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September 24, 2009 - No. 174 Pittsburgh, September 24-25, 2009 G-20 Summit  Pittsburgh: Mass actions reject neoliberal anti-people agenda of G-20 Summit. Left: March for Jobs, September 21. Right: March for Free Education through Carnegie Mellon University, September 23.
Pittsburgh, September 24-25, 2009 XV Sao Paulo Forum, Mexico City, August
20-23, 2009 G-20 SummitMore than anything
else, the G-20 Summit shows that workers must pay attention The leaders of 19 countries, the European Union, the European Central Bank and the chief executive officers of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, International Monetary and Financial Committee, and the Development Committee of the IMF and World Bank are meeting September 24-25 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Note: the 19 countries are listed below.) The agenda of the summit according to the G-20 website is to "review the progress made since the Washington and London Summits and discuss further actions to assure a sound and sustainable recovery from the global financial and economic crisis." The working class movement should take note that the G-20, G-8, G-7, G-2 and even G-14 are very calculated diversions organized by the U.S., European Union and Japan. They are organizations and meetings to keep the more powerful developing countries such as China, India and Brazil and smaller developed capitalist countries such as Canada, Argentina and many in Europe firmly captured within the imperialist system of states led at this time by the U.S. All the actions and proposals coming from the various groupings of the imperialists are meant "to assure a sound and sustainable recovery from the global financial and economic crisis" by putting the burden on the working class and weaker countries. These imperialist groupings have no interest whatsoever in taking actions that favour the working class and oppressed peoples of the world who are now suffering ever greater hardships as a result of the economic crisis. The imperialist system of states exists to exploit its own working classes and the peoples of all those countries ensnared within its grasp. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the escalating one against Pakistan, the innumerable free trade agreements, the unjust terms of trade and perpetual indebtedness of the most oppressed countries are aspects of its agenda to keep the peoples enslaved with neither the power nor material resources to solve the social and economic problems pounding their societies. Those demonstrating and denouncing the G-20 Summit have every right to do so and should be applauded and encouraged in every way possible. The authority suppressing their right to demonstrate shows concretely that it is in contradiction with the prevailing modern conditions that require the people to govern themselves and that the authority, including the police, cannot rule with impunity but must be accountable to the people and in harmony with the modern conditions. The demonstrators are expressing in their own ways that the imperialist system of states has seen its day, a fossil that has proved with its many failures, constant wars and inability to solve the world's social and economic problems that it is unfit to govern anywhere and must be replaced by workers and their allies governing themselves and by the peoples of the world finding their own way forward according to their own thought material without interference. It is out of the rejection and overthrow of the imperialist system of states and its agenda of war, exploitation and gross interference in the affairs of others that a new and just world will emerge. The working class and its communist leadership have the social responsibility to lead in practice this rejection of the imperialist system of states and all its military, economic and political organizations and prepare conditions for a pro-social alternative. The U.S. Empire is leading the world into chaos and ruin with its program to rescue its domination of the world through war and by passing the burden of the economic crisis onto the backs of its own working class and the peoples and countries of the world. U.S. imperialism has military bases and naval fleets menacing the entire globe, actively intimidating all those who stand up for their rights and waging war with impunity in complete disregard for international law. The U.S. Empire Must Be Dismantled!These constant meetings of the imperialist groupings, which the U.S. dominates are meant to ensure no competitor emerges to challenge its superpower status and to present an image of being all-powerful with no alternative even possible to imagine. But that is illusory and against the progressive flow of humanity. The working class and oppressed peoples around the world are rising to establish their nation-building projects and vest sovereignty in the people in opposition to the imperialist system of states. Even the small heroic nation of Honduras through its brave resistance to the coup d'état has become a thorn in the side of U.S. imperialism. The peoples everywhere simply refuse to stop resisting and fighting for their rights, which are theirs by virtue of being human. The working class in the developed capitalist countries have all re-established their communist parties and are strengthening their resistance to the anti-social offensive and preparing the subjective conditions for a pro-social alternative. Workers should not be diverted from their forward march by the appearance of strength and arrogance and flowery words of this or that grouping or spokesperson of the imperialists. It is all show, bombast and empty rhetoric meant to pacify workers and their leadership and divert them from their own nation-building projects to free their respective countries from the imperialist system of states, give their rights a modern constitutional guarantee and position themselves in power to solve the problems of a socialized economy and a modern way of life without exploitation and class oppression. Workers and their allies must unite in their own groupings both at home and internationally, and discuss and develop their own agenda and programs to build an alternative to the imperialist system of states. More than anything else, the G-20 Summit shows that workers must pay attention to their own needs, views, thinking, agenda and organizations! The groupings and agenda of the imperialists are to be scorned and denounced as irrelevant to the people and a diversion and block to organizing and fighting to solve the problems of the people, socialized economy and nation-building. Down with the imperialist system of states led by the US Empire and all its groupings! Workers and peoples of all countries unite for a pro-social alternative!
