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Focus on a Global Marshall Plan
By Rabbi Michael Lerner
Close to 600 people in the San Francisco Bay Area gave up their President's Day Monday vacation to spend some nine hours in a "Strategy Conference for Liberals and Progressives" to address "How To Support Obama to BE the Obama Americans Thought We Elected" and "How to Launch a Constitutional Amendment to Restrain Corporate Power" after the Supreme Court's recent decision to allow unrestrained corporate spending on elections.
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The second major focus was on the Global Marshall Plan. The NSP version (read it at www.spiritualprogressives.org) calls for the US to take the lead by example in creating an international consortium of advanced industrial societies, each of which would dedicate 1-2% of their GDP each year for the next twenty to once and for all end global poverty, homelessness, hunger, inadequate education, inadequate health care, and repair the global environment. Part of the plan involves changing the terms of international trade to favor the poor instead of only the advanced industrial societies. Though few of the attendees believe that such a plan could pass the present Congress, they argue that the anti-war movement has been hobbled by only knowing what it is against, not what it is for, and the Global Marshall Plan gives that positive vision. The NSP has consistently argued that it is the Strategy of Generosity rather than the Strategy of Domination that is the most rational path to achieve Homeland Security, and that the Global Marshall Plan could be funded by the same monies that will be squandered in endless wars. While supporting the more limited ideas of the Millenium Goals, NSPers argue that Americans are more likely to rally around a program that could in fact end global poverty than one that only promises amelioration of the worst suffering in the poorest of states, but not a fundamental transformation of the economics that continues to maintain this situation. In late January, Congressman Keith Ellison introduced H.Res. 1016 which called on the President and the Congress to embrace this strategy of generosity for homeland security.
Source: Huffington Post
Large coalition of British organizations calls for a taxation of financial transactions
A Robin Hood Tax on banks' financial transactions could raise hundreds of billions of pounds to fight poverty, protect public services and tackle climate change, according to a campaign launched today (Wednesday) by an unprecedented coalition of domestic charities, aid agencies, unions, faith organisations and green groups.
The campaign is calling on the leaders of the UK's political parties to support a global tax on the banks to help repair the human damage caused by the global economic crisis, protect public services at home, fight poverty abroad and help foot the bill for climate change.
The campaign, supported by almost 50 organisations including Oxfam, the TUC, Barnardo's, The Salvation Army, ActionAid and Save the Children, is launched with a promotional film starring Bill Nighy, and written and directed by Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Comic Relief). It is backed by regional events, advertising and online promotions challenging politicians, banks and the public to Be Part of the World's Greatest Bank Job.
The Robin Hood Tax is backed by financiers and hundreds of economists who have signed a letter supporting the campaign.
Alastair Constance, City trader and founder of Ethical Currency, which already levies a voluntary rate of 0.005 per cent on all currency transactions, said: "Billions of pounds whizz round the global financial system every day. A tiny tax on each transaction is absolutely practical and will hardly be noticed by those paying it. But it could still raise billions to help make the world a better place."
The Robin Hood Tax would not be levied on banks' transactions with their high street customers, but only apply to transactions between financial institutions. While different rates of tax would apply to different types of transaction, they would start at just five pence for every thousand pounds traded - an average of 0.05 per cent.
But even such tiny taxes would raise hundreds of billions of dollars a year given the scale of transactions - equivalent to $10,000 a day for every one of the 1.2 billion inhabitants of the world's 30 richest countries in the OECD. Experts have estimated an international transaction tax system could eventually raise as much as ÂŁ250bn ($400bn) every year.
While an internationally agreed tax system is the best way to proceed, the UK Government and European Union should start extending transaction taxes already in existence, such as the UK's 0.5 per cent stamp duty on shares, the campaign says.
This would both raise much needed money and encourage other countries to adopt the proposal, with modern foreign exchange markets an attractive and easy target for a unilateral tax on sterling and Euro transactions.
The market for financial transactions has exploded in the last decade, and is now worth 60 times global GDP. Before the financial crisis banking was the most profitable industry in the world, with profits five times that of the pharmaceutical industry, and three times bigger than the privatised utilities, according to consultants McKinsey & Company. At the same time the financial sector is not taxed as much as other sectors.
The campaign is calling for countries which levy the tax to keephalf the proceeds domestically and for the rest to be split 50-50 between poverty reduction and tackling climate change. The UK's share of the tax would amount to tens of billions of pounds.
