Endorsements

Scott Leckie and Pablo Rueda's new book 'One Earth, One Politics..'; does many things - not the least of which to call for the next step in our collective political evolution from nation-state-based citizenship to a planet of world citizens. Their elucidation of not only why this is necessary but also how we can achieve this is novel, ground-breaking and visionary. Its core thesis confronts the multinationalpowers and authoritarian states that currently prey upon the poor and calls for a new and supremely logical system of global governance and law based on the shared attributes of the human race as a whole. This may appear to be a radical idea but if it is carefully pursued and then achieved, it may just save our planet. This book is a roadmap to saving millions of lives and healing the globe on which we all live. Read

In a world increasingly interconnected yet divided by borders, Leckie and Rueda propose a radical vision: global citizenship for all. This book challenges the entrenched system of nation-states, advocating for a unified political framework where every person, regardless of origin, has equal rights and a voice in decision- making. By transcending nationalism, they offer a path toward tackling climate change, inequality, and authoritarianism. One Earth, One Politics is a call for a new global movement—one that empowers all people to shape a sustainable, equitable future.

Of all the challenges that Myanmar has faced over recent decades, few have been as fundamental and none have been as overlooked as land. This fine study provides a key to understanding the country's enduring inequalities, as well as its politics, and will be essential reading to anyone wanting to chart a fresh vision of Myanmar's future.

Housing, Land and Property rights are an important cross-cutting issue, affecting many aspects of life and livelihoods in Burma. This unique study explores successive regimes' failures to address HLP issues equitably, despite the opportunities of a partial democratic opening between 2011-21. Since the February 2021 coup, the military regime has weaponized housing rights, seizing property from hundreds of opposition activists and destroying tens of thousands of homes in communities struggling to resist the junta. This book is essential reading for all those working for a just housing, land and property regime in Myanmar and will inform the wider struggle for justice and democracy.

Scott Leckie and José María Arraiza’s excellent new book demonstrates how Myanmar’s painful history of war and exploitation is very much a history of denied housing, land, and property rights. The book reconstructs in painstaking detail the development of HLP issues in Myanmar since independence and up through the failed reform period of the 2010s. Their advice on how a just HLP regime can be constructed is valuable guidance for Myanmar’s democratic constitution-makers and should be required reading for peacemakers engaging with the country.

Myanmar’s reform period from 2011 to 2021 offered hope that the country could transcend the legacy of decades of authoritarian rule and build a more hopeful future where its people would enjoy greater freedoms, human rights and economic opportunities. Although the reform process was imperfect, both in conception and execution, it was the first time in decades that people felt the future would be better than the past, and a young generation began to share many of the hopes and aspirations of their peers in the region, and to believe that they could achieve them.

All that came to a screeching halt with the military’s February 2021 coup d’état, which ended the liberalisation process, instantly wiped-out years of economic growth and progress in poverty alleviation and turned the clock back several decades to a time of repression, violence and a controlling military elite that treated the country, its population and its land as their personal resources to plunder. The coup treated with disdain the clearly expressed will of the people in the 2020 elections which handed a second term, in a landslide, to Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy. The younger generation saw their futures destroyed, catalysing a powerful and determined resistance movement. Older generations who had lived through the previous period of military rule were similarly determined to prevent a return to the past.

Since the coup, the Myanmar military and other authorities under their control have unleashed extreme human rights violations – arrests, torture, killings and targeting civilian populations with military atrocities. This volume deals with another set of important rights that have perhaps received less attention – the set of rights known collectively as Housing, Land and Property (HLP) rights. It carefully and comprehensively catalogues the changes in the HLP Rights framework in Myanmar from 2011 to 2021, including some of the challenges, constraints and missed opportunities from that period. It describes how HLP rights have been violated in the aftermath of the coup, in a deliberate way and as a specific target of the regime. Importantly, it then offers a detailed plan for the future for how to protect and promote HLP Rights.

