ABSTRACT
The tension between a militarized global system and a goal of demilitarization establishes the context for the inquiry. Demilitarization involves an assault on fragmentation and hierarchy, and hence entails a shift away from violence to sustain the organized political life on the planet. Normative initiatives are not the only important activities of the Third System with respect to demilitarization. There are several reasons why normative initiatives are an attractive focus for demilitarization. The most significant Third System normative initiative at the global system level may be the projection of credible images of a comprehensive demilitarization process. Normative initiatives directed at the governing process in sovereign states are of great importance at the stage of history. Normative consensus would contribute to the result by placing a stigma upon the reliance on nuclear weapons and strategy. The movement against nuclear power in the Third System Northwest is questioning domestic hierarchy in some critical respects.