Money raised by a Robin Hood Tax could be used to avoid cuts to vital public services and for a range of good causes including:
* Meeting the Government's target to halve child poverty (ÂŁ4bn)
* Ending the benefit trap that makes it too expensive for people to leave welfare and return to work (ÂŁ2.7bn)
* Protecting schools and hospitals at home and abroad under threat of cuts
* Meeting the Millennium Development Goals to cut child deaths by two-thirds, maternal mortality by two-thirds and tackle malaria and HIV/AIDS, and
* Providing resources to enable a deal to be done on tackling climate change.
The UK campaign is part of an international movement with similar calls being made in the USA, Europe and across the developing world. Gordon Brown, Angela Merkel, Nicolas Sarkozy, Nancy Pelosi, Jose Manuel Barroso and Meles Zenawi (Ethiopia) have all spoken out in recent months in support of some form of transaction tax.
Financial figures who have backed transaction taxes include Lord Turner (FSA), George Soros, Warren Buffet, Avinash Persaud (chairman of Intelligence Capital), Sir Philip Hampton (RBS chairman) and Terry Smith (chief executive of money brokers Tullett Prebon).
Polling carried out by YouGov for Oxfam shows there is already significant public support for a Robin Hood Tax, with almost twice as many people in favour of the policy as oppose it. It is also the public's favoured option for reducing the UK's deficit - well ahead of reducing public spending or raising income tax, VAT or corporation tax. Faced with a 12 per cent deficit, the next government will be facing a stark choice - raising other taxes such as income tax or VAT, cutting services, or taxing the banks. The campaign believes that the Robin Hood Tax is the right idea at the right time.
In a letter to the leaders of the UK's political parties, the campaign says: 'You could ignore the big problems facing the world, and accept that climate change will stay unchecked, and that the poorest people at home and abroad will have a very hard time of it over the next decade. Or you can find all the money needed by directly taxing the British public themselves.
'Or you can work to find an innovative, modern, regular way of accumulating a fund of money to deal with big issues boldly. We would ask you seriously to consider the Robin Hood Tax as that radical new option - a small tax on bankers that would make a huge difference to the UK, to the poorest countries and to our planet. Let's turn the crisis for the banks into an opportunity for Britain and the world.'
Barbara Stocking Oxfam Chief Executive said: 'We have a once in a generation opportunity to make global finance work in the interests of ordinary people at home and abroad. A tiny tax on banks would make a massive difference to the millions of ordinary people around the globe forced into extreme poverty by the economic crisis.'
Brendan Barber TUC General Secretary said: 'The crash was made in the finance sector - finance should now make a proper contribution to putting right the damage the crash caused and preventing huge cuts in vital public services.'
Claire Melamed Head of Policy at ActionAid said: 'We now have a chance to raise enough money to create real and lasting change. If politicians are brave enough we could turn a financial crisis into an opportunity for the world's poor by raising billions from the banks to spend at home and abroad.'
Further information:
* Jon Slater, Oxfam, 01865 472249 or 07876 476403
* Liz Chinchen, TUC, 0207 467 1248 or 07778 158175
* Asha Tharoor, ActionAid, 0207 561 7634 or 07813 688680
* Kathryn Rawe, Save the Children, 0207 012 6701 or 07827 256072
* Pippa Rodger, Barnardo's, 0208 498 7404 or 07500 968419
You can follow the Robin Hood Tax campaign on our website www.robinhoodtax.org.uk
Or on Twitter @robinhood
The following 48 organisations are supporting the Robin Hood Tax Campaign: ActionAid, Action for Global Health (UK), ACTSA (Action on Southern Africa), Africa Europe Faith Justice Network - UK, Article 12 in Scotland, ATD Fourth World, Barnardo's, Cafod, Centre for Alternative Technology, Chigwell Justice and Peace Centre, Christian Aid, Christian Medical Fellowship, Christian Socialist Movement, Church Action on Poverty, Church of Scotland Church and Society Council, Commonwealth HIV & AIDS Action Group, Forum for Stable Currencies, General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, Health Unlimited, Housing Justice, Interact Worldwide, International HIV/AIDS Alliance, National Justice and Peace Network, National Union of Teachers, NCVO, nef (the new economics foundation), Oxfam GB, ONE, People and Planet, Plan UK, Results UK, The Salvation Army, Save the Children UK, Stamp Out Poverty, Stop AIDS Campaign, Student Partnerships Worldwide, TB Alert, Tearfund, Trades Union Congress, UNA-UK, Unicef UK, Unite, University and College Union, Urban Forum, War on Want, World Development Movement, World Wide Robin Hood Society, Zacchaeus 2000 Trust.
