ALLIANCE AGAINST POVERTY

The time for resignation and silence is over.

We can’t tolerate even one more day the collective shame of over 60,000 people who die each day of hunger and neglect, while 4,000 million dollars are devoted to military spending.

We cannot tolerate the fact that there was no money to support the Millennium Objectives but, suddenly, hundreds of thousands of millions were made available to “rescue” the same financial institutions that, with their greed and irresponsibility, led the world into a serious multiple (economic, democratic, political, environmental and ethical) crisis.

The “globalizers” replaced cooperation with exploitation, aid with loans, social justice and other values for the rules of the market. And the United Nations of all the people was replaced with groups of plutocrats (G-7, G-8, G-20).

In 2008 it was decided to take decisive action against tax havens and the lack of regulation. But nothing was done: unbridled military spending continued, tax havens are still open for business, and the wealthy feel no sense of solidarity.

And the economy of speculation and war continues its course. Nevertheless, the wealthiest nations, armed to the teeth, don’t even have the personal, technical and financial resources to reduce the impact of natural or man-made disasters. They have nuclear warheads, but they don’t know how to handle the consequences of earthquakes, fires or floods.

And production continues to be delocalized in the East, without consideration for working conditions or human rights.

And world governance continues in the hands of only a few countries, while the United Nations is ignored. And the World Trade Organization remain placed beyond its scope.

And no changes have been made in energy sources that pollute. And nothing is done about climate change.

The newly impoverished “rescuers” must now adjust their budgets and reduce their social welfare expenditures.

Those who brought us the dot-com and real estate bubbles, together with large flows of illegal immigration, now criticize those who have to face the consequences of poor neoliberal governance at both the local and international levels.

They are the same ones who comment in huge headlines that the number of the world’s inhabitants who suffer from hunger has decreased, as if they had actually done something to achieve this relative improvement, which is actually almost exclusively due to the efforts and know-how of the countries involved, such as India.

They are the same ones who distort financial reports and block the transition from a market economy to an economy of sustainable global development.

And are against of alternative sources of financing, such as taxes on financial international transactions.

For the first time in history we have a profound knowledge of the reality. For the first time in history, with the increased participation of women, we can make our voices heard loud and clear in the communications media, on Internet and through SMS.

Each day and from now on, thousands of millions of our fellow human beings will prevent us from forgetting, and prompt us into action.

This Alliance Against Poverty, in favor of human dignity, is currently supported by many associations and NGOs, but it must increase exponentially. Let’s soon cease to be mere subjects to become full citizens! Let’s quickly extend this throughout cyberspace, so that they will not only have to hear us, but will be obliged to listen to us too!

A new beginning is now possible. It’s possible for “the peoples”, united in peace, to dictate their own destiny, which is what genuine democracy is all about.