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
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.
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.
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.
Have you ever seen a cubic-photo? We have one! You can now experience our Berlin Conference from March 6th virtually at http://www.berlin-global-commons.org/. You see first the participants as they arrive, the presentations throughout the day and various other conference goings-on. Here are a few of the interactive options available: a timeline below the picture allows you to jump to different parts of the day; click on the small white arrows in the photo and the perspective changes; click on the blue point next to some speakers and participants and you can watch videos of speeches and interviews, video messages and presentations. So you can follow the course of the whole conference online with fancy new technology! Please note: You need a fast internet-connection for this.
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
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.
Liberty 4 Africa, an organization which has been supporting and promoting the Global Marshall Plan Initiative in Nigeria and other African countries, in the past months gave a lot of thought to an implementation plan.
In his report Careca Akarue, CEO of Liberty 4 Africa, explains more about the plan and vision, structure and guidelines which will stem from these.
To the full report by Careca Akarue
To the structural chart
Global
Contract and Climate Justice in the European Parliament in
"A New
Approach in International Relations: A Global Contract - With a Special Focus
on Climate Justice" was the theme of a high level luncheon debate at the
European Parliament, and which can be seen as a prelude to their greater
interest in the Global Marshall Plan - A Global Contract. Five delegates, including long-time
supporters of the Initiative Anders Wijkman and Jo Leinen, from the four most
influential constituencies were invited to the Eco-Social Forum
Europe-organized discussion. Additional contributions came from Gunnar Ludere
of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research; Luis Riera, Director of the
Department of Development Policy for the Directorate General of Development for
the European Commission; Hubert Gambs giving a speech on climate change and
international security on behalf of Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner for External
Relations; and Franz Fischler who presented the 'global contract' idea, which
states the basic principle of climate justice (equal CO2 emission rights)
should be included in international business.
The European Parliament is planning a large conference in the fall
devoted more particularly to this theme.
EU
Strategy: Global Marshall Plan - A Global Contract
Last fall
an informal brainstorming session took place in the Renewable Energy House in
1.
Management through Taxes (Financial Transaction Taxes such as greening the tax
systems)
2. Growth
and/versus Sustainability
3. Global
Governance and Climate Justice
The aforementioned foci would be more positively considered in particular should there be more civil society engagement in these areas. Additionally, assessing methods to make these themes more concrete would be a starting point for implementing the Global Marshall Plan into the "political reality".
We urgently need voices from the South and the East to represent religions and intelligence from a full range of cultures.
Five years ago the Global Marshall Plan Initiative was able to consult and integrate a number of experts. From their roots in various strategic fields of expertise and five years experience in coordination efforts, the Global Marshall Plan Foundation and its partners started a worldwide consultation process.
Go to www.berlin-global-commons.org to experience the "Spirit of Berlin", access the full proceedings, listen to speeches, and get involved in the shaping of the consultation process.
Please follow the white arrows and click on the blue dots to listen to the speeches and interviews.
The Network of Spiritual Progressives and the Global Marshall Plan have drafted a bill, which will now be put before the United States Congress under number H Res 1078.
As stated under said proposal and based off of a Global Marshall Plan resolution, the United States would lead the other G-8 nations in dedicating an amount equivalent to 1-2% of each country's gross domestic product each year for the next twenty years to eliminating poverty and to healing the environmental crisis.
Says Rabbi Michael Lerner, Editor of Tikkun, "It's the best way to get out of Iraq and empower the progressive forces all over the world--by adopting a strategy of Generosity to secure homeland security, in place of the current strategy of Domination that has led us and others into endless wars and into the fantasy of a war on terrorism that will keep justifying every future war dreamt up by the fearful and the militarists."
It is now up to the US citizenry for bill H Res 1078 to gain sufficient political momentum for the upcoming election. Contact your city council and state legislature to endorse it. "The Global Marshall Plan is a much more sensible way to spend your tax dollars," affirms Rabbi Michael Lerner. He implies that rather than spending the billions of dollars on the Iraq war, funds could be directed in more positive directions.
To learn more about this initiative or get involved yourself, there are several options:
In the US, there will be 3 events this weekend in Philadelphia, April 11; New York City, April 12, and Central New Jersey, April 13. For further information on these events, go to the Network of Spiritual Progressives website.
For more information regarding bill H Res 1078, go to the Tikkun homepage www.tikkun.org or to keep track of this bill through the Library of Congress website
One of the more recent presentations on the consultation process of the Coalition for the Global Commons was given by Coalition member Zeki Ergas recently at an International PEN Writers for Peace Committee Conference held in
"The response was good," said Ergas of the presentation to the assembly of writers. There were several interested in the process, all of whom received brochures, and who we hope will soon be themselves participants to the Coalition.
