Between the idea
And the reality
Between the motion
And the act
Falls the shadow
T S Elliot

These are seven groups of general principles incorporated into the constitution from which detailed policy is created. As an aside, the pronunciation of 'principia' is with a soft 'c', not a hard one as in standard Latin. This is purely to make it sound more like the English, French, German etc derivatives of the word.

Extracted from the constitution, and expanded later, these are:

Economic Separatism Principles
Government must be separated from the influences of wealth, both personal and corporate. In this it reflects a continuation of the historical trend of seperating government and religion, and government and the military. The members of the government must take a legally binding 'vow of poverty', never to possess significantly more wealth than the majority of the population of the nation. Their income is to be set relative to the national median income for life.

Those who are elected by the community to represent its interests must not belong to exclusive or secretive organisations.

Political parties are to be funded solely by the state and/or individual membership fees.

While global free trade is deemed desirable multinational companies are to be considered entities on a par with foreign states.

An interest free banking system is to be established for the benefit of certain sections of the economy and also as part of a new Third World aid structure.

Freedom Principles
A wide ranging freedom of speech must be upheld, with three provisos.
First, information deemed secret by the government on behalf of the people must not be revealed. This only applies to information that will provably damage the well-being of the people as a whole.
Second, where a criminal act has been committed in order to produce or acquire material, knowingly distributing such material is deemed to make the distributor an accessory to the crime.
Third, anything deemed to be socially harmful, such as 'pornography' (however defined), advertising for drugs and so forth to be 'de-financed'. That is, the endeavour must be free from moneymaking influences. Any money deemed to have been made through such work will be confiscated within the boundaries of our jurisdiction and no copyright will be recognised. Genuine 'free' speech is to be severed from the notion of financial gain. Libel laws must be limited to equal prominence 'right of reply'.

Freedom of information must be one of the cornerstones of Consensus state policy subject to the restrictions above. All the workings of public servants must be available for scrutiny by any citizen, subject to standard commercial and temporary confidentiality agreements. This is especially important at the lower levels of government where it interfaces directly with the public.

Citizens must be treated as individuals - not as part of an internalised 'culture'. No form of discrimination beyond that of individual merit or ability must be tolerated when the issue arises of the individual concerned being an involuntary member of a class. For example, at present, one cannot change ones age, skin colour, sex, or sexual orientation; this must make such discrimination illegal. Discrimination that involves beliefs, for example religion, culture, politics etc, should not be illegal because this represents a chosen path that can be changed.

We assert that laws restricting the rights of an individual to do what they will with their own mind, body or spirit are immoral and unenforceable and are to be rescinded where they currently exist. Furthermore all non-fatal acts between consenting adults are to be permitted unconditionally, and fatal ones only after official state sanction.

Judicial Principles
The (elected) law making Legislative branch of government, the Executive (Civil Service), the Judiciary responsible for interpreting the law and administering it, and the police/military enforcement arm are to be seperated in their powers and their administration from each other.

There are no Rights without corresponding Duties, both of which must be legally enforceable to the same extent. Where a corresponding Duty cannot be defined in law no Right will exist.

Individual justice shall always take precedence over 'social justice'.

Promises made by a political party in order to get elected are to be legally binding.

No government has the power to permanently restrict its successors by relinquishing its law making powers to a supra-national body.

Prison in its present form to be abolished. Punishment, rehabilitation, social exclusion and deterrence must be separated. The death penalty is not to be a standard feature of the criminal justice system.

Law enforcement is to be of 'zero tolerance' unless special and temporary exemption is provided by the state to the relevent enforcement arm under exceptional circumstances.

Consensus Global Principles
The Consensus works towards a world where peoples live together in viable geographically and culturally delineated societies under their own laws and in peace.

Such nations will come together in co-operative supranational organisations to ensure that international relations are governed by multilateral consensual Law and Justice. There will be no single 'world government' modelled on the nation state.

The economy of a true Consensus World will be sustainable without depending on the use of non-renewable resources and will work in harmony with Nature and not to its disadvantage. In time the conditions of the natural world will be reinstated and ecological damage repaired.

Social Principles
The aim is to build a Consensus Society in which every citizen shall possess liberty, property, physical security and access to equal opportunity for self development. Its chief care is for the rights, corresponding duties and opportunities of the individual and in all spheres it sets individual freedom first.

A Consensus Society is one in which, under the protection of law, all citizens shall have the right to think freely, to speak freely, to write freely and to vote freely; power through a just electoral system to shape the laws which they are called upon to obey; autonomous institutions ensuring genuine self-government at the lowest practical level; an effective voice in deciding the conditions in which they live and work; liberty to buy, sell and produce in circumstances which secure for the consumer real freedom of choice; guarantees against the abuse of monopoly, whether private or public; good education and facilities for the full cultivation of the Citizen at all ages.

Wherever possible decisions will be made by one named individual, supported (if necessary) by an advisory committee, who will bear sole responsibility for such decisions. As far as possible the anonymity of 'collective responsibility' is to be abolished.

The Consensus aims to fairly distribute power and to ensure that every citizen has access to adequate food, clothing, shelter, education, information resources, health care and above all the protection of the law. Where the state is providing the finance for the first three to an individual it has the right to demand corresponding recompense from that individual.

No minority may enjoy Rights or Privileges not available to the majority, nor will any minority be denied such Rights and Priveleges enjoyed by the majority. Culturally divisive education is not to be supported.

All efforts will be made to create an integrated harmonious society with general agreements as to laws and expected social conduct and behaviour. Such a society is to be viewed as a family with a place for all citizens and none excluded.

Support will be provided for experimentation in alternative social structures.

A Consensus Society conducts its foreign policy in a manner consistent with its principles and morality and has no place for the hypocrisies of expediency and 'realpolitik' in its dealings.

Life Principles
Self sufficiency at the lowest possible level will at all times be the acknowledged optimum organising principle for all segments of society from the individual scale to the national and international.

We affirm that the genetic debasement of any creature with a nervous system more complex than a mouse is a criminal act. This includes all selective breeding and genetic engineering that renders a creature less likely to survive in its natural habitat.

All avoidable cruelty to animals with a nervous system more complex than a mouse is to be outlawed - from vivisection to factory farming and beyond. Economic necessity will not constitute a sufficient reason for 'unavoidable'.

Pursuant to the aims of the Consensus Essentia we will survey, map and save the genomes of all species threatened with extinction that they may be recreated as a future date if our near-term efforts fail. Such information will be publicly and freely available without restrictions. DNA existing in the natural world is deemed property common to Humanity.

Government Principles
We assert that the major legitimate functions of government are:

a) To protect the citizens from external physical threats.
b) To protect the citizens from the adverse effects of the profit motive.
c) To ensure the security of the citizenry by performing collectively functions that individuals or corporations cannot or will not undertake - especially those of a longterm nature.
d) To implement the Consensus Essentia and Principia.

...and wherein lies the spirit?

© The Consensus 2002