The topmost requirement of an individual or country is security. A family provides a sense of security and belonging to a person. Providing security to all members is the basic ethic of a family, which makes the person stay in the family and sustains the family system.

Similarly, to establish Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam at the global level, an environment of security should be established. This has been lacking in the current world order because after World War II, there was a big lapse in this guarantee of security. In bipolar or unipolar worlds, the poles took this responsibility of security only for their allies and a select few. The rest of the world was rendered defenceless. All the weak and vulnerable countries that were unable to afford development for self-defence felt unsafe. The few that were capable were made to feel vulnerable and pushed into an arms race, making them a market for obsolete western defence technology. Some of them set out to indigenously develop WMDs. Today, these WMDs are a source of massive insecurity. Their use is a crime against humanity, so their existence itself is unacceptable. The COVID-19 pandemic and terrorism have shown that no one is safe from global threats. An environment of security is the priority of all ethics to be established.

Verse 7 of the Buddhist Scripture of Metta Sutta suggests how a community of countries should provide security to member countries.

माता यथा नियम पुत्तम अयुसा एकपुत्तमनुरक्खे
एवं पि सब्बभुतेसु मनसं भावये अपरिमाणम्

Just as a mother would secure her only child with her own life,
similarly, one must cultivate boundless care and affection towards all beings.

To create a family of nations by fostering security, the following duties the global leadership should work for:

a) The total disarmament of WMDs, followed by

b) The provision of a conventional security umbrella to all others by the numerous poles of the multipolar world and then

c) Establish a balance of power among the poles

Implementing the first step is crucial and path-breaking, but it needs to be precisely planned. To set the right spirit of disarmament at the global level, it should start from the top and then flow to the bottom but in a phased manner and not risking any country's national security. If the powerful nations start adhering to disarmament, the less powerful will follow. Initially, to stop expansion, a ceiling should be placed on R&D for WMDs and other double-use risky technologies. Also the countries with nuclear weapons must declare a 'no use policy' to establish instant relief from the fear of annihilation. After disarmament, a strong, transparent, neutral and robust verification agency should be established to verify and restrain the future development of such weapons.

This will instil a sense of security among countries, free up a huge amount of resources and lead to unprecedented developmental opportunities as the defence budget of countries reduces.

A family is a unit that guarantees the provision of basic necessities to all equally. This is the second-most important ethic of a family that helps a person remain in the family life-long.

On an international level, too, this is required to be accorded to all countries equally and without differentiation. Such a guarantee would bind the community of nations into a family. Considering today's growth and development, resources, transport and communication, and agricultural advancement are so advanced that no person on earth may starve of basic necessities. With advancements in agritech, production has increased exponentially, resulting in huge surplus.

However, today, the global order is such that few have the issue of abundance and few face severe scarcity. Global economic and price concerns are so high that countries burn their excess produce to control demand and price instead of giving them to the needy. In fact, WTO provisions restrict countries from exporting subsidised food grain to needy countries even during crises. Another major reason for the lack of necessities to all is huge wastage in the world. Statistics say that almost 40% of food is wasted worldwide. The vices of overconsumption, wastage, immoral international rules, and greed are restricting the abundant resources and basic necessities in the hands of a few rich nations. This breeds inequality in basic living standards.

As in a family, regardless of their capabilities and contributions, each member is guaranteed the equal fulfilment of their basic necessities and equal standard of living. Such should also be the case in the family of countries.

The following measures are the duties of global leadership to guarantee basic necessities at the global level. It should endeavour to:

• a. Plug global food wastage.
• b. Create drought insulation in all the countries.
• c. Bring global parity in labour wages, resulting in equality in the standard of living.
• d. Create a global buffer of excess produce after fulfilling countries' national buffer.
• e. Amend international trade rules to remove restrictions like trade with poor countries for basic necessities.
• f. Restrict overconsumption and immoral acts done to control prices and demand.

Another ethic of a family is to provide equal access to health and education. It is during periods of health crises that the family is needed most, and even in these times, the family structure is tested. Similarly, the family must provide equal opportunity for education and skill development. This function of the family contributes to building a strong and healthy society and, consequently, nation.

Internationally, the community of countries will need to guarantee and allow all countries the choice of basic health and education systems to foster a family spirit. Since the last century, it has been observed that the foreign invaders ruthlessly imposed their systems of medicine, health, and education on others. They worked to destroy, dismantle, and discredit traditional and local systems of health, medicine, and education to establish their own expensive ones.