G-20 Member Countries and OrganizationsThere are 20 members of the G-20, which include the finance ministers and central bank governors of 19 countries and the European Union: * Argentina: President Cristina Fernández de
Kirchner The 20th member is the European Union, which is represented by the rotating Council presidency and the European Central Bank. In addition to these 20 members, the following forums and institutions, as represented by their respective chief executive officers, participate in meetings of the G-20: * International Monetary Fund
September 24 G-20 to Be Tried by International Tribunal
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The same day the G-20 begin their summit, grassroots leaders will be convening their own summit to examine impacts of G-20 policies on communities throughout the world.
"The G-20 is charged with promoting policies of poverty," says Robin Alexander, Director of International Relations for the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE), and a member of the Grassroots Global Justice Alliance. "Here in Pennsylvania, a recent study by Keystone Institute showed that income declined for 95% of people in Pennsylvania while the top 0.01% saw their income double between 2001 and 2008. This is not the kind of world we want to live in."
While Obama has declared that the economic downturn has stabilized in the U.S., the World Bank has projected that 89 million people will slide into dire poverty by the end of 2010. This together with the rising U.S. unemployment rate, the specter of 59 million jobs to be lost worldwide, and spiraling global environmental degradation indicate that the time is now for bold changes to business as usual.
Development in the Northside community of Pittsburgh is an example of what's wrong with business as usual. In this community of 18 neighborhoods, finance-driven city development has contributed to the construction of massive projects that have displaced local poor, working class and minority communities.
"Corporate developers are taking our public land, our public dollars and our public privelege," says Michael Glass, Executive Director of Northside Common Ministries. "We the people who work and raise our families here no longer have the privelege to say we want hospitals, schools, museums -- institutions that bring long-term growth to our communities. The mayor's office is doing what's good for big business, and this has devastated our neighborhoods. Put yourselves in our place, and you'll see we need to change the way development is done."
The G-20 People's Tribunal will feature testimony from Northside community members as well as workers, students, teachers, and other community experts from around the world. Topics will include:
- Workers on the Move: Growing Unemployment and the
Fight for Sustainable Jobs
- From the Barrio to Boardroom: G20's impact on Drugs,
Crime and Violence
- Global Well-Being: Redefining our relationship to
Environmental Crises
- Trading Places: Impacts of the Free Trade Agenda
- What world are youth inheriting?
- Impact of the Economic Crises on Women
Following testimony, a panel of judges will reach a verdict. Judges include Jeanne Mirer, a civil rights attorney who was just elected president of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, Enrique Daza, Coordinator of Hemispheric Social Alliance, and Sarita Gupta, Executive Director of Jobs with Justice.
"We want the G-20 to see that changing their policies could mean a world where we can provide decent jobs, health care and government services while protecting the environment for all," says Alexander.
The People's Tribunal is a collaboration between Pittsburgh United/Northside United, Grassroots Global Justice Alliance (GGJ), Alliance for Responsible Trade/Hemispheric Social Alliance, Center for Latin American Studies University of Pittsburgh, PA American Friends Service Committee, the G6 Billion, the Hemispheric Social Alliance, and United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America (UE), Roots of Promise, Students for Radical Change.
It is one of 4 events in the series: "People's Voices: Challenging the G-20's Agenda of Corporate Globalization (September 23-25)." For more information go to http://www.pittsburghunited.org/g20
XV Sao Paulo Forum, Mexico City, August 20-23, 2009
Final Declaration
September 21, 2009: Thousands of Hondurans surround the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa in support of constitutional president Manuel Zelaya who returned to the country on Monday. The coup leaders have responded to Zelaya's return by laying siege to the embassy and with increased repression against the people, while the demand for rule of law and restoration of Zelaya as the president continues to intensify throughout Latin America and around the world.
