'Global May Manifesto': Statement from International
Activists with Occupy, Other Groups

By AlterNet Staff 
AlterNet 
May 10, 2012
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/928183/%27global_may_manifesto%27%3A_statement_from_international_activists_with_occupy,_other_groups/

An international assembly made up of individuals from
Occupy groups in London and New York, as well as Take
the Square and social movements in the Middle East,
Latin America, Africa and Asia--a total of six
continents--has released a statement ahead of a global
weekend of action. The assembly, held online between
hundreds of activists and then including thousands more
via email, worked on the statement for several months
and endorsed it by consensus on May 4.

They stress that the statement is a work in progress,
and is being released to the public for further
suggestion and input. It calls for, among other things,
a global financial transaction tax, an end to bank
bailouts and "too big to fail," food sovereignty, and
universal healthcare and education.

In a press release, Alvaro Rodriguez, 31, of the
Indignados movement in Spain, who participated in the
process of writing the statement, said: "This is the
beginning of a new global process of bringing the
opinions of many people around the world together. It
represents the beginnings of a form of global democracy
in its infancy which is direct and participatory -- of
the people, by the people and for the people. While the
statement does not represent the position of local and
city assemblies, the next step is to present it to
assemblies around the world for consideration,
discussion and revisions, as part of a dialogue of the
'Global Spring' movements taking place across six
continents."

You can join the discussion on the statement on
Facebook and through its website:
http://www.peoplesassemblies.org/2012/05/may-12th-globalmay-statement/

Full text of the statement is below.

     The statement below does not speak, or claim to
     speak, on behalf of everyone in the global
     spring/Occupy/Take the Square movements. This is
     an attempt by some inside the movements to
     reconcile statements written and endorsed in the
     different assemblies around the world. The process
     of writing the statement was consensus based, open
     to all, and regularly announced on our
     international communications platforms, that are
     also open to all (e.g. the `squares' mailing list,
     the weekly global roundtables and the
     `international' facebook group). It was a long and
     difficult process, full of compromises. This
     statement is offered to peoples' assemblies
     around the world for discussions, revisions and
     endorsements.

    There will be a process of a global dialogue, and
    this statement is part of it, a work-in-progress.
    We do not make demands from governments,
    corporations or parliament members, which some of
    us see as illegitimate, unaccountable or corrupt.
    We speak to the people of the world, both inside
    and outside our movements. We want another world,
    and such a world is possible:

    1. The economy must be put to the service of
    people's welfare, and to support and serve the
    environment, not private profit. We want a system
    where labour is appreciated by its social utility,
    not its financial or commercial profit. Therefore,
    we demand:

        Free and universal access to health, education
    from primary school through higher education
    and housing for all human beings, through
    appropriate policies to get this. We reject
    outright the privatization of public services
    management, and the use of these essential
    services for private profit.

        Full respect for children's rights, including
    free child care for everyone.

        Retirement pensions so we may have dignity at
    all ages. Mandatory universal sick leave and
    holiday pay.

        Every human being should have access to an
    adequate income for their livelihood, so we ask
    for work or, alternatively, universal basic
    income guarantee.

        Corporations should be held accountable for
    their actions. For example, corporate subsidies
    and tax cuts should be done away with if a
    company outsources jobs to decrease salaries,
    harms the environment or the rights of workers.

        Apart from bread, we want roses. Everyone has
    the right to enjoy culture, participate in a
    creative and enriching leisure in service of
    the progress of humankind. Therefore, we demand
    the progressive reduction of working hours,
    without reducing income.

        Food sovereignty through sustainable farming
    should be promoted as an instrument of food
    security for the benefit of all. This should
    include an indefinite moratorium on the
    production and marketing of GMOs and immediate
    reduction of agrochemical use.

        We demand policies that function under the
    understanding that our changing patterns of
    life should either be organic/ecological or
    else not occur. These policies should be based
    on a simple rule: one should not spoil the
    balance of ecosystems for profit. Violations of
    this policy should be prosecuted around the
    world as an environmental crime, with severe
    sanctions for convicted.

        Policies to promote the change from fossil
    fuels to renewable energy, through massive
    investment which should help to change the
    production model.

        We demand the creation of international
    environmental standards, mandatory for
    countries, companies, corporations, and
    individuals. Ecocide (willful damage to the
    environment, ecosystems, biodiversity) should
    be internationally recognised as a crime of the
    greatest magnitude.

