◯Real-World Bullying and Crime Prevention Measures and Actions
As long as humans possess an ego, they are prone to anger, feelings of inferiority, dissatisfaction, blame-shifting, slander, and violence, prioritizing themselves over others. In Prout Village, it is recommended that both adults and children learn about no-mind and acquire skills to control their egos. Understanding that the roots of problematic behavior and life's hardships lie in these aspects enables individuals to objectively view their own words and actions.
In examining places where bullying occurs outside the Internet, schools and workplaces make up the majority. Common elements include being forced to spend regular, set times in the same space with incompatible people and being targets of attack if they fail to meet group standards or achieve results. However, in a monetary society, it is not easy to change schools or leave jobs without assurance of finding another, making it difficult to avoid bullying.
In Prout Village, there are no schools or workplaces where one must spend most of the day with people they dislike. It is crucial that parents and the community do not force anyone, child or adult, to continue activities against their will but allow them to explore a wide range of interests, even changing environments to align with their curiosity. Whether to endure unpleasant situations or to avoid them should be the individual’s decision, helping to develop personal accountability and problem-solving abilities. The same approach applies to domestic violence; women and children in Prout Village can easily change their residences, making it easier to avoid abusive spouses. If a wife reports her husband's violence to the local assembly, the 5th Town Assembly will determine if the violence is illegal and decide on the actions to take, although such decisions are difficult without evidence.
This system simplifies the avoidance of stress arising from interpersonal relationships and long-term bullying. Any remaining issues are likely to be isolated incidents of harassment or pranks. The criteria for real-world bullying and defamation are based on whether the action is repeatedly carried out against someone's will.
However, those who are bullied often do not seek help themselves, so it is up to those around them who notice the bullying to bring it to the town assembly and decide on a course of action. In cases of bullying or other crimes, victims or those who become aware of the situation can directly contact leaders from the 5th to the 1st Town Assembly. The municipality as a whole shares information and does not treat the issue as someone else's problem, acting collectively to resolve it. If a report is made first to a 4th or 1st Town Assembly leader, they must inform the 5th Town Assembly, which will then take charge of the situation.
As a preventive measure in Prout Village, group activities such as tutorial schools or sports teams should start with the leader explaining a rule to participants: if bullying occurs within the group, the perpetrator will either be banned from entering, removed from the group to participate individually, or rescheduled to different days. For instance, when bullying occurs in a child's group, nearby children often notice. However, if the perpetrator is central or intimidating, those who might intervene feel they could be the next targets. As a result, they may not speak up and either go along or ignore the behavior. In such cases, those who notice should inform the group leader or the local assembly, and the leader can improve the atmosphere by removing the perpetrator from the group.
Group members are initially informed that bullying will lead to the perpetrator being unable to remain in the group. Even if the leader and the perpetrator are close, stating that it's the rule makes it easier to communicate. This approach is the same for both children and adults.
This is a pre-reporting mechanism to the assembly. If the issue can be resolved within the group, that is preferable, but if bullying persists, it should be reported to the assembly. The following contents outline the measures against crimes in the real world and online, excluding defamation, as they apply in Prout Village. Initially, the 5th Town Assembly determines the duration of measures. If the perpetrator disagrees with the decision, the case may escalate from the 4th to the 1st Town Assembly. Here, the primary goal for the perpetrator is rehabilitation, focusing on mental healing at a rehabilitation facility.
**Level 1: Actions that verbally harm the victim**
(Admission to a rehabilitation facility for one week to one year)
- Insult
**Level 2: Deceptive actions or those that lower the victim’s social standing**
(Admission to a rehabilitation facility for one to three years)
- Fraud, breach of trust, embezzlement, theft, business interference, evidence tampering, forgery, perjury, disclosure of secrets, document forgery, defamation
**Level 3: Actions that make the victim fear for their safety**
(Admission to a rehabilitation facility for three to five years)
- Threats, extortion, coercion, stalking, home invasion, refusing to leave, bribery, preparation of weapons, real estate usurpation, robbery, property damage, unauthorized access, violation of waste disposal laws, drug manufacturing
**Level 4: Actions that physically harm the victim or attempts to do so**
(Admission to a rehabilitation facility for five to twenty years)
- Injury, assault, lewd acts, arson, arson resulting in spread of fire, water damage, negligent manslaughter, abandonment, confinement, abduction, child prostitution
**Level 5: Actions that result in the victim’s death or drive them to suicide**
(Admission to a rehabilitation facility for ten years to life)
- Murder
For the leaders to recognize a crime and decide on measures, the victim's side must prepare witnesses and evidence.