Zeki Ergas' most recent publication is a collection of essays entitled In Search of a Better World and is currently available in our on-line shop
Global Marshall Plan activist Ed O'Rourke's book review of famous US Environmentalist Lester Brown's Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization. It is a short article highlighting the context and brief overview of Brown's proposals.
You can find a link to Ed O'Rourke's book review here, and a link to Lester Brown's book at the Earth Policy Institute website.
On March 28, James Quilligan spoke to a large auditorium of students and faculty at the College of Business at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. James spoke about world financial events and used a power point presentation to outline the objectives of the International Consultation Process. Following this, he asked the audience questions from the consultation process. Perhaps because of the current monetary crisis in the US, the Notre Dame business community was keenly interested in the presentation.
We are pleased to announce that three large consultations have been
scheduled by the Global Marshall Plan Initiative,
March 28
April 11
April 12
April 13
Each consultation is expected to expand the
More detailed information on each of these events will be posted when available.
If you are planning consultations of your own, please let us know and we will publish the details in an upcoming edition of our newsletter.
On invitation from Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan, representatives from various sectors of society gathered from the 4th to the 6th of March to launch an international consultation process and discuss its initial design. More extensive information from the working meeting will be reported in the following edition of the newsletter.
Here is what a few participants had to say:
"Dear Mr. Finkbeiner,
There is no one else so unwavering in their optimism as you are. Thus I see no one better suited for this kind of movement, which is currently so needed."
Rupert Neudeck
"Handl's method of generating collective art stimulates creativity in the participants. In this case the building of a Globe by everyone was a brilliant idea, and will remain as a wonderful memory in the minds of all the participants that contributed to it."
Zeki Ergas
"After a 27-hour return to California and 12 hours of sleep, I am beginning to readjust after the incredible conference we all attended in Berlin. It stretched me in many ways, changing my life in the long-term.
The activities you designed for us on Wednesday afternoon were especially challenging--much like the task we have undertaken! One of the participants commented to me that
pounding a design out of that brass plate was a metaphor for our work, meaning that it's easy enough to draw a picture (create the ideas), but the material we are working with is resistant."
Patricia McBroom
I am honoured to have participated in such a worthwhile meeting in Berlin, which brought together leaders from civil society, academia, politics, media and other sectors to address our global challenges. I would like to thank the organizers, and especially His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal, for hosting this thought provoking meeting and encouraging global dialogue.
Personally and as a representative of the United Nations, I strongly believe in the ideals of the Global Marshall Plan and hope that the action plan will be aligned to the global UN priorities and principles so that our efforts mutually reinforce each other.
Bader Al-Dafa
This confernce would not have been possible without the donations and support of several people, whom we would like to heartfully thank once more. In addition to which Dr.Gerhard Waniek spontaneously covered the 2000 Euro costs for the March 4th and 5th dinners, and Kevin Hansen added 1000 US Dollars.
The updated English version of the consultation process brochure has been published and is available through our online shop. If you would distribute the brochure and other information over the process, we would greatly appreciate it.
'Bringing local and global solutions together', and 'Your gateway to cleaner, greener 21st century economies' are respective slogans for Globalisation for the Common Good and New Markets Media LLC, the latest partners to Coalition for the Global Commons, and succinctly summerize the thematic strengths they will be bringing to the process.
Nancy Roof, editor of Kosmos Journal, recently accepted the call to action for the Coalition for the Global Commons, and is the newest patner in the Consultation Process. Kosmos Journal's current areas of concern are certainly within the scope of issues the Consultation Process hopes to touch upon, such as the Global Agenda and Global Governance, an Integral Worldview and Global Values, Global Spirituality and Global Consciousness, Global Civil Society and Global Activism, and Science and Technology.
Ethical Markets Media LLC describes itself as "the first TV financial lifestyle magazine series reporting on new definitions of success." They use non-traditional media methods to promote the idea that there are other approaches to capitalism that go beyond zero-sum gain and materialism. Refer to their website for a more complete overview of their work.
Globalisation for the Common Good is an organization dedicated to bridging the interests of sectors of society, while maintaining a concern and awareness for the spirituality. This interdisciplinary initiative has a presence throughout the world and works on a variety of issues. More information can be found on their website
Die Umwelt-Akademie ("The Environment-Academy") focusses on promoting ecologically and economically sustainable development. They see themselves as a forum for science, politics, economy and society to foster dialogue and discussion among these actors which shall lead from knowledge to action.
We welcome these new partners to Coalition for the Global Commons and we look forward to a strong collaboration of efforts.
