EU in the world Archives: January 2008

  • PES and anti-globalization activists: Is another world possible?

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    Rating: 4.8/5 with 4 votes

    Published Thursday, January 31, 2008 at 16:28
    by Editor (1055 views and 1 comments)

    On 26 January, hundreds of organizations held events across the world to mark the 8th World Social Forum and voice their demands for a fair and inclusive globalization process. They did this on the same day the Davos Economic Forum, which gathers the rich and powerful to discuss the world’s problems. Problems that the World Social Forum organizations feel are being treated without concern for the needs of the world’s ordinary citizens, who are the first affected by globalization.

    Criticisms are often aimed at socialist and social democratic parties, which fight for social progress, but are increasingly seen as failing to offer an answer to the growing inequalities generated by globalization. As a consequence, many people have turned to civil society organizations to voice their concern, rather than political parties.

    How should Europe’s progressive political parties react to globalization? Which solutions should they offer for making globalization fairer and more inclusive and get closer to the citizens? To what extent should the PES and its parties take part in the WSF movement and the issues raised by international civil society?

    The World Social Forum was launched... » read more ...

    Tags: globalization

  • Next week Yourspace goes to the States

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    Rating: 4.6/5 with 5 votes

    Published Wednesday, January 30, 2008 at 15:35
    by Editor (1092 views and 4 comments)

    From Monday February 4 to Friday February 8 PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen leads a European Socialist delegation to Washington and New York to meet leading US Democrats.

    He will be there on ‘SuperTuesday’ when 22 states choose between Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards for their candidate for the Presidential elections.

    Next week might be a turning point in American history – and you’ll be in front row for news! Yourspace will be blogging from the delegation and answering your questions. What is on the Democrats’ policy agenda – and what will it mean for the PES and our manifesto for the 2009 European elections? What are the prospects for the PES and US Democrats to make the world a better place? Yourspace will put your questions to members of the delegation, and report back on issues you raise – just put your question in a comment to this post.

    The PES President will be joined by Romanian Social Democrat Leader Mircea Geoana, former Swedish Finance Minister Par Nuder, Norwegian ViceFinance Minister Geir Axlesen, Norwegian Secretary of State for Defence Espen Barth Eide and Socialist Members of the European Parliament including Pervenche Beres, Harlem Desir, Ieke van den Burg, Jan Marinus Wiersma, Stavros Lambrinidis and Lapo Pistelli.

    Tags: PES, US elections, USA

  • Be present and criticize when necessary, European socialists should react

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    Rating: 4.4/5 with 7 votes

    Published Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 10:49
    by thanos (1146 views and 1 comments)

    I believe the EU and European socialists should criticize what is actually happening in Palestine. The situation in Gaza is terrible and everyone has seen the pictures in the media. An urgent solution is needed and if we are to achieve it, we will have to speak up and react.

    If the Palestinian issue is not resolved, things will always be dangerous and difficult not only for that region but for the whole world . The PES and the socialist group in the European Parliament should agree on a common position and express it publicly.

    The PES manifesto should include general positions on majour conflicts in the world and condemn the abuse of international law and human rights.

    Tags: conflict, human rights

  • Human Rights in the world: the PES must fight for all - don't forget LGBT!

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    Rating: 4.6/5 with 5 votes

    Published Friday, January 18, 2008 at 12:30
    by joelld (1192 views and 0 comments)

    The work paper on "EU in the world" and the resolution "EU on the international scene", adopted by the PES Sofia Council in November 2007, make clear that the European socialists are committed to the promotion of a sustainable peace everywhere in the world. Among the means to achieve this goal, a very interesting and very right thing takes place: Europe must promote democracy and Fundamental Rights for all. The resolution is more precise, and mentions the rights of women, of migrants and asylum seekers. It emphasizes the importance of the recognition of the cultural diversity.

    Rainbow Rose believes the PES does well by focusing on this point. We would like to add that the promotion of Human Fundamental Rights must be advocated in all its diversity, and adress the civil society as well as the States, as a principle of the EU foreign policies. That’s the reason we would like to state clearly that the European Commission, in its internal relation tasks, should speak explicitly about the rights of lesbian, gay and transgender persons as part of the universal Human Rights (this applies, of course, to all other discriminated groups).
    » read more ...

    Tags: equality, fundamental rights, gay, human rights, LGBT, peace, solidarity, women

    File: Yogyakarta_principles.pdf

  • Fresh water is for everyone?

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    Rating: 4.3/5 with 6 votes

    Published Tuesday, January 15, 2008 at 14:55
    by Editor (1299 views and 2 comments)

    Turn the tap on and you’ll have fresh water, right? According to the World Health Organization 14.000 – 20.000 people die every day because of contaminated water. No one can live without access to clean water – it is essential to survival and development.

    Public goods are goods that are – or ought to be – there for everyone to consume. NGOs and experts often argue that fresh water should be made a global public good – available for everyone on the planet.

    In your opinion should the PES manifesto suggest water as a global public good? Are there other goods that should be available globally?

    Tags: development, public services, solidarity

  • Mini planet - huge problems

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    Rating: 4.4/5 with 5 votes

    Published Friday, January 11, 2008 at 12:55
    by fairness Join PES activists (1273 views and 2 comments)

    This video has been going around the internet for a while. The idea is to consider how the world’s ‘goods’ would be distributed if we had a ‘miniature earth’ with only 100 people on the planet. It is really an interesting way of presenting problems such as poverty, AIDS and illiteracy.



    Such a video makes you feel privileged - privileged to be a ‘rich’ European who doesn’t have to worry about lack of water or children dying of AIDS. At the same time it’s frustrating – frustrating to be reminded of how far we are away from social justice.

    What should the EU do to ensure a more fair distribution of the world’s goods? Posing this question will not give me any points for originality, but it’s certainly essential to debate. Both on miniature and ‘real’ earth there is a long way to go before we can speak of social justice.

    At the same time we should not forget that social injustice prospers in Europe as... » read more ...

    Tags: aid, AIDS, human rights, poverty, solidarity

  • Les frontières de l'Union Européenne

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    Rating: 4/5 with 4 votes

    Published Tuesday, January 8, 2008 at 09:53
    by Christian Casenave (1128 views and 1 comments)

    Nous avons besoin d'élargir nos réflexions sur les frontières pertinentes de l'Union Européenne, qui a vocation à coopérer avec tous les continents de notre monde multipolaire. Après la chute du mur de Berlin, l'élargissement à l'est a été un grand succès et comme il n'est pas réaliste d'ouvrir les frontières vers le nord, ni vers le sud, pourquoi ne pas envisager un élargissement à l'ouest, vers les Antilles, le Canada, les Etats-Unis d'Amérique ? Une Union Européenne à l'échelle de l'Occident pourrait développer des relations plus ambitieuses et efficaces avec l'Inde, la Chine, sur le plan culturel, politique, économique et social, en relation étroite avec l'ONU; elle serait mieux préparée, aussi, à l'encadrement politique de l'OTAN.

    Tags: UN, USA