Thursday, May 20, 2010

How Much Does It Cost To Create A Database?

Linking Alternatives for a Europe of peoples' rights

It was held recently in Madrid, parallel to the Summit of Heads of Eurolatinoamericano State and Government, fourth "Cumbre de los Pueblos" bi-regional network of social movements in Europe and Latin American "Linking Alternatives" Linking Alternatives. So much effort was made to define the network of European and Latin American social movements born in Summit of Heads of State and Government of the EU, Latin America and the Caribbean held in Mexico, Guadalajara in May 2004. Until then, Europe Lisbon, Maastricht and the European Constitution was far from the concerns of social movements in Latin America. Indeed, it seemed that the European Union, with its strong emphasis on democracy, human rights and sustainable development could be a viable alternative to partnership with the United States. For initially focused on the political aspects, but they have followed a new, current one, which focused mainly on commercial and business agenda. The only possibility for the EU in this period of severe economic and financial crisis, is in fact to push on the accelerator without wait for the completion of the Doha round of World Trade Organization (WTO). In doing so he discovers his true cards: falling rhetoric "feel-good" and finally goes to the bone of the matter, ie to increase competitiveness and growth in Europe and globally and to support the further integration of partner countries in the system global market. E 'a comprehensive approach that attaches to that theorized in the document "Global Europe - a' Europe competitive in a globalized economy", in which it proposes an agenda for aggressive opening of external markets, which provides inclusion in the negotiation of outstanding issues in the WTO, namely the so-called "Singapore Issues", such as investments, competivitità and liberalization of services. The free trade agreements, redrafting the real priorities of the European Union, first of all to facilitate access for European companies to natural resources. It is to uncover this plot and highlight the impact on the rights of peoples, that the issue is a parallel-Linking - held the third session of the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal (TPP). Previously (Vienna, 2006 and Lima, 2008) the Court had occasion to hear the testimony of dozens of representatives of local communities, indigenous peoples, trade unions actually and grassroots organizations and social movements on the impact of European multinational companies in Latin America. Initial goal was to help bring an end to the legal asymmetry according to which states have the obligation to promote human and social rights, while businesses would only be required to do their best to ensure that their activities take into account any impact on rights. And highlight how governments often decide (or are forced to do so) to abandon their prerogatives and obligations to promote the common good, confusing them with the support of private sector interests. In Case of Lima acknowledges that the TPP State responsibility is to promote, respect and guarantee human rights, but emphasizes the ability of companies to make use of voluntary codes of conduct will help to make them immune from any form of legal liability for violations of international law. Madrid was a further step forward in the identification of shared responsibility and omissions of the EU institutions in support the expansion of European companies in strategic sectors that are the backbone of central exercise of sovereignty by states. The Court, in which the jury which sat personality Blanca Chancoso Ecuadorian indigenous leader, Nora Cortinas, the Madres de Plaza de Mayo, Alirio Uribe activist and advocate for human rights in Colombia, Perfecto Ibanez English magistrate, issued a harsh indictment of Europe. The EU institutions are accused of supporting an agenda of trade liberalization and investment to the benefit of its companies, with stringent conditions to the Latin American countries with whom we are negotiating free trade agreements, regardless of possible repercussions the same human rights, economic, social and environmental. Simultaneously, the "internal" policies, such as support the use of agrofuels or GMO or intellectual property rights of pharmaceutical companies, are reflected in dramatic rights to food, land, environment, health. A European Union so blindly against its global responsibilities, in the throes of a discrepancy that can not play any other role than to serve the interests of business and commercial expansion. then emerge from the judgment in a serious lack of political tools of transparency and direct participation of citizens in Loosen critical to the development environment. No coincidence between requests the Court urges the EU and Latin American countries engaged in trade negotiations to suspend all negotiations until you will study the impact on human rights, with transparent and participatory processes. Added to this is the call to internalize the human rights obligations in all the Union's external activities, at the UN to recognize the social and ecological debt accumulated from the North to the South, and to establish at that place a economic and environmental crimes tribunal and binding guidelines for businesses. A further point to make about climate justice, a central theme in the agendas of global social movements before, during and after the Summit of the people of Cochabamba. The Court points out that many of the cases studied related to firms involved in energy, mining and agro-fuels foreshadow new forms of attack on environmental rights and nature and therefore provides a straight path in order to establish new legal instruments and legal support climate justice. A theme, that of climate on the agenda, along with the financial crisis, the official Summit of Heads of State and Government. And it is the financial crisis, with its false solutions, and the serious effects on social and economic rights relating thereto, which was the focus of the march which has passed through Madrid dell'opinone public to bring to the attention of governments and the slogans of the movement, then summarized in the final declaration of the counter-summit. A statement that leaves no room for compromise. It reject free trade agreements (FTAs), Association Agreements (ADA) and those related to investments traded against the interests of the people. Are severely challenged consolidation policies of the Union and those of the IMF, and claimed the right to food sovereignty and to pay the ecological debt and climate toward the impoverished peoples of the planet. Europe is being asked to undertake, rather than in buffer solutions such as markets of emission permits to drastically reduce their emissions and to a profound transformation of economic and production patterns. The representatives of the movements and then confirm their solidarity and support to the claims of indigenous peoples and to the campaigns and instances of networks of Latin American migrants in Europe and worldwide. Among the various seminars sponsored by Linking Alternatives, two dealt with the issue of the relationship between migration and trade agenda, and the dramatic conflict between a Europe that supports the free movement of goods and capital, and then sealed its borders to migrants . And repressive security-anchored a line with the Directive of the "return" clauses included in many trade agreements with third countries and made explicit in a clear manner in the establishment of Centres for identification and expulsion and the strategy of "outsourcing" of borders. Madrid has come from an interesting novelty. If so far the networks of migrants in Europe seemed to be mainly on a national basis, for a short time at the continental level has created a network-transnational movement of migrants in Ecuador. A collective entity that develops proposals, analysis, open spaces, inviting exploration, dialogue with other immigrant communities and offers broad platform to claim the rights that go well beyond the right not yet recognized, human mobility. E ' in a sense, the term will be dela political subject, to shun the suggestions, sometimes present in the counter-slogans, to enclose this desire in the narrow spaces of "solidarity" or "combating racism" . There are many who want to regain their faces, their dignity, bottom and unpublished experiments and practices. A new was said, arose spontaneously in the wake of the World Social Forum of migrants a few years ago (and now will meet again in Quito in October), and that shows how the added value of these appointments is just in the synergies and processes that triggers rather than in the words of order or in large numbers.

Francesco Martone, Maria Rosa Jijon