[OccupyComms] Global May Statement

[Mark Barrett]

Greetings !

Please share with your local assembly / other group for dissemination /
endorsement:
*MAY 12TH GlobalMay Statement*

We are living in a world controlled by forces incapable of giving freedom
and dignity to the world´s population (if, indeed, they ever were). A world
where we are told 'there is no alternative' to the loss of rights achieved
through the long, hard struggles of our ancestors.

We find ourselves in a world where success is defined in seeming opposition
to the most fundamental values of humanity, such as solidarity and mutual
support. Moreover, anything that does not promote competitiveness,
selfishness and greed is seen as dysfunctional. This immoral ideology is
reinforced by the monopoly of the mainstream media, the instrument that
manufactures false consensus around this unfair and unsustainable system.

But we have not remained silent! Our consciousness has awakened, and we
have joined the wave of collective consciousness now spreading light and
hope to every corner of the world. From Tunisia to Tahrir Square, Madrid to
Rejkavik, New York to Brussels, people are rising up. In the Arab Spring,
in the dignity of Iceland, in the dignified rage of 15M and Occupy Wall
Street. Together we have denounced the status quo. Our effort states
clearly 'enough!', and has even begun to push changes forward, worldwide.

This is why we, women and men, inhabitants of this planet, are uniting once
again to make our voices heard this May 12th. All over the world. We
denounce the current condition of our planet, and urge the application of
different policies, designed to encourage and promote the common good.

We condemn the current distribution of economic resources whereby only a
tiny minority escape poverty and insecurity. Whereby future generations are
condemned to a poisoned legacy thanks to the environmental crimes of the
rich and powerful. 'Democratic' political systems, where they exist, have
been emptied of meaning, put to the service of those few interested in
increasing the power of corporations and financial institutions, regardless
of the fate of the planet and its inhabitants.

We declare the current crisis is not a natural accident. It was caused by
the greed of those who would bring the world down, with the help of an
economics that has lost its true sense. No longer about management of the
common good, but simply an ideology at the service of financial power,
seeking to impose measures that stifle billions of people, without asking
their opinion. They say there is no alternative. They say we must leave our
future in the hands of the same experts who destroy it.

Here and now, we’re back. We have awakened, and not just to complain! Here
and now, we aim at the true causes of the crisis: their policies and lies
hidden in empty rhetoric. Here and now we propose alternatives, because we
want to fix the problem while also moving towards a more democratic world.
Simply put, we want a world ruled by the values of liberty, equality, and
fraternity – the old dream of our ancestors when they rose against
oppression in previous generations, throughout the planet! Simply put we
want a world where every woman, man and child is guaranteed the right to
the free pursuit of personal and collective happiness.

*The 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 (like the ‘squares’ mailing list, the weekly global roundtables and
the ‘international’ facebook group). It was a hard and long process, full
of compromises. This statement is offered to people’s assemblies around the
world for discussions, revisions and endorsements.*

*There 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:*

*1. The economy must be put to the service of people’s 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:*

   -

   Free 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.
   -

   Full respect for children’s rights, including free child care for
   everyone.
   -

   Retirement/pension so we may have dignity at all ages. Mandatory
   universal sick leave and holiday pay.
   -

   Every human being should have access to an adequate income for their
   livelihood, so we ask for work or, alternatively, universal basic income
   guarantee.
   -

   Corporations should be held accountable to their actions. For example,
   corporate subsidies and tax cuts should be done away with if said company
   outsources jobs to decrease salaries, violates the environment or the
   rights of workers.
   -

   Apart from bread, we want roses. Everyone has the right to enjoy
   culture, participate in a creative and enriching leisure at the service of
   the progress of humankind . Therefore, we demand the progressive reduction
   of working hours, without reducing income.
   -

   Food 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 agrochemicals use.
   -

   We demand policies that function under the understanding that our
   changing patterns of life should be organic/ecologic or should never be.
   These policies should be based on a simple rule: one should not spoil the
   balance of ecosystems for simple profit. Violations of this policy should
   be prosecuted around the world as an environmental crime, with severe
   sanctions for convicted.
   -

   Policies to promote the change from fossil fuels to renewable energy,
   through massive investment which should help to change the production model.
   -

   We demand the creation of international environmental standards,
   mandatory for countries, companies, corporations, and individuals. Ecocide
   (wilful damage to the environment, ecosystems, biodiversity) should be
   internationally recognised as a crime of the greatest magnitude.

