'Track two’ or 'citizen diplomacy'
offers the opportunity for private individuals or ‘citizen organizations’ to
open communication channels and develop agreements between nations experiencing
diplomatic impasses and/or violent conflict. Citizen diplomacy has been shown
to be an effective process in helping establish diplomatic relations and
developing suitable confliction resolution strategies for difficult global
conflicts. Extending the practice of citizen diplomacy from the global arena
involving international actors, into the exopolitical
arena involving different extraterrestrial civilizations is both possible and necessary. This is due to
the long history of secrecy, hidden rivalries and low intensity conflicts that
exist between extraterrestrial races and government agencies.
Given government secrecy over the
existence of extraterrestrial civilizations; the diverse motivations, agendas
and conflicts involving extraterrestrial races and various government agencies;
there is an urgent need for citizen diplomacy with extraterrestrial
civilizations or what might be also called ‘track
two galactic diplomacy’. There is a need for private
citizens to establish communications with extraterrestrial civilizations; play
roles in mediating between different extraterrestrial groups and global
humanity; establishing track two diplomatic relations with extraterrestrials;
and assist official diplomatic relations between government agencies and
extraterrestrials or what might be described as ‘track one galactic diplomacy’.
Most
importantly, using the conceptual mode of principled negotiation described … in
Ury’s and Fisher’s book, Getting to Yes, we can develop a model for “Getting to Yes with
ET.” When those communicating with extraterrestrials recognize the vital
interests of all parties directly affected by negotiations, then we have
“principled negotiations.”…
Traditional forms of diplomacy
involve appointed officials of different national political systems officially
representing their nations to promote their respective “national interests” in
the face of competition from, and conflict with, other nations. We witness
examples of this with ambassadors and diplomats stationed at national embassies
around the world to promote their national policies. Diplomacy can be defined
as: “a technique of state action, [which] is
essentially a process whereby communications from one government go directly to
the decision-making apparatus of another.” [2] Individuals
appointed to diplomatic positions are typically accountable to the executive
and/or legislative branches of government of their nations. In the United
States, ambassadors are nominated by the President and appointed by the U.S.
Senate.
These appointed as ambassadors, or
‘diplomats’ in general, are consequently authorized to participate in meetings
aimed at producing agreements that impact on the territories and citizens of
their nations. This ‘official’ form of diplomacy has existed for thousands of
years and examples are found in the monarchs of early kingdoms who appointed
representatives to meet with foreign powers; and establish treaties with other
kingdoms to promote peace, trade and/or protection of each other’s citizens. In
the recent era, diplomacy has increasingly been defined in terms of diplomats
representing the national interests of their states which transcend moral
principles or global imperatives.
According
to Henry Kissinger who wrote the influential book, Diplomacy, international diplomacy is
based upon the judicious advancement of a state’s national interest above all
other considerations including moral principles or global interests.[3]
The concept of ‘national interest’ evolved from the statecraft of Cardinal
Richelieu of 17th century France who was the first ‘modern’ leader to contend
that universal morality was trumped by the pragmatic concerns of the nation
state. Richelieu was Prime Minister of France from 1624-1642.
He diplomatically and militarily allied Catholic France with Protestant German
Princes and the Ottoman Turks against the Catholic Hapsburg Empire on the basis of France’s raison d’etat (reason of state or
‘national interest’).[4]
This was something that appeared to be shocking and immoral in the Christian
world, but nevertheless became the official policy of France. Since the thirty
years War 1618-1648, the concept of national interest has subsequently become
the basis of diplomatic interactions and the chief concern of diplomats
representing their nation in the global community. Morality and ethical
concerns, in the centuries since Cardinal Richelieu first introduced the concept of raison d’etat,
have increasingly played second fiddle to a state’s national interest when
these came into conflict.
As far as the idea of vital
interests of all parties in a negotiation is concerned, we can see how national
interest has historically evolved to trump the vital interests of “weaker
parties” when it comes to negotiations. Put simply, diplomatic discussions that
emphasize the national interests of states, the vital interests of some
(typically weaker) parties impacted by the discussions are secondary.
In this book, I discuss some of the
persuasive evidence of clandestine official meetings between national
governments and extraterrestrial races since at least the 1950s…. These
meetings led the Eisenhower administration to establish agreements with
extraterrestrial civilizations based on the national interest of the U.S.
There was an absence of any moral imperative to inform the general public due
to the profound nature of this initial contact between extraterrestrial
civilizations and a major Earth government. This policy was merely a
continuation of the now well established doctrine that national interest would
trump morality whenever they came into conflict. The result has been that the
vital interests of US and other national citizens have been violated, at least
at an individual level.
The secret agreements between
extraterrestrial civilizations and the U.S. government have led to the
building of joint facilities, technology exchanges and permission for limited
abductions.[5]
The meetings and consequent agreements established between extraterrestrial
races and the U.S. government have been kept secret. The information of these
meetings and agreements continue to remain highly classified, and off limits to
the most senior of elected political officials. This even includes Presidents
such as Clinton and Carter who were denied access to documents detailing
the extraterrestrial presence.[6]
More surprising is that even senior military officers are often kept out of the
loop as exemplified in the case of Vice Admiral Thomas Wilson who in 1997 served as the intelligence chief
for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Wilson was denied access to classified projects
involving UFO technologies that he learned about through non-official sources.[7]
The diplomatic meetings that have
occurred so far have been between different extraterrestrial civilizations and representatives from the U.S. governments.
These diplomatic meetings have thus followed the traditional form of diplomatic
relations where appointed officials represent the national interests of their
countries in meetings with foreign powers. This indicates that diplomatic relations
with extraterrestrial civilizations have proceeded despite the secrecy
surrounding the existence of extraterrestrial races, and the secret contact
established with the U.S. and other major world governments.
