"There is something to dream about and there is something to scream about!"
So remarked Dr. Surendra Patel, keynote speaker at the "Human Security and Development for All" conference held Wednesday, June 14 at Saint Mary's University. He was referring to an approach participants could take in confronting the grim condition
The objective of the conference was to analyze human security prospects for the next century, particularly aspects which relate to the G-7 summit agenda. The participants collectively produced a communique which provided an alternative vision
To an audience of 55, Dr. Patel urged for the consideration of the 1970-1995 era which he labels the Age of Anxiety. This period is characterized by the economic mismanagement by global powers like the G-7 which has given rise to increased unemploym
With the release of this communique, another set of viable alternatives enters the arena of principle and policy, an arena which is desperate for more critical screams and idealist dreams.
We are living in a world that has been built by centuries of colonialism, of cultural, political, and economic homogenization, and of oppression of nature, women, indigenous peoples, geographic regions, and workers. This process has marginalized pro
The destructive effect of this process has been felt most extremely by women. For example, UN statistics show that although women do approximately three quarters of the world's work, they receive only 10% of the income and own only 1% of property. I
Ensuring women's security will mean transforming the way the world works. We need a fundamental shift to a life-centred model of social, political and economic organization. It is essential that women are freed from fear of threatened or actual phys
Security for women means that the market cannot be permitted to determine society's central values. Present and future social and economic priorities must be life-centred, cooperative, creative and support a healthy earth and human communities. This
This statement was the result of twelve people of various ages in the working group, "Human security is women's security" within the workshop, "Human security and development for all: Building a better planet" held on June 14. Look for upcoming even
The profit motive and the old economics is alive and well and living in rainswept Halifax.
Not so much because of the G-7 leaders and all their blindness and motorcades - but because of the rain. One British journalist I met was charged $70 for an umbrella this morning.
But don't get too down-hearted. From the point of view of the heart of the People's Summit, it may well seem that our message and our vision has a long way to go. But if you look back even seven years - to the last G-7 summit in Canada - we have com
When the first parallel summit was run by The Other Economic Summit (TOES) in London in 1984, many of the new economic solutions which were discussed seemed completely pie-in-the-sky. Now some of them are almost mainstream.
The idea of shifting taxes away from good thing like jobs, and onto bad things like pollution and energy-use, was talked about then. Now every country in the world is discussing it.
The idea of local currencies - then in their infancy - are now on the agenda of the European Union and are busily revitalising communities all around the world.
Ethical investment was just a bright idea then. Now millions of dollars are screened for their effects on people and the planet.
Whether the G-7 leaders like it or not - and although it sometimes seems a long way away - a parallel economics, like the parallel summit, is taking root and changing the world.
David Boyle is editor of New Economics, published by the London-based New Economics Foundation, which administers TOES.
At the Youth Perspectives on Our Global Future workshop (sponsored by World University Service of Canada - WUSC) we expressed our ideas and voices and put them into action. Through interactive participatory communications utilizing video(1) On poverty and employment
We felt that it is unfortunate that world leaders will not take a long-term approach in discussing economic issues at the G-7. We emphasized the need for leaders to understand that trade is a means not an end! Trade can and should be used to
(2) On Cultural Diversity and Peace
We put forth that the promotion of cultural diversity and peace lies primarily in the hands of educators. We must educate the educators about issues that concern us and our communities; we need student evaluations on curriculum and teaching in high
(3) On environment
There was an agreement that the concept of "environment" is all-encompassing and needs to be further understood both in the context of our everyday lives, and in the interconnectedness of our future. To counteract the impact of environmental ignoran
As youth we remind everyone, "We are not only inheriting the world from our ancestors but borrowing it from our children."
Written by a coalition of youth participantsEd Broadbent - Needing a New "Bretton Woods"
Mr. Ed Broadbent, ex-leader of the federal N.D.P. party in Canada from 1975 to 1989, spoke to a packed house at Saint Mary's University Tuesday night. Quickly rising to the occasion, he described his curiosity upon arriving in his hotel room in Hali
He compared this weekend's G-7 to the Bretton Woods meeting of 1945 where the world leaders forged new initiatives to solve the economic problems that created the Great Depression of the 1930s. They attempted to establish financial institutions to p
Criticizing the G-7 leaders for their lack of action on global human rights violations and rampant speculation in financial markets, he said, "The problem is ideological. Thatcherism is no substitute for Leninism. They both have to go".
Tuesday night also marked a first in his career. He plugged a manufacturer by name. Sporting a Levi Strauss shirt with red tag intact, he described how the company is setting an example by having a human rights policy and living up to it. As evidenc
Surviving the Green Revolution
The Food Security Caucus was launched 13 June at the P-7 Summit. It was agreed that the "Green Revolution" has been a tragedy for most countries int he Southern hemisphere. Very serious action must be taken to remedy this damage -- in effect, we nee
1) Reject so-called modern seeds and chemicals;
2) Many peasants using these modern seeds and chemicals have been swamped with debt and lost their lands;
3) Local cultures have been destroyed by this piracy;
4) The myth that credit for Third World peasants is accessible must be exposed as untrue.
The caucus continues in Room 204 at Nova Scotia Community College, 12 noon to 1 p.m. everyday this week.
