And remember to stick around for other actions and events throughout the week! See: www.g8-2007.de and www.block-g8.org
G8 Summit in Heiligendamm: Call to International Demonstration in Rostock on Saturday 2/6/2007
At the beginning of June 2007, the governments of the seven most important industrialised countries and Russia will meet for the ‘G8 Summit’ at the Baltic seaside resort of Heiligendamm. The ‘Group of 8’ (G8) is an institution without legitimacy. Nevertheless, as a self-appointed informal world government, they make decisions which affect the whole of humanity. The policies of the G8 stand for a neoliberal globalisation and deregulation, economic policies oriented towards the capital returns of international financial investors and companies.
At the beginning of June 2007, the governments of the seven most important industrialised countries and Russia will meet for the ‘G8 Summit’ at the Baltic seaside resort of Heiligendamm. The ‘Group of 8’ (G8) is an institution without legitimacy. Nevertheless, as a self-appointed informal world government, they make decisions which affect the whole of humanity. The policies of the G8 stand for a neoliberal globalisation and deregulation, economic policies oriented towards the capital returns of international financial investors and companies.
*Every five seconds, a child dies somewhere in the world from hunger. More than 800 million people are chronically malnourished. Primarily responsible are unjust world trade policies, forwarded by the rich industrialised countries within the G8 and other international institutions.
*Despite the whole-hearted promises of the G8 Summit at Gleneagles in 2005, until now only a small proportion of the debt of Southern countries has been cancelled.
*Through their promotion of liberalisation and privatisation, the G8 have not only increased poverty in the global South, but also in the industrialised countries. The worldwide plundering of raw materials and other natural resources is being accelerated.
*At the same time as the rich industrialised countries seal themselves off from refugees and migrants, those who nevertheless arrive are illegalised and exploited as cheap labourers without rights.
*The G8 states are the biggest destroyers of the climate. They are alone responsible for 43% of worldwide CO2 emissions as well as being in favour of a renaissance of nuclear energy, which we decidedly reject.
*The G8 states are responsible for 90% of worldwide weapons exports and a new era of war for raw materials. They are the leaders of a world order based on war, which leads to migration, displacement, new hate and violence in many countries.
The world shaped by the dominance of the G8 is a world of war, hunger, social divisions, environmental destruction and barriers against migrants and refugees. At our mass demonstration on 2 June 2007 in Rostock, we want to protest against this and show the alternatives. Together with millions of people around the world we say: Another World is Possible!
*For the immediate cancellation of illegitimate debt and comprehensive debt relief for the countries of the global South!
*Against the sale of public goods and services - for equal social rights and standards worldwide!
*For a speedy and radical transfer to renewable energies! Dangerous climate change and further wars for oil and gas reserves can only be prevented through a significant rise in energy efficiency and the transfer to a sustainable economy.
*For the immediate and permenant abandonment of nuclear energy and for complete worldwide nuclear disarmament!
*For the showing of solidarity with, and the living together with equal rights, of all people - against every form of racism and fascism!
*For the overcoming of walls and borders! Against detention camps and deportation!
*For a peaceful world! End the military imposition of economic and power-political interests through the G8 states!
Globalisation in the interests of the majority of people requires a fair relationship between industrialised and developing countries, and means freedom, justice, social security, democracy and the conservation of the planet's natural resources for the next generation.
Such an alternative globalisation will not result from exclusive and insular summit meetings, but rather from below out of the global movement of people and initiatives who stand up for another, better world. This global movement will make itself heard through numerous actions and events during the G8 Summit. At the International Demonstration on 2 June 2007 in Rostock, we will make the size, strength and diversity of our colourful and broad protests visible.
(Published on 26 February 2007)
Support the Call to the International Mass Demonstration on 2 June 2007 in Rostock!