    2. To achieve these objectives, we believe that the
    economy should be run democratically at all levels,
    from local to global. People must get democratic
    control over financial institutions, transnational
    corporations and their lobbies. To this end, we
    demand:

        Control and regulation of financial speculation
    by abolishing tax havens, and establishing a
    Financial Transaction Tax (FTT). As long as
    they exist, the IMF, World Bank and the Basel
    Committee on Banking Regulation must be
    radically democratised. Their duty from now on
    should be fostering economic development based
    on democratic decision making. Rich governments
    cannot have more votes because they are rich.
    International institutions must be controlled
    on the principle that each human is equal to
    all other humans - African, Argentinean or
    American; Greek or German.

        As long as they exist, radical reform and
    democratisation of the global trading system
    and the World Trade Organization must take
    place. Commercialization of life and resources,
    as well as wage and trade dumping between
    countries must stop.

        We want democratic control of the global
    commons, defined as the natural resources and
    economic institutions essential for proper
    economic management. These commons are: water,
    energy, air, telecommunications and a fair and
    stable economic system. In all these cases,
    decisions must be accountable to citizens and
    ensure their interests, not the interests of a
    small minority or financial elite.

        As long as social inequalities exist, taxation
    at all levels should maintain the principle of
    solidarity. Those who have more should
    contribute to maintain services for collective
    welfare. Maximum income should be limited, and
    minimum income set to reduce the outrageous
    social divisions in our societies and their
    social political and economic effects.

        No more money to rescue banks. As long as debt
    exists, following the examples of Ecuador and
    Iceland, we demand a social audit of the debts
    owed by countries. Illegitimate debt owed to
    financial institutions should not be paid.

        An absolute end to fiscal austerity policies
    that benefit only a minority, and cause great
    suffering to the majority.

        As long as banks exist, separation of
    commercial and financial banks, avoiding banks
    "too big to fail".

        End of the legal personhood of corporations.
    Companies cannot be elevated to the same level
    of rights as people. The public's right to
    protect workers, citizens and the environment
    should prevail over protection of private
    property or investment.

    3. We believe that political systems must be fully
    democratic. We therefore demand full
    democratization of international institutions, and
    the elimination of the veto power of a few
    governments. We want a political system which
    really represents the variety and diversity of our
    societies:

        All decisions affecting all mankind should be
    taken in democratic forums like a participatory
    and direct UN Parliamentary Assembly or a UN
    people's assembly, not rich clubs such as G20
    or G8.

        At all levels we ask for the development of a
    democracy that is as participatory as possible,
    including non representative direct democracy.

        As long as they are practiced, electoral
    systems should be as fair and representative as
    possible, avoiding biases that distort the
    principle of proportionality.

         We call for the democratization of access to
     and management of media (MSM). These should
     serve to educate the public, as opposed to the
     creation of an artificial consensus about
     unjust policies.

        We ask for democracy in companies and
    corporations. Workers, regardless of wage level
    or gender, should have real decision-making
    power in the companies and corporations they
    work in. We want to promote cooperative
    companies and corporations, as real democratic
    economic institutions.

        Zero tolerance of corruption in economic
    policy. We must stop the excessive influence of
    big business in politics, which is today a
    major threat to true democracy.

        We demand complete freedom of expression,
    assembly and demonstration, as well as the
    cessation of attempts to censor the Internet.

        We demand respect for privacy rights on and off
    the internet. Companies and the government
    should not engage in data mining.

        We believe that military spending is
    politically counterproductive to a society's
    advance, so we demand its reduction to a
    minimum.

        Ethnic, cultural and sexual minorities should
    have their civil, cultural, political and
    economic rights fully recognized.

        Some of us believe a new Universal Declaration
    of Human Rights, fit for the 21st century,
    written in a participatory, direct and
    democratic way, needs to be written. As long as
    the current Declaration of Human Rights defines
    our rights, it must be enforced in relation to
    all -- in both rich and poor countries.
    Implementing institutions that force compliance
    and penalize violators need to be established,
    such as a Global Court to prosecute social,
    economic and environmental crimes perpetrated
    by governments, corporations and individuals.
    At all levels -- local, national, regional and
    global -- new constitutions for political
    institutions need to be considered, like in
    Iceland or in some Latin American countries.
    Justice and law must work for all, otherwise
    justice is not justice, and law is not law.

    This is a worldwide Global Spring. We will be there
    in May 2012; we will fight until we win. We will
    not stop being people. We are not numbers. We are
    free women and men.

    For a Global Spring! For global democracy and
    social justice! Take to the streets on May 2012!

c 2012 All rights reserved. 

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