People's Summit vs. G20 Summit

Tim Newman, Campaigns Assistant, International Labor Rights Forum

As the global financial crisis continues to grow, President Bush is holding a G20 Summit in Washington, DC this Saturday.  Originally billed as a "new Bretton Woods" the summit will bring together world leaders to discuss how to reconstruct the global financial system.  While many expectations for this event are less grand than what came out of Bretton Woods, the actions taken by G20 leaders will certainly have a major impact on working people globally.

Yesterday, the International Trade Union Confederation released a program of action called the "Washington Declaration" which, among other things, calls for a Green New Deal, an end to unequal income distribution and changes to the policies promoted by international financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.  There are also two global statements outlining new principles for an economic system that would benefit people and the planet online here.  ILRF has signed on to both statements.

In the last few months, there has been no shortage of exciting ideas for a "Main Street" recovery plan proposed by working families and organizations focused on their issues.  The problem is that so far it seems that those making the decisions are not listening and carefully considering these ideas.  So, while Bush hosts his summit, there will be a parallel People's Summit in DC.  From today until Sunday, a broad range of organizations facilitated by an organizing group called Global Justice Action is planning protests, celebrations, popular education workshops and strategy sessions to develop alternative visions for the global economy and to work toward implementing these ideas.  If you are in the DC area, we hope that you will participate in these events! If you are interested in discussing ideas and strategies with some exciting global activists, check out the People's Forum.