The YouGov poll for Oxfam was undertaken between 13 to 16 November 2009. Total sample size was 2070 adults. The poll found that almost twice as many people would support (53 per cent) than oppose (28 per cent) a financial transaction tax on the basis that some of the money raised would be used to help people hit by the economic crisis in the UK and abroad.
More than a third (36 per cent) said a tax on banks was their preferred option for cutting the UK's deficit. This compared to 26 per cent who opted for cutting public spending. It was four times the 9 per cent who supported increased tax on businesses; five times the 7 per cent who wanted income tax raised; and nine times the 4 per cent who favoured increasing Value Added Tax (VAT).
Press release issued 10 Feb 2010
Nicolas Sarkozy at the 40th World Economic Forum in Davos
The president of France points out the crucial aspects to take into account in order to overcome the financial crisis in the context of the globalized world, linking that with the current enviromental situation.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Heads of State,
May I begin by thanking Professor Schwab and all the organisational staff for inviting me to give the opening address to this 40th Annual Meeting of the Wold Economic Forum.
Ladies and Gentlemen, let me make things perfectly clear: as a political leader, I have not come here to teach, but to learn together from the lessons of the crisis. We are all responsible for the crisis. And we are all responsible for the world we are going to leave our children...
Read more.
Prince El Hassan
His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal, on Monday (February, 1, 2010), said that unless the West Asia and North Africa region moves towards a consultation on the carrying capacity of natural and human resources, this region will be subjected to fragmentation.
Addressing the participants in the conference on "Food Security and Climate Change in Dry Areas", in Amman, HRH added that it is important not to separate the physical changes from human changes, stressing the importance of free thinking in facing pressing humanitarian issues.
At the conference which is organized by the National Center for Agricultural Research and Extension (NCARE) in cooperation with the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), HRH called for finding comprehensive solutions to the problems and issues facing the poor areas, including the food, water, energy and legal empowerment of the poor.
Prince El Hassan focused on food security and climate change in dry areas, through their relationship to human security, calling for regional cooperation in this context and for establishing comprehensive projects to combat poverty and hunger, which threaten many of the peoples in the world.
HRH said that the challenges of climate change require concerted efforts on the global and regional levels and that they pose a significant threat to the world. HRH stressed that economic inequality and intellectual imprisonment have pushed communities to the edge and the world needs a resurgence of creative energy.
We, in the West Asia and North Africa region, need an economic council as well as a social council to address the various pressing issues and to push for the representation of the region as a region at the international level, particularly with respect to existential issues and the basics of human security, Prince El Hassan emphasized.
HRH also called for networking of the various initiatives that aim to promote humanitarian status in West Asia and North Africa in order for regional commons to meet global commons.
HRH pointed out that since the Madrid and Oslo processes the cost of lost opportunities in the region from 1991 until today is $12 trillion. HRH asked how we can talk about oil and climate change when climate change has been induced by war.
Prince El Hassan called for addressing the basic humanitarian issues in the region rather than continuing to complain. He stressed the need for various development projects to fit into concepts that will serve the people. This could lead to a consultation concept of the third sphere (governments, private sector and civil society) in order to serve the public good.
HRH also underlined the importance of the diplomacy of citizens, in addition to humanizing and Arabizing globalization so that people will be more aware of what we are talking about. This will enable everyone to participate in building a prosperous future based on the enhancement of human dignity.
Photos by: Boghos Darakjian
(Amman, 1 February 2010)
Bavarian TV presents the Plant-for-the-Planet children as good examples
In the course of the climate ambassadors' meeting on Saturday the children wanted to win the members of the local CSU (a political party) for their concerns. The two mayors Klaus Pfeiffer and Johann Weber invited the children to introduce their initiative, wishes and plans.
The children thought about how to use this chance the best. Each of the 20 climate ambassadors absolutely wanted to talk. So they agreed on everybody was saying just one sentence. It should express why they shown so much commitment to the Plant-for-the-Planet Initiative. The result was overwhelming: The members of the local party felt attacked by the children and the children felt alienated by the reaction of the adults. After the meeting the children wrote a letter to the mayors and to Angelika Niebler, a MEP (Member of European Parliament) who was also present.
The Bavarian TV reports about this meeting in die Rundschau.
Here's a transcript of the interview the students gave.
Newscaster: Under the motto Plant-for-the-Planet thousands of children all over the world came together. They demand for visible act for the environment, instead of inconclusive palaver like in Copenhagen. In Upper Bavaria the children had the chance to speak to those responsible.
Commentator: You are gambling away our future and in Copenhagen you showed the best proof for that. That is what the children of Plant-for-the-Planet wanted to make clear to politicians of the CSU local-union Pähl yesterday evening. Especially to the guest speaker Angelika Niebler.