It may be assumed that the U.S. and
other world governments are by default the representatives of Earth in terms of its citizens and territory in
establishing diplomatic relations with extraterrestrials, but this is not
something that can be taken for granted. It’s very important to closely examine
the question of who represents Earth in diplomatic relations with
extraterrestrial civilizations. After all, we private citizens have been kept
out of the loop on the reality of extraterrestrial life, does that mean we have
no relevance when it comes to representing the interests of our planet with
off-world visitors?
As far as ‘galactic diplomacy’ is concerned, the Earth may be defined, in a narrow way, as the
population and territory of the third planet orbiting the sun, or Sol if we
wish to identify ourselves within the Milky Way Galaxy. Thus defined, the different nation
states representing the regional territories and populations on Earth
collectively represent the Earth. This narrow reading of who represents the
Earth, as far as galactic diplomacy is concerned, would lead to three models of
diplomatic representations for the Earth.
The first would be that multilateral
institutions such as the United Nations would have the necessary legitimacy and
authority to represent planet Earth in diplomatic relations with extraterrestrial
civilizations. Presumably, the United Nations
(UN) would represent the global interests of all states rather than the
national interests of any one particular state. It’s worth pointing out that
the United Nations directly represents the interests of its member states; and,
at best, only indirectly represents the interests of the world population
The second model of diplomatic
representation would be that dominant global powers such as the U.S. Russia and China would represent the Earth in diplomatic meetings with extraterrestrial
civilizations. The dominant powers would
presumably prioritize their national interests rather than the global interests
of all the nations of Earth. This appears to have been the case thus far due to
the minor role played by the United Nations in dealing with the extraterrestrial presence.
For example, the UN General Assembly passed a decision
in December 1978 (Decision 33/426) to establish “an agency or a
department of the United Nations for undertaking, coordinating and
disseminating the results of research into unidentified flying objects and
related phenomena."[8]
The requested agency/department was never created and the decision was not acted upon. This vividly demonstrates the lack of
support the United Nations has had from major powers in seriously playing a
role in the UFO/extraterrestrial phenomenon.
The third representational model is
a hybrid where major global powers establish diplomatic relations with
extraterrestrials, cooperate among themselves, and have these relations
legitimized in multilateral institutions such as the United Nations. This would enable major powers to
find consensus about how to promote their respective national interests in
harmony with one another, and to legitimize these through the United Nations as
‘global interests’. Consequently, a narrow interpretation of who represents the
Earth leads to the answer, major world governments
and the multilateral institutions which they comprise and dominate.
There is however a broader
definition of who represents the Earth which goes beyond the notion of geographical
territory and population controlled by a national government. A definition that also goes beyond the concept of ‘national
interest’, which has become the primary focus of diplomats advancing the
welfare of their nations. This broader definition involves Earth having
different constituencies that may have diplomatic standing among
extraterrestrial civilizations. The vital interests of these
constituencies go far beyond the concept of national interest relating to
modern nations and international diplomacy.
The first constituency is what has
already been examined in terms of surface humanity that is politically
organized into nation states with elected political representatives, appointed
officials and/or hereditary monarchical systems. This is a constituency that
undoubtedly has representational status for extraterrestrial civilizations as evidenced by the agreements which have
already been reached between ‘shadow government’ representatives and some
extraterrestrial groups as will be discussed in the next two chapters. However,
such ‘representative status’ is not exclusive which leads to the examination of
other constituencies that extraterrestrials, to varying degrees, might
recognize as legitimate. After all, some extraterrestrial visitors might
recognize that world politics, as presently set-up, doesn’t really represent
the vital interests of humanity generally, let alone the rest of sentient life
on the planet.
The second constituency is the
various sentient species that exhibit a high degree of intelligence that also
inhabit the Earth’s surface territories and oceans.
In addition to humans as an intelligent sentient species, we can include
cetaceans such as dolphins and whales that have exhibited a high degree of
intelligence and communicative skills.[9]
In analyzing Dolphin communications and intelligence, Dr
Michael Hyson claims that:
the Cetacea (dolphins and whales) are self-aware, fully conscious, sentient,
and have their own complex language. Because they have larger brains, more
available cortex, and more processing power available (because of their lives
in water) the Cetacea, including the dolphins, are more intelligent than we are. [10]
Other cetacean researchers such as Dr John Lilly, Timothy Wyllie and Joan Ocean have found that dolphin/whale communications
are based both on their highly complex sonar abilities and on the use of
telepathic communication.[11]
Consequently, the intelligence and communicative abilities of cetaceans, and
other intelligent animals such as elephants that also have large brains, is
something that some extraterrestrial visitors might recognize. This would give
cetaceans, elephants and possibly other intelligent sentient species on Earth’s surface and oceans, diplomatic
standing among extraterrestrial civilizations despite the former’s lack of technologically
developed societies. Put simply, they each have their own vital interests that
need to be considered in any negotiations that directly impact upon them.
The Hollow Earth & Agartha by Dr Joshua David
Stone
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A third
constituency appears to be races of beings that inhabit Earth’s subterranean realms that will be
discussed in chapters three and four. These subterranean races or intraterrestrials
have been described to be both human descendants of ancient kingdoms such as Lemuria, and a non-human race that has
reptilian characteristics. Evidence from a wide range of sources including
government whistleblowers, contactees and remote
viewers give credence to the existence of such subterranean races that have
technologies far more advanced than surface humanity. According to Brad Steiger, for example, these ancient human
civilizations went underground many millennia ago:
The Old Ones, an immensely
intelligent and scientifically advanced race … have chosen to structure their
own environment under the surface of the planet and manufacture all their
necessities. The Old Ones are hominid, extremely long-lived, and pre-date Homo
sapiens by more than a million years.[12]
Furthermore, according to a range of
whistleblower and contactee testimonies, there appears to be a group of
Reptilians who are indigenous to Earth.[13] Some researchers contend that most if not all
UFO reports are actually sightings of the ships of
these subterranean races rather than beings from other worlds.[14]
Each of these subterranean civilizations has their own vital interests that
again need to be included in negotiations that directly impact upon them.
