European Council Speaks out on Globalization
In addition to the official signing of the EU Reform Treaty in Lisbon, the Council of the European Union met on 14 December 2007 in Brussels and adopted a declaration on globalization, meant as a clarification for future approaches of the Council concerning questions of globalization. Besides a committment to a free and fair market during this current finance crises, soft positions were also defined for the general legal conditions of European and global financial markets. In respect to the challenges of globalization, the Council declared itself clearly in favor of strengthening international organizations, notably the United Nations, and urged Europe to take a stronger role in the formation of globalization. Regarding climate change and energy, the Council asserted that an ambitious course would be followed with a fixed post-2012 goal of involving all important players, e.g. China, Russia and the USA.
European global competitveness would be disproportionately and massively negated without a critical scrutiny, though, according to the Council, it seems that the concerns of the population with respect to the consequences of globalization are slowly being taken seriously. In any event, for the Global Marshall Plan activities, the declaration offers good starting points.
Michael Proschek
To the Declaration
A development project in south Sudan
The society "MiakWadang" and the Global Marshall Plan local group Steyr/Kirchdorf started a development project in south Sudan. "MiakWadang" means in the the Dinka language "future". It is an holistic, sustainable development project for Melut district villages in the upper Nile-province of south Sudan.
The heart of MiakWadang corresponds to the concluded 2000 UN millennium development goals. Within the project structure the local policy makers should take part in creating a self-organization process. The goal is to promote individual responsibility and personal initiative within the framework of Agenda 21.
Contact:
Society "MiakWadang"
Dr. Herbert Bronnenmayer
4560 Kirchdorf an der Krems
Austria
office@miakwadang.at
www.miakwadang.at
New additions to the team
Angela Oppenheimer is the Plant-for-the-Planet coordinator for schools and our principle sponsor Toyota. She is currently preparing for Tree Day on 25 April, 2008. If you are interested in this school initiative, Ms. Oppenheimer can be contacted at our Pähl Office or at angela.oppenheimer@plant-for-the-planet.org.
Sumiko Tanaka, coming recently from Paris, will be located at the Hamburg Coordination Office and will primarily work on the International Consultation Process. She is working with James Quilligan, amongst others, on regional policy. Some of our supporters may already recognize Ms. Tanaka as she completed an internship for the Global Marshall Plan in 2004. She can be contacted at sumiko.tanaka@globalmarshallplan.org.
Virginia Wildfeuer will be supporting the team in Pähl and will be working on various projects currently in-process, as well as taking over as Frithjof Finkbeiner's assistant. Ms. Wildfeuer can be contacted at virginia.wildfeuer@globalmarshallplan.org.
Maike Sippel has gone on maternity leave 1 January 2008 and is expected to return in November of this year.
We are excited to start this year with the new additions to our team and are ready to tackle the upcoming challenges. The entire staff can be found on the website.
Succes of 2007 will be continued in 2008
News articles on the Global Marshall Plan and Plant-for-the-Planet
04/11/2008 - 04/13/2008
United States
Generosity Weekend is a national weekend of action, held annually and dedicated to a new way of achieving national security for the United States. Preliminary information is available here.
06/16/2008 - 06/18/2008
Glasgow
A unique global youth forum encouraging young people to engage with critical challenges facing their communities, countries and the world
The CIVICUS Youth Assembly will be held immediately prior to the World Assembly in Glasgow and has rapdily established itself as a unique global youth forum encouraging young people to engage with critical challenges facing their communities, countries and the world. It will offer an exceptional opportunity to meet and work with other young women and men who are really making changes for the better. It will give young people an opportunity, programme and space to develop and commit to unified action internationally. The dates of the Youth Assembly are 16th -18th June 2008.
06/18/2008 - 06/21/2008
Glasgow
Acting together for a just world
The overall theme of the 8th World Assembly will be Acting Together for a Just World, with a focus theme of People, Participation and Power.
People, Participation and Power involves people coming together to access, engage and participate in the various spheres of governance at the local, national and international levels. Civil society has long bemoaned the fact that governments do not appear to listen to the voice of the people. What therefore is the role of civil society in governance?; why is its participation so resisted?; what does civil society need to do to overcome these challenges? Business seems to be more successful at getting governments to hear their views; Can we learn anything from some of the methods they employ?
Once again the 2008 programme will include plenaries, mini-plenaries, learning exchanges – such as a visit to the Scottish Parliament – workshops, film screenings and networking opportunities.
For more about the CIVICUS World Assembly, visit http://www.civicusassembly.org or email civicusassembly@scvo.org.uk
