Most social and environmental matters are in the exclusive jurisdiction of local governments. Social or environmental conflict at the grassroots level should be mediated at the intermediate and finally at the district or city level. The state and national governments should have no jurisdiction over such issues. History has shown that communities have lived in harmony with each other at the local level, and that it is higher level politics, priesthood and feudal interests that have divided them. Ethnic conflicts are becoming a major global concern the world over.
True democracy provides the framework for enrichment of every ethic identity.
The Rio conference on Environment and Development recommended multi-stakeholder councils at the local, state and national levels for resolving social and environmental conflicts for sustainability. Such councils can be effective only if they are a part of mainstream governance. When Britain adopted democracy, a House of Lords was instituted to protect feudal interests. Similar upper houses have been instituted in many democracies to protect various vested interests. Concerns for social and environmental sustainability demand, based on the recommendations of the Rio Conference, multi-stakeholder upper houses in all democracies at the local, state and national levels.