In studies on individuals associated with organized crime, it has been observed that those who join gangs as adults often share common traits from their formative years up to the age of 20, such as not receiving sufficient parental affection. This trait is also common among delinquents, both male and female, in their teens. Additional factors include growing up in poverty or experiencing discrimination based on their region of origin or nationality. A deeper issue is that individuals who grow up without love may not know how to express affection when they have children, leading to a vicious cycle where their children also grow up lacking affection and may turn to delinquency. Therefore, even now, showing love and care can be a shortcut to rehabilitation for those who commit crimes.
As an additional mechanism in Prout Village, even if an offender is admitted to a rehabilitation facility, the municipality is flexible enough to allow a sponsor from the community to take care of the offender as a substitute parent. In this case, leaders from the 5th to the 1st Town Assembly discuss whether the sponsor is truly suitable, with the 1st Town Assembly making the final decision. Former delinquents who are now adults can be suitable sponsors because they can empathize with the offender, having walked the same path themselves.
However, the appropriateness of this arrangement depends on the nature of the crime, the individual’s family background, and personality. For example, if a teenage delinquent was involved in a fight with other delinquents, it's possible that issues in his family environment led to his misconduct. Being taken into a loving home could facilitate his rehabilitation. On the other hand, residents may feel threatened if an adult who has committed serious crimes like murder or arson is similarly taken in, unless the sponsor is highly trusted. In such cases, the offender would be cared for in a rehabilitation facility.
The key is to identify a sponsor within the community who can always provide love and attention, creating an environment where a delinquent youth can be taken care of by the sponsor early on. Addressing these issues while the individuals are still young and more adaptable increases the likelihood of successful rehabilitation.
◯About the Death Penalty
In Prout Village, overcoming the ego is established as the internal purpose of a human being. The ego is connected to past memories, and these memories determine current behaviors and speech. When someone commits a crime such as murder, their actions and motives are also influenced by past memories. Thus, achieving no-mind and overcoming the ego means not being swept away by negative emotions arising unconsciously from past memories, which leads to the elimination of wrongful behaviors such as crime. Therefore, imposing the death penalty on someone who has committed murder takes away their opportunity to overcome their ego. In this sense, the death penalty is not used in Prout Village. Instead of capital punishment, the focus is on facing one's inner self, aiming to overcome the ego, and providing opportunities for dialogue between the offender and the victim to foster understanding and encourage the offender to change their heart.
○Drug users and harm reduction
In Prout Village, where there is no currency in circulation, there are no individuals selling drugs for profit. However, there is still a possibility of individuals falling into drug dependency due to initial interest or other reasons associated with substances like marijuana, cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamine.
In Japan, drug use is heavily regulated by law, and users are treated as criminals. The aim is to deter usage by imposing penalties, yet the number of users of marijuana and methamphetamine is increasing. According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, 67.7% of methamphetamine users resume use after arrest. Drug users, treated as criminals after arrest, might face social isolation, hesitate to seek help due to a sense of shame, and fall into a vicious cycle of addiction leading to reusing substances.
Countries like Canada, Switzerland, Portugal, and over 80 others have implemented harm reduction strategies, focusing not on using punishment to stop drug use but on reducing the harm to health in collaboration with users.
For instance, in Canada, there are designated spaces where drug users can consume substances safely, provided with harm reduction supplies. These rooms contain tools for safe drug use, including tourniquets, distilled water, equipment for heating drugs, sterilized syringes, among other clean, disinfected items. Users bring in their own substances to use in these spaces, where the police cannot make arrests. These locations facilitate connections between users and support staff, offering ongoing assistance and addressing concerns. Providing clean tools helps prevent drug users from reusing syringes, thereby reducing the spread of infections like AIDS.
