Darrell G. Moen, Ph.D.

Dear friends and supporters of Peace Boat,

              Greetings from Japan! As you know, the eyes of the world are now turned towards Japan, as the G8 Summit is about to start at Lake Toya in Hokkaido. This newsletter is to share with you Peace Boat’s efforts related to the Summit, with the hope of working together to ensure that our collective voices as international civil society are delivered to Hokkaido and the world. Peace Boat will be travelling to Hokkaido and staging several events, reporting the outcomes of the recent Global Article 9 Conference to Abolish War (whynot9.jp), and also monitoring the Summit online through blogging and live streaming throughout the Summit from the International Media Centre (http://g8peaceboat.wordpress.com/).

              Peace Boat has joined together with over 100 Japan-based NGOs striving towards a sustainable society and working to address diverse issues as the environment, peace, human rights, global poverty and development, under the broad banner of the 2008 Japan G8 Summit NGO Forum (http://www.g8ngoforum.org/english). Peace Boat is participating as the Leader of the Peace and Human Rights Unit, calling for a world order based on the principles of non-violence and human rights. The unit works on issues such as nuclear weapons abolition, disarmament and arms control, global economics, conflict prevention, peace building, “counter-terrorism” measures, gender, indigenous peoples’ rights, immigration, regional security issues and promotion of civic activities.

              The causes and effects of such issues are global and, as such, require global solutions. The G8 Summit must produce effective solutions, incorporating the responsibilities that correspond to their influence in global politics and economy. Through our cross-national collaboration towards social equity and civic participation, NGOs have nurtured perspectives independent from those of the government. It is with those perspectives and knowledge that we make policy recommendations.

              In this NGO Forum capacity, we will be holding several workshops and discussions at the People’s Summit (Alternative Summit), which will be held in Sapporo from July 6-8, 2008. Further details about these events can be viewed here:

http://kitay-hokkaido.net/modules/english/index.php?content_id=4.

              This will be a prime chance to share the outcomes of the Global Article 9 Conference to Abolish War held in Japan in May (http://whynot9.jp) – particularly the Statement to the G8 endorsed by the Japan Organizing Committee and key international participants and supporters. This Statement calls for the G8 countries, that together account for 70% of the world’s military expenditure, to reduce the money spent on arms and redirect resources to peace, development and the environment. We also call for a change in the methods of dealing with issues such as conflicts and “terrorism”. This statement was initially drafted by the Japanese Organizing Committee, and announced after obtaining the support of key international participants and supporters. (The full statement can be read online here: http://www.whynot9.jp/doc/G8_Statement_en.pdf).

              Although the decisions of the G8 will impact everyone on the planet, only a tiny number of people are party to these discussions. As one of few NGOs granted access to the G8 International Media Centre, Peace Boat will be blogging and broadcasting live from the centre at Rusutsu, to share all that happens as it happens. We will be setting up a live online video broadcast, and monitoring the G8 Summit debate and civil society responses from the perspectives of peace, disarmament and human rights. We hope to also utilize this opportunity to in turn communicate the various efforts and positions of all of our partners around the world who cannot be in Hokkaido in person. We thus invite you to become actively involved via this blog, and share with us any information or reactions from your own organizations or regions relating to the G8. We look forward to an active discussion with all of you, and the chance to work together to have our collective voices heard at this year’s G8 Summit.

              So please keep your eyes on the Peace Boat G8blog, and we look forward to your contributions! http://g8peaceboat.wordpress.com

In peace and solidarity,

Peace Boat @ Hokkaido

www.peaceboat.org

g8peaceboat.wordpress.com

Due date for research proposals: to be announced

In the latter part of the semester you will, either in groups or individually, choose a particular organization (e.g. Polaris Project, Amnesty International, Japan Committee for Negros Campaign, Greenpeace, ECPAT (End Child Prostitution, Pornography, and Trafficking), JATAN (Japan Tropical Forest Action Network), Free the Children, Global Village, Sarawak Campaign Committee, Asian Women’s Association, World Peace Now etc.) to focus an in-class presentation on. In preparation for the presentation, you will do a minimum of four hours of participant-observation research on the topic of your choice in an accessible location, taking field notes. You are free, indeed encouraged, to choose grassroots-based organizations that reflect your particular interests. During the presentation, in addition to providing a brief introduction to the group you visited, you will provide a discussion of your fieldwork experience on the research topic and setting, methods used, and data gathered, and evaluate the field experience (noting successes, setbacks, surprises, and adaptations). The grade will not be based on English proficiency or the relative “success” of the fieldwork, but on your analysis of the fieldwork project and critical evaluation of the group studied. This fieldwork research experience is intended to give you an opportunity to see for yourself the ways in which concerned citizens are taking action to create a better future for all as well as provide you with the chance to present your research findings and introduce the group or organization you chose for your project to your classmates.

