Note from the Publisher . . . Marty Cheek: ‘Moonshot’ for a path to peace starts here in Silicon Valley

Americans need an audacious mission to unite us as one people

By Marty Cheek

Marty Cheek

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, it’s a bitter irony our great nation faces threats to its democracy and stability not seen since the Civil War era. Political polarization, anger, and fear have reached a fever pitch, with no signs of abating. Whoever emerges victorious from the 2024 election, it seems certain our divides will only deepen.

But this Fourth of July, as we celebrate our bold founders taking an audacious stand in 1776 for independence and self-governance, we have an opportunity to unite around a new common purpose. It’s one that extends beyond our borders to encompass all of humanity.

The Vision-2020 movement, as outlined in my new book The Path to Peace: A Vision-2020 Plan to Unite Humanity, offers a road-map for how we can come together to address the existential challenges facing our species.

The seminal “Limits to Growth” study, published by MIT researchers in 1972, warned our civilization could collapse by the mid-21st century if we failed to curb resource depletion, pollution, and population growth. An updated analysis in 2022 by KPMG affirms we are tracking many of the first study’s most alarming scenarios, with a potential collapse of our global industrial civilization forecast around 2040.

From climate change to water scarcity to the risk of global conflict, the evidence is clear: we travel on an unsustainable path, one that leads to a planet-scale catastrophe within the next quarter-century. Business as usual is no longer an option for humanity.

Like President John F. Kennedy gave Americans a mission in 1961 to join together in an daring adventure to the Moon, Americans need an audacious mission to unite us as one people. “We choose to go to the Moon,” Kennedy proclaimed. Vision-2020 makes an even greater proclamation: “We choose to create peace on our planet.” And as Kennedy gave America a timeline to achieve the seemingly impossible goal of a manned lunar voyage by the end of the 1960s, Vision-2020 gives humanity a date to achieve true global peace by Christmas Day in 2040.

The media has a vital role to play in this seemingly impossible effort. For too long, many outlets have been complicit in sowing division and discord for the sake of driving clicks and views. It is time for a new approach — one that emphasizes our common humanity and shared stake in building a better future.

Change on a global scale is daunting, but it is possible if we summon the collective will. That is why we are reaching out to every newspaper, TV station, and radio outlet in Silicon Valley to form a journalism coalition in support of Vision-2020.

We are encouraging our media colleagues to amplify the movement’s message and to use The Path to Peace as a fundraising tool. By using the proceeds from book sales, we can purchase marketing resources to sustain and grow this campaign for humanity’s future.

We are also urging all local officials and candidates for office to publicly endorse the Vision-2020 platform, creating a mandate for bold action by we the people.

Each of us citizens has a part to play as well. The Vision-2020 book series offers a way to support the movement directly while spreading its message. We can amplify that message further by urging our political leaders to endorse this moonshot for humanity. And we can strive each day to embody the spirit of unity and shared purpose in our own lives and communities.

Nearly 250 years ago, Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense helped ignite a democratic revolution by giving voice to the aspirations of ordinary people. Today, Vision-2020 can be our generation’s rallying cry – a unifying road-map to navigate the turbulent years ahead and emerge stronger on the other side.

Kennedy’s quest for a journey across space to another world inspired all humanity. It helped build Silicon Valley into a global technology center. A “moonshot” path to peace can start here using the ingenuity of the human mind as the fuel to journey to another world — a planet ruled by peace.

The path to peace is narrow and steep. But if we commit to walking it together, guided by the best science and wisdom of our age, there is no limit to what we can achieve. America was founded on an audacious idea of liberty from tyranny. This year, let us embrace our nation’s audacious nature. Let us take the first bold steps toward a thriving, sustainable future for all.

Marty Cheek is the publisher of Gilroy Life and author of The Path to Peace.