I now move to the fourth
constituency which may initially come as a shock to many readers. It is based
on the idea that the Earth itself can be regarded as a sentient being, or
at least as a self-regulating entity, and therefore has vital interests that
would be acknowledged by some extraterrestrial civilizations. The ‘Gaia hypothesis’ is based on the theory first
promoted by a former NASA scientist, James Lovelock in a 1979 book, that the Earth is a sentient
being which regulates the evolution of life.[15]
Lavelock writes:
I recognize that to view the Earth as if it were alive is just a convenient, but
different, way of organizing the facts of the Earth. I am of course prejudiced
in favor of Gaia and have filled my life for the past
twenty-five years with the thought that Earth may be alive: not as the ancients
saw her—a sentient Goddess with a purpose and foresight—but alive like a tree. A tree that quietly exists, never moving except to sway in the
wind, yet endlessly conversing with the sunlight and the soil. Using
sunlight and water and nutrient minerals to grow and change. But all done so
imperceptibly, that to me the old oak tree on the green is the same as it was
when I was a child.[16]
While Lovelock doesn’t believe
Gaia’s sentience is the same of the ancient Greek concept of a goddess with
“purpose and foresight,” his reference to Gaia as a global tree would at
minimum make it sentient enough for its vital interests or needs to be
considered by some extraterrestrial visitors. The Gaia hypothesis that Earth is a sentient being that exhibits
consciousness and life, at least insofar as it is self-regulating, is something
that we can expect some extraterrestrials might recognize. We cannot overlook
the Earth itself or ‘Gaia’, as an important constituency in diplomatic
relations with extraterrestrial civilizations insofar as it is self-regulating,
and therefore has vital interests.
Consequently, the question of who
represents Earth in establishing diplomatic relations with
extraterrestrial civilizations is far more complex given the existence of
different constituencies each of which has its own vital interests. These
constituencies presumably have some standing among the various courts, councils
and alliances that make up the various extraterrestrial civilizations that I
will later identify are visiting the Earth.
While it may be assumed that the
question of who represents the human population of at least the Earth’s surface is easy to answer, it
cannot be assumed that secretly appointed officials who comprise official
delegations responsible for developing agreements with extraterrestrials have
the necessary legitimacy to bind all of surface humanity in unannounced
“treaties”. While appointed officials have de
facto power to participate in meetings and agreements with extraterrestrial
groups, I will show how these operate with great secrecy and remain
unaccountable to the citizenry of different nations who remain oblivious to the
existence of such meetings and agreements. Furthermore, elected political
representatives are denied this information thereby raising the constitutional
status of such meetings and treaties and the de jure authority of these.
The U.S. Constitution, for example, specifically states
that all treaties to which the U.S. enters needs to be ratified by the U.S.
Senate. Article II, section 2, states: “He [the
President] shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate,
to make treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur.”[17]
However, this constitutional provision has been bypassed by a series of
executive orders and congressional actions that make it possible for agreements
to be signed and implemented without the consent of two-thirds
of the Senate nor with the knowledge of the general public.[18]
These extra-constitutional arrangements have dubious legal standing and while
these may at most have standing for short periods such as national emergencies,
it is extremely doubtful that their legal standing would be sufficient for a
semi-permanent arrangement which has existed for almost 60 years. In short, the
diplomatic representatives of major nations that meet and draw up agreements
with extraterrestrial civilizations have dubious constitutional validity, at least
in the U.S., and very likely also other democratic nations.
I identified earlier other
constituencies that need to be included in the question of who represents Earth in diplomatic relations with extraterrestrial
civilizations. These include cetaceans and other sentient life
forms with large brains that inhabit the Earth’s oceans, surface or subterranean
regions, and finally the Earth itself. All species that have sentience,
intelligence and the ability to communicate by telepathic or other means with
extraterrestrial civilizations would have some diplomatic standing. Included
among these sentient life forms are the remnants of earlier human civilizations
and non-human (e.g., Reptilian) life forms that have advanced
technologies and communication abilities but are based in subterranean areas.
It would be reasonable to assume that sentient life forms might already have
diplomatic standing among extraterrestrial civilizations.
Finally, the next important
constituency we need to consider as relevant for visiting extraterrestrials is
the planet itself. I will spend some time discussing this Gaia hypothesis since
this offers some important insights into developing a comprehensive model for
addressing the question of who speaks for planet Earth.
As
mentioned earlier, the Gaia hypothesis posits that Earth is a living
consciousness that displays sentience insofar as it is self-regulating.
Therefore the Earth itself might be considered a viable actor in diplomatic
relations with extraterrestrial races. If the Gaia hypothesis is accurate, then
an important consideration is whether Gaia has an ‘intelligence’ or vital interests
with which individuals can choose to align themselves. Lovelock’s Gaia
hypothesis was based on the recognition that Gaia displayed a sentience that
was similar to that of a tree and displayed an organic intelligence that was
dynamically connected to the ecosystem: “A tree that quietly exists, never
moving except to sway in the wind, yet endlessly conversing with the sunlight
and the soil.” While he did not believe Gaia displayed ‘purpose’ in the
ordinary sense we would understand intelligent life, he believed it
communicated with the complex ecosystem in a way that sustained life for all.
