New World New Culture and World Shift Network join the Network of Hope
Frithjof Bergmann of New World New Culture wants to redefine the way we live our daily life. According to Bergmann, “The economy can become fringe and we move human connection back into the spotlight. A new, down-to-earth, humanist, creative, stimulating and intelligent culture is now possible.”[1] Both the mission statement of New World New Culture and the Coalition for the Global Commons seek to enable a change in perspective throughout the global citizenry and bring the emphasis back to the humanity of mankind, rather than merely the goods and services of mankind.
WorldShift Network was founded a year ago by and on the 75th birthday of Professor Ervin Laszlo. “The purpose of the foundation is to connect the plenty of organizations and individuals throughout the world already working for a value based new civilization in order to strengthen their concerted political effectiveness in civil society.”[2] They, like the Coalition for the Global Commons work under various separate, yet interrelated topics as a means to address the most pressing needs facing our world today.
Their input and support are most heartily welcome and we look forward to a strong and productive partnership.Each new partner breathes added vigor and momentum to the process, for which the success of the Coalition for the Global Commons is that much more assured.
Create a Global Society
In his Kennedy Memorial Lecture on 18 April, U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown called for a Marshall Plan on a global scale. He spoke of problems like poverty, terrorism and the negative impact of globalisation on the developing countries, concluding that these problems needed global solutions found by a global society.
Many suggestions he made are in line with the Global Marshall Plan Initiative, i.e. an international carbon market and international economic institutions that benefit both rich and the poor countries alike. He suggested international conferences and meetings in the upcoming year to agree on how to transform these ideas into real change. These debates should engage business, NGOs, faith groups and individuals from all nations and continents.
Full text of the speech.
Successful founding of an association for local German groups
On April 19th and 20th, representatives from more than 10 local Global Marshall Plan groups met in
Members and organizers were pleased with this accomplishment. The association's official founding will take place in
"Plant for the Planet" mobilizes school children throughout Germany
Students in
The
resonance was not lost to the media counting more than 300 responses to the
student action, which are available at our press review.
Concept for the international trading floor
The current food-price
crisis, a worldwide price increase on grain of over 225% from the price in
2000, of which the price had risen 26% from December 2007 until March 2008, was
caused not only by the mounting competition on land use between food production
and bio-fuel production, but also through a significant amount of market
speculation, particularly in the futures exchange. One possibility to bring
about price stability would be an introduction of a general financial
transition tax, a measure already prescribed by the Global Marshall Plan.
As already mentioned in the
February 2008 newsletter, the Eco-Social Forum Europe, also the Global Marshall
Plan Initiative coordinator in
As a consequence, this
study has now been brought to an international level. Stephan Schulmeister,
Economist and author of the study, presented the results mid-April at a UN
ECOSOC conference in
New York Financial Times Article
Also in April, the concept
of a general financial transaction tax was elsewhere presented at the “Leading
Group on Solidarity Levies” youth meeting, which took place in
Lastly, the Eco-Social
Forum Europe and WIFO had another opportunity to present the study together in
front of the European Parliament at a conference organized by the
Greens/European Free Alliance Party on the topic “Reforming the EU Budget”.
A general financial
transaction tax as a financial mechanism to be adopted by the European Union
has always been and continues to be a mean by which the Eco-Social Forum Europe
and the currently-running consultation process of the European Commission on
the reform of the EU budget have been able to bring the results of the study
into discourse.
Perhaps, in light of the
current financial market crises and underlined by issues of food security, a large
step in the implementation of this initial requirement of the Global Marshall
Plan has been attained.
For those who would like to
read the study, it is available here: WIFO
Michael Proschek-Hauptmann
Hedge and Private Equity Funds What is at Stake?
The paper on Hedge and Private Equity Funds was recently published by WEED (World Economy, Ecology Development).
It looks at the funds, which have played an important role in the present financial crisis, from the perspective of being the most advanced expression of a new type of asset and wealth driven type of accumulation.
The paper also analyzes the effect of the funds on developing countries, an aspect which has hardly been analysed until now.
To download the paper, click here Hedge and Private Equity Funds
(240 kB)
The issue of Hedge and Private Equity Funds is also covered in Zeki Ergas' book In Search of A Better World which is available in our online shop.
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. The application process will open online on 6 November and the closing date for applications is Monday 31 March 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.
Please join us for our last Glasgow World Assembly next year. Registration will open on the World Assembly website on 12 November and close on 15 January 2008. The website also has a discussion forum and we invite you to make a contribution to this blog leading up to the next World Assembly. We very much look forward to seeing many of you there.
For more about the CIVICUS World Assembly, visit http://www.civicusassembly.org or email civicusassembly@scvo.org.uk
06/30/2008 - 07/04/2008
Melbourne/ Australia
Globalisation for the Common Good: An Interfaith Perspective
Melbourne, the Major Events 'capital' of Australia, is preparing a warm welcome for participants at the 2008 International Conference, Globalisation for the Common Good - at historic Trinity College, the first College established within The University of Melbourne.
Melbourne is recognised as the Interfaith Centre of Australia and is proud of its multicultural and multi-faith communities. The city will also host a series of events prior to World Youth Day in July 2008 and host the 2009 Parliament of the World's religions.
The GCG 2008 programme is designed to achieve three objectives:
* To explore the far-reaching ramifications of conflict in the Middle East (broadly defined) for the religious, cultural and political landscape of the Asia-Pacific region;
* To bring together in fruitful interaction the insights of several disciplinary traditions (in particular religious studies, cultural studies, international relations, history, sociology and law);
* To illuminate and strengthen the connections between the Middle East and the geographic regions which constitute Asia Pacific, in particular West Asia, South Asia, Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia and the South Pacific.
Previous conferences have been held in Oxford (2002), St Petersburg (2003), Dubai (2004), Kericho, Kenya (2005), Honolulu (2006) and Istanbul (2007). The Melbourne conference will be the first in the series to be held with a clear Asia-Pacific focus. For background information on the initiative and details of previous conferences visit: http://www.globalisationforthecommongood.info/.
This major international conference is organised by the Centre for Dialogue (La Trobe University; Melbourne, Australia), Trinity College (University of Melbourne), the Melbourne College of Divinity, and the Asia-Pacific Institute for Inter-Religious Dialogue (Australian Catholic University).
The Conference is jointly convened by Dr Kamran Mofid and Professor Joseph A. Camilleri (Director of the Centre for Dialogue and Professor of International Relations, La Trobe University).
For more information please click here.