In Canada, there has been a 35% decrease in fatalities due to drug overdose over two years, and there has been an increase of over 30% in individuals seeking drug cessation treatment in one year, showcasing positive outcomes.
In Switzerland, NGOs under medical supervision prescribe heroin publicly to heroin addicts. In Portugal, NGOs commissioned by the government distribute methadone, a painkiller with effects similar to heroin, to heroin addicts on the streets. Instead of abruptly stopping usage, these programs involve accompanying users, maintaining connections, gradually reducing their usage, and guiding them toward recovery.
In Prout Village, drug use is approached not as a crime but as a health issue. Without a monetary society, the circulation of drugs drastically decreases, and users are encouraged towards recovery through harm reduction strategies.
○Welfare
In Prout Village, the municipality is committed to welfare for people with physical disabilities. For families with physically disabled members, residences are designed to provide a comfortable living environment. Multi-purpose facilities are designed with wheelchair mobility in mind, with flat floors, gentle slopes, and wide passageways and doors that take into account the width of wheelchairs. Each sign includes braille for those with visual impairments, and voice recognition technology that automatically subtitles sound on screen is used. Welfare equipment, such as electric wheelchairs, are all manufactured and provided using the municipality's 3D printers. The municipality also arranges for assistance dogs for people with physical disabilities, and provides sign language education.
In Japan, as of 2020, the population aged 65 and above accounted for 36.19 million, constituting 28.8% of the total population. It was estimated that there were about 6 million elderly individuals with dementia. By the year 2050, the population aged 65 and above is projected to reach 38.41 million, constituting 37.7% of the total population, signifying a significant increase in the aging population. At that time, about 1.4 individuals aged 20-64 will support each person aged 65 and above. The number of dementia patients is also expected to rise.
In a monetary-driven society, some households are compelled to resort to in-home care due to financial issues or the lack of available care facilities. Additionally, there are people who are busy with work and lack both the time and mental capacity to provide care.
In Prout Village, addressing this issue starts with the fact that all residents have ample free time, allowing for the capacity to provide care. Furthermore, as part of the municipality's structure, specialized residences are established within the community for residents diagnosed with dementia to live together. These residences feature boundaries resembling fences made from plants and trees in their gardens, allowing residents freedom of movement within the premises. Hazards like ponds or other dangers are omitted from these areas to prevent wandering and getting lost.
Residents are free to come and go from these specialized homes with family or friends, and access is available at any time. They spend their days at home with their families and can be accommodated in these specialized residences during the night.
Having a certain number of dementia patients residing together in a single facility increases the number of visitors such as family and friends. This ensures that if someone falls or sustains an injury, there is a higher likelihood of someone noticing, offering assistance, or contacting family members. Placing these facilities in the central areas of communities where people gather and ensuring their visibility with open fences or meshed boundaries makes it easier for surrounding individuals to notice and respond promptly if any issues arise.
Moreover, as there may be excretion done in places other than toilets, the floors and walls of these specialized residences are designed for easy cleaning. Dangerous items such as knives are not kept within reach. These specialized residences are not located far away; they are facilities within the same municipality, creating a sense of proximity akin to moving to a nearby home, allowing families to meet at any time. The municipality's health and food department manages these specialized residences, while families and residents participate in caregiving.
In addition to this, one possible system is for children, together with adults, to take turns providing care for residents with dementia. Everyone ages and potentially becomes dementia, and for children, it is a social study to know their future. By encountering human aging early, it becomes a place to learn about health and the way of eating, compassion for people, and a humble way of thinking about things.
In Japan, it is not generally familiar, but welfare also includes sexual care for people with physical disabilities. Even people with severe disabilities have sexual desires, and sex volunteers visit their homes to provide assistance. This is also positioned as part of welfare.
◯Euthanasia and Voluntary Stopping of Eating and Drinking
Euthanasia and voluntary cessation of eating and drinking involve choosing to die with the aid of a physician, categorized into three types: active euthanasia, assisted suicide, and passive euthanasia (dignified death).
