On April 8, 1944, Pulitzer Prize-winning philosopher
Will Durant was approached by two leaders in the Jewish and Christian
communities, Mr. Meyer David and Dr. Christian Richard, about
collaborating on a project of social significance. Recalled Durant:
Dr. Richard and Mr. David came to
me with suggestions to organize a movement, to raise moral
standards. I talked them out of it, and suggested, instead,
they work against racial intolerance. I outlined the argument,
and proposed a Declaration of Interdependence. I thought the
phrase was original with me, but found it had been used before
-- however, only in regard to international political independence.
I asked them to draw up such a Declaration, and promised to
sign it if I liked it.
Durant, David, and Richard outlined
their plans for the movement and drafted a declaration that represented
their core beliefs. This document Durant called "A Declaration
of Interdependence". In Ariel and Will Durant's dual autobiography,
Will Durant expressed his reasoning for his recommendation:
Just as independence
has been the motto of states and individuals
since 1750, so the motto of the coming generations should be
interdependence. And just as no state can now survive by its
own unaided power, so no democracy can long endure without
recognizing and encouraging the interdependence of the racial
and religious groups composing it.
The Declaration of Interdependence
was launched on March 22, 1945 at a gala event in Hollywood.
The following is a transcript of the L.A. Times report:
WILL DURANT EXPLAINS
INTERDEPENDENCE AIMS
LA Times
March 23, 1945
 "First of all, we shall try
to practice what we preach." So declared Will
Durant when, as president of the organization, he
outlined principles and aims of the Declaration of
Interdependence, Inc., at its inaugural dinner, attended
by 400 persons, in the Hollywood Roosevelt last night.
Principal speakers, in
addition to Durant, who presided, were Thomas Mann
and Bette Davis. Reminding his listeners that the
Declaration of Interdependence is a movement to promote
human tolerance and fellowship through mutual consideration
and respect, Durant remarked, "Perhaps our casualty
lists will help to inculcate mutual appreciation
among races."
Collaboration with other
groups having similar aims; Congressional approval
of the declaration; dissemination of the declaration
and its principles through schools, churches, drama
and motion pictures, and the presentation of an elaborate
Concert of Americans in the Hollywood Bowl on July
4 were listed by Durant as the major aims of the
organization. He then appealed for contributing members. "All
problems -- political, economical and cultural --
that occupy mankind today," said Mann in concluding
his speech, "can be reduced to a single one:
To find a new equilibrium of liberty and equality
compatible with the new age: to guide the peoples
and nations into a form of socialism that will honor
the right of the individual."
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Will Durant showed
his committment to the movement by escorting his black housekeeper,
a woman named Bleeker McGlendon, to the event. Ariel Durant writes:
"When he arrived he startled
all of us, white and black alike, by entering with our maid
Bleeker McGlendon on his arm and escorting her to her seat;
I could imagine a hundred interdependent souls whispering, "Good
God! Does he take this business seriously?"
Will Durant has written in a lecture:
"Our main task is
to reduce the causes of racial animosity. First by recognizing
that we
are all guilty. Which of us has never uttered a word of racial
hositility? Let us resolve never to do it again. Let us watch
our own conduct, and by our moderation, our modesty, our good
will, given no handle or excuse to racial division. Let us
burn the second half of this Declaration into our hearts, and
make a sacred vow, here and now."
The high point of the movement was
the Declaration of Interdependence being entered into the Congressional
Record in 1949. The movement began to lose momentum soon thereafter
as the principals involved moved on to other things. A few years
later the civil rights movement emerged, echoing many of the
same sentiments that Durant had expressed in his Declaration
of Interdependence.
Given the continued racial, nationalistic,
and religious intolerance in the world, the Will and Ariel Durant
Foundation has recognized that the new millenium is an ideal
time to reintroduce this declaration to the public. To that end
the foundation has begun a new signature drive, to encourage
people who agree with the principles of the Declaration of Interdependence
to let their voices be heard. In addition to this, the foundation
has instituted the following programs:
- The Declaration of Interdependence
is now being taught in college classes
- Placement of copies of the Declaration
of Interdependence in schools and places of worship throughout
the United States and abroad
- Collecting statements of support
for the Declaration from individuals who share its vision
- Promoting multicultural events
that will foster an environment of mutual appreciation and
openness to new experiences
With the advent of the Internet age,
it is now even easier to lend your support to this just cause.
If you would like to participate in the signature drive, you
can download a printable copy of the Declaration by clicking
the following pages. You will need Adobe Acrobat to view these
files.
Signatures Page
If you would simply like to add your
name to support the effort, you can do so by sending an email
to the following address:
feedback@willdurant.com
Please include your full
name, country and city of origin, and occupation. Your name will
be added to a registry of supporters that is available for viewing
online at the Will and Ariel Durant Online's website. To view
the registry, please see the link below.
Declaration of Interdependence
Registry
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