A vivid analogy of the Gaia hypothesis is the 2008 blockbuster film Avatar. The Na’vi, the indigenous peoples of the earth-like moon
Pandora, have established a means of communicating
with the ecology of their world, and even with its very soul or spirit. The
human hero of the movie, is told that the spirit of
Pandora is only interested in establishing planetary balance or harmony -
planetary balance is Pandora’s vital interest. Yet he is able to communicate
with her in a last desperate attempt to save the Na’vi.
When the Na’vi are defeated
by the human invaders in a final confrontation, Pandora itself, through its
diverse animal species, awakens to defeat the humans and their technology.
Pandora was thus saved by the interconnected nature of life on this fictional
world, and the ability of its indigenous peoples to communicate with the Spirit
of Pandora and
protect its vital interests.
It would be fair to say that based
on the Gaia hypothesis, the Earth has an
intelligence and vital interests that can be recognized by sentient
species sufficiently receptive to the subtle form of communication used by the
Earth’s self-regulating mechanisms. On Earth, this is often demonstrated by
indigenous peoples whose lives are filled by rituals and ceremonies
establishing a connection with the land, and communicating with it to establish
ecological balance. Just as a simple organism has a survival mechanism that
influences its behavior, so too Earth exhibits communicative tendencies with
indigenous peoples aimed at maintaining planetary balance. This suggests that
the Earth, like any species, has at a minimum, a communicative component which
makes it self-regulating, and demonstrates some degree of intelligence that
promotes the evolution of sentient life in a way that maintains planetary
balance or homeostasis as Lovelock
describes it. The intelligence and vital interests of Earth is something that
sentient species can choose to align themselves with, and is a process that
humanity is only beginning to fathom.
If Gaia demonstrates intelligence and communicative
abilities, one may ask, who best represents her vital interests? Is it some
mysterious energetic force in the center of the planet; the giant Redwood trees
of the U.S. Pacific coast; the cetaceans that circumnavigate the world’s
oceans; the tribal elders who maintain traditional relationships with the Earth’s surface, individuals and groups
that do energetic work with the planet; that portion of humanity which has
divided itself in terms of states and territories or even alleged advanced
sentient species that inhabit the Earth’s subterranean realms? It can be
posited that the vital interests of Earth are represented by those life forms,
human or otherwise, that align themselves with the intelligence and
communications of the biosphere.
It is this possible alignment with
the intelligence and vital interests of the Earth that would confer legitimacy,
in the eyes of some extraterrestrial visitors, to non-official representatives
of our planet’s interests. Thus human or other sentient terrestrial species in
alignment with the intelligence and vital interests of the Earth have
diplomatic standing among extraterrestrial civilizations presumably willing to recognize the sentience
of Earth, as a constituency in any negotiations affecting the whole planet.
Recognizing the Earth as a legitimate constituency in establishing
diplomatic relations leads to the intriguing possibility that some portions of
humanity may be more legitimate than others in representing Earth as an organic
unit. Rather than diplomatic representation of Earth being something that pertains
solely to different nations with their elected representatives and appointed
officials, it may be that individuals or groups in alignment with the vital
interests of Earth may have greater diplomatic standing for some
extraterrestrial visitors. This is a revolutionary idea since it first appears
odd that appointed officials of national governments would have less diplomatic
standing than unappointed individuals and groups who
claim alignment with the Earth’s vital interests.
Nevertheless, the existence of Earth itself as an important constituency
would be recognized by some extraterrestrial civilizations. This raises the possibility that
some individuals/groups in alignment with the vital interests of the Earth may
have diplomatic standing among extraterrestrials by virtue of this alignment.
In consequence, the question of who
represents the Earth has two answers. The first is a narrow
restrictive answer in terms of secretly appointed officials that represent
different national governments or multilateral institutions such as the United
Nations. The second is far more
comprehensive and involves recognition of a range of sentient life forms.
Politically organized humanity is but one among several important sentient life
forms and constituencies, including the planet itself. It is very likely that
while extraterrestrial civilizations recognize the validity of the first form of
representation, they would also give validity to the second. This means that
galactic diplomacy involving the Earth and its diverse
populations, life forms and territories is far more open and eclectic than
initially thought. This raises the possibility of non-official forms of
diplomatic representation involving portions of surface humanity that speak on
behalf of the vital interests of other sentient species or for the Earth
itself.
As already mentioned, the Gaia Hypothesis makes possible the existence of
Earth as a sentient self-regulating entity with its own communicative abilities
and intelligence that directs the way life evolves on Earth. This raises an intriguing
possibility. Individuals, groups and even communities that align themselves
with this intelligence or vital interests of the biosphere, and who ultimately
have allegiance to Earth rather than to any nation, may have the necessary
authority to represent the planet. As a corollary, such individuals also have
representative status for surface humanity, which is politically organized into
sovereign nations. Humans living on
Earth’s surface are both citizens of sovereign nations and citizens of the
biosphere. This implies that both the representatives of nations and
representative of the biosphere, can legitimately
speak on behalf of the interests of surface humanity. In order to more easily
refer to those individuals/groups/communities that align themselves with the
vital interests of Earth and thus represent the biosphere, I will use the term
‘Earth citizens’.
‘Earth citizens’ differ from the rest of humanity
which is politically organized into sovereign nations, where private citizens
and public officials give ultimate allegiance to a nation state as “national
citizens”. This suggests some tension is likely to arise as to who speaks with
more authority concerning the future of Earth in diplomatic relations with
extraterrestrial civilizations. Is it ‘Earth citizens’ in alignment with Earth’s vital
interests, who also respect/consult with other sentient intelligent species on
Earth? Alternatively, will the final
authority be the diplomatic representatives of sovereign nations who give
allegiance to their nations rather than the Earth’s vital interests?
