{"id":329,"date":"2012-05-12T19:31:16","date_gmt":"2012-05-12T19:31:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/global-labour.info\/en\/2012\/05\/12\/the-global-may-manifesto-2012\/"},"modified":"2012-05-12T19:31:16","modified_gmt":"2012-05-12T19:31:16","slug":"the-global-may-manifesto-2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/global-labour.info\/en\/2012\/05\/12\/the-global-may-manifesto-2012\/","title":{"rendered":"The Global May Manifesto (2012)"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nIntroduction: <\/strong><\/em>
\n“As hundreds of thousands of people around the world prepare to take to the streets this weekend as part of a global call for change, the International ‘Global Spring’ Assembly – an international and inter-movement assembly formed of supporters of Occupy, Take the Square and Latin American, African, Asian and Middle Eastern social movements – has released its first statement describing concrete suggestions for a ‘global change.’<\/em>”
\n‘Global May Manifesto’: Statement From International Activists<\/strong><\/em>
\nBy Occupy Wall Street<\/strong><\/em>
\n12 May 12
\nAs hundreds of thousands of people around the world prepare to take to the streets this weekend as part of a global call for change, the International \u2018Global Spring\u2019 Assembly \u2013 an international and inter-movement assembly formed of supporters of Occupy, Take the Square and Latin American, African, Asian and Middle Eastern social movements \u2013 has released its first statement describing concrete suggestions for a \u2018global change\u2019.
\nThe statement \u2013 the Global May Manifesto \u2013 calls for systemic change in the global economy: the radical democratisation of international institutions like the IMF, BIS and UN; the replacement of the G8\/20 with a democratic UN assembly; a system of global taxation on financial transactions; and for the abolition of tax havens. It does not represent the position of any local or city assembly; rather it is offered for their consideration.
\nEndorsed by consensus on 4 May 2012 by the International Assembly, this statement has been in development since January 2012. It was a process that has seen thousands of people from six continents and hundreds of cities participating in the discussion and planning for the international days of protests this month \u2013 particularly focusing on the 1, 12, 15 and 18 May. These International Assembly meetings have been convened in bi-weekly assemblies, over an online VoIP platform (called Mumble, which enables mass conference calls and give the assembly its formal name \u2013 the International General Assembly on Mumble).
\nThe process for developing this global manifesto \u2013 which is a work in progress \u2013 started by collecting statements from the different local and city assemblies, then merging these into a common statement. Individuals were then invited to make new proposals through a public website and a number of mailing lists that are used for international inter-movement communication.
\nAlvaro Rodriguez, 31, of the Indignados movement in Spain, who participated in the process of writing the statement, said: “This is the beginning of a new global process of bringing the opinions of many people around the world together. It represents the beginnings of a form of global democracy in its infancy which is direct and participatory \u2013 of the people, by the people and for the people. While the statement does not represent the position of local and city assemblies, the next step is to present it to assemblies around the world for consideration, discussion and revisions, as part of a dialogue of the \u2018Global Spring\u2019 movements taking place across six continents.”
\nNext steps for international coordination
\nIndividuals around the world are invited to participate in this process of further developing this global manifesto through their local and city assemblies, through the facebook group and through the website.
\nGlobal May Manifesto<\/strong><\/em>
\nThe statement below does not speak, or claim to speak, on behalf of everyone in the global spring\/Occupy\/Take the Square movements. This is an attempt by some inside the movements to reconcile statements written and endorsed in the different assemblies around the world. The process of writing the statement was consensus based, open to all, and regularly announced on our international communications platforms, that are also open to all (e.g. the \u2018squares\u2019 mailing list, the weekly global roundtables and the \u2018international\u2019 facebook group). It was a long and difficult process, full of compromises. This statement is offered to peoples\u2019 assemblies around the world for discussions, revisions and endorsements.
\nThere will be a process of a global dialogue, and this statement is part of it, a work-in-progress. We do not make demands from governments, corporations or parliament members, which some of us see as illegitimate, unaccountable or corrupt. We speak to the people of the world, both inside and outside our movements. We want another world, and such a world is possible:
\n[1.] The economy must be put to the service of people\u2019s welfare, and to support and serve the environment, not private profit. We want a system where labour is appreciated by its social utility, not its financial or commercial profit. Therefore, we demand:
\n\u2022Free and universal access to health, education from primary school through higher education and housing for all human beings, through appropriate policies to get this. We reject outright the privatization of public services management, and the use of these essential services for private profit.
\n\u2022Full respect for children\u2019s rights, including free child care for everyone.
\n\u2022Retirement pensions so we may have dignity at all ages. Mandatory universal sick leave and holiday pay.
\n\u2022Every human being should have access to an adequate income for their livelihood, so we ask for work or, alternatively, universal basic income guarantee.
\n\u2022Corporations should be held accountable for their actions. For example, corporate subsidies and tax cuts should be done away with if a company outsources jobs to decrease salaries, harms the environment or the rights of workers.
\n\u2022Apart from bread, we want roses. Everyone has the right to enjoy culture, participate in a creative and enriching leisure in service of the progress of humankind. Therefore, we demand the progressive reduction of working hours, without reducing income.
\n\u2022Food sovereignty through sustainable farming should be promoted as an instrument of food security for the benefit of all. This should include an indefinite moratorium on the production and marketing of GMOs and immediate reduction of agrochemical use.
