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By John Samuel
Critics of the present unsustainable model of development and growth are often asked how they would build a more equitable and democratic world, and what exactly this 'another world' of their now-popular global slogan, 'Another world is possible', is John Samuel offers some starting points
We are in the midst of a profound transition in the history of the world, the history of ideas and international order. Many of the ideas and frameworks that have emerged over the last 300 years and particularly during the Enlightenment period are not adequate to address the new challenges faced by humanity in the 21st century. Technology and communications have substantially changed the way we think, act and live. Technology shapes our modes of communication (and travel) and this in turn impacts our thinking, action and lifestyles.
The new challenges of the 21st century are:
- Increasing inequality across the world
- Growth-led, market-driven and consumer-based economic systems that undermine the immunity of people, nature and the earth, resulting in increasing inequality and violence.
- Increasing numbers (more than a billion) of people at the receiving end of poverty, marginalisation and communicable diseases like HIV/AIDS. The further marginalisation of some of the poorest countries due to the collapse of the State and economy, aid dependency and internal conflicts pose big challenges.
- Global warming and climate change pose the single largest threat to present and future generations.
- Militarisation and the unprecedented growth of the arms industry and resultant globalisation of violence and terror by State and non-State parties.
- Marketisation of development, politics and the State. Increasingly, big corporations are influencing the political process and patterns of development through media empires, corporate funding of elections and political parties, and by strengthening corruption.
- Emergence of exclusive identity politics and revival of fundamentalist religious groups.
In addition, we face a crisis of legitimacy and a resultant moral degradation among global powers -- particularly the USA and its northern allies -- as well as a crisis of credibility of political parties and the electoral process in most of the so-called democratic countries. The global hegemony of power and ideas is being challenged and 9/11 signified these new challenges and the emergence of a new global identity politics and its unfortunate consequences.
The challenges are global, national as well as local. We need ways and means to strengthen a more sustainable, secure, just and democratic international order. Simultaneously, we need a new policy framework that can assist individual countries in addressing the internal challenges of poverty, civil conflict, identity politics and violence.
The following are some policy options:
- Reforming and democratising the Untied Nations: After 60 years of existence, the United Nations is in need of substantive reform to make it relevant, efficient, effective and a truly multilateral forum. The UN should be a democratic forum as well as a means to strengthen democratisation across the world. This requires changing the structure of the Security Council by including at least ten more permanent members in the Security Council and enabling citizens’ groups and civil society organisations to participate in the General Assembly and Security Council.
- Restructuring and democratisation of the World Bank: The role of the World Bank needs to be fundamentally challenged. It should step up its role in coordinating regional development banks and should decrease its lending capacity substantially (except in very few and necessary cases). It can also play an international role in coordinating monetary balance and take on some of the roles of the IMF, so that the IMF can be dismantled. However, the World Bank should be a democratic body whose policies are decided by an elected board (with regional as well as economic representation for the rich as well as poor countries).
- An international framework for fair trade and a complete revamp of the World Trade Organisation: The present trade regime is unjust and favours the rich and powerful countries. There have to be basic changes in the trade rules and patenting regime to make them more just, fair and sustainable. There has to be a different and more ethical framework to encourage international trade.
- Regional integration of polity, economy and market: This will help optimise the market potential of regions or sub-regions and there will be more balance of power in terms of economy and trade. A regional currency and fewer currencies in the world will help redefine capital markets, exchange rate mechanisms and monetary policy. Regional Development Banks formed along democratic principles and accountability mechanisms can help smaller countries finance development in their respective regions. An international currency, coordinated by the reformed World Bank or similar institution will help stabilise the international economy in more effective ways. Regional integration will only be possible if the autonomy of participant states is not compromised and if more autonomous space is granted for sub-nationalities and marginalised ethnic minorities. Regions or sub-regions (eg South Asia) can play the role of a policymaking forum with specific conflict-resolution mechanisms.
- Global accountability framework for transnational corporations and institutions: There has to be a global framework that will make transnational corporations accountable, transparent and just. Transnational corporations and international NGOs with budgets of more than US$ 200 million should have clear accountability and transparency mechanisms (including sources of revenue, expenditure, salaries, work ethic, principles of management) so that citizens and consumers can hold them to account for their actions.
- Disarmament and global framework to regulate small arms: There must be time-bound mechanisms to reduce weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons. Simultaneously, it is small arms that kill more people and perpetuate violent conflict in poor countries by furthering impoverishment and deprivation. So there must be a total ban or very stringent regulations for selling small arms to the public and to non-State actors and strict regulation for the production and marketing of small arms. It is important to have an effective international treaty on small arms.
- International conflict resolution at the reformed United Nations: We need an international framework to stop the use of military force in cases of international dispute or conflict. In the absence of such a mechanism, periodic wars will devastate parts of the world or the entire world. We need to learn from the mistakes of the futile Vietnam and Iraq wars.