As a result, through the established educational institutions and systems they gained soft control and moral superiority. They started controlling and moulding the young minds of these countries through education based on their ideas while detaching and severing natives from their own ideas.

Even in health and medicine, popularising their institutions gave them extensive economic opportunities in terms of disproportionately profitable pharmaceuticals and health tech companies. Today, pharma companies are extensively exploiting the world with monopolistic patents and IPRs on life-saving drugs. They are trying to protect their patents so aggressively that even if lakhs of poor die due to the unaffordability of drugs, they are unwilling to forego their patents or make them economical. The poor have to compulsorily bear the huge cost of medicines levied by a few pharma companies. They even go on to deter and inhibit the free circulation of generic drugs in poor countries by frivolous allegations of breach of patent rights.

Such impositions and restrictive activities, along with discrediting indigenous health and education systems, have created resentment and disgust in the poor countries.

It is the duty of the global leadership to adopt the following solutions to restore the guarantee of health and education. It should endeavour to:

• a. Stop such imposition.
• b. Allow indigenous systems of health and education to revive and prosper.
• c. Ensure pharma companies give up monopolistic patents on life-saving drugs.
• d. As a stop gap, till a just system is in place, poor countries should get continued access to health and education, generic or otherwise.

Family ethics require a family to contribute to and provide equal opportunities for growth and development to all. In the absence of such opportunities, members will become redundant, which, in turn, will make the society and nation redundant. Providing this guarantee will instil a sense of gratitude and make the person responsible to pass on the opportunity of growth and development to the next generation.

On an international level, today, this opportunity is not freely available to all countries, wherein the exploitative use of reserve currency is the biggest hurdle. The West has a history of using the reserve currency in a way that the poor countries get continuously drained. Trade inequality is another major hurdle because globally, the terms and conditions are such that the economic order is against weak countries. The powerful countries created structures that never allowed a level playing field for trade to the developing countries, resulting in their drainage and stunting.

Further, the system of mergers and acquisitions at the global level has had a draconian impact on the companies and economy of weak countries. As soon as a company in such areas grew considerably, it was either acquired or forced to face extreme competition, whereby it perished. With such strategies, Western companies kept growing to be global giants. Similar to this is the Chinese strategy of dumping goods in other countries, which went on to destroy the manufacturing sectors of many nations.

This has resulted in the overconcentration of manufacturing in one place, tech dominance in some other place, and digital dominance in yet another place, in the absence of any anti-trust provisions at the global level. Another issue is the drain of wealth from emerging economies; tech giants conduct huge business by exploiting their markets yet evade tax liabilities by sheltering themselves in tax havens. These are anti-family actions, which breed selfish materialism and diminish goodwill.

It becomes the duty of global leadership to create a family-like environment at the global level to allow free growth and development for all, for which it should:

• a. Enact global anti-trust laws.
• b. Impose a global tax on multinationals.
• c. Ensure a level playing field for all.
• d. Share the benefits of the reserve currency with all countries equally.

This is an important family ethic when a member is confused or stuck in life. There are many milestones and critical phases in life when one needs to take major and crucial decisions. In these times, one requires timely guidance and support or else may take wrong decisions. The elders of a family would be the best source of such guidance due to their experience and the trust their family has in them. This ethic keeps the family structure lively and open.

Internationally, this ethic is equally necessary for the family of countries, as not all nations are at the same level of development and maturity. They may face complex developmental and universal issues and need support and guidance from more mature members. Today, many countries are facing a deficit of guidance in resolving ongoing challenges. The leaders of the current world order have been unsuccessful in solving these long-standing issues, and affected countries often perceive them as benefitting from the continuation of such conflicts.

Recognising such trends, even arch-rivals India and Pakistan agreed to bilaterally resolve their issues without external intervention. Issues like Israel–Palestine and Korea remain global hotspots that require a neutral and benevolent guide for genuine solutions. Instead, they often receive advice that intensifies conflicts, leaving nations in a state of confusion and helplessness. A lack of timely guidance and support reduces faith in the global community. Providing this guarantee is essential to restore lost trust.

The key duties for global leadership to guarantee support and guidance to the family of nations are as follows. It should:

• a. Establish a system through a neutral and decisive multilateral institution dedicated to providing global guidance.
• b. Ensure the system offers support and direction to all nations for their developmental or critical issues.
• c. Ensure the institution provides neutral, timely, and effective solutions. As trust in the system grows, it will be able to resolve other issues more amicably and efficiently.

