Title promising fresh approach to global problems to Peter Owen

Peter Owen is to publish The SIMPOL Solution, a book which sets out to provide a fresh approach to global problems by John Bunzl and Nick Duffell.

Bunzl is the c.e.o. of an international textile company, a writer and international campaigner. In 2000 he co-founded the International Simultaneous Policy Organization in order to help find cooperative solutions to global problems, and SIMPOL now has active campaigns in 10 countries and supporters in over 100. Duffell is a psychotherapist and psycho-historian.

Nick Kent, managing director at Peter Owen, bought world rights to The SIMPOL Solution.

Global problems such as climate change, failed states, inequality, and mass migration seem insurmountable. But they needn’t be, the book argues. The SIMPOL Solution puts forward the theory that we’re up against a single barrier: the pursuit of Destructive Global Competition, which prevents us acting collectively, and renders national governments powerless in the face of the ability of vested interests and large corporations to move – or merely threaten to move - elsewhere. No country can take the lead: we’re in an international prisoners’ dilemma and the stakes are just too high. We can dismantle this barrier, the authors argue, but first we must radically change our thinking. Blending politics and psychology, The SIMPOL Solution sets out how we can achieve this goal.

Kent said: "The SIMPOL Solution is one of the last titles that the late Peter Owen commissioned and we are thrilled to be publishing it January. It reflects his enduring interest in political social issues, and his support of radical approaches to the problems of the world."

Bunzl said: "Politicians are not in control of the global economy and yet global problems won’t be solved without international agreements. But they need to actually stick. And that not only means designing them to be in all nations’ interests, but providing citizens with a powerful new way to compel politicians to implement them. That’s what SIMPOL aims to offer.  This represents a completely new way of thinking so Nick and I are especially delighted that Peter Owen, which has such a strong track-record in supporting provocative and challenging work, has chosen to publish our book."

Duffell said: "Many today are driven by their justifiable fears of an uncertain future to retreat from international cooperation and shrink their identities. This is understandable, but, in fact, exactly the opposite response is required of us. Our book explains how we can expand our identity and learn to cooperate with evolution itself. We can then empower ourselves to work as one world through conscious self-regulation – the high point of development for any organism."

Peter Owen will publish as a paperback original in January 2017.