Letter to the Presidents and Heads of State regarding the UN Economic Crisis Meeting
Dear Presidents and Heads of State,
We are writing to you in regard to the upcoming celebration in New York, June 24 to 26, of the United Nations’ Conference on the Economic and Financial Crisis and its Impact on Develoment. We urge you to give this Conference the priority it deserves and to participate, in your capacity as Heads of State, leading a delegation from your country of the highest level including the participation of relevant ministries and civil society organizations and movements involved in addressing the impacts and building alternatives in the face of this crisis.
Your presence and the active participation of the governments that you head in this Conference, which will bring together all of the United Nations members states – the “G192” – are necessary in order to achieve urgent and concrete responses that are in keeping with the seriousness of the global systemic crisis now confronting humanity. A crisis unleashed in the center of the system of economic and political power whose unsustainable and irresponsible model of consumption and production continues to asphixiate the entire planet, deepening day after day the social, climate, food, and energy crises with untold consecuences for billions of people, nature, and indeed life itself.
The responses thus far emerging from exclusive groups such as the G7 and the G20, and the very private, public, and multilateral financial institutions whose still impune responsibility for the generation of this crisis is flagrant, are responses aimed at saving the system on the backs of the same people and countries who have been paying the costs of its expansion for a long time.
In order to achieve global solutions, the strength and legitimacy are needed that can only be secured through global participation and respect for the voice of all countries in equal conditions. Therein lies the importance of this Conference at this moment, so that through the United Nations the entire international community – governments and “we the peoples” – might occupy our rightful place and reach agreement on immediate responses that can protect human and enviromental rights against any further deterioration and lead, over the medium term, to the building of a new paradigm of socio-economic, financial, and environmental relations at the global level.
The leadership of the current president of the UN General Assembly, together with the support of the majority of member countries, has made it possible for this Conference to be held. They have generated valuable inputs, including the recommendations of the Commission of Experts on the Reform of the International Monetary and Financial System, and a Draft Outcome Declaration that includes concrete proposals for consideration and adoption by participating States. Among other matters, they recognize the responsibility of the centers of power in the North for this crisis and pose immedate steps to establish a global stimulus fund that would not imply a new burden of illegitimate debt for those countries most in need. They recommend stopping, and reversing, the nefarious conditionalities imposed by the International Financial Institutions and in free trade agreements and investment protection treaties. Agreement on these and many other proposals can and should be reached at this Conference.
This Conference is where we want the governments of the countries of our region to participate, at the highest level, committing your leadership as part of the international community in defense of our needs and rights and those of Mother Earth. The existence of initiatives towards an integration in solidarity that are now advancing in Latin America and the Caribbean, such as ALBA, the Peoples’ Trade Agreements (TCP), the South Bank, the Union of South American Nations, the creation of a common reserve currency (SUCRE), comprehensive debt audits, among others, demonstrates that it possible to build alternatives for a development that is endogenous, sovereign, democratic, and sustainable.
At the same time, we reiterate our conviction with regard to the importance of calling on and including social movements and organizations, in order to debate and build together the ways out of this crisis – a crisis understood by many to be a truly grave crisis of civilization that is placing at risk the survival of all peoples and that of life itself on earth.
Sincerely,
(Signatures as of May 28, 18 hs.)
Latin American and Caribbean movements, organizations and networks
Southern Peoples Ecological Debt Creditors’ Alliance – Latin America & the Carib.
Hemispheric Social Alliance (HSA)
Amerindia
Friends of the Earth – Latin America and the Caribbean (ATALC)
Caribbean Peoples’ Assembly (APC)
American Association of Jurists (AAJ)
Latin American Association of Social Medicine (ALAMES)
Campaign for the Demilitarization of the Americas (CADA)
Hábitat International Coalition – Regional Office for Latin America (HIC-AL)
Trade Unon Confederation of the Américas (TUCA)
Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI) –Rio de la Plata Regional Secretariat
Convergence of Popular Movements of America (COMPA)
Andean Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations (CAOI)
Coordinator of Rural Organizations in Latin America and the Carib. (CLOC-V.C.)