The tension described above is
likely to be compounded by the wide difference in resources and legitimacy
between ‘Earth citizens’ and ‘politically organized humanity’
or ‘national citizens’. The former has great legitimacy due to its alignment
with biosphere and respect/consultation with other sentient life forms on
Earth; while the latter has all the resources of the modern state to support
its appointed officials in diplomatic relations with extraterrestrials. Given
the telepathic nature of extraterrestrial civilizations and their expected recognition of different
constituencies representing the Earth, it is highly likely that there will be
tension between ‘Earth citizens’ and ‘politically organized
humanity’. The question that arises is “who speaks with more authority on
behalf of Earth and of humanity in general?”
According to former U.S. Ambassador, John
MacDonald, there are a number of different
forms or ‘tracks’ of diplomacy.[19]
These are in addition to the official form which involves appointed officials
who have the necessary authority to represent their nations in meetings and
agreements with binding force for their governments and nations. In addition to
official or ‘track one’ diplomacy, there is a ‘track two’ or ‘citizen
diplomacy’ that involves private individuals, and ‘citizen organizations’.
These citizen diplomats engage in various initiatives to promote diplomatic
solutions to important global problems. The term ‘track two diplomacy’ was
coined by a former U.S. diplomat, Joseph Montville in 1981 to describe early
attempts by private citizens and groups to intervene in diplomatic issues and
international problems.[20] He describes track two diplomacy as:
"unofficial, informal interaction between members of adversarial groups or
nations with the goals of developing strategies, influencing public opinions
and organizing human and material resources in ways that might help resolve the
conflict."[21]
In its most simple terms, track two diplomacy involves concerned individuals
and/or groups intervening in diplomatic impasses or international conflicts to
promote solutions and dialogue between disputing parties.
The most common approach taken by
intervening third parties is to identify the vital interests or needs of the
conflicting parties. The goal is to get the parties to agree to some solution
that recognizes and harmonizes each’s respective
vital interests as far as possible. Fisher’s and Ury’s
model of “principled negotiations” outlined in Getting to Yes, offers a very popular
model for multitrack diplomacy.
Despite initial skepticism by the
diplomatic community over the participation of private citizens and groups in
international diplomacy, ‘track two’ or ‘citizen diplomacy’ has grown in
significance over the last three decades, and is now recognized as a legitimate
process that complements government agencies in dealing with contentious
diplomatic issues and resolving global conflicts.[22]
In 2002, the U.S. Department of State organized a conference on integrating ‘track
one’ and ‘track two’ diplomatic initiatives which was attended by private
citizens, non-government organizations and members of the diplomatic community
from the U.S. and elsewhere.[23]
Individuals, groups and
organizations practicing track two diplomacy have been successful in receiving
government and private grants to engage in this unofficial form of diplomacy in
order to complement international diplomacy and assist in resolving global
conflicts.[24]
For example, I received two grants from the U.S. Institute of Peace, which was created and funded by
the U.S. Congress, to conduct track two initiatives
to resolve the East Timor conflict.[25]
I invited a group of East Timorese, and later prominent Indonesian
citizens, to Washington D.C. to initiate dialogue that would produce an ongoing
initiative to help promote a resolution of the East Timor conflict. In the
subsequent meetings wide consultation occurred with members of the U.S. and
Indonesian diplomatic community, and with the United Nations. These meetings resulted in
important breakthroughs which resulted in power sharing documents that helped
stimulate a diplomatic solution to the East Timor conflict.[26]
A number of private organizations
regularly raise significant funds from a range of government agencies and
private organizations to perform track two initiatives along similar lines to
what I did in the case of East Timor. The most prominent citizen groups
involved in track two diplomacy include Search for Common Ground, The Institute for Multitrack Diplomacy,
and the Institute of World Affairs.[27]
The recognition and legitimacy given
to individuals, or groups performing citizen diplomacy in international
conflicts creates an important precedent when examining how diplomacy might be
conducted with extraterrestrial civilizations. Individuals and groups may be
expected to conduct citizen diplomacy initiatives where there is a perceived
need to assist official diplomacy and/or the resolution of conflicts involving
extraterrestrial civilizations. Consequently, ‘track two galactic diplomacy’ can be defined as the effort by private individuals and/or
citizen groups to assist in improving diplomatic relations between
extraterrestrial civilizations and national governments, and/or to assist in
resolving conflicts between extraterrestrials and/or national governments.
These efforts may range from individual contacts that promote dialogue and
information sharing, to citizen groups working with extraterrestrials to
promote government disclosure, and resolving conflict between government
agencies and alien civilizations.
While any individual or group can be
expected to participate in citizen diplomacy initiatives with extraterrestrial
civilizations, those who are self-described
‘Earth citizens’, as opposed to national citizens,
have special significance. This significance is due to the expected recognition
given to them by extraterrestrial civilizations as representatives of Gaia and other sentient species on Earth.
Consequently, individuals and groups practicing citizen diplomacy may enjoy greater
legitimacy and authority among extraterrestrial civilizations. This is due to
the alignment of ‘Earth citizens’ with the vital interests of planet, and with the aspirations of other
sentient species. This alignment means that ‘Earth citizens’ have ultimate
allegiance to the biosphere and its sentient species. Earth citizens’ may thus
enjoy greater status than the appointed officials representing sovereign
nations, when it comes to negotiating with extraterrestrial civilizations.
Track two galactic diplomacy by ‘Earth citizens’ who are de facto Ambassadors for the Earth is an important development due
to the secrecy surrounding historic meetings and agreements between some
extraterrestrial civilizations and secretly appointed officials of different
nations. Such citizen diplomacy initiatives can result in meetings and
agreements that have legitimacy among a range of extraterrestrial
civilizations, and therefore significantly impact on global affairs. A key
question is how national security agencies would react to agreements or
communications established by ‘Earth citizens’ through track two
diplomacy with extraterrestrial civilizations.
