Poverty and Prejudice Meeting 5

1
Poverty and Prejudice Meeting 5

• Overview of 2008 studies on Poverty and Prejudice
• Draft Overview of OPEC investment partners
• Draft Overview of investments for peace in the
  Holy Lands
• Draft Overview of investing for peace in
  Sudan-Darfur
• Draft Overview of Expansion of world Micro loan
  Institutions
• Draft Investments for Indigenous farmers in
  Guatemala
• Draft investments to Overcome conflict in the
  SAARC nations
• Draft investments to develop sustainable biofuels
  in the ASEAN nations
• Draft development of trade for rural Vietnam

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(a) Overview of 2008 studies on Poverty and
Prejudice

• Previous reviews described failed plans of a
  U.S. Empire to control the world through superior
  military power, capture of world oil and gas
  supplies and indebting former colonies through
  neoliberal economic power. In the last 10 years
  control of resources have been regained by
  developing nations. The EU, cradle of colonialism
  and two world wars, have evolved means to settle
  differences without wars and coexist with many
  different cultures, languages and religions.
  South America has organized in similar fashion,
  and other regions are moving in the same
  direction.
• Now, as oil and gas are depleted in the next 50
  years, scarcity pricing will bring windfall
  profits of over 45 trillion to OPEC members and
  Russia, totaling over three times the total GDP
  of the eight richest nations (G8). This quarter
  we look at how these resources may be used to
  help relieve poverty for peoples around the
  world, a goal promised by the G8 but not
  delivered. We outline a number of areas
  suggesting to OPEC managers where investments can
  be made for peace and truly fair and sustainable
  world trade.

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(b) Draft OPEC Investment Partners

• From the OPEC numbers and scarcity pricing, it is
  projected that the members will earn well over
  45 trillion in oil and gas sales in the next 50
  years. They will invest it in activities to
  benefit their own nations and the regions they
  are associated with. Since they will earn more
  than the GDPs of the eight richest nations
  combined, it is an opportunity to choose
  investments that will benefit them in the long
  run as well as correct the injustices of the
  colonial and neo-liberal policies of the modern
  era. Although few nations met their obligations,
  the millennium goals of the UN request to the
  G8 gives some guidance,. Review of the OPEC
  nations meeting in Saudi Arabia last month
  reveals their plans. Commitments to reduce global
  warming totaled just under 1trillion. Continued
  funding of Opec Fund for International
  Development (OFID) outlines programs that will
  receive much larger resources in the coming
  years.
• A special look is made into the investments by
  members in creating future renewable bio-fuels
  and carbon sequestration through reforestation in
  international rainforests and these links with
  carbon credits. Particular emphasis is given to
  the diplomatic initiatives of King Abdullah of
  Saudi Arabia, OPECs largest member, with Japan,
  Russia, Europe and China.
• OPECs economic power is viewed as a counter, if
  effectively used, to the military approach of the
  United States.

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(c) Draft Investments for peace in the Holy Lands

• The history of the holy lands is one of conquest
  by a succession of empires, the latest reflecting
  the colonial control during and after the two
  world wars and continuing with the current
  invasion and occupation of the cradle of
  civilization. The peace plan for Palestine and
  Israel of the UN, EU, Russia and US reflect a
  negotiated balance of interests but is not
  contending well with military actions and counter
  actions on both sides. An approach agreed to by
  Japan and Saudi Arabia, The Corridor of Peace
  and Prosperity has the potential of diverting
  the current hatred to constructive long term
  economic development for the Palestinians and
  Istaelis and eventually for the regions many
  residents. Japans initiative is strong with all
  nations in the region and can be encouraged by
  OPEC Mid-East members depositing their oil
  profits in the Japanese development banks.
• Another initiative being reviewed is the
  investment in the holiest sites in the
  Palestinian region, the sites important to Jews,
  Moslems, and Christians. The original UN Mandate
  creating the State of Israel designated Jerusalem
  as an international territory. There has been
  recent consideration of developing the holy sites
  as World Heritage sites and placing them under
  the management of ecumenical groups representing
  the interests of the three religions. Support
  from all OPEC members is suggested to encourage
  the peaceful teachings of the founders of the
  three faiths, making Jerusalem a center of
  reconciliation of faiths.