*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:*

   -

   Control 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 by the principle that each human is equal to all other
   humans – African, Argentinian or American; Greek or German.


   -

   As 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.
   -

   We want democratic control of the global commons, defined as the natural
   resources and economic institutions essential for a 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 of financial elite.
   -

   As 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 the collective welfare. Maximum income should be
   limited, and minimum income set to reduce the outrageous social divisions
   in our societies and its social political and economic effects.
   -

   No 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.
   -

   Absolute end of fiscal austerity policies that only benefit a minority,
   and cause great suffering to the majority.
   -

   As long as banks exist, separation of commercial and financial banks,
   avoiding banks “too big to fail”.
   -

   End of the legal personhood of corporations. Companies cannot be
   elevated to the same level of rights as people. The public’s right to
   protect workers, citizens and the environment should prevail over the
   protections of private property or investment.

*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 represent the variety and diversity of our societies:*

   -

   All decisions affecting all mankind should be taken in democratic forums
   like a participatory and direct UN Parliamentary Assembly or a UN people’s
   assembly, not rich clubs such as G20 or G8.


   -

   At all levels we ask for the development of a democracy that is as
   participatory as possible, including non representative direct democracy .
   -

   As long as they are practiced, electoral systems should be as fair and
   representative as possible, avoiding biases that distort the principle of
   proportionality.
   -

   We call for the democratization of access and management of media (MSM).
   These should serve to educate the public, as opposed to the creation of an
   artificial consensus about unjust policies.
   -

   We ask for democracy in companies and corporations. Workers, despite
   wage level or gender, should have real decision power in the companies and
   corporations they work in. We want to promote cooperative companies and
   corporations, as real democratic economic institutions.
   -

   Zero tolerance to corruption in economic policy. We must stop the
   excessive influence of big business in politics, which is today a major
   threat to true democracy.
   -

   We demand complete freedom of expression, assembly and demonstration, as
   well as the cessation of attempts to censor the Internet.
   -

   We demand respecting privacy rights on and off the internet. Companies
   and the government should not engaged in data mining.
   -

   We believe that military spending is politically counterproductive to a
   society’s advance, so we demand its reduction to a minimum.
   -

   Ethnic, cultural and sexual minorities should have their civil,
   cultural, political and economic rights fully recognized.
   -

   Some 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 – 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, local, national,
   regional and global, 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.

This is a worldwide Global Spring,. We will be there on May 12th [*], we
will fight until we win. We will not stop being people. We are not numbers.
We are free women and men.

*For a Global Spring!*

*For global democracy and social justice!*

*Take to the streets on May 12th!*

Link to doc,  also in spanish and less fluent english) at
https://docs.google.com/file/d/16Y5RDS2RGSuO-w9q18i6umxJ6NGp6lwLtQ5fH5UaUthJPsjQwUaieXHPEedX/edit

Also at:
http://www.peoplesassemblies.org/2012/05/may-12th-globalmay-statement/

-- 
Apathy is Dead !
http://www.flickr.com/photos/solarider/5254770064/#/photos/solarider/5254770064/lightbox/




-- 
Apathy is Dead !
http://www.flickr.com/photos/solarider/5254770064/#/photos/solarider/5254770064/lightbox/




-- 
Apathy is Dead !
http://www.flickr.com/photos/solarider/5254770064/#/photos/solarider/5254770064/lightbox/
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