A key aspect in
the secrecy over visiting extraterrestrial civilizations has been the degree to which key national
security agencies in the U.S. and elsewhere, have
controlled information and monopolized resources devoted to extraterrestrial
affairs.[28]
This control by key national security agencies suggests that the initial
response by such agencies to ‘track two galactic diplomacy’ initiatives by Earth citizens would be regarded either with extreme
suspicion or outright opposition. To a degree, the anticipated response by
shadow government controllers of extraterrestrial information would parallel
the initial response by foreign policy professionals and diplomatic community
to the emergence of citizen diplomacy in international affairs in the early
1980’s. As noted earlier, this shifted from outright skepticism and dismissal,
to eventual recognition and cooperation. The response to ‘citizen diplomacy’ by
shadow controllers of extraterrestrial affairs is likely to follow a similar
pattern.
The official reaction to citizen
diplomacy with extraterrestrials is likely to be influenced by four challenges:
1. The extent of private communications
and interactions with extraterrestrials by ‘Earth citizens’.
2. The willingness of the shadow
government to use its coercive resources to suppress ‘citizen diplomacy
initiatives.
3. The degree to which extraterrestrial
civilizations might manipulate unsuspecting humans to
destabilize national security agencies for ‘unfriendly’ extraterrestrial
agendas.
4. The implications of agreements
reached through ‘citizen diplomacy with extraterrestrials. I will now examine
each of these challenges and how they impact on citizen diplomacy with extraterrestrials
before finishing with some concluding remarks.
Figure 3. Painting of George Adamski meeting Orthon who emerged from a spacecraft. The
meeting was seen by six witnesses. This is the first documented case of
“track two galactic diplomacy.”
|
|
Ever since
George Adamski co-wrote, The
Flying Saucers Have Landed, in 1954, where he detailed his extraordinary
meeting with an extraterrestrial, Orthon, there has
been a succession of private citizens who have claimed to have been contacted
by extraterrestrial races. All describe extensive communications and
interactions with the extraterrestrial visitors.[29]
Along with Adamski
– whose case along with others I will describe in detail later - some of these initial contactees
included Howard Menger, Orfeo Angelucci, Paul Villa and George Van Tassel.[30]
These communications and interactions with extraterrestrials varied
considerably depending on the contactee. Essentially all revealed that
extraterrestrials were deliberately contacting private individuals to
disseminate information about the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations, and the benevolent intentions of
extraterrestrials making contact.
Over the years, the list of ‘contactees’ has grown considerably and the more well known
in the recent era include Sixto Paz Wells, Billy Meier, Carlos Diaz, Alex Collier, Enrique Castillo, Luis Fernando Mostajo and Phillip Krapf.[31]
These ‘contactees’ have consequently given public
lectures, written books, formed support groups, and communicated with key
elites. The purpose was to convey information given by extraterrestrials and
convincing a skeptical public of the friendly nature of these
extraterrestrials. Without necessarily knowing it, these contactees
were actually engaging in ‘track two galactic diplomacy’ insofar as they represented that
portion of humanity described as ‘Earth citizens’ who were willing to disseminate the
truth about visiting extraterrestrial life and the implications for global
humanity.
National security agencies have ‘publicly’ treated contactees
with skepticism and ridicule. In reality, the agencies paid close attention to contactees in order to simultaneously extract whatever
information could be gained from the contactees. At
the same time, the agencies would limit the extent to which the contactees’ information would enter into the public arena.
For example, Enrique Castillo was invited to Washington D.C., from his
native Colombia and he was subjected to a series of tests and interviews in a
secret location by officials who did not identify themselves.[32]
After his meeting, he was paid a sum of money, and not officially contacted
again. No news of these meetings and their conclusions were released to the
general public.
Another example,
reveals a more sinister aspect of the way governments interact with contactees and deal with the information they are
disseminating. Alex Collier claims to have been contacted by
extraterrestrials from the constellation of Andromeda. He was sharing information about
his contacts through a popular website and public lectures before being visited
by a team of Intelligence officials who intimidated him into silence.[33]
Apparently Collier was releasing sensitive information despite
the official government position that since the closure of Project Blue Book, no government agency is actively
investigating the UFO/extraterrestrial phenomenon.[34]
I will discuss more of this officially sanctioned interference and repression
in chapter six.
Control
of the mass media has been the chief vehicle by which the shadow government
could limit the influence of the contactees as well
as the UFO phenomenon more generally.[35]
The prospect that many more private citizens might experience contact with
extraterrestrials and subsequently conduct ‘track two galactic diplomacy’ would be of extreme concern to
government agencies. Yet it appears that growth of citizen diplomacy in global
politics could not be prevented and was eventually welcomed by the diplomatic
community. So too the growth in ‘citizen diplomacy with extraterrestrials’ or
‘track two galactic diplomacy’ cannot be prevented and eventually will be
regarded as a complement rather than a threat by those conducting ‘official’ or
‘track one’ galactic diplomacy.
National Security agencies have an
abundance of coercive resources that can be used to maintain secrecy over the
extraterrestrial presence. The following passage from the Special Operations
Manual, a document detailing recovery
procedures for extraterrestrial craft leaked to UFO researchers, describes the official secrecy
policy adopted in April 1954:
Any encounter with entities known to
be of extraterrestrial origin is to be considered to be a matter of national
security and therefore classified TOP SECRET. Under no
circumstances is the general public or the public press to learn of the
existence of these entities. The official government policy is that such
creatures do not exist, and that no agency of the federal government is now
engaged in any study of extraterrestrials or their artifacts. Any deviation
from this stated policy is absolutely forbidden.[36]
Whistleblowers such as Master
Sergeant Dan Morris outlined how key national security agencies such as the NSA would coerce
individuals to maintain silence, and how these coercive mechanisms extended
even up to the use of deadly force to maintain secrecy:
The National Security Agency-the killers work in that. They’re
the guys that, when it becomes necessary for a problem to be removed… if you
watch James Bond, they’re the double-O agents, if you get my meaning. Secretary
of Defense Forestall was the first real powerful, known person that was
eliminated because he was going to release the information – and nobody has
ever paid for that crime.[37]
With a well known
history of using even deadly force to maintain secrecy over the
extraterrestrial presence, it might be questioned whether such coercive methods
would be used against individuals and/or organizations conducting citizen
diplomacy with ETs.
