In Ursula Le Guin's Hainish Cycle, the confederation of planets is called the Ekumen. It's a good ol' Greek word with no inherent religious meaning, so it's ni

In Ursula Le Guin's Hainish Cycle, the confederation of planets is called the Ekumen. It's a good ol' Greek word with no inherent religious meaning, so it's nice to see it getting reclaimed in a secular context. I think the fact that it tends to have a religious connotation imparts a sense of solemnity to it that is quite appropriate in the current context. "Ecumenical" also avoids the grandiosity and detechedness of "universal" or "global". Perhaps because its meaning derives from "home", it feels a lot more down to Earth and closer to heart than either of those common alternatives.