"The Cuban people cannot help but to continue on in their struggle because they are a revolutionary people." - Paulino Mesa Cardenas, Director, Cuba Communications Union, presenting at "Workers Around the World", a workshop held by the P
Threshold: "We Have an Opportunity here in Halifax"
Last year, gathered in Naples, we issued the following challenges to ourselves:
"50 years ago, at Bretton Woods, visionary leaders began to build the institutions that provided our nations with two generations of freedom and prosperity...As we approach the threshold of the 21st century, we are conscious of our responsibility to
"To carry out this responsibility, we have agreed that, in Halifax next year, we will focus on two questions: (1) how can we assure that the global economy of the 21st century will provide sustainable development with good prosperity and well-being
We recognize that the real poser in the world no longer resides in the nation state. We, and leaders before us, have allowed that power to be abdicated. It has been eroding through the imposition of an increasingly harsh economic order. First and fo
We have an opportunity here in Halifax -- indeed we have an obligation here in Halifax -- to set in motion the change in course that will take us into the next millennium. We do so based on a series of important and often cited principles that bear
"The Structural Adjustment Programmes are a war against working people" - Wendy Waseltien, Local Labour Board, Halifax, Nova Scotia at "Workers Around the World", June 13, 1995.
G-7 MediaSpeak!
"I can't help it," I said to my new journalist friend. "I really like the G-7 leaders. They seem nice. And they dress so darned well!".
"Nice, shmice," my friend snorted. She emptied her brandy glass, called for a refill and proceeded to tell me "the facts of life".
"You won't read this in the newspapers or see it on TV but four of the G-7 leaders are up to their necks in the world's dirtiest business, the arms trade. And, their good pal, Yeltsin's rights in there too!"
She opened her handbag and brought out a book called 'Our Global Neighbourhood: The Report of the Commission on Global Governance'. It said that the United States, Russia, Britain, France, and Germany are the world's top arms exporters. In 1993, the
She pointed to a quote from the book: "All states have a right to acquire arms for national self-defence but the existing arms flows, by any reasonable standard, greatly exceed the defence needs of governments. Moreover, in many parts of the world,
"And Chretien's no angel either," she added. "Canada makes hundreds of millions manufacturing parts for American weapons. We won't admit it officially but Canada also sponsors research on weapons like fuel-air explosives that asphyxiate and incinera
"So why don't the media report all this instead of just showing pictures of smiling, nicely dressed leaders?" I asked.
"Because arms aren't part of the official agenda at G-7 summits and the media always follow the agenda," she answered. "That's why you won't read or see anything about the Demilitarization Fund that's been proposed to encourage poorer countries to r
I glanced up at the bar's wide-screen TV. It was showing the G-7 leaders siting around a conference table. They were all dressed in expensive looking suits.
"Ah, the business suit," my journalist friend muttered. "No wonder it's called the cloak of morality!" She raised her glass in a mock toast. "To the leader," she said. "To arms and the men!"
Labour in Perspective
The "Labour Perspectives on International Development and North-South Relations in The Global Economy" (June 12, 1995) explored the way labour unions are responding to the crises resulting from free trade.
Victor Baez argued that we can work within the framework of Free Trade Policy to create alternatives. In contrast, Ann Emmett of the Toronto Committee on Monetary and Economic Reform(COMER) questioned whether we should work with the concept of free
The Cuban delegation offered insight into Cuban trade policy which allows a maximum of 49% of profit to foreign companies. Elizabeth Davies, another COMER member, remarked that the Cubans who attended the workshop were inspiring because they "have p
Susan Emberg, a production line worker and member of Canadian Autoworkers 1285 at Chrysler in Bramalea, Ontario, argued for a shorter work week. She also responded to Torontonian Michael Rosenberg's comment that technology is displacing workers by a
Judith Marshall of Toronto spoke about the Steel Workers' Humanity Fund. This Fund, formed in 1985, supports long-term development and solidarity with both community and labour organizations.
The question remains--is unemployment the main problem? The challenge facing us is to start thinking in new language. We must use concepts such as community and job clearly. Action, education, protest and new proposals must arise from all sectors of
In all, quite a mixed bag
The People's Summit was organized by a coalition of organizations, non-governmental organizations, activists, artists, students, service industry workers, teachers, concerned individuals for social justice, in all, quite a mixed bag. We'd like to re
Summit News is produced (in 27 hours) by a collective of ten odd individuals supported by a cast of thousands. This issue was produced by: Greta Regan, Cheryl Tingley, Michael Welton, Robert Pollard, Isaac Saney, Mike Clarke, Brooks Kind, Luis Soto /P>
True Aid
The idea of "third world" development is often in question. Some people seem to think that "third world" countries need to be led merrily into economic development. Others think these countries should deal with their problems in their own way. Finan
The media is almost always there to glorify foreign aid coming from a "first-world" nation. Yet when it comes to portraying what kinds of problems this causes the borrowing nation in paying back the "loan", the media is greatly lacking. In the long
The only thing that most of these "third-world" countries can do is to keep exportation of their country's exportable resources up to a maximum. This leads to more problems, most especially for the poor, working class. The money-makers and huge indu
All this while people are still wondering why revolts like the one in Chiapas, Mexico, occur. The Chiapans were fighting for their right to their land, which had been taken away and decreasing in size for 500 years. This land has been taken away by
Next time you hear about "aid" being given to under-developed countries, you should listen to the facts and look at things critically. True aid is help given that will get people to create sustainable development so that developing countries can bec
Ernesto Garay is a member of the Youth for Social Justice NetworkCrack open these concepts
Gender: The meaning of the word "gender" has evolved as differentiated from the world "sex" to express the reality that women's and men's roles and status are socially constructed and subject to change. Gender recognizes the multiple roles th
Racism: Like sexism, racism is a form of discrimination. It is prejudice, plus the back-up of institutional power, used to the advantage of one ethnic group and to the disadvantage of other ethnic groups. The critical concept differentiating