It is my hope that this volume can serve as more than just a historical record of a past period of reform in Myanmar, and that in the future the situation in the country will be such that it can act as a catalyst for positive change in HLP rights.

One Earth, One Politics is a timely invitation to challenge paradigms and imagine bold global solutions to humanity’s shared challenges. Pablo Rueda and Scott Leckie chart paths to a future where global citizenship and collaboration are at the heart of a fairer, more sustainable, and democratic world. This book is an invaluable guide for those striving for systemic change.

One Earth, One Politics is a vital and timely work that offers not just a visionary framework but also actionable proposals for addressing the pressing global crises we face today. In a world marked by institutional erosion, political uncertainty, and environmental collapse, this book charts a bold path forward with integrity and pragmatic optimism. What makes this work particularly remarkable is its dual strength: an inspiring call for global unity paired with concrete, well-developed strategies for systemic change. Its proposal for Jus Gaia—a legal framework for world citizenship—offers a transformative rethinking of identity and governance. By advocating for global democratic institutions, leadership reform, sustainability-driven policies, and an education system centered on global citizenship, the authors provide a comprehensive roadmap toward a more equitable and sustainable future.

This is more than a book; it is a manifesto for change and a call to action. Its thought-provoking insights challenge us not only to mend today’s crises but to actively build a better world for tomorrow. As someone deeply engaged in international governance and systemic transformation, I wholeheartedly endorse this book as essential reading. One Earth, One Politics should be studied, discussed, and integrated into every conversation about the future of global governance. It is a beacon of hope in turbulent times and a powerful reminder that meaningful change is both possible and necessary. Let us not waste any more time. Let’s engage with its ideas, spread its vision, and work toward making its proposals a cornerstone of our collective future. This is a book for our times—urgent, inspiring, and indispensable.

Dignity has no nationality. Even if governments act otherwise. Cooperation is a universal value even when the drive for competition sometimes seems overwhelming.

One Earth, One Politics does a great job in creating a sense of urgency by advocating and recognizing global citizenship as the tool to confront today’s problems. Citizens of the world with mutual obligations for the benefit of others beyond national borders.

The status of being when one’s identity transcends, even as it respects, geographical and national borders; that one’s social, political, environmental and economic actions occur in an interdependent world; and that one’s responsibilities or rights are or can be derived from membership in a broader human grouping, feeling welcome and at home wherever we find ourselves.

Scott Leckie and Pablo Rueda have written a must-read primer for anyone considering today’s universal and global issues being faced by humanity…Read this book - and learn and move into action.

For many years Scott Leckie has been working and fighting for human rights. His most important concern has oppressed people who had lost their homes. Without human beings such as him, these people would have had no chance to gain their rights. Respect and empathy are words which came into my mind thinking of his life-long battle against injustice. In these days when democracy is under fire from Trump to Erdogan and Netanyahu or even was destroyed like in Russia, Scott Leckie and his work give us some hope that there is still a possibility for change for the better. Open your mind. That’s all he is asking us. Let’s go for it!

Scott Leckie has spent his career pushing the peripheral to the center of international attention especially in the field of human rights law. Now he seeks to do the same with the idea of world citizenship. May he succeed again!

Scott Leckie has stood up for the human rights of everyone, everywhere for over thirty-five years. He was one of the leading actors not only speaking about housing rights, but actually building this critical keystone to a dignified and empowered life for all. Now he seeks to do the same with the idea of world citizenship, charting a path for a better way to think about ourselves in the world. May he succeed again!

This book offers a profound and thought-provoking exploration of one of humanity's most pressing challenges: the need for a unified global citizenship. In an era of escalating climate crises, inequality, and political fragmentation, the authors argue convincingly for a shift beyond the antiquated nation-state model toward a cosmopolitan framework where all individuals are recognized as equal participants in a shared global polity. By presenting innovative proposals such as a global parliament and Jus Gaia citizenship, the essay inspires readers to envision a future rooted in collaboration, equality, and sustainability. It is an essential call to action for those committed to shaping a just and unified world.