- An international tax framework: The unbridled flow of financial capital is a cause of real concern for the countries and economies of the developing world. The financial crisis in South East Asia in 1997 amply demonstrated this. Some global mechanisms are required to regulate the flow of finance capital and also a nominal taxation on the international flow of capital beyond a certain amount. Such taxation (like the one suggested by economist James Tobin) will help to develop a global trust fund to finance human development and anti-poverty programmes as well as address issues of climate change.
- A global framework on climate change and consumption: Unethical and market-driven consumption and irresponsible use of energy-dependent technology and travel are the primary reasons for carbon emission. The present economic model of unbridled growth, consumption and profits is the main cause of carbon emission and resultant global warming. Unless there are limits to such a consumption-based growth model, we will be doing a grave injustice to the coming generations, to biodiversity and the earth itself. We need measures for cumulative taxation on consumption (for instance, when you buy a second or third car), particularly on energy-intensive equipment. There can also be a tax on air travel and more economic incentives for the use of clean technology and for research on new energy sources (other than fossil fuels).
- International charter on just and democratic governance: This should help to enable democratisation and citizens’ participation and accountability measures during and after elections. There should also be an international agreement on electoral reforms. Increasingly, media empires and big corporations are controlling or influencing party politics and electoral politics. The media must be regulated through codes of conduct for poll surveys, and corporate donations must be transparent, accountable and within clear limits. All political parties need accountability and democracy frameworks to ensure internal democracy, public accountability and transparency.
- Global trust fund for human development: We need an international mechanism to raise resources (eg tax frameworks for internal flow of finance capital and international travel and freight) as well as mandatory contributions by all countries of a certain percentage of GDP. Such a global trust fund would be managed by a democratically elected board of member countries with regional and economic (poor and rich countries) representation, and such a fund would be managed and disbursed in a transparent and accountable manner.
At the national level, the policy framework would vary from country to country. However, there could be some broad policy options for ensuring equity, justice, sustainability and accountability:
- Budget transparency and accountability: Clear mechanisms for citizens’ participation and role in budget formulation and budget monitoring. Participatory budgeting is a prerequisite for economic justice as well as for ensuring efficient and effective use of budgets.
- Transfer of economic resources to rural areas to regenerate the rural economy, agriculture and market. This will help reduce the unprecedented rural-urban migration and resultant increase in urban poverty and violence.
- Investing in human development: A national-level fund to ensure human development for all and particularly to ensure health and education of marginalised sections and groups.
- Electoral reforms to ensure that political parties are accountable, democratic and transparent and a maximum limit of eight years for any person to be the head of the government or chief functionary.
- Strengthening local self-governance through the devolution of finance, administration and service delivery. Clear mechanisms for participatory budgeting and planning to ensure accountability and transparency. This can also reduce the number of employees at the national level.
- Strengthening women’s political participation in all elected bodies. Active participation of women can substantively change the political process and strengthen democratisation. Conscious measures are required to ensure the participation of women as well as other marginalised sections.
- Affirmative action for right to education and right to work: There must be conscious legislative and policy measures to ensure high quality public education to citizens in general and marginalised sections in particular. Conscious efforts to generate employment and economic opportunities in rural areas will help address issues of poverty.
- Economic and other reforms to ensure equity: This includes land reforms as well as women’s rights over land. Also, conscious efforts to strengthen the economic capability of the poor through rural credit programmes, financing self-employment and building sustainable local economies and markets by forming and strengthening cooperative finance services, cooperative production facilities and marketing. One can also develop mechanisms to link local markets with global markets.
- High investment to ensure quality higher and technical education and research: The hegemony of the rich and powerful Northern countries (and erstwhile colonial and imperialist powers) is primarily due to knowledge domination and trade domination. Hence, a conscious effort to invest in higher and technical education and research is an absolute prerequisite to build a more just and multipolar world.
- Right to information and public accountability mechanisms: We need an effective Right to Information law and accountability framework for all public officials, including elected representatives. The sources of income of elected representatives and public officials should be made public and their tax returns also need to be public. In case such information is proved wrong, stringent measures including bars from public office or contesting elections need to be contemplated. A strong accountability framework will help reduce corruption to a large extent.
Many of the public policy options outlined above are indicative, not comprehensive. But one thing is certain – we need a paradigm shift in public policymaking and implementation. The present neo-liberal and neo-conservative policymaking processes are inherently divisive and will perpetuate violence, poverty and agony all over the world. We need to think, act and move towards a more humanist, ethical, human rights-based and democratically accountable policy paradigm for heralding another world, a world of human rights for all where every person can live with dignity, where no one will go to bed hungry, a world without wars, a world of freedom from want and freedom from fear, a world that is sustainable…A world where every human person can realise her or his creative potential, a world of ethical consumption, ethical market and democratic state…a JUST world. We need to keep alive our capability to dream, aspire, change and transform this world. We need a new politics and a new poetry.
(This is an edited transcript of John Samuel’s keynote address at a seminar titled ‘Another World is Possible: Search for Alternative Policies’, organised by the Indian School of People's Economy at Kottayam, Kerala, on May 11, 2007)
InfoChange News & Features, May 2007
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