Urges Building an Inclusive, Democratized Economy from Bottom Up Consistent with the Earth’s Resources and People’s Needs
Frederick, MD–(ENEWSPF)–May 17, 2012. On Friday, May 18th at the Frederick Public Library (110 E. Patrick Street) an Occupy G8 People’s Summit will be held from 10 am to 2 pm as part of a weekend of protest and community events. The summit will feature experts (see list below) on a wide range of economic issues. The economic proposals will stand in stark contrast to what the G8 will propose, including:
- How to build an economy from the bottom up that is inclusive of all countries and allows a role for civil society;
- Highlight the wealth divide that undermines the foundation of the economy and corrupts political decision-making and ensure that economic policies meet the needs of the people.
- Institute a Robin Hood Tax (FTT) on the purchase of stocks, bonds and derivatives to provide hundreds of billions of dollars to be used for confront poverty, climate change and urgent necessities of people.
- Increase the minimum wage, end poverty and reduce debt to provide a stronger foundation on which to build a new sustainable economy.
- Build a new economy that is both economically and environmentally sustainable.
- Build wealth at the base by encouraging worker owned co-ops and other democratized economic institutions; and by turning corporate welfare into taxpayer investment where everyone profits from the investment by the commonwealth.
- Allowing countries to control transnational corporations working in their borders rather than corporations being beyond the law and promoting fair trade instead of free trade and secretive partnership agreements.
- Recognize that we all share a common destiny and that even the wealthiest depend upon the commonwealth for their livelihoods.
“From its founding, the G8 has existed to represent the wealthiest people and financial institutions in a handful of nations and has been in conflict with everyone else. The losing side of this corrupt bargain has increasingly come to include many people within those wealthy countries, as well,” said Kevin Zeese, one of the organizers of the Occupy G8 People’s Summit. “The international community has called for these types of changes since the early 1970s and again recently but has been ignored. We are acting consistently with the vast majority of the world.”
Zeese was referring to a 1974 the U.N. General Assembly report Declaration for the Establishment of a New International Economic Order and a 2009 report for a commission chaired by US economist Joseph Stiglitz, The Commission of Experts on Reforms of the International Monetary and Financial System .
“Both these UN reports are consistent with a recently announced international occupy manifesto which calls for a democratized economy that works for the people’s welfare, supports the environment, and appreciates the value of labor. Our vision is a political system that actually represents and benefits the variety and diversity of our societies,” said Margaret Flowers, MD, an organizer of the Occupy G8 Peoples’ Summit. “Governments are being thrown out of office in Europe and there are protests around the world against austerity. We stand with the people against the looting class.”
Speakers at the Summit include:
Alexis Baden-Mayer – political director for the Organic Consumers Association, writes the weekly newsletter Organic Bytes; and leads the Million Against Monsanto campaign.
Brent Blackwelder – President emeritus Friends of the Earth; environmental advocate for over 40 years; Founding Chairman American Rivers; blogs at SteadyState.org.
Ruth Caplan – author, Our Earth, Ourselves; founding co-chair of the Alliance for Democracy; chair of Corporate Globalization/Positive Alternatives and Defending Water for Life campaigns.
Margaret Flowers – Co-director of ItsOurEconomy.us and organizer of October2011.org/OccupyWashingtonDC.org.
Brooke Harper – Senior Field Organizer for Global Trade Watch and oversees its national campaigns grassroots outreach. Previously, National Field Organizer for Jubilee USA Network.
Rob Kall – publisher OpEdNews.com; Host, The Rob Kall Bottom-Up Radio Show; consultant/trainer in Bottom Up new media and contributor to Huffington Post.
Emily Kawano – Director of the Center for Popular Economics and the U.S. Solidarity Economy Network; Ph.D in economics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Sam Pizzigati – associate fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies; editor of Too Much, a weekly online newsletter on inequality and excess; and noted author.
James Riker – Director, Beyond the Classroom Living & Learning Program University of Maryland; board member Forum for Democratic Global Governance.
Jeremy Weyl – Outreach and Congregations Fellow for Jubilee USA.
Kevin Zeese – Co-director of ItsOurEconomy.us and organizer of October2011.org/OccupyWashingtonDC.org.