This ethic is part of family virtues that assure a guarantee to all members equally for leading a normal life and achieving growth and development. It is an important element to sustain familial feelings and preserve the family structure.

Similarly, on an international level, a guarantee of equal access to common resources should be available to all countries of the global family. There are many global commons such as oceans, the environment, space, meteorites, asteroids, Antarctica, and the North and South Poles. Today, the essence of international law is such that those capable of exploring, utilising, and mining these commons become their de facto owners. This leaves developing countries without any fair share or reservation, forced to watch their resources being exploited by powerful nations with advanced technology and know-how.

Moreover, those who harm and pollute common resources while overusing them are evading their duty to clean up the damage. They are strategically spreading this responsibility across all nations. Such unfairness is visible in the context of environmental degradation and climate change, where historic polluters shift the blame and pressurise others to share equal responsibility. These monopolistic and irresponsible practices hinder the equitable guarantee of commons and weaken the sense of global family.

To uphold this principle, developed countries must abandon unfair and monopolistic control over global resources. Likewise, historic polluters should accept mitigating responsibility for the damage done to shared resources that belong to all.

To ensure equal access to common resources, the following duties should be undertaken by global leadership:

• a. Establish just and fair treaties for the use of global commons.
• b. Create robust mechanisms to enforce these treaties effectively.
• c. Ensure that nations are held responsible and made to pay reparations for the unequal, reckless, or damaging use of shared resources, both past and present.

The Indian family system guarantees legitimate individual rights. Interference in areas of legitimate privacy hampers the natural and unique development of personality. An individual's growth flourishes only when it is free from illegitimate imposition and distortion. This guarantee is vital for the continuity of the family structure.

Similarly, at the international level, nations must be granted privacy and autonomy in their purely internal matters.

Today, the global order allows powerful nations to interfere in the internal affairs of weaker countries under the guise of promoting their own values. Interference in economic and political sectors is widespread. They often enforce an economic order that developing nations are compelled to follow. Through critical reports, rankings, and indices based on their own standards, they exert undue pressure and portray other nations as inferior. Even international law has taken on a pattern of intrusion into the domestic affairs of weaker nations. The uninvited involvement of international institutions in issues like Kashmir, in the name of human rights, is one such example. It creates unnecessary pressure on the national governments of these countries, generating global frustration and weakening the feeling of unity among nations.

Hence, the guarantee of national individualism should be equally afforded to all countries.

The duty of global leadership in reinstating this guarantee of autonomy for all nations includes the following actions:

• a. End the practice of imposing cultures, traditions, and governance models on other nations.
• b. Stop economic and political interference in sovereign countries.
• c. Ensure international law applies strictly to international matters.
• d. Refrain from critical commentary on the internal affairs of weaker nations.

Regardless of one's power, everyone needs solidarity in times of weakness. This helps individuals endure adversity and emerge stronger. Family bonding and feelings are the main source of this solidarity. This guarantee of family connection creates an emotional bond and builds trust among members. It is a soft yet powerful force that sustains one’s commitment to family responsibilities. This ethic acts as a catalyst for sustaining the family spirit.

At the international level, this guarantee is also essential to strengthen the community of nations. However, today, the soft force of global solidarity is at its lowest, often marked by selective invocation. In the context of the Ukraine war, dependent nations are suffering but receive only selective support driven by geopolitical interests. Historically, several nations received security guarantees from the West and Russia in exchange for giving up nuclear arms or other concessions. Yet, in times of crisis, they are left to their fate. Even Europe, Japan, and Australia now feel abandoned and distrustful of superpowers for their security, prompting defence advancements. Similar feelings of neglect persisted among CIS countries after the disintegration of the USSR, as Russia failed to reciprocate their loyalty. Such behaviour by superpowers erodes global trust and faith.

Another challenge to building global family bonds is the existence of democratically unequal multilateral institutions. The lack of equal representation, disregard for the voices of most nations, the presence of the veto system, and the dominance of a select few suppress the participation of others in decisions that affect them. This leaves countries feeling rejected and powerless, further weakening the family fabric of the world.

In his G20 address, PM Modi highlighted the prevailing 'trust deficit' that undermines solidarity among nations. If the US continues to treat China as a strategic threat, and China persists in challenging US dominance, the deficit will only deepen—further weakening the global family structure.

