1. 2011 – When ‘Global Democracy
Now’ Became a Popular Demand
Occupy London,
October 15th 2011
2. What is going to happen with my life
the next 25 minutes?
You will hear about:
1. Is there a global democracy?
2. What are the impacts of the lack of global
democracy?
3. Are there any solutions?
3. Is there a Global Democracy?
A story that starts in prison.
4.
5. Undemocratic Global Institutions
• UN Security Council – controlled by 5 states with
veto: US, UK, China, Russia, France.
• IMF, World Bank – one dollar one vote system.
Like 18th century parliaments, rich=powerful.
• Basel Committee on Banking Regulation –
controlled by 20 governments with veto power
(G20).
• WTO, UN Climate negotiation: all governments
have veto. But powerful governments force small
ones to act as they wish. In Cancun, when Bolivia
vetoed, they went ahead.
6. Two summarizing facts:
Power: 1 American > 3.5 million
Palestinians
If you oppose your government – you
have no control other global politics
7. 2. What are the implications of the
lack of global democracy?
8. George Papandreou, former Greek Prime minister and current head of the
Socialists International about the global democratic deficit, and the Occupy
movement’s demand to redistribute power
9. US Banks deregulation in 1999
as an example
From the congress speech of Senator
Wellstone , who voted against the Act:
[it is] “the wrong kind of modernization
because taxpayers could be stuck with the bill
if these conglomerates become `too big to
fail’. [...] These financial conglomerates may
well be tempted to run greater risks, knowing
that taxpayers will come to their rescue if
things go bad.”
(Congressional Record, V. 145, Pt. 6, April 28, 1999
to May 10, 1999, Senate, 1999, p.28318).
10. How many Senators used a ‘Golden
Straightjacket justification’ to explain
their support for the law (the need to
deregulate banks to compete in global
markets)?
12. Examples?
“This bill is vital for the future of our country. If
we don't pass this bill, we could find London or
Frankfurt or, years down the road, Shanghai
becoming the financial capital of the world. That
has grave implications for all of America where
financial services is one of the areas where jobs
are growing the most quickly, where our
technology is way ahead of everyone else, where
our capital dominates the world.”
Senator Schumer (Democratic party)
16. United for Global Democracy
manifesto
The manifesto was produced over four months
through consultation among groups, activists and
people's assemblies around the world (including
some of the main groups involved in Occupy –
Assemblies in
Madrid, London, Boston, Brazil, Argentina). It got
endorsed by Canadian-based Naomi Klein, Indian-
based Vandana Shiva and Arundhati Roy, the US-
based Michael Hardt and Noam Chomsky, Egypt
based Samir Amin as well as Uruguayan Eduardo
Galeano.
17. Concrete proposal #2:
UN Parliamentary Assembly
Albert Einstein, 1947: "selection [of UN delegates] by
governments cannot give the peoples of the world the feeling
of being fairly and proportionately represented. The moral
authority of the UN would be considerably enhanced if the
delegates were elected directly by the people"
18. Concrete proposal #2:
UN Parliamentary Assembly
What is it? Similar to the European Parliament, but global:
A United Nations Parliamentary Assembly (UNPA) for the first time would
give citizen representatives, not only states, a direct and influential role in
global policy.
As a transitional step until direct elections become practical, the UN
Parliamentary Assembly could consist of delegates from national and
possibly regional parliaments, reflecting their political diversity. The UNPA
would therefore include members of minority parties whose opinions are
often not represented in the United Nations.
19. Concrete proposal #2:
UN Parliamentary Assembly
1. More than 1,000 MPs world wide supporting
2. Supporting resolutions: European Parliament, Pan-African
Parliament, Pan-Latin American Parliament, Argentinean
Parliament, Swiss Senate, Greens internationals, Liberals
international, the socialist international.
3. Individual support: Albert Einstein, Albert Camus, Boutros Boutros-
Ghali (Former UN Secretary-General), 16 heads of states/Foreign
Ministers.
21. Concrete proposal #3: a Global Referendums
Supporters:
• Evo Morales.
• Civil Society and social movements (mainly in
Latin America): endorsed in People’s summit
in Cochabamba.
• World Vote Now – film coming up soon on
National Geographic
23. Concrete proposal #4: a Global square
A new proposal coming out of Occupy, an
electronic global square:
“What we need, at this point, is a platform that
allows us to radically democratize our global
organizational efforts. In addition to the local
squares, we now need a global square where
people of all nations can come together as equals
to participate in the coordination of collective
actions and the formulation of common goals
and aspirations.”
29. Give Your Vote
A campaign we did last year in the UK, and planning to
in the US this year:
“In our globalised world, politics doesn't stop at the
border. But democracy does. To challenge this, voters
in the UK pledged their votes to people
in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Ghana who are
directly affected by UK policies. After a month of
asking questions of candidates, TV debates, radio
shows and local discussions, people voted via local
text message with the results passed on to people in
the UK who cast those votes.”
30.
31. How can we collaborate?
There are many ways - come and speak to me
afterwards, or write me an email to:
shimriz@gmail.com.