I will expect a carefully prepared research proposal (typed - to be handed in for my records) with specific information regarding the particulars of the fieldwork proposal: Why did you choose this organization? What is the focus of your research? Why did you choose this focus? When are you visiting the organization? What type of questions do you intend to ask? How do you intend to participate in the activities of the organization? If you are going to form a group, one research proposal for the entire group (with everyone’s name and email address listed) will suffice. Individual oral presentations should be 10-15 minutes in length; in the case of group presentations, each group member will be expected to present for 5-10 minutes. This will require careful coordination and preparation by the group as a whole. We will reserve the last two class periods (three hours) for presentations of fieldwork research.

Read the rest of this entry »

Global Exchange Fact Sheet: 10 Ways to Democratize the Global Economy

              Citizens can and should play an active role in shaping the future of our global economy. Here are some of the ways in which we can work together to reform global trade rules, demand that corporations are accountable to people’s needs, build strong and free labor and promote fair and environmentally sustainable alternatives.

1. No Globalization without Representation
              Multilateral institutions such as the World Trade Organization, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund create global policy with input mainly from multinational corporations and very little input from grassroots citizens groups. We need to ensure that all global citizens must be democratically represented in the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of all global social and economic policies of the WTO, the IMF, and the WB. The WTO must immediately halt all meetings and negotiations in order for a full, fair, and public assessment to be conducted of the impacts of the WTO’s policies to date. The WTO must be replaced by a body that is fully democratic, transparent, and accountable to citizens of the entire world instead of to corporations. We must build support for trade policies that protect workers, human rights, and the environment.

• Focus on the Global South
  
• Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch/Citizens Trade Campaign
  
• Third World Network
  
• International Forum on Globalization
  

2. Mandate Corporate Responsibility
              Corporations have so heavily influenced global trade negotiations that they now have rights and representation greater than individual citizens and even governments. Under the guise of ‘free trade’ they advocate weakening of labor and environmental laws — a global economy of sweatshops and environmental devastation. Corporations must be subject to the people’s will; they should have to prove their worth to society or be dismantled. Corporations must be accountable to public needs, be open to public scrutiny, provide living wage jobs, abide by all environmental and labor regulations, and be subject to all laws governing them. Shareholder activism is an excellent tool for challenging corporate behavior.

• Program on Corporations, Law, and Democracy
  
• Campaign for Labor Rights
  
• Transnational Research and Action Center
  
• Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility
  
• United Students Against Sweatshops
  
• Student Alliance to Reform Corporations
  

3. Restructure the Global Financial Architecture
              Currency speculation and the derivatives market move over $1.5 trillion daily (compared to world trade of $6 trillion annually), earning short-term profits for wealthy investors at the expense of long-term development. Many countries are beginning to implement ‘capital controls’ in order to regulate the influence foreign capital, and grassroots groups are advocating the restructuring and regulation of the global financial architecture. Citizens can pass local city resolutions for the Tobin Tax - a tax of .1% to .25% on currency transactions which would provide a disincentive for speculation but not affect real capital investment, and create a huge fund for building schools & clinics throughout the world.

• Tobin Tax Initiative
  
• Friends of the Earth
  
• Institute for Policy Studies
  

4. Cancel all Debt, End Structural Adjustment and Defend Economic Sovereignty
              Debt is crushing most poor countries’ ability to develop as they spend huge amounts of their resources servicing odious debt rather than serving the needs of their populations. Structural adjustment is the tool promoted by the IMF and World Bank to keep countries on schedule with debt payments, with programs promoting export-led development at the expense of social needs. There is an international movement demanding that all debt be cancelled in the year 2000 in order for countries to prioritize health care, education, and real development. Countries must have the autonomy to pursue their own economic plans, including prioritizing social needs over the needs of multinational corporations.

