True Green Foreign Policy: From Advocacy to Human Empowerment

The author critiques current foreign policy as anachronistic and dominated by neoliberal interests, calling for a 'Green Foreign Policy' (GFP) that transcends ecology to include human development, social integration, and the rights of all living beings. The text advocates for the creation of a Global Government with direct citizen participation to replace the perceived democratic deficit in international organisations like the UN, World Bank, and IMF. It positions the EU as a potential driver for this paradigm shift, moving from top-down advocacy to a model of human empowerment and collective consciousness.

• Current foreign policy is described as anachronistic and driven by the neoliberal system, characterized by a 'cold war mentality' and the dominance of economic and political interests over the needs of people.
• A 'Green Foreign Policy' (GFP) must expand beyond environmental and ecological concerns to encompass a broad range of human and systemic issues, including human development, health, indigenous rights, energy conservation, and inter-generational concerns.
• The author asserts that existing international organisations, including the United Nations, World Bank, IMF, and WTO, are not truly global because they are still driven by national interests and outdated rules of engagement.
• The document proposes the creation of a Global Government featuring direct citizen participation, including the democratic election of the UN Secretary General and a new Global Organisation for peace and environment to replace the insufficient UNEP.
• The European Union is identified as a critical entity that could lead the transition to a GFP and a Global Government due to its significant power and resources within international organisations.
• The private sector is held responsible for global environmental destruction and is urged to shift from prioritizing self-interest and free trade agreements toward contributing to collective human welfare.
• The transition to a sustainable society requires a shift from top-down advocacy to 'human empowerment,' where collective values such as interdependence are self-realized through a change in human consciousness.

APA

Sfeir-Younis, A. (2015). True Green Foreign Policy: From Advocacy to Human Empowerment. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/true-green-foreign-policy-from-advocacy-to-human-empowerment/

Chicago

Sfeir-Younis, Alfredo. True Green Foreign Policy: From Advocacy to Human Empowerment. Green European Journal, 2015. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/true-green-foreign-policy-from-advocacy-to-human-empowerment/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Sfeir-Younis |first1=Alfredo |title=True Green Foreign Policy: From Advocacy to Human Empowerment |publisher=Green European Journal |date=1 March 2015 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/true-green-foreign-policy-from-advocacy-to-human-empowerment/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{sfeiryounis2015true, author = {Sfeir-Younis, Alfredo}, title = {{True Green Foreign Policy: From Advocacy to Human Empowerment}}, publisher = {Green European Journal}, year = {2015}, month = mar, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/true-green-foreign-policy-from-advocacy-to-human-empowerment/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }