Agora of the Inhabitants of the Earth
M A N I F E S T 2 0 2 0
FROM
PILLAGE TO SECURITY. LIFE FOR ALL THE
INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH
Three
scourges are devastating the life of the Earth's Inhabitants
-
the
Covid-19 pandemic
( more than 230,000 deaths). The explosion and spread of the
coronavirus are, according to almost all scientists, closely linked,
among other things, to the environmental devastation of recent
decades and the deterioration of hygiene and health conditions in
most countries of the world;
-
climate
and environmental disaster,
due, among other things, to deforestation and soil degradation, loss
of biodiversity, contamination and pollution of air and water (the
ecological footprint tells us that by August 2019 we already
"consumed" the renewable biotic capital of the planet's
land and water);
-
hunger
and thirst
(7.9 million children under the age of 5 died in 2018 from diseases
due, among other things, to lack of access to drinking water. In a
world that in 2019 claimed to be "rich", estimating its
global GDP at about 80 trillion dollars, almost one billion people
suffer from hunger, 2.1 billion people do not know clean drinking
water and 4.2 billion do not know what a toilet is).
The
Unacceptable World
The
dramatic conditions in which 1 billion people (1 in 8 in the world)
live in unhealthy, insecure and socially violent slums, as well as
the 175 million unemployed adults (mostly young people) and the 850
million working poor (earning less than 2 dollars a day), indicate
that inequality and the denial of human rights for billions of people
are the products of our societies, our economies. They
demonstrate the failure of the system in place, of its "economic
growth", of its "human development", of its logic of
war.
Neither
war nor poverty are inevitable.
According
to SIPRI, in 2019 the governments of the world spent 1.910 billion
dollars on armaments (38% of which were spent by the United States
alone), i.e. more than 5 billion dollars a day. To attack, to kill,
to become stronger, not to save lives, to save the environment, to
protect land...
No
one is born poor by fate or chance. Today, more than 90% of humanity
has to make do with less than 10% of the world's goods because the
dominant economy, governed by the principles of capitalist society,
has commodified, privatized, deregulated, liberalized, financialized
all forms of material and immaterial life for the benefit of the
strongest, the conquerors, the dominating warriors, while life and
living in dignity, freedom and justice belong to all.
The
world must change
We
have to change the system now, by attacking the roots.
We
cannot obey
the imperative of economic growth, which is to force the inhabitants
of the earth to quickly break out of their confinement and enter the
second phase of "pandemic management", "living
with the virus".
We cannot assume the risk of health and death - even if with certain
precautions - to get back to work and get the economic machine of
production and consumption back to work, without changing any of the
founding principles and key mechanisms of the failed system.
We
do not think
it is wise and fair to return to slave labour, which humiliates and
excludes, in order to become once again an irresponsible, passive,
mass buyer/consumer; to earn dehumanizing money that reduces
everything, including human beings, to a « profitable »
resource.
FIRST
PROPOSAL FOR ACTION
To
act against the inequality and exclusion that generates hunger and
thirst.
For
a new regulation of work and economy
LET
US DECLARE POVERTY ILLEGAL. POVERTY IS THE PRODUCT OF LABOUR
REGULATION WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF UNEQUAL ECONOMIC GROWTH. IT IS THE
RESULT OF GLOBAL PILLAGE OF LIFE IN THE INTERESTS AND SURVIVAL OF THE
POWERFUL.
We
refuse to be trapped in the "value chains" of our
factories, farms, offices, schools, universities, hospitals, sports,
etc.. We do not want to return to activities operating in the name of
GDP (even if it is green, blue, circular, digital...) and ROI (Return
on Investment).
We
need new
labour rules
as a condition for "returning to work". Among these,
priority
must be given to economic activities focused on safeguarding and
promoting common public goods and services of fundamental interest
for life,
starting with a major
world programme on water and common water services
as a driving force for large-scale economic and social change in the
areas of health, agri-food, housing, urban renewal, environmental
economics, land, public transport, other natural and cultural common
goods.
Work
must be freed
from activities that pollute, are dangerous and harmful to the health
and safety of citizens and to the environment, such as certain
chemical production, mining activities, arms production, etc. The
irrational flow of products through international trade must be
reduced. There is increasing pressure for the re-territorialisation
of communitarian production and self-management. The simplicity and
sobriety of consumption are gaining visibility. The
globalisation of recent decades must be abandoned.
The world economy of the coming decades does not need an army of
skills and professions dedicated to make speculative finance, tax
evasion and tax havens work and prosper. Many of the functions of
banks and insurance companies will have to disappear. Work
must be expanded into artistic and cultural creation
(non-commercialized, demonized) and peace.
Work must become a synonymous of equality of rights and dignity.
SECOND
PROPOSAL FOR ACTION
To
act in favour of science and technology in the service of all the
inhabitants of the global community of life on Earth.
A
GLOBAL CAMPAIGN FOR THE DESIGN, MANUFACTURE AND USE OF A GLOBAL,
COMMON, PUBLIC, FREE VACCINE AGAINST COVID19
The
manipulation of living organisms for private purposes and
profit-making purposes is immoral and unacceptable. It is time to
move towards a society (and an economy) capable of enhancing and
promoting knowledge (science) and its application (technology) as a
common good and service - res publica - under the primary
responsibility of human communities.
The
vaccine must be the result of cooperation and solidarity amongst
scientists and peoples and not of warlike competition and rivalry
for the sake of profit and power.
Humanity
does not need a vaccine war.
There is no good reason why the future vaccine(s) should be privately
owned by pharmaceutical companies for at least 17 to 20 years. As
is well known, global private companies clearly act in the interests
of the owners of their capital by producing and marketing (through
public subsidies and public regulations) medicines intended primarily
to treat patients who can pay the price set by the companies
themselves. Money
continues to enslave health.
It is not true that science and economy are at the service of people.
There are other main recipients before the people.
For
these reasons, the association Agora
of the Inhabitants of the Earth
active
in several countries of the world (from Argentina to Belgium, from
Chile to France, from Brazil to Cameroon, from Quebec to Italy,
Portugal, Germany, India...) proposes the
launch of a transnational campaign whose objective is to adopt a
global protocol on a common public patent for the Covid-19 vaccine.
"Science
(and economy) for the health of the earth's inhabitants".
For
a common, public and free Covid-19 vaccine.
For
a trans-national citizens' alliance
We
propose that the campaign is conceived, planned and led by a global
network of civil society associations, movements and institutions.
The network will be set up during May so that the launch can start in
June 2020. The multiplicity and diversity of initiatives in this area
is fundamental and desirable.
The
indirect objective of the campaign is to prevent the Covid-19
vaccine(s) from being another act of economic, social and political
expropriation of life by powerful private powers with the support of
national and international public authorities.
Science
must cease to be an instrument used primarily in the service of war,
power and inequality.
Knowledge is a "res publica" .
This
Manifesto is an invitation to all those who share the proposals to
express their support and adherence to the campaign "A
common, public and free global Covid-19 vaccine".
THANK
YOU, in solidarity
Agora
of the Inhabitants of the Earth (secretariat.audace@gmail.com)
First
Signatories
Alain Adriaens (Belgium), Jean Paul Amadou Zigaou (Camerun), Marcos P. Arruda (Brazil), Guido Barbera (Italy),Marcelo Barros (Brazil), Fabián Bicciré (Argentina), Alberto Botto (Argentina), Jacques Brodeur (Québec), Bernard Cassen (France), Roberto Colombo (Italy), Alejandro Huala Canuman (Chile), Francesco Comina (Italy), Alain Dangoisse ((Belgium),Ina Darmstaedter (Germany), Armando Di Nardi ((Brazil), Amadou Emanuel (Camerun), Anibal Faccendini (Argentina), Jorge Fandermole (Argentina), Alfio Foti and Emanuele Villa (Itay), Pierre Galand (Belgium), Philippe Giroul (Québec), Fatoumata Kane Ki-Zerbo (Sénégal - Burkina Faso). Felicien Illunga (DR Congo), Luis Infanti de la Mora (Chile), Miguel Lacabana (UK- Argentina)), Mady Ledant (Belgium ), Jorge Llonc (Argentina) ,Gustavo Marini (Argentina), Eliane Mandine (France), Monastero del Bene Comune (Luca Cecchi, Paola Libanti, Silvano Nicoletto) (Italy), Maria Palatine (Germany) Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio (Italy), Riccardo Petrella (Itay), Jean-Yves Proulx (Québec), Roberto Savio (Italiy, Roberto Musacchio (Italy), Anne Rondelet (Belgium), Bernard Tirtiaux (Belgium), Pietro Pizzuti (Belgium), Domenico Rizzuti (Italy), María Eugenia Schmuck (Argentina), Université du Bien Commun (Cristina Bertelli, Claire Dehove, Corinne Ducrey, Jean-Pascal Derumier,Annie Flexer,Gilles Yovan) (France), Luiz Carlos Vena (Brazil), Philippe Veniel (France), José Vermandere (Belgium), Alejandro Vila (Argentina)
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