The conditions for active euthanasia are based on the clear will of the patient, unbearable pain, no prospect of recovery, and no alternative treatments, where the procedure involves medical professionals administering a lethal drug to the patient.
The conditions for assisted suicide are similar to active euthanasia, but the procedure involves the patient themselves taking a prescribed lethal drug.
The conditions for passive euthanasia (dignified death) are based on the individual's will, a terminal illness with no prospect of recovery, and the procedure involves stopping treatments that only prolong life, thereby hastening death.
As of 2024, among the approximately 196 countries in the world, the following countries have legalized euthanasia:
- Countries that recognize both active euthanasia and assisted suicide:
Spain, Portugal, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, New Zealand, Colombia, several states in Australia, Canada.
- Countries that only recognize assisted suicide:
Switzerland, Austria, Italy, several states in the USA.
In Japan and South Korea, passive euthanasia based on the patient's own wishes is permissible.
Euthanasia and actions leading to one's own death are related to the religion of the country and are generally prohibited. Most sects of Christianity and Islam oppose such acts, considering suicide and murder as grave sins leading to hell, not heaven. Judaism also prohibits euthanasia and suicide.
In Buddhism and Hinduism, intentionally ending one's life is seen as generating bad karma. This affects future reincarnations adversely and perpetuates suffering. Physicians who assist in euthanasia are also seen as engaging in risky actions that generate bad karma.
These five religions constitute about 78% of the world's population. There are variations within each religion and among individuals, so not everyone opposes these practices.
Although the founder of Buddhism, Buddha, did not endorse suicide, he did not condemn it under three conditions: if the individual is a monk, they are suffering from severe pain with no alternative relief, and they have achieved enlightenment with no worldly duties remaining. Other perspectives in Buddhism suggest that dying for a noble cause or to aid others is considered virtuous.
Euthanasia is influenced by religious beliefs, leading to divided opinions across different countries. However, there are also non-religious individuals globally. According to surveys, of the world's approximately 7.9 billion people in 2022, about 16% or 1.264 billion are non-religious. The countries with the highest percentages of non-religious people are China (52%), Japan (62%), North Korea (71%), the Czech Republic (76%), and Estonia (60%). The averages per continent are approximately 24%–36% in Oceania, 18%–76% in Europe, 21% in Asia, 23% in North America, and 11% in Africa. The wide range in Europe is due to the significant variations between countries like the Czech Republic and Estonia and those with lower rates.
Traditional prohibitions against choosing death aside, many people witnessing their loved ones suffering from incurable, intense pain, completely bedridden and dependent on others for basic needs, may wish to ease their suffering if the individual desires death.
If euthanasia is not permitted, the patient continues to live in agony. If allowed, it provides hope and can lighten the psychological burden, encouraging people to make the most of their remaining time.
However, concerns arise that legalizing euthanasia could lead to its misuse, especially under societal pressures, potentially affecting the elderly, low-income individuals, or those without relatives. To prevent misuse, stringent criteria for active euthanasia and assisted suicide are necessary, involving approval from multiple doctors. Decisions should be made after thorough discussions between patients and families to prevent future regrets.
Many seeking euthanasia often feel hopeless, a state arising from the presence of the ego. In times of despair and suffering, the desire to be freed from suffering strengthens, prompting some to strive to overcome their ego with no-mind. Yet, not all patients can engage actively in this process due to their pain.
Another method to hasten death is Voluntary Stopping of Eating and Drinking (VSED), where individuals choose to stop eating to face death. In the Netherlands, approximately 2,500 people died from VSED in one year. In Japan, about 30% of palliative care doctors have encountered patients who chose to hasten their death through VSED. This process usually takes about a week after stopping hydration, with proper medical support allowing a peaceful death.
In Jainism, a similar practice known as Sallekhana involves gradually reducing food intake until fasting leads to death. This is permitted under specific circumstances, such as terminal illness, lack of food due to famine, or when physical functions are lost due to old age or disease. This practice, overseen by monks, is distinguished from impulsive acts like suicide and is permitted when one has fulfilled their life's purposes or when their body no longer allows them to pursue their goals.