The 15th meeting of the Sao Paulo Forum took place from the 20th to the 23rd of August 2009 in Mexico City with the participation of 520 delegates from 32 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean and 38 guests representing 63 parties and political organizations, popular, progressive and leftist forces. The principle theme of the meeting was "the options for the Latin American left in face of the capitalist crisis."
With the Party of Labour of Mexico and the Democratic Revolution Party as hosts, the delegates of the 15th Meeting endorsed the following declaration:
First. The Sao Paulo Forum has maintained its anti-imperialist and anti-neoliberal identity since its founding almost 20 years ago. During the previous meetings that have taken place there has been an on-going reflection on the problems and the crisis of capitalism, proposing various ideas for building democratic and popular alternatives. If the SPF was born at a time when neoliberalism seemed to be imposing itself without resistance, today, initiating the bicentennial of numerous Latin American and Caribbean independence processes, we can safely say that the SPF has maintained, over the years, a constant struggle against these policies that have demonstrated their historical bankruptcy and their failure, while fighting at the same time to turn the dreams and the causes of the Liberators into reality.
Second. The profound capitalist crisis which broke out last year with its epicentre in the United States, has impacted all the countries of the world and threatens to be lengthy.
This is joined by other crises that the world is suffering: environmental, energy and nutritional -- all of which are intensifying the political and social crises in various countries and regions of the world. It should be added that Latin America and the Caribbean are experiencing a serious public security crisis.
In conclusion, we are facing a systemic crisis, that not only puts the prevailing neoliberal model into question but, moreover, the capitalist mode of production itself. We ratify what we announced during the Montevideo meeting last year: "not only are we facing an epoch of change but we are facing a change of epoch."
Third. The world crisis, in all its levels and facets, has distanced us from the objective of the United Nations, embodied in the Millennium goals, of reducing poverty and hunger in the world. What we are experiencing, and which will be aggravated in the coming months, is unemployment and a severe drop in the quality of life of hundreds of millions of people. The situation of women on whom the heaviest burden will fall is worth noting.
Nevertheless, the crisis is also an opportunity for changing the unipolar world, which the process of constituting economic blocks in various regions of the world has accentuated. We can also observe a decline of the hegemonic power of the United States, although it continues to be the major world economy, keeping the major military power and maintaining control over the principal means of communication.
Fourth. The crisis and the failure of neoliberalism had been foreseen by various sectors of the left. The SPF was especially clear in pointing out the dangers that accompanied monetarism, the Minimum State, deregulation, "flexibility," commercial and financial liberalization and the Washington Consensus. Nevertheless, the current crisis is not only financial and cannot be explained only by the lack of controls favoured by neoliberalism and the breakdown of the institutions that arose from Bretton Woods. We are facing a deeper crisis than that in 1929 and it will be long-lasting. This is due to what happens during a stage of maximum expansion and hegemony of the capitalist mode of production.
Fifth. The outcome of the crisis opens a broad range of
options for the future that will be a result of two combined movements:
the class struggle in each country and the conflicts between different
states and regional blocs. It is probable this interrelation will give
rise to distinct economic and political
models; some will be conservative, others progressive and others will
follow
the road to socialism.
Sixth. The 15th Meeting of the Sao Paulo Forum salutes the 50th Anniversary of the Cuban Revolution and recognizes the example of the Cuban revolution, which, with its historic resistance, has contributed fundamentally to the new era of the turn to the left on our continent.
We ratify, once again, our condemnation of the U.S. imperialist blockade and we reaffirm our demand for the liberation of the five Cuban anti-terrorist fighters, unjustly imprisoned in the jails of the US.
Seventh. A large part of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean have been going through, for more than a decade now, a process of changes, with the development of a growing struggle for their sovereignty and for the rights and well-being of their peoples. The effects of the crisis will have an impact and could cause a regression from the advances in areas of economic growth, employment and reduction of poverty. But this will expose the limits and problems of those economies that are primarily based on exports and controlled by powerful oligopolies detached from the development models in the service of the peoples, their well-being, progress and liberty.
Nonetheless, it should be pointed out that the crisis will not affect all countries equally. Countries that are primarily exporters and highly dependent on the United States, such as Mexico, will experience a larger drop in their economic development and the crisis will last longer. In the case of countries governed by the left, there will be better possibilities for sorting out the problems, especially if they make efforts to strengthen their domestic economies and regional integration. We should mention, however, that even though the margin of manoeuvre of these governments could be reduced the crisis could give rise to deepening changes.