• Jubilee 2000
  
• 50 Years Is Enough
  
• End the Blockade Against Cuba
  

5. Prioritize Human Rights - Including Economic Rights - in Trade Agreements
              The United Nations must be the strongest multilateral body - not the WTO. The US must ratify all international conventions on social and political rights. Trade rules must comply with higher laws on human rights as well as economic and labor rights included in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. We should promote alternative trade agreements that include fair trade, debt cancellation, micro-credit, and local control over development policies.

• International Labor Rights Fund
  
• GX Corporate Accountability Campaign
  
• HOPE for Africa Act
  
• Alternatives for the Americas
  

6. Promote Sustainable Development - Not Consumption - as the Key to Progress
              Global trade and investment should not be ends in themselves, but rather the instruments for achieving equitable and sustainable development, including protection for workers and the environment. Global trade agreements should not undermine the ability of each nation, state or local community to meet its citizens’ social, environmental, cultural or economic needs. International development should not be export-driven, but rather should prioritize food security, sustainability, and democratic participation.

• Redefining Progress
  
• Food First
  
• Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
  

7. Integrate Womens’ Needs in All Economic Restructuring
              Women make up half the world but hold less than 5% of positions of power in determining global economic policy, and own an estimated 1% of global property. Family survival around the world depends on the economic independence of women. Economic policies need to take into account women’s important role in nutrition, education, and development. This includes access to family planning as well as education, credit, job training, policy decision-making, and other needs.

• Women’s EDGE: Economic Development and Global Equality
  
• International Center for Research on Women
  
• Women’s Environment and Development Organization
  

8. Build Free and Strong Labor Unions Internationally and Domestically
              As trade becomes more ‘free,’ labor unions are still restricted from organizing in most countries. The International Labor Organization should have the same enforcement power as the WTO. The US should ratify ILO conventions and set an example in terms of enforcing workers’ rights to organize and bargain collectively. As corporations increase their multinational strength, unions are working to build bridges across borders and organize globally. Activists can support their efforts and ensure that free labor is an essential component of any ‘free trade’ agreements.

• American Federation of Labor/Congress of Industrial Organizations
  
• International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
  
• International Labor Organization
  
• Open World Conference
  

9. Develop Community Control Over Capital; Promote Socially Responsible Investment
              Local communities should not be beholden to the IMF, international capital, multinational corporations, or any other non-local body for policy. Communities should be able to develop investment and development programs that suit local needs including passing anti-sweatshop purchasing restrictions, promoting local credit unions and local barter currency, and implementing investment policies for their city, church, and union that reflect social responsibility criteria.

• ACORN
  
• Sustainable USA
  
• United for a Fair Economy
  
• Alliance for Democracy
  

10. Promote Fair Trade Not Free Trade
              While we work to reform ‘free trade’ institutions and keep corporate chain stores out of our neighborhoods, we should also promote our own vision of Fair Trade. We need to build networks of support and education for grassroots trade and trade in environmentally sustainable goods. We can promote labeling of goods such as Fair Trade Certified, organic, and sustainably harvested. We can purchase locally made goods and locally grown foods that support local economies and cooperative forms of production and trade.

• Fair Trade Federation
  
• Rural Coalition
  
• TransFair USA
  
• Coop America
  

 By John Hall

Our 15-foot, outrigger boat—overloaded with 14 people—heaved in heavy seas off the coast of Batangas, Luzon, Philippines, and water poured over the gunwales. I had been kneeling for an hour, bailing water with the sole piece of “emergency equipment” on board: a plastic bottle. As the waves washed over us, my externship supervisor, noted human rights attorney Romeo Capulong, turned to me with a smile. “Are you enjoying your last semester of law school?” he asked. That day, March 9, was sad and memorable, and our eventful journey by sea was merely the prelude to what would become for me an inspiring educational mission. We were on our way to a funeral. The destination was Hacienda Looc, a coastal region about 90 kilometers south of Manila, the site of an ongoing battle between poor farm families fighting to keep their land and development forces determined to take it. Two farmers, Terry Sevilla and Roger Alla, had been ambushed and murdered the previous week, bringing to seven the number of peasants killed since 1997 who had opposed the construction of a golf resort on their land. Read the rest of this entry »