The key factor here is whether
national security agencies would approve the use of coercive
force in the present internet era where so much information is now freely
available on the internet. It appears that soft censorship techniques such as
eliminating public records, limiting major media exposure, hacking websites,
etc., are the preferred methods of limiting information on extraterrestrials as
opposed to the use of deadly force which appeared to be more widely used in the
past.[38]
Nevertheless, the prospect that extraterrestrials would regard track two
galactic diplomacy as providing a mandate for their activities
would be of extreme concern to national security agencies. This could lead to
the use of coercive measures to prevent citizen diplomacy with
extraterrestrials from occurring as far as possible.
The likelihood that public
disclosure of extraterrestrial presence will eventually occur, suggests that
national security agencies are less and less disposed to the use
of the most extreme forms of coercion.
This is due to the likelihood that there will soon be some form of accounting
for past actions and policy decisions. Public disclosure of the
extraterrestrial presence would lead to a thorough review of past secret
government and corporate actions in maintaining secrecy, and some
accountability for government officials or corporate employees who enforce
present policies.
The possibility that some
extraterrestrials may manipulate individuals and groups engaging in citizen
diplomacy is very real. The history of the extraterrestrial presence is one
where a variety of agendas and activities have been conducted in order to
control humanity. There is quite likely going to be continued efforts of
manipulation by some extraterrestrial groups who view humanity as a resource to
be controlled and exploited.[39]
The prospect that unsuspecting private individuals/groups might be used by
‘unfriendly’ extraterrestrial groups to undermine key national security agencies performing necessary roles in
monitoring extraterrestrial races is very real. This suggests that a high
degree of discernment and education about different extraterrestrial
civilizations is necessary for those individuals who find
themselves on the forefront of citizen diplomacy.
A case which illustrates such a
possibility is that concerning former Los Angeles Time editor, Phillip Krapf, and the extraterrestrial race he
describes as the Verdants. Krapf was ‘involuntarily’ taken into a Verdant ship
where he saw a large number of civilians being subjected to a number of medical
procedures.[40]
Together with the nature of Krapf’s
‘abduction’ this casts doubt on the Verdants apparent
‘benevolence’. When combined with the Verdants plan
to establish a capital city in the American Southwest to be called ‘Genesis’ whereby their selected
representatives would direct global events, the possibility that Krapf and others taken into the Verdants’
ship were being manipulated to bring about an extraterrestrial controlled world
government looms as a strong possibility.[41]
Krapf himself acknowledged the possibility that he
“was duped by unscrupulous ETs.”[42]
He insightfully described how this may have occurred with his supposed contact
experiences:
Is it possible that memories that we
are so sure of, that are so real, that actually help to define who we are,
could be counterfeit? Can they be invented or even implanted by an outside
source, by aliens with sinister motives or nefarious humans – government agents
or otherwise – with secret technologies that are unknown to the general
population?[43]
A combination of training, public
education and networking by contactees and others
conducting citizen diplomacy would go a long way to preventing any manipulation
by unfriendly extraterrestrial groups. This is the best safeguard to ensure the
integrity of citizen diplomacy with extraterrestrials since the agendas and
programs of national security agencies would not initially be viewed with
much sympathy by contactees.
Contactees and others participating in citizen
diplomacy are largely familiar with the long secrecy and suppression of
information concerning extraterrestrials. Such individuals give very little
legitimacy to the actions and concerns of national security agencies despite widespread public respect for
such agencies. In particular, coercive actions by national security agencies
against those active in citizen diplomacy would be strenuously opposed by those
practicing or supporting this form of diplomacy. The result would succeed only
in undermining the integrity of this form of diplomacy, rather than preventing
it all together. Since track two galactic diplomacy is an inevitable development in
human-extraterrestrial interaction, a premium needs to be placed on maintaining
a high level of integrity for this form of citizen based diplomacy. This will
prevent undue manipulation by ‘unfriendly’ extraterrestrial races, some of whom
will be discussed in chapter three.
It is very likely that some citizen
diplomacy initiatives will produce agreements with, or extend permission to,
extraterrestrial groups to perform certain activities. This is especially
likely to be the case where ‘Earth citizens’ participate and thereby carry
special representative status far beyond their population numbers.
Extraterrestrials may find special advantages in working with Earth citizens who might be willing to agree to initiatives
or projects that positively impact on the planet. For example, in October 2003,
a message allegedly from a group of extraterrestrials began circulating the
internet accurately describing the exopolitical
situation on Earth. They requested that ‘individuals without distinction’
decide whether they wanted the extraterrestrials to simply “show up”.[44]
The “Change the World” referendum generated great interest and an internet
petition granting permission to the extraterrestrials to show up had over
12,500 signatures by April 2013.[45]
The consequences of private citizens
or citizen organizations reaching agreements with extraterrestrial races or
giving permission to specific extraterrestrial activities would certainly be of
great concern to national security agencies. It might be expected that those
individuals and/or groups initiating such agreements or granting permission
would be closely monitored and even subjected to harassment by national
security agencies if this threatened to have wide impact. For example, in the
United States, U.S. citizens participating in communications with
extraterrestrials that result in agreements of some kind,
may be prosecuted under the Logan Act.