Eighth. The Latin American right has defined various strategies to resist the advance of the left and to sabotage its governments, parties and movements. On the one hand, they have given renewed energy to militarism and the criminalization of social protest, with anti-communist and racist features. At the same time, the right is supported through its control of the principle media , using them to discredit political parties and strengthen their extra-parliamentary political powers. It should be noted that one of the features of the process of change, especially in the Andean region, has been the struggle to include the original peoples, the indigenous peoples and the marginalized majority into the political process through vigorous social movements.
We denounce the strategy of the right to use the fight against organized crime as a pretext to promote their law and order policies that militarize societies, reduce the space for the left to engage in political activities, criminalize the social struggle and promote terror among the population, and which justify ever more repressive actions. This is particularly the case of the developments in Mexico and Colombia, but also in Peru and Honduras.
The Sao Paulo Forum will continually evaluate the
strategies of the right to prevent them from flourishing and will
continue working to broaden the strength of the left.
Ninth. The 15th Meeting had the opportunity to analyze the general situation in Latin American and the Caribbean and emphasized the reaction of the right and imperialism in face of the crisis, through the increasing militarization of our continent, the re-activation of the U.S. Fourth Fleet, the criminalization of politics and social protest and the aspiration to impose Free Trade Conventions or Treaties that guarantee their interests and control over markets and natural resources. At the same time, it more thoroughly analyzed three specific cases: Honduras, Puerto Rico and Colombia. We denounce the coup d'etat in Honduras as an attempt by the right to use the most brutal methods and thus stem the advance of the progressive and left forces. The 15th Meeting undertook to continue supporting the struggle of the Honduran people and to demand the immediate liberation of all political prisoners, the end to the repression, the immediate and unconditional restitution of President Zelaya to his position, along with the constitutional order and political freedoms. The 15th Meeting pledged to promote the unity of all the progressive and leftist forces in Honduras, support the popular resistance and the option that the left adopts in the upcoming elections.
Tenth. Colonialism still exists, as much on a political as on a cultural level, and this is unacceptable. The 15th Meeting commits to strengthen the struggle for the complete independence for Puerto Rico and its sovereign reintegration into the community of Latin American and Caribbean nations. We demand the liberation of the Puerto Rican political prisoners. We also denounce the continued existence of American peoples colonized by European countries: Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Martinique, Guadalupe and Guyana, which have the right to self-determination.
Eleventh. The 15th Meeting rejects the re-activation of the Fourth Fleet of the U.S. Southern Command and vigorously condemns the agreement between the USA and the government of Colombia permitting the use of military bases throughout the national territory. This agreement is an attack on Colombian sovereignty and constitutes a direct threat to Ecuador, Venezuela and Bolivia, affecting the stability and peaceful coexistence of the whole Latin American and Caribbean region. We call on the parties and popular, progressive and leftist forces of the continent and the whole world to oppose the U.S. military presence and to mobilize against militarization. We take up the call for activities against the military bases that has been raised by the member parties of the SPF, especially in Argentina, Venezuela and Colombia. We also denounce the support that the governments of Mexico and Peru have given to this measure illustrating their subordination to the interests of the USA.
Twelfth. The left is present among the organized people in struggle, as well as among its parties, its parliamentary representatives and its municipal, state and national governments. Its principle force lies in its organization and popular mobilization, which continues to express itself throughout Latin America in various forms and in which the role of the indigenous and original peoples stands out, as in Bolivia, and in the important struggle taken up by the Amazon peoples of Peru.
The crisis imposes on popular, progressive and leftist governments to radicalize their option in favour of state activity, public investment, the domestic market, and changing the primarily exporting economic model under the control of multinational corporations, necessarily promoting regional integration. They will have to act more decisively to defend the popular economy, combat poverty and inequality. It is urgent to put in place profound reforms to change the prevailing economic and political structures, as well as to stop the ecological deterioration.
More democracy, more participation and more social organization are the tools of change. It is necessary to deepen popular participation in social struggles and the recovery of the administration of the state. We also have the responsibility to forge and consolidate, in each of our countries, the unity of the political and social forces that are in favour of change for progress, justice and participatory democracy.