Shant Sudharas, a Jain scripture, offers timeless wisdom for rebuilding global unity and solidarity:

सवेऽपि पितृभ्रातृमातृपुत्राङ्गजान्त्रीभगिनीस्नुषावम् ।
जीवाः प्रपञ्चे बहुशः गतेऽत्र, कुटुम्बमेवैतत् परो न कश्चित् ॥ ६ ॥

The World is One Family
The entire world is one family, with no stranger.
In the infinite cycle of life and death, all beings
have, at different times, been your father, brother, mother,
son, daughter, wife, sister, or daughter-in-law before.

To nurture global family bonds, as taught in this Jain scripture, all must strive to strengthen global trust, solidarity, and emotional connection. Doing so will inspire the global community to act with shared responsibility and sacrifice—just as family members do. This will restore trust and unity among nations.

The duties of global leadership to foster stronger bonds and trust include:

• a. Promote confidence-building measures (CBMs) among rival nations.
• b. Facilitate bilateral, trilateral, and multilateral dialogues to find peaceful and trustworthy solutions.
• c. Reform multilateral institutions to make them more representative and democratic.
• d. Reciprocate the contributions of weaker nations and honour historic commitments.

This is an important ethic that has sustained the family structure through generations. It is crucial for maintaining a stable social order. If families fail in this role, the future of society would be endangered—children would not grow strong, and the elderly would remain insecure. Ultimately, the burden on the government would increase, harming nation-building in the absence of a virtuous and capable generation. For this reason, society places great importance on the family system.

The same ethic is necessary at the global level. The need for strong nations to uphold this responsibility arises because the world today is highly interconnected and interdependent. Ignoring vulnerabilities in one region eventually endangers all. Terrorism is an outcome of such neglected vulnerabilities. What once affected limited regions spread globally, manifesting in 9/11 and other attacks. The fear of mass destruction and marginalisation led many to resort to extreme acts like suicide bombings in defence of their communities. Thus, by allowing parts of humanity to remain at risk, no nation can truly remain strong. The protection of the vulnerable is therefore essential for the family of nations.

Today, global inaction on this front has created imbalance and division. Weaker countries are left to their fate. For instance, Russia was neglected during and after the fall of the Soviet Union, which eroded its trust in the West and NATO and pushed it from a pro-West outlook to a pro-Asia alignment. The resulting partnership with China has increased global vulnerability, particularly for the West.

This guarantee of protection must extend beyond humanity, as the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam envisions the entire living world as one family. Humanity is interlinked with all forms of life. However, this sense of interdependence has been forgotten, and human actions have inflicted severe damage on nature. Climate change is the most evident sign of this imbalance, directly threatening human survival. Indian wisdom teaches that disturbing even the smallest creature affects the entire ecosystem. Upholding this guarantee of protection nurtures virtue and compassion within humanity.

Hence, failure to protect the weak and vulnerable is ultimately self-destructive. For true global upliftment, this virtue is vital, as it strengthens familial bonds among nations and ensures collective safety.

This principle is beautifully expressed in the Metta Sutta (verses 4 and 5), a revered scripture of Buddhism:

ये के चि पनभूत'अच्छ तासा वा थवरा वा अनावसेसा
दिघा वा ये महंत वा मज्झिमा रस्सा का अनुकाथुला
दिट्ठा वा ये वा अदिट्ठा ये सीए वसंति अविदूरे
भूता वा संभवेस्स वा सब्बे सत्ताः भवंतु सुखिता ॥

Meaning:
Whatever beings there are—weak or strong, long or short, big or small, subtle or gross, visible or invisible, living near or far, existing or yet to exist—without exception, may all beings be happy.

The duties of global leadership to ensure protection for the weak and vulnerable include the following:

• a. Mobilise resources through multilateral institutions for those in greatest need.
• b. Establish effective mechanisms to channel these resources efficiently to the vulnerable.
• c. Promote compassion and kindness as universal values across nations.

This ethic is essential in families because when many people live together, a clash of interests may occur. Differences in compatibility and temperament can lead to quarrels, or a member may break a rule. Hence, a robust, fair, and timely grievance redressal and justice system is vital. Such a system builds faith in the family’s code of conduct, preserves the family structure, and ensures long-term harmony. Since the wrongdoer remains a family member, punishment should be proportionate and allow scope for improvement rather than breaking one’s spirit. Even while addressing grievances, family compassion must guide the process.

The Jain scripture Shant Sudharas provides valuable insight into how one should view all living beings:

सवेषाम् अपि भूतानां, सहस्रशोऽयं मया भवे।
जीवानां ततो बन्धुः सर्वः, न कोऽपि ते शत्रुः इति प्रतीतः॥ ५॥

All are brothers
In the infinite cycle of life and death,
you have formed relationships with all beings countless times.
Therefore, all are your brothers—no one is your enemy.

