categories: Declaration of Independence, Founding Principles)

The Declaration is a legal document, and as such has the structure of a legal document. The preamble states who are writing it, by what authority, and makes a statement for the end-product as well: "The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America," The Values it highlights are Universality, unanimity, united front. Though the document is written for the separation of England and the colonies, it speaks about a fundamental and universal truth that unites the 13 states, (and later perhaps the entire world as it has served profound inspiration for the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights document.) While it is ancient knowledge that our shared enemies unite us, the intense and expressive united front on the matter to expel the English is still remarkable. It is not easy task to get 13 sets of leaderships to agree on anything unanimously. Especially impressive how they address their petition to a supreme and objective judge and witness to be understood and appeal their cause. Today's politicians have a great example to live up to, and without doubt, often fail to achieve these values they most certainly strive for.

I see another incredibly important modern American value stepping in view at this point too: Generosity. It is not an overstatement at all to say that the American people are the most generous country anywhere in the world...

Who Inspired Thomas Jefferson?

Voicecast Authored and Read

By Mayasonette Lambkiss,

As an episode of the ‘Spacesuit in the Flesh’ officially published

Podcast show for the Hawaii Institute of Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Honolulu, 12/12/2023

Who was Thomas Jefferson, the author of freedom, inspired by crafting the Declaration of Independence? John Locke, The Virginia Declaration of Rights, and his own drafts of the Virginia Constitution are just some of the contemporary documents he used during his two weeks of writing at his desk. But the material the Founding Fathers, especially Jefferson’s used as discussion materials and insightful guides for the establishment of a just government is much broader: the Founding Fathers looked to the Greek democracy, Roman representative system, the Bible, the French Laissez-fair implemented first in Brittain, they looked to Captains of Christian ships and their courts, chain of command, and communication systems for crowd management insights they used, and to people like the famous Ulysses S. Grand, military officer of the Union army who allowed the Southerners to keep their horses to plough and one personal weapon for hunting for their families.

All of these historical experiments to attempt to create an ideal and just government, and great historical figures, are present in the Declaration of Independence in Spirit. The 28 points at the end of the physical document of the Declaration of Independence demonstrating King George III’s dysfunctional governance is probably the most motivating list of sources inspiring change. These inspirations rooted in painful and liberating experiences gave a reason to our founders wanting to see changes implemented that reflected their values. As Thomas Jefferson writes in 1776, “The Declaration of Independence is a proclamation. In it, the 13 American colonies declared that they would no longer view themselves as members of the British Empire.” But, over time many of its points have changed from a collective statement of the exclusive sovereignty to the United States, to a nation defined by its citizen’s shared value systems. It is majorly due to the evolving philosophical influences in the minds of the people, and how they interpret the words within changing historical-political context relevant to their times.

The second paragraph of the Declaration says:

1) “We hold these truths to be self-evident"

This statement strongly reveals that the source of conviction to establish the values incorporated by the following words of the declaration indisputable truths, automatic, and need no explanation. Here is a paragraph I read for you from the Kirkpatrick Signature Series Document on the Declaration of Human Rights:

“During Jefferson’s era, the European model of governance was monarchies. The authority for government by monarchy was known as, The Divine Right of Kings. In other words, the King’s authority was based upon an authority bestowed upon the monarch by the divine or due to God’s intervention.

Since God had chosen the monarch to be the King, or Queen, they were better, or closer to God, and therefore acting with God-given authority to rule. Simply, according to the Divine Right of Kings. The monarch had more powerful rights than the individual and you were...