Act Now for a Green, Blue, and Red New Deal
Tord Björk / No to NATO
(There is a need to make peace demands central for the growing cooperation between movements. There are no solutions to the climate and biological crisis without addressing militarization and no social justice without opposing imperialism. Below is a contribution to the discussions on global people’s movements and renewal of the World Social Forum process. For more info: tordbjork@gmail.com
Act Now for a Green, Blue and Red New Deal
World Social Forum and the Assemblies of Social and Ecological Movements
August 30, 2020) — There are alternatives to the present development model. But only if we say it out clearly: Tax the rich! Don’t bail out corporations destroying our environment! Defund military and militarized police!
On September 11, the day of the European start of World War II, we state there is no solution to the ecological emergency, climate crisis, loss of biological diversity and pandemics without demanding an end to wars, occupations and military rearmament. The world does not only need Peace on Earth but also Peace with Earth.
- We call for an end to avoiding addressing the issue of militarization of societies and international relations. The growing tensions between West and East, North and South are not only a threat to the very survival of mankind through a nuclear war. It is also a tool by authoritarian states — as well as nations calling themselves liberal democracies — to avoid addressing pressing social justice demands.
- We cannot any longer accept the excuses made by rich countries already armed-to-the-teeth to continue an arms race by fomenting enemy images. What is needed instead is protection of social rights for all and the environment making detente and international cooperation on equal terms to save people and the planet necessary.
We also call for united action on International Day against World Trade Organization (WTO) and Free Trade Agreements (September 10) as well as International Day of Action for Peoples’ Food Sovereignty and against Transnational Corporations (October 16).
The present international and bilateral trade regimes are most often tools in the hands of rich countries to impose a global division of labor that destroys the environment and makes dignified life for all impossible. The possibilities for the South to industrialize must be reclaimed by dismantling the WTO patent regime. The right to food sovereignty reestablished by exclusion of food from trade regimes. Making food a commodity destroys [opportunities] for peasants and family farmers both in the South and the North. It takes away the power of our food from those working in the fields and consumers, local communities and cultural adaptations to nature and gives it to corporations and banks.
What our societies and the world need now is a both Green, Blue, and Red New Deal. In our daily lives, at the local, national and international level there is a need for the struggle against privatization and for economic, social and political democracy. Both environmental, anti-violence, anti-militaristic and social justice issues have to be seen as equally important over a period of time and when needed all at once. The time has come for all movements to act together.
- A decentralized global assembly of social and ecological movements in the end of January 2021
- We propose a coming together on all continents towards a decentralized global assembly of social and ecological movements at the end of January 2021. An assembly opposing the World Economic Forum (WEF) and promoting actions everywhere against corporate capture of our societies and international institutions. As the physical WEF is postponed and replaced by a digital meeting during the week of January 25, the same digital format can be used for a global assembly of social and ecological movements,
- We suggest that continental digital meetings are organized in this process where half of the speakers are from youth movements and half from regions and social constituencies that often are marginalized. If possible, such meetings can also take place at a national level, preferably connecting local meetings enabling face-to-face discussions. We propose that democratic people’s multi-issue movements are especially asked to be a driving force in not only organizing such meetings but also in implementing decisions made in consensus or sign-on agreements in an inclusive way using the strength also of emerging movements.
- We hope this can contribute also to a renewal of the World Social Forum later in 2021 whether it is decided to maintain the open space formula including an Assembly of Social Movements or in some new form.
September 1: Antikriegstag – Aufruf des Deutschen Gewerkschaftsbundes (DGB) zum Antikriegstag 2020
September 10: International Day against WTO and Free Trade Agreements
https://viacampesina.org/en/event/september-10-international-day-against-wto-and-free-trade-agreements-2
October 16: World Food Day
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Food_Day
International Day of Action for Peoples’ Food Sovereignty and against Transnational Corporations
During the week of 25 January, the Forum will digitally convene high-level “Davos Dialogues” where key global leaders will share their views on the state of the world in 2021.
https://www.weforum.org/press/2020/08/annual-meeting-2021-in-davos-rescheduled
Some inspiration:
European/Prague Spring webinars towards WSF in 2021 April 25 and 26 2020
http://www.unitedagainstracism.org/blog/2020/05/04/united-co-webinar-european-prague-conference-a-success
https://www.transform-network.net/calendar/event/europeanprague-spring-2020-new-date
World Conference Youth Assembly May 2, 2020 Report
“How do we merge our movements and make sure we’re not working in silos?” and “What advice do you have for young activists who would like to get more involved?”.
http://www.ipb.org/yesterdays-news/world-conference-youth-assembly-report/#more-4094
Global Trade Union Assembly
September 1: Extending Public Ownership and Democratic Control of Energy to Address the Climate Crisis and Create Socially Necessary Jobs
September 3: Making Austerity History: Reclaiming Finance to Pay for the Future We Want
September 10: Beyond the Pandemic: Trade Union Internationalism and Movement Building, This closing session will pull together a range of insights and report on the discussions of the Assembly. What should be our next steps
https://slucuny.swoogo.com/gtua2020/program
To get sense of the Finnish Social Forum programme you can consult the translations of the topics ot the OpenFSM site: http://openfsm.net/projects/espacios-oe/evento2020-suomi-socialforum
World Social Forum Today
The World Social Forum has attracted internationally new interest and energies during the pandemic. It seems more and more people see the need for a space that brings various movements, thinkers and organisations together to build another world. The web-seminar on the occasion of the Finnish Social Form takes stock of the 20 years of the WSF journey and looks forward to the future of the WSF.
People who have been invited to initiate the online dialogue include (in alphabetical order), Taoufik Ben Abdallah (TUN), Tord Björk (SWE), Pierre George (FRA), Francine Mestrum (BEL), Armando de Negri (BRA), Vijay Pratap (IND), Ritu Priya (IND), Uddhab Pyakurel (NEP), Teivo Teivainen (FIN) and Thomas Wallgren (FIN). The richness of the WSF process can be seen in the calendar of social forum events and processes around the world:http://openfsm.net/projects/wsf2012-support/wsf2018-calendar/#lista
<http://openfsm.net/projects/wsf2012-support/wsf2018-calendar/?fbclid=IwAR0UjQ0jZHBCAKst4H5I5SI8rdHRK-68XsZ9VOnT_Wz3eyY-rAM_2E2n5nI#lista>
The event is co-organized by the Siemenpuu Foundation’s working group on Ecological Democrarcy, the Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam Network and the Network Institute for Global Democratisation.” Information list of the network No to War – No to NATO www.no-to-nato.org, info@no-to-nato.net
Nuclear weapons in the NATO Strategy
https://www.no-to-nato.org/2020/07/2020-07-16-zoom-webinar9am-edt-2pm-bst-3pm-cest-10pm-jstnuclear-weapons-in-the-nato-strategy/
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