Felix from Pähl, 12 years old: No matter what you are doing in Europe - it is not enough. We want to have the same future like you do. And that is why we will go onto the street if it will be necessary.
Commentator: And because acting is better than talking, the children are taking action themselves and are planting trees. Almost 700,000 trees are planted and there are going to be much more.
Max from Berlin, 12 years old: One million trees on the world in each country. This is a speculative plan. But in Berlin we want to plant 100,000 trees, 80,000 already have been planted, so we have 95,000 to go.
Jule from Bremerhaven, 13 years old: The children of the world don't want to be mentioned
in history-books as a generation which flooded the coast cities, but which solved the biggest challenge of mankind.
Commentator: When the next climate summit in Mexico in May 2010 will be prepared by the Environment Ministers, several thousand children from Plant-for-the-Planet will plant trees with them for one hour. That should make things clear to the politicians: Those who don't act, will lose.
Our planting partner in Malaysia
We are happy to introduce our new Planting Partner! The SMK Teloi Kanan School in Kuala Ketil, Malaysia is planting mangroves for Plant-for-the-Planet.
The schools project began in 2006 when the school participated in the UNEP Billion Tree Campaign and it continues until today.
The trees are being planted in Kuala Gula, about 220 km from the school. Kuala Gula forms part of Matang Forest Reserve which is one of the few remaining vast stretch of tidal mud flats and mangroves. Fishing is an important economic activity to the local community as Kuala Gula is a fishing village that supplies fresh cockles, crabs, shrimps and fishes. Kuala Gula is also an important flyway which migratory shorebirds fly between northern breeding grounds and wintering areas to the south, warm areas. It is home to various resident water birds and supports globally threatened birds such as Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Asian Dowitcher, Black-headed Ibis, Masked Fin foot and Chinese Egret. The mangrove forests of Kuala Gula also provide sanctuary for the globally threatened Mangrove Pitta, Black-bellied Malkoha, Chestnut-bellied Malkoha and Cinnamon-headed Green Pigeon. Two stork species occur here, the Lesser Adjutant and Milky Stork, both of which are globally threatened. In view of its importance, Kuala Gula has been designated and IBA (Important Bird Area) in accordance with internationally accepted criteria proposed for such sites.
The set targets and benefits of the tree planting project in Malaysia are:
The school is planting mangrove trees as these trees are important defence against sea storms and tsunamis. The term mangroves refer to plants that grow in salty or saline water in the intertidal and coastal zone. Mangroves grow better in protected estuaries as very few species are able to grow in this environment. Mangroves are important breeding ground for our fishes, prawns, crabs and crustaceans, which are a major source of food. Mangroves act as a windbreaker against strong wind and waves, thus providing natural coastline protection. They also prevent erosion. These trees act as sinks for nutrients and sediments as its vegetation can absorb them. The nutrients remain in the mangrove where it will support other organisms' growth. Mangroves support a diversity of wildlife of which many are endemic or threatened and rich vegetation, some of which has great medicinal values and are yet to be discovered.
To date 320.000 mangrove seedlings have been planted on the mangrove project side that covers an area about 50 acres. These planting activities involve students from Teloi Kanan Secondary School and the local fishermen under the Friends of Mangrove Forest. The school launched a campaign with the help of ENO School Network Worldwide involving 1,500 schools from 120 countries. The campaign is called 100 Million Trees Campaign and was officially launched at Teloi Kanan Secondary School on 5th June 2008. The campaign hopes to get schools of the ENO School Network to join hands and achieve the target of planting 100 million trees by 2017.
Teaser photo: www.pbase.com
Raising awareness
Maureen Mwagale is fighting for the street children and babies in Uganda. Ex street children living in an orphanage called Peace for Children Africa together with Karamojong mothers and their babies. 
In line with the worldwide Plant-for-the-Planet initiative she involved the women and children in a tree planting ceremony (fichus and palm trees) along Mulago and Gayaza roads. All the trees were named after the Karamajong babies to show that they too contribute to the future of the country. So far, they have planted 140 trees.
Source Daily Monitor
The initiative and projects in the media
Global Marshall Plan
Articles in German
05/05/2010
Micheldorf, Upper Austria
Lectures and Networking around the Global Marshall Plan
The Global Marshall Plan Group of Steyr-Kirchdorf is organizing a
netzwork meeting for the Global Marshall Plan Initiative in Upper
Austria.
More details will be published shortly at the website of the SPES Future Academy: www.spes.co.at.
The meeting will be held in German.