Signup online: www.heiligendamm2007.de
Initial Supporters of this Call:
INTERNATIONAL PEOPLE: Alain Krivine, Spokesperson of Ligue Communiste Révolutionnaire (LCR), France / Alda Sousa, university lecturer, national leader of the Bloco de Esquerda (Left Bloc), Portugal / Alfred L. Marder, President of the US Peace Council / Antonio Martins, Publisher of le monde diplomatique Brasil / Antonio Negri, Philosopher, Italy / Bertil Viden, Programme Director of the International Institute for Research and Education, (IIRE), Netherlands / Berverly Keene, Coordinator of Dialogo 2000/Jubileo Sur America Latina, Argentina / Boris Kagarlitzki, Director of the Institute for Globalisation Studies IPROG, Russia / Brian Ashley-Hotz, Southern African Popular Education and Research Initiative, South Africa / Eric Toussaint, President of Comité pour l’annulation de la dette dans le monde (CADTM), Belgium / Eva Olaer, Stichting Sumpay Mindanao International, Mindanao, Philippines / Farooq Tariq, Journalist, Pakistan Peasant Coordination Commitee, Pakistan / Gilbert Achcar, Historian and Sociologist, France / Guy Taylor, Globalise Resistance, Great Britain / Harold Pinter, Nobel Prize for Literature Winner 2005, England / Ilja Wilonskis, Journalist, Wperjod (Forwards!), Russia / Jaime Ballesteros, President of OSPAAAL-Solidaridad, Spain / James Cockcroft, Sociologist and Historian, Defensa de la Humanidad, USA / Jean Batou, Historian, solidaritéS, Switzerland / John Cavanagh, Institute for Policy Studies, USA / Ludo De Brabander and Georges Spriet, Spokespeople for the Belgian Peace Movement, Vrede / Martin Khor, Director of the Thirld World Network, Malaysia / Masahiro Watarida, Globalization Watch Hiroshima, Japan / Mercia Andrews, Director of the Trust for Community Outreach and Education, South Africa / Michael Löewy, Philosopher und Sociologist, France / Njuki Githethwa, Coordinator of the Kenyan Debt Relief Network KENDREN, Kenya / Olivier Besancenot, Presidential Candidate of the Ligue Communiste Révolutionnaire (LCR), France / Özlem Barin, Özgürlük ve Dayanisma Partisi (Party for Freedom and Solidarity, ÖDP), Turkey / Pol De Vos, StopUSA, Belgium / Sarath Fernando, Secretary of the Movement for National Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR), Sri Lanka / Susan George, Attac France / Thomas Eisler, National Secretary of Enhedlisten – de rod-gronne (Red-Green Alliance), Denmark / Thomas Kocherry, Convenor of the National Alliance of Peoples Movements (NAPM) and Secretary of the National Centre for Labour of India (NCL), India / Walden Bello, Focus on the Global South, Philippines / Yoko Akimoto, Attac Japan
PEOPLE IN GERMANY: Daniela Dahn (Author) / Emil Mangelsdorff (Jazz musician) / Gregor Gysi / Oskar Lafontaine / Peter Sodann (Actor) / Peter Strutynski and Anne Rieger (Peace Council) / Rolf Becker (Actor) / Sibylle Stamm (Director of ver.di in the borough of Baden-Württemberg)
ORGANISATIONS: AGIF Föderation der ArbeitsmigrantInnen aus der Türkei in Deutschland / Attac Deutschland / Erlassjahr.de / Europäische Märsche gegen Erwerbslosigkeit, ungeschützte Beschäftigung und soziale Ausgrenzung (Euromarsch) / Flüchtlingsinitiative Brandenburg / Gerechtigkeit Jetzt! - Die Welthandelskampagne / Greenpeace Deutschland / Grüne Jugend / Initiative "ChristInnen: Auf nach Heiligendamm!": ITP Münster, Kairos Europa, Pax Christi Kommission Globalisierung und soziale Gerechtigkeit, Ökumenisches Netz Rhein-Mosel-Saar, ChristInnen für den Sozialismus / Interventionistische Linke / JungsozialistInnen in der SPD / medico international / Netzwerk Friedenskooperative / Netzwerk kein mensch ist illegal / NoLager-Netzwerk / Pro Asyl / ROBIN WOOD - Gewaltfreie Aktionsgemeinschaft für Natur und Umwelt e.V / 'solid - die sozialistische Jugend e.V. / The Nationwide Caravan for the Rights of Refugees and Migrants / The VOICE Refugee Forum / ver.di Jugend / X-tausendmal quer