At the international level, a robust, fair, neutral, and timely justice system must be established on similar principles. Such a system would benefit the entire world community.

The current global mechanism is weak, optional, and biased. It is weak because not all nations fall under its jurisdiction; optional because members can withdraw at will; and biased because a few powerful countries dominate its jurisprudence. The situation of grievance redressal is dire—though it is well known that Pakistan supports terrorism, no meaningful global action has been taken. Even India, despite its capability, often stands without an effective global remedy to defend its national security.

The UN’s sanction system is flawed—it punishes citizens more than offenders. Similarly, unilateral sanctions by the US are unjust and often illegal. At times, international law intrudes into national sovereignty, violating a country’s independence. Currently, there is no reliable system for nations to seek justice or redressal. This imbalance burdens the weak and erodes trust in the global family. Therefore, a united global community must act to restore fairness.

The duties of global leadership to establish an effective grievance redressal and justice system include the following:

• a. Make membership in a global judicial body compulsory for all nations.
• b. Remove membership qualifications and eliminate withdrawal options.
• c. Develop universal criteria for laws, institutions, and justice enforcement.
• d. Prevent international law from interfering in domestic matters and uphold national sovereignty.
• e. Establish jurisdictional unity under a single global judicial system.
• f. Create a neutral power pool to enforce rulings impartially.
• g. Ensure punishments are proportionate and targeted toward true offenders (unlike the post–World War I treatment of Germany).

This will lead to a strong global justice framework, restore faith among nations, and cultivate a family-like spirit worldwide.

This principle is natural in a family, where members enjoy equal access to basic necessities but are not compelled to contribute equally. Family benefits are never directly proportionate to one’s contribution, as members possess different capacities and capabilities. If all were burdened with equal contribution, the system would become immoral. This ethic maintains coordination and interdependence among members, thereby strengthening family values.

Similarly, at the global level, all countries are not equal. Their capabilities and capacities are shaped by history, geography, demography, climate, resources, politics, economics, and culture. These factors determine each nation’s strengths and weaknesses. As a guiding principle, the rich and powerful have a duty to shoulder greater responsibility. Some nations may be rich in minerals, others in oil, rare earth materials, skilled manpower, labour, ideas, economic resources, or defence capabilities. Each is expected to contribute more to the world in areas where they are strong.

However, this virtue is largely absent among the powerful nations today. They enjoy the privileges of power but often neglect their duties. For example, they used their influence to make nations sign the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty), yet provided no security guarantees to the weaker countries. Repeatedly, the West has failed to fulfil its responsibilities. In many cases, the rich and powerful have weaponised and monopolised their unique strengths. This is evident today in sectors like microchips, rare earth elements, and advanced technologies. Such behaviour places a disproportionate burden on weaker nations and promotes an irresponsible global environment.

The importance of this virtue was underscored by Dr. S. Jaishankar in his UNGA speech:

"When we aspire to be a leading power, this is not for self-aggrandising but to take on greater responsibility and make more contribution."

Powerful nations must embrace this mindset and fulfil their global responsibilities. Doing so will encourage weaker countries to contribute according to their abilities, fostering a duty-centric approach instead of a rights-centric one. Ultimately, this will nurture a family-like bond among nations.

The following are the duties of global leadership to establish the virtue of equal but differential duty within the global family:

• a. Distribute responsibilities among nations in proportion to their capabilities.
• b. Establish a robust system to prevent the monopolisation and weaponisation of resources and technologies.
• c. Ensure that these measures respect and preserve national sovereignty.

This is the life and driving force of the family structure. A leader is essential to guide and regulate family members. A leaderless family would fall into anarchy. Leadership may rest with an individual or a group through collective decision-making. It can even be divided across various spheres of life, but ultimately, able leadership completes and sustains the family structure.

At the global level, strong, mature, neutral, and visionary leadership is the driving force that upholds the global family envisioned by Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. Such leadership is responsible for guiding the world toward upliftment, growth, and development. In times of global crises, it steers the community of nations toward safety and collective well-being.

However, the leaders of the current world order—though strong—often lack maturity, neutrality, and vision. Their political missteps reveal short-sightedness, their self-centered policies reflect immaturity, and their selective protectionism shows bias. These shortcomings are key factors driving the ongoing transition of the world order.

For lasting stability, the world needs virtuous leadership—whether embodied in a single nation or a coalition of countries. Only such leadership can nurture a complete global family structure and realise the true spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.