\n\u2022We demand policies that function under the understanding that our changing patterns of life should either be organic\/ecological or else not occur. These policies should be based on a simple rule: one should not spoil the balance of ecosystems for profit. Violations of this policy should be prosecuted around the world as an environmental crime, with severe sanctions for convicted.
\n\u2022Policies to promote the change from fossil fuels to renewable energy, through massive investment which should help to change the production model.
\n\u2022We demand the creation of international environmental standards, mandatory for countries, companies, corporations, and individuals. Ecocide (willful damage to the environment, ecosystems, biodiversity) should be internationally recognised as a crime of the greatest magnitude.
\n[2.] To achieve these objectives, we believe that the economy should be run democratically at all levels, from local to global. People must get democratic control over financial institutions, transnational corporations and their lobbies. To this end, we demand:
\n\u2022Control and regulation of financial speculation by abolishing tax havens, and establishing a Financial Transaction Tax (FTT). As long as they exist, the IMF, World Bank and the Basel Committee on Banking Regulation must be radically democratised. Their duty from now on should be fostering economic development based on democratic decision making. Rich governments cannot have more votes because they are rich. International institutions must be controlled on the principle that each human is equal to all other humans \u2013 African, Argentinean or American; Greek or German.
\n\u2022As long as they exist, radical reform and democratisation of the global trading system and the World Trade Organization must take place. Commercialization of life and resources, as well as wage and trade dumping between countries must stop.
\n\u2022We want democratic control of the global commons, defined as the natural resources and economic institutions essential for proper economic management. These commons are: water, energy, air, telecommunications and a fair and stable economic system. In all these cases, decisions must be accountable to citizens and ensure their interests, not the interests of a small minority or financial elite.
\n\u2022As long as social inequalities exist, taxation at all levels should maintain the principle of solidarity. Those who have more should contribute to maintain services for collective welfare. Maximum income should be limited, and minimum income set to reduce the outrageous social divisions in our societies and their social political and economic effects.
\n\u2022No more money to rescue banks. As long as debt exists, following the examples of Ecuador and Iceland, we demand a social audit of the debts owed by countries. Illegitimate debt owed to financial institutions should not be paid.
\n\u2022An absolute end to fiscal austerity policies that benefit only a minority, and cause great suffering to the majority.
\n\u2022As long as banks exist, separation of commercial and financial banks, avoiding banks “too big to fail”.
\n\u2022End of the legal personhood of corporations. Companies cannot be elevated to the same level of rights as people. The public\u2019s right to protect workers, citizens and the environment should prevail over protection of private property or investment.
\n[3.] We believe that political systems must be fully democratic. We therefore demand full democratization of international institutions, and the elimination of the veto power of a few governments. We want a political system which really represents the variety and diversity of our societies:
\n\u2022All decisions affecting all mankind should be taken in democratic forums like a participatory and direct UN Parliamentary Assembly or a UN people\u2019s assembly, not rich clubs such as G20 or G8.
\n\u2022At all levels we ask for the development of a democracy that is as participatory as possible, including non representative direct democracy.
\n\u2022As long as they are practiced, electoral systems should be as fair and representative as possible, avoiding biases that distort the principle of proportionality.
\n\u2022We call for the democratization of access to and management of media (MSM). These should serve to educate the public, as opposed to the creation of an artificial consensus about unjust policies.
\n\u2022We ask for democracy in companies and corporations. Workers, regardless of wage level or gender, should have real decision-making power in the companies and corporations they work in. We want to promote cooperative companies and corporations, as real democratic economic institutions.
\n\u2022Zero tolerance of corruption in economic policy. We must stop the excessive influence of big business in politics, which is today a major threat to true democracy.
\n\u2022We demand complete freedom of expression, assembly and demonstration, as well as the cessation of attempts to censor the Internet.
\n\u2022We demand respect for privacy rights on and off the internet. Companies and the government should not engage in data mining.
\n\u2022We believe that military spending is politically counterproductive to a society\u2019s advance, so we demand its reduction to a minimum.
\n\u2022Ethnic, cultural and sexual minorities should have their civil, cultural, political and economic rights fully recognized.
\n\u2022Some of us believe a new Universal Declaration of Human Rights, fit for the 21st century, written in a participatory, direct and democratic way, needs to be written. As long as the current Declaration of Human Rights defines our rights, it must be enforced in relation to all \u2013 in both rich and poor countries. Implementing institutions that force compliance and penalize violators need to be established, such as a Global Court to prosecute social, economic and environmental crimes perpetrated by governments, corporations and individuals. At all levels \u2013 local, national, regional and global \u2013 new constitutions for political institutions need to be considered, like in Iceland or in some Latin American countries. Justice and law must work for all, otherwise justice is not justice, and law is not law.
\nThis is a worldwide Global Spring. We will be there in May 2012; we will fight until we win. We will not stop being people. We are not numbers. We are free women and men.
\nFor a Global Spring!
\nFor global democracy and social justice!
\nTake to the streets on May 2012!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[56],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/global-labour.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/329"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/global-labour.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/global-labour.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/global-labour.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/global-labour.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=329"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/global-labour.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/329\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/global-labour.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/global-labour.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/global-labour.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}