The Logan Act was first passed by the U.S. Congress in 1799, and last amended in 1994. It pertains
to private citizens engaging in any unofficial diplomacy with states with whom the US is in dispute. The Logan Act states:
Any citizen of the United States, wherever
he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly
commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign
government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the
measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent
thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States,
or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title
or imprisoned not more than three years, or both. This section shall not
abridge the right of a citizen to apply himself, or his agent, to any foreign
government, or the agents thereof, for redress of any injury which he may have
sustained from such government or any of its agents or subjects.[46]
To date, no U.S. citizen has been
successfully prosecuted under the Logan Act for conducting citizen
diplomacy. There is however the risk
that private U.S. citizens that participate in meetings with extraterrestrial
visitors may be prosecuted under the Logan Act.
It can be expected that the
implications of agreements reached between extraterrestrial groups and ‘Earth citizens’ are likely to have consequences far
beyond the physical numbers of such individuals and/or citizen organizations.
This creates special tension since such individuals and/or citizen
organizations hold no official positions and therefore have no representative
status according to national security agencies, for participating in any agreements
or approving extraterrestrial activities. The representative status presumably
given by extraterrestrials to by self-declared Earth citizens individuals and/or citizen organizations by
virtue of their being spokespersons for Gaia and other sentient Earth species, make ‘Earth
citizens’ an important factor to be reckoned with, in the diplomatic dialogue
over the role played by extraterrestrials on Earth and the future of humanity.
Conclusion:
‘Earth Citizens’ and ‘Track Two Galactic Diplomacy’
The term ‘Earth citizen’ describes a portion of humanity that
gives allegiance to a wider set of constituencies on Earth rather than a national
government which is more narrowly focused on its ‘national interests’. An Earth
citizen feels a calling to respond to what they perceive to be the best
interests of Gaia as a planet, and the various sentient species
that inhabit the Earth’s territories, oceans and subterranean realms. As more
and more humans develop such allegiances beyond purely national political
loyalties and interests, and align themselves with
what might be described as the vital interests of the Earth and other sentient
species, Earth citizens become spokespersons for the biosphere. It can
be expected that such spokespersons for the Earth would be regarded by
extraterrestrials and other sentient Earth species as de facto ‘Ambassadors of Gaia’ and thereby carry influence far
beyond their physical numbers.
Earth citizens are subsequently more likely to
experience contact with extraterrestrial civilizations. Extraterrestrials view such individuals
as having special significance due to their alignment with the Earth’s vital
interests and desire to satisfy the aspirations of other sentient species.
Contact with Earth citizens gives greater legitimacy to the various activities
of extraterrestrial groups that make contact with global humanity.
Consequently, ‘Earth citizens’ are likely to find themselves engaged in citizen
diplomacy initiatives. This is due to their significance as representatives of
the Earth and the aspirations of all terrestrial sentient species. They would
receive special attention by extraterrestrials who view Earth citizens as
spokespersons and de facto ambassadors
for Earth.
There is very likely to be a great
contrast between private citizens and appointed public officials in terms of
galactic diplomacy and the recognition respectively given to the
latter by extraterrestrial groups. ‘Track one’ galactic diplomacy involves
public officials who are secretly appointed by the shadow government and/or
national security entities to represent the national interests
of their nations and deal with the extraterrestrial presence. Officials
engaging in track one galactic diplomacy have all the
resources and coercive potential of the modern nation state to support their
activities, and collectively claim to be the official political representatives
of global humanity and of the Earth’s territories. Yet, in the eyes of
a number of extraterrestrial civilizations, these official diplomats enjoy
less legitimacy than earth citizens.
The latter presumably speak with greater authority due to their alignment with
the Earth’s vital interests and willingness to represent the vital interests of
other sentient intelligent species. In short, the question of who speaks with
greater authority as a representative for the planet Earth and her varied species, is something that will directly impact on the
choices made by extraterrestrial civilizations to communicate and interact with
different parts of global humanity.
While some agreements have been
reached between shadow government representatives and some extraterrestrial
civilizations, other extraterrestrials have
instead chosen to contact private individuals and/or citizen groups. In some
cases, these private citizens are more in alignment with the Earth’s vital
interests, and thus de facto spokespersons for the planet. This suggests future tension
as more of humanity comes to develop sympathies and outlooks consistent with
the global interests of the planet and all sentient species, and declaring themselves to be Earth Citizens or ‘Citizens of Gaia’. This is likely
to herald tension between those portions of humanity respectively aligned
either with their national political institutions, or aligned with a broader
set of global interests that fall under the vital interest of the Earth. National laws such as the Logan Act may come into more prominence, and used
against private citizens meeting with and/or reaching agreements with
extraterrestrial civilizations. Nevertheless, citizen diplomacy with
extraterrestrials is an idea whose time has come, and has the potential to
transform a planetary reality based on national interests that ignore the
planet as an organic unity.
***
About the Author: Michael E. Salla, PhD., is the
author of Exposing US Government Policies
on Extraterrestrial Life (2009) and Exopolitics:
Political Implications of the Extraterrestrial Presence (2004) His most
recent is Galactic Diplomacy: Getting to
Yes with ET (2013). He has held full time academic appointments at the Australian
National University, and American University, Washington DC. He has a PhD in Government
from the University of Queensland, Australia. He is the Founder of the
Exopolitics Institute (www.exopoliticsinstitute.org
) and the popular internet website Exopolitics.Org; Chief Editor of the Exopolitics Journal, and Co-Organizer of
the Earth Transformation: New Science,
Consciousness and Cosmic Contact conferences in Kona, Hawaii. Main website:
www.exopolitics.org