Thirteenth. The governments and the popular, progressive and leftist forces of Latin America and the Caribbean must deepen regional integration, as well as creating supranational political, economic, social, cultural and economic administrative organizations. They must move forward in building a block of nations capable of facing the world united to negotiate its place. To do this we must encourage the different processes of integration in a complementary manner, strengthening the tools of integration that already exist: UNASUR, MERCOSUR, CAN, ALBA, CARICOM, SICA, etc. and thus reach our strategic objective of a genuine Latin American and Caribbean integration.
Fourteenth. It is necessary for the popular, progressive and leftist parties and governments of Latin America and the Caribbean to participate in the debate about the new world order that will arise after the crisis and is already grounds for argument. It is a question of proposing the creation of new rules and new international institutions that give the world, especially developing countries, improved capacity to finance their economies and to regulate trade, investment and capital flows.
Fifteenth. The 15th Meeting of the Sao Paulo Forum
approves a plan of work for the next year that proposes:
To support the progressive and leftist governments, organizing a debate and permanent exchange of information between the leaders of the parties of the SPF on the evolution of the situation in Latin America and of the governments of the region, creating an Observatory of Leftist and Progressive Governments for this purpose.
To decisively support the Honduran left under the terms of the particular resolution approved by this 15th Meeting.
To contribute to strengthening the social movements, as well as the full coordination of these with the indigenous and original peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean.
To forge and consolidate in each of our countries, the unity of the political and social forces, which stand for change, progress, justice and participatory democracy.
Strengthening the parties and social and political movements with mechanisms of effective internal democracy, training the future generations and forging firm links with popular movements and leaders, developing a straight-forward and unifying contact with them. Promoting the unity of the political and social forces that are for change as a base for victory, developing class struggle against capitalism and spaces for unity in action, which favours unity.
Support the electoral processes of 2009 and 2010 with two objectives: don't cede any government to the right and amplify the spaces for the left. For this, it has been resolved to send electoral observers.
Place special attention on the situation in Mexico, Colombia and Peru giving rise in the course of 2010 to a meeting of the Working Group in each of these countries with the objective of debating the respective national situations and what the Sao Paulo Forum can do in terms of effective support.
To convoke a large Continental Meeting of Social Movements and Popular, Progressive and Leftist Political Parties, members of the Forum and of organizations of civil society, for peace and against the imperialist military presence in the region, especially the installation of U.S. military bases in Colombia and the Fourth Fleet.
To celebrate a summit event of a continental character, where the central and sole theme will be the problem of colonialism in Our America.
Coordinate the actions of the Sao Paulo Forum with the struggle of the Latin American and Caribbean immigrants in the United States.
Reform the Executive Secretariat of the Sao Paulo Forum, so that in the future it will consist of an Executive Secretary appointed by the Working Group, and three assistant secretaries appointed by the regional Secretariats (Southern Cone, Andean Amazon, Central America and the Caribbean) in agreement with the specific resolution.
Sixteenth. During the 15th Meeting, the First Meeting of the Youth of the SPF took place at the same time. We consider this to be a very important advance for the Latin American left and recognize the determination, the vision and the political capacity of the youth of the SPF that allowed the holding of this First Meeting to become a reality. We support the resolutions taken during this First Youth Meeting and we consider that these actions must be permanent and deserve the utmost attention and all necessary support.
The 15th Meeting adopts as its own the resolutions of the meetings of the national authorities; parliamentarians; schools and foundations; social, indigenous and African-descended peoples movements; culture; and women. The Working Group will do everything necessary to promote and realize the adopted resolutions.
Seventeenth. The 15th Meeting of the Sao Paulo Forum paid homage to comrade Armando Chavarria, historic leader of the Mexican PRD, assassinated in the most cowardly way on the opening day of the Forum. It equally gave heartfelt recognition to Juan Bosch and Marco Benedetti, who symbolize the courage and the soul of the struggle for a new America.
Eighteenth. We convoke the 16th Meeting of the Sao Paulo Forum, to take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina during August 2010, coinciding with the celebration of our 20th anniversary.
Nineteenth. The assisting delegates at the 15th Meeting of the SPF showed their appreciation for the efforts deployed by the host parties, the PT and the PRD of Mexico, for the realization of this important and successful meeting of the Latin American left.
Mexico City, DF, August 23, 2009
(Translated from the original Spanish by TML)
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