Voting for global justice (not party political)
Mike Brady | 24.04.2005 06:12 | Ecology | Globalisation | Social Struggles
Voters in 21 constituencies have the option of voting for a candidate who has signed a pledge to implement the Simultaneous Policy (SP) alongside other governments. This campaign is gaining cross-party support and now is the ideal time to encourage politicians to sign the pledge.
See the constituency watch section of 
http://www.simpol.org.uk/ for a list of candidates who have signed the pledge to implement the Simultaneous Policy (SP) alongside other governments. Candidates come from a variety of parties and in some constituencies more than one candidate has signed.
The Simultaneous Policy is a package of measures to address global issues such as climate change, unfair trade and unsustainable development. It is being developed by campaign supporters, known as SP Adopters, around the world. Anyone can become an Adopter free of charge by filling a form at http://www.simpol.org.uk/
SP is to be implemented by all, or sufficient, governments simultaneously. Simultaneous implementation removes the very real threat that a country will lose investment and jobs and suffer economic collapse by going it alone. It is interesting how all the major parties in the general election basically follow the agenda of corporations and financial markets. They know they will not get elected if they do not put the economy first (see the Election 2005 Zone of http://www.simpol.org.uk/ for the Simpol-UK blog analysing the election).
SP Adopters undertake to vote at elections for any candidate, within reason, who has pledged to implement SP alongside other governments, or to encourage their preferred party to support SP. 9 MPs had signed before Parliament was dissolved and this number will inevitably increase in the new Parliament as SP becomes a vote-winning issue, moving us towards the government as a whole supporting SP. SP campaigns in other countries are reporting similar successes and the Foreign Minister of East Timor, Nobel Peach Prize winner José Ramos Horta, has given SP his support.
Obviously SP is a long-term strategy. It is not an alternative to protesting at the G8, lobbying for changes in government policy, taking direct action etc. But it enables us to look beyond wringing changes from our leaders. We can develop and implement the policies that are really necessary, not just those that will be tolerated. It puts 'we, the people' in charge of global policy setting and enables us to answer the question 'How do you want the world to be?'.
http://www.simpol.org.uk/ for a list of candidates who have signed the pledge to implement the Simultaneous Policy (SP) alongside other governments. Candidates come from a variety of parties and in some constituencies more than one candidate has signed. The Simultaneous Policy is a package of measures to address global issues such as climate change, unfair trade and unsustainable development. It is being developed by campaign supporters, known as SP Adopters, around the world. Anyone can become an Adopter free of charge by filling a form at
http://www.simpol.org.uk/ SP is to be implemented by all, or sufficient, governments simultaneously. Simultaneous implementation removes the very real threat that a country will lose investment and jobs and suffer economic collapse by going it alone. It is interesting how all the major parties in the general election basically follow the agenda of corporations and financial markets. They know they will not get elected if they do not put the economy first (see the Election 2005 Zone of
http://www.simpol.org.uk/ for the Simpol-UK blog analysing the election). SP Adopters undertake to vote at elections for any candidate, within reason, who has pledged to implement SP alongside other governments, or to encourage their preferred party to support SP. 9 MPs had signed before Parliament was dissolved and this number will inevitably increase in the new Parliament as SP becomes a vote-winning issue, moving us towards the government as a whole supporting SP. SP campaigns in other countries are reporting similar successes and the Foreign Minister of East Timor, Nobel Peach Prize winner José Ramos Horta, has given SP his support.
Obviously SP is a long-term strategy. It is not an alternative to protesting at the G8, lobbying for changes in government policy, taking direct action etc. But it enables us to look beyond wringing changes from our leaders. We can develop and implement the policies that are really necessary, not just those that will be tolerated. It puts 'we, the people' in charge of global policy setting and enables us to answer the question 'How do you want the world to be?'.
Mike Brady
e-mail:
mikebrady@simpol.org.uk
Homepage:
http://www.simpol.org.uk/