World Lutheran Federation – Program on Illegitimate Debt
Cry of the Excluded Continental Network
Jubilee South/Américas (JS/A)
International Debt Observatory – Latin America
Oilwatch-South America
Interamerican Platform on Human Rights, Democracy and Development (PIDHDD)
Program “Sustainable Southern Cone”
Network of Women Transforming the Economy (REMTE)
International Gender and Trade Network (IGTN) –Latin America
Latin American Network on Debt and Development (LATINDADD)
World Network SICSAL - Oscar Arnulfo Romero, Secretaría
Peace and Justice Service in Latin America (SERPAJ-AL)
Nationally-based movements, networks and organizations in the region
Asamblea Barrial de Beccar – Argentina
Asociación Americana de Juristas, Capítulo Argentino
Attac-Argentina
Cátedra Nacional de Economía "Arturo Jauretche" – Argentina
Central de Trabajadores Argentinos (CTA), Secretaría de Integración - Argentina
Comisión de Asambleas Barriales por la Recuperación de las Privatizadas - Argentina
Comisión Provincial de Justicia y Paz- Misioneros Claretianos, Argentina-Uruguay
Comunidad Teológica Rajab, Argentina
Diálogo 2000 – Argentina
Ecoportal.Net - Argentina
Espacio Ecuménico – Argentina
Federación Judicial Argentina
Foro Ciudadano de Participación por la Justicia y los Derechos Humanos – Argentina
Foro de Pensamiento y Construcción Social (Fpycs) - Argentina
Fundación Servicio Paz y Justicia – Argentina
Fundación SES - Argentina
Futuro Transgenérico – Argentina
Iglesia Evan. del Río de la Plata, Pdte. Pastor Schäfer y Sec. Gral. Pastor Schvindt
Médicos del Mundo - Delegación Argentina
Movimiento por la Paz, la Soberanía y la Solidaridad entre los Pueblos -Argentina
Movimiento Social Misiones, Juan Yadhjián - Argentina
Movimiento por la Soberanía e Integración de los Pueblos- MoSIP Argentina
Periódico El Espejo- Argentina
Taller de Creaciones Populares (TCP) – Quilmes, Argentina
CEADL - Bolivia
Comité Boliviano por la Paz y la Soberanía - Bolivia
Grito de los excluidos (as) Bolivia
Jóvenes por la Constituyente Bolivia
Movimiento antiracista Boliviano - Bolivia
Movimiento de Objetores de Conciencia Bolivia
Observatorio Boliviano de los Recursos naturales - Bolivia
Articulação de Mulheres Brasileiras – Brasil
CEBRAPAZ - Brasil
Políticas Alternativas para el Cono Sur PACS – Brasil
Rede Brasil sobre Instituições Financeiras Multilaterais – Brasil
Rede Jubileu Sul Brasil
Rede Social de Justiça e Direitos Humanos - Brasil
Sociedade Brasileira de Economia Política (SEP) – Brasil
Vía Campesina - Brasil
Comite Monseñor Romero de Chile
Foro Espiritual de Santiago por la Paz, Dr. G. González Cortés, Coord. - Chile
Fundación EPES – Chile
Corporación Mujeres y Economía - Jubileo Sur Colombia
Centro Memorial Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – Cuba
Grupo de Reflexion y Solidaridad Oscar Romero de Cuba
Acción Ecológica – Ecuador
Centro de Derechos Económicos y Sociales – Ecuador
Ecuador Decide – Ecuador
Fundación Pueblo Indio del Ecuador
Jubileo 2000 Red Guayaquil – Ecuador
Red de Ecologistas Populares del Ecuador
Red de Acción Ciudadana Frente al Libre Comercio- Sinti Techan – El Salvador
Unidad Ecológica Salvadoreña-UNES – El Salvador
PAPDA – Haití
Bloque Popular - Honduras
Centro Nacional de Promoción Social, A.C. – México
Colectivo Marea Creciente – México
DECA Equipo Pueblo A.C. – México
Fundación Nuevo Milenio A.C. – México
Movimiento Mexicano de Afectados por las Presas y en Defensa de los Ríos –México
Mujeres para el Diálogo A.C. (MpD) – México
Otros Mundos, AC/Chiapas - México
Red AMPES de Economía social y solidaria – México
Red de Enlace Vecinal Ciudadana – México
Red Jubileo Sur México
Red Mexicana de Acción frente al Libre Comercio – México
Red Nacional Género y Economía (REDGE) – México
Siembra, A.C. – México
Consejo Nacional Indígena de Pueblos Nahuat y Chorotegas - Nicaragua
Movimiento Social Nicaragüense Otro Mundo es Posible – Nicaragua
Red Nacional de Defensa de los Consumidores (RNDC) - Nicaragua
Asociación Americana de Juristas, Capítulo Paraguay
Coordinadora para Asentamientos Espontáneos - Paraguay
Frente Social y Popular - Paraguay
Grito de los Excluidos de Paraguay
Red de Organizaciones Sociales - Encarnación-Itapua-Paraguay
Comisión de la Mujer de Conades – Perú
Red Jubileo Perú – Perú
Grito de las/os Excluidas/os de Puerto Rico
Comité Pro Niñez Dominico-Haitiana-Puerto Rico
Proyecto Caribeño de Justicia y Paz – Puerto Rico
Federation of Independent Trade Unions and NGOs (FITUN) - Trinidad and Tobago
Plataforma DESCAM - Uruguay
Coalición de las Tendencias Clasistas (CTC)- Venezuela
Additional endorsements:
Jubilee South/Americas