While there is much to say on this subject, for the sake of brevity I would l...

While there is much to say on this subject, for the sake of brevity I would like to start by pointing out that at the present stage of its history, the human race has enormously strengthened its physical, emotional and intellectual capacities. That is not a bad thing unless we give such strengths free rein to indulge in selfish exploitation and consumption and to focus solely on greed for self-enrichment in a way that enables a creed of individualism and predatory behaviour to dominate. This is an inborn tendency of humankind, from which spring our separations, divisions, oppositions, conflicts and so forth, resulting, inevitably, in wars.

To put a stop to such myopic, vicious selfdestructiveness, we need a strong and decisive force capable of inserting itself into this physical, emotional and intellectual contest. What we need today is to be energized by a new force, that of spirituality and conscience. It is no coincidence that many have called this the era of the awakening of our conscience, although clearly it is not something that will happen easily.

The reality is that this process is opposed by various powerful lobbies that exert their political, financial, economic and mass-communications influence to control Governments, directly or indirectly. But despite their opposition, the awakening of our collective conscience is still a reality.

Let us consider some major changes that have occurred in recent history — the rise of a culture of ecology; the growth of a preservationist culture aimed at protecting animal species at risk of extinction; an increase in volunteering activities and human generosity to others, rather than confining efforts to family members and people we know in closed circles or groups; personal inner growth, creating greater awareness and thus greater feelings of responsibility towards society at large; and, last but not least, the embrace of a wider, more holistic culture and vision of life. All of these are signs that the awakening of our conscience exists and is a genuine movement.

What about women, then? Why, in spite of such an awakening of our conscience, do women today still continue to see their rights abused, whether as citizens of the world or as people? It is shocking that in today's advanced world we still have to talk about the rights of women and children as if it were a special concession.
Rather than commenting on such an absurdity, repeating once again words that have been said over and over since time immemorial, or speculating intellectually on this issue, I would like to give it more constructive consideration.

Unfortunately, the system by which humankind operates is based on a structure of contradiction, so that whatever may be promoted on the one hand is nullified on the other. We do not take this factor of inherent contradiction into serious consideration, and because it is underestimated, this virus is free to worm its way into our human apparatus and to negatively affect the logic of our behaviour, to the point of affecting the social and intellectual frameworks on which we human beings have constructed the rules for our coexistence.
In fact, society in general has based its standards on corrupt values that while supposed to be genuine turn out not to be genuine at all. That is why our society stands for poverty, degradation, corruption, depravity, perversion, the abuse of power, conspiracy, genocide and thousands of other miseries. Since our whole social system has been based on unnatural, subverted values, it has become clear that the system on which we base our way of life is consequently vicious and crushing.