In Prout Village, while the internal goal of overcoming the ego is emphasized, options should remain available for those meeting certain conditions, such as enduring incurable pain until death. Thus, Prout Village plans to designate certified physicians for euthanasia, conducted under restricted conditions and involving only consenting individuals. Whether proactive euthanasia, assisted suicide, passive euthanasia, or VSED can be offered is subject to discussion. The quality of life versus the length, the relevance of life-sustaining treatments for patients with no hope of recovery, and the perspectives of the patients, their families, and their religions must all be considered. Hence, each individual must make their choices responsibly.
○Funerals and Graves
In Prout Village, funerals are conducted in accordance with each religion or ideology. When cremation is required, the crematorium and cremation furnace of the administration building managed by the General Affairs Department are used. The concept of a grave varies depending on religion and culture, but the Manufacturing Department mainly decides the location of the cemetery within the municipality. When a pet dies, the animal furnace of the administration building is used.
○Serenity Survey
If necessary, a serenity survey is conducted once a year, on the day of the recommendation election. This lifestyle survey measures the serenity and quietness of the residents' inner selves, with more serenity being found in people who have more periods of no-mind. When measured by a happiness index, happiness varies from person to person, and emotions like joy are transient, so a correct answer cannot be obtained. The content of the serenity survey will be as follows:
1、Do you feel serene on a daily basis?
Answer: (Not serene) 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (Serene)
2、How much no-mind do you practice in a day?
Answer: (Not at all) 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (Frequently)
○Town Assembly and Residential Address
The address in Prout Village is set as follows. The most northern circle with a diameter of 1333m is designated as No.1, and numbers 2 to 6 are assigned clockwise from there, and No.7 is assigned to the central circle with a diameter of 1333m. The same applies to the circles with diameters of 444m, 148m, and 49m. Therefore, the address will be somewhere between PV11111 and PV77777. In the case of the Flower of Life Prout Village, PV11111 is due north, and PV77777 is the square in the center of the municipality. If it is a vertically long Prout Village, numbers are assigned from north to south in the same way, and if it is horizontally long, numbers are assigned from east to west.
The address is "name of the six continents, country name, prefecture name, municipality name, PV54123". There can be many town assemblies within Prout Village, and the name of the town assembly changes depending on its hierarchy. For example, "municipality name, PV6774, 5th Town assembly", "municipality name, PV32, 3rd Town assembly", "municipality name, 1st Town assembly", etc.
○World Federation
The World Federation, like municipalities, has administrative, medical and dietary, and manufacturing organizations, and operates on a larger scale than countries and the six continents. However, these organizations in the World Federation and the six continents are only created if necessary, and if the operations are completed at the municipal or national level, there is no need to create them.
In the political systems of a monetary society, power is often distributed through a separation of legislative, judicial, and executive branches. However, what should be understood here is that the state leaders participating in the World Federation are sincere individuals who have been elected from municipalities. In other words, the World Federation is a gathering of such individuals, and there will be no abuse of power there. Furthermore, as it is presupposed that many issues will be resolved at the municipal level, the problems to be solved at the World Federation will be limited. In any municipality, the individual elected by the 5th Town assembly will be connected all the way to the President of the World Federation.
○The role of the World Federation
The World Federation sets the rules for global operations. However, it is better to have fewer rules, as each additional rule makes it harder for residents to grasp and can lead to indifference. With this as a premise, rule proposals are established with the unanimous approval of the president and vice-president of the World Federation's operational organization, the leaders and deputy leaders of the six continents. Since the leaders of the operational organization are representatives of the six continents, it is assumed that they participate after hearing the opinions of all the national leaders of each continent.
Also, requests for rule amendments or personnel changes from national leaders first go to the leaders or deputy leaders of their respective continents, and then a similar meeting is held at the World Federation.
And the World Federation also holds a recommendation election once a year. The president and vice president are determined by a vote from the leaders and deputy leaders of the operational organization on the six continents. The World Federation also strives to resolve international disputes. If a decision cannot be reached through discussions between national leaders, the final decision is made through discussions including the leaders and deputy leaders of the continents, and if no resolution is reached, discussions are held at the World Federation, with the president making the final decision.
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