UFO Magazine Vol. 6 No. 1
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Statement of Principals
by John Brandenburg

  The Rainbow Declaration is many things. Firstly, it is
a declaration of independence from our old world view:
that Earth was the "whole world" and its peoples oc-
cupied its center, that God alone inhabited the heavens,
that relations between different peoples in the cosmos
were of no serious concern, that if other people did live
in heavenly places, they would always act like angels, be-
ing better than us earthly flesh-and-blood. The Rainbow
Declaration replaces this world view with a cosmic
view-that Earth is a rare, precious, fragile and very
finite planet to be cherished, one among several planets
orbiting a star, Sol, which is merely one star among
myriads in a galaxy that is one among myriads.
  The Declaration recognizes that the people of Earth
are a unique expression of life and intelligence in a
Universe that abounds in life and intelligence, one peo-
ple among myriads in the cosmos, no more, no less. It
states that we are God's children, therefore any claim by
any other race to ownership or privilege over us or our
planet is nullified.
  By the Rainbow Declaration we realize a new identity:
we are the Solarians, the people of the star Sol, a name
that follows the custom in science fiction of naming
species after their star of origin. Solarian means literally "born
of the Sun" (and, I think, is a better identifica-
tion than "Earthling" or even "Terran"). By linking
our identity with the Sun, our star of origin, Solarian is
a proud and demanding name. We must strive to live up
to it. If we are Solarians, then we are people of the
cosmos, having equal rights with our fellow peoples of
the cosmos. If we are the Solarian people, then we are
something of consequence in cosmos. We belong here.
We are a force to be reckoned with.

Basic rights

  The Rainbow Declaration is a "Cosmic Bill of
Rights," stating that all peoples are equal and shall en-
joy basic rights. In particular, all peoples shall have the right
to exclusive use of their genetic codes. A people's
genetic code is a "textbook" on how to live in the
biosphere of their homeworld and fight the many
diseases there.
  It is assumed by the Declaration that if any other peo-
ple takes our genetic code, outside of reciprocal and
publicly-sanctioned scientific exchange, they are pro-
bably contemplating forcible colonization of the people's
homeworld. Another right is the right of a people to
possess their own region of space, centered on the star
of their homeworld. Finally, because rights on Earth
must be defended vigorously if they are not to be mean-
ingless, the right to assert and defend these rights is
basic.
   The Rainbow Declaration did not arise spontaneously
in a vacuum; it arose like most statements of basic
rights-from a situation of gross abuse. The Declaration
is a positive response to the reported activities of some
extraterrestrial groups here on Earth, actions that are
vile and abusive by any human standard, and as the
Declaration asserts, by the standards of any other com-
munity of civilized peoples in the cosmos.
  To believe such alleged actions aren't a form of abuse
is, in my opinion, an assertion that it is right for one
peoples to own another, or that "might makes right "
or that technological superiority creates moral authority
The Rainbow Declaration thus asserts that abuse is
abuse whether it is justified by alien riddles or animal
grunts, and that aggression is to be opposed whether it is
backed by glittering technology or stone axes. The Rain-
bow Declaration is a statement of defiance against those
who transgress against Earth, as well as an appeal for
peace and justice between peoples. The Declaration
begins by saying that the human race ought to set its
own house in order. In particular, if we want Earthly in-
telligent life to be respected, we ought to respect our
fellow Earthly creatures, especially whales and dolphins,
who are probably in their own way as intelligent as we
are. The Declaration also states that the United Nations
is the proper agency for negotiations with any extrater-
restrials-not any one nation's foreign ministry-and
that any such negotiations and their results should be open and
public.

Sovereignty of God

  The Rainbow Declaration also acknowledges God as
the one sovereign source of all law and kinship among
peoples of the cosmos. Some have taken issue with this.
But if there are universal laws, who but God could or-
dain them? And if all peoples of the cosmos are part of
one family, who but God could be the head of that
family?
  I cannot conceive of such a document, dealing with
such fundamental issues, that would not acknowledge
God. As for attempts to evoke ethical and social systems
on Earth based on denial of God, we have only to look
at this century's examples of Communism and Nazism
to see the results of such experiments. On the other
hand, the greatest and most enduring components of
human civilization are centered on an explicit or implicit
acknowledgement of the Divine.
  To acknowledge the Divine is to evoke power and in-
telligence that is beyond the reach of political or
technological powers-that-be on earth or elsewhere, and
to recognize a source of mortal authority and truth that
transcends all boundaries of race, nation or star, a
power that laughs at gold and technology, before whom
the stars are dust and galaxies mere snowflakes, and
before whom the wisest and oldest species of intelligence
in this galaxy are but toddling children.
   Finally, the Declaration is a statement of human in-
tentions, that we intend to join the community of
peoples of the cosmos as a respected and equal member.
Achieving respect means that respect will be earned, not
commanded; thus, the Rainbow Declaration is first and
foremost a recognition of our true identity and the
responsibilities that come with it. This ought to be our
real goal: to become known as the Solarian people, a
just and brave people in our own eyes and in the eyes of
the whole galactic community. We would want to be
known as a people who can bring light and truth to the
family of peoples, not merely as having duplicated the
technological achievements of others.