5
First meeting of experts on the cultural heritage
of the Old City of Jerusalem

• 26-01-2005 225 pm UNESCO Director-General
  Koïchiro Matsuura today opened the first meeting
  of a Committee of Experts on the Cultural
  Heritage of the Old City of Jerusalem, a site
  inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1981
  by virtue of its outstanding cultural value. The
  opening session was held in the presence of the
  Permanent Delegates of UNESCO's Member States and
  Norway's Minister of Culture and Church Affairs,
  Valgerd Svarstad Haugland. The President of
  UNESCO's General Conference, Michael Abiola
  Omolewa, and the Chairman of UNESCO's Executive
  Board, Hans-Heinrich Wrede also addressed the
  opening session. In his address, the
  Director-General welcomed the fact that it was
  now possible for the Organization to start
  working on the preparation of a "comprehensive
  proposal in a spirit of cooperation with all the
  concerned parties" for the safeguarding of the
  cultural heritage of the Old City of Jerusalem,
  an issue that has been on the agenda of UNESCO's
  governing bodies since 1967. The Committee of
  Experts numbers 12 internationally renowned
  architects, archeologists, curators, restorers,
  architectural historians and structural engineers
  with professional knowledge of the Old City of
  Jerusalem, which Mr Matsuura described as
  presenting "an outstanding combination of
  historic, artistic and spiritual values." "More
  than any other place in the world," Mr Matsuura
  said, "Jerusalem embodies the hope and dream of
  dialogue between cultures, civilizations and
  spiritual traditions, a dialogue through which
  mutual understanding between peoples may
  flourish. Deep at the heart of UNESCO's mission
  lies the commitment to create the conditions for
  genuine dialogue based upon respect for shared
  values and the dignity of each civilization and
  culture." In keeping with a resolution of
  UNESCO's General Conference of 2003, the experts
  meeting at UNESCO today are expected to advise
  the Director-General on the elaboration of a
  comprehensive Plan of Action to safeguard the
  cultural heritage of the Old City of Jerusalem
  and to provide him with guidelines and proposals
  for its implementation. UNESCO sent a
  high-level mission to Jerusalem in March 2004 to
  assess the state of conservation of the Old City.
  The process now underway marks a new turn for
  UNESCO, which hitherto had to limit its
  interventions to selected initiatives on specific
  monuments and monitoring missions. UNESCO is
  the United Nations standard-setting organization
  in charge of heritage preservation. It also
  implements the 1954 Convention for the Protection
  of Cultural Properties in the Event of Armed
  Conflict, also known as the Hague Convention, and
  the 1972 Convention for the Protection of the
  World Cultural and Natural Heritage (the World
  Heritage Convention). "The stakes are
  considerable," the Director-General concluded,
  "not only for the cultural heritage of the Old
  City but also for advancing the cause of dialogue
  among peoples and civilizations. It is my sincere
  hope that UNESCO will be able to reaffirm that
  the cultural heritage of the Old City of
  Jerusalem is indeed a shared value and that its
  safeguarding is a cause around which the parties
  concerned are willing to cooperate, with the full
  support of the international community."

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(d) Draft Investing for peace in Sudan-Darfur

• Review of the issues in Darfur show both great
  suffering and oil resources. An African
  Union-United Nations peacekeeping force is in the
  area but is under funded. There is also a long
  standing UN refugee program assisting the
  refugees in Darfur and in Chad.The civil war
  lasting for over ten years relates to attempts of
  rebels to become independent of Sudan, along with
  ownership of oil resources. Review looks for
  investment by OPEC groups through the UN-AU
  organizations. It analyzes the state of the
  refugees and investments in reconstruction and
  economic initiatives to attract and settle the
  nearly 2 million refugees back to their original
  homes and occupations. The peace agreements
  reached in March serves as a blueprint but is
  only a starting point for the full economic peace
  package to bring peace.
• Interests of the Chinese, Malaysian, Indian and
  European oil corporations is reviewed with the
  assumption that if necessary 10 of their
  windfall profit will be directed towards the
  solution through the UN mechanisms. The earlier
  peace agreements allowed more autonomy to the
  southern region and required a split of of
  profits 50 between north and south regions.
• The religious and ethnic backgrounds of the
  refugees form part of the background and are
  included in the UN-AU plans for resettlement.

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(e) Draft Expansion of World Micro loan
Institutions

• The development of microloans was done by Mohamad
  Unis a professor from Bangladesh. He initiated
  the Grameen Bank (village bank) that made loans
  mainly to groups of women in poor communities.The
  pay back rate is above 95 in most areas. The
  main issue for the bank is that it bypasses the
  major banks of the nations and international
  financing institutions, removing one of the major
  mechanisms to gain power over the peoples of the
  world. Hence the great success and rapid spread
  of microcredit organizations, and the growing
  criticism of the world banking community.
• This study reviews the mechanisms of the local
  loan boards, the tendency to make the loans
  through small groups of women, who then take
  responsibility for encouraging repayment, and the
  type of projects that are typically funded.
• Review is done of microloan organizations that
  are already funded by OPEC members and of similar
  programs by OFID.
• The suggestion is made that the rural groups
  already funded by microloans around the world can
  serve as the outlet for larger loans to allow the
  communities to capitalize infrastructure
  projects, projects related to biofuels and
  reforestation, and other development goals
  promised by the G8 but not followed up on

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(f) Draft Investments for Indigenous farmers in
Guatemala

• The United Fruit Company was to America like the
  East Indian Company was to England. During the
  Colonial era they virtually occupied the Central
  American Countries, the banana republics, and
  operated them together with rich locals to
  control the lucrative export market.When the
  resultant poverty boiled over, the government was
  asked to intervene to maintain control, making it
  clear who really controlled the nation.
• In the 1960s an effort was made by the socialist
  government to reclaim land kept out of production
  by United Fruit, paying them only the value
  claimed for tax purposes. Right wing military
  units took over and with training of US military
  massacred almost 200,000 indigenous villagers as
  part of their rural pacification program. These
  atrocities continued until a cease fire
  negotiated by the United Nations called a halt
  and led to elections. Just last year a social
  progressive was finally elected and is now
  starting reform.
• The review looks in detail at the Banana trade,
  the role of farm labor unions and regulations,
  and the formation of farmers cooperatives to
  achieve fairer deals for the Indigenous
  population. It also looks at the mix of biofuel,
  export bananas, and normal food crops in the
  rural farming areas. Behavior and market control
  of the successors to United Fruit, Chiquita
  Banana, Dole, etc.
• Can unity of the former Banana republics using
  income from Energy profits turn the dependent
  colonial pattern into fair trade? What is the
  role of crop subsidies and what are the relevant
  corrections in the WTO demanded by the G20
  nations?

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(g) Draft Investments to Overcome conflict in the
SAARC nations

• A review of the conflicts in the SAARC group of
  nations. The history of diverse religious,
  cultural and language traditions is briefly
  reviewed. The capture of the region by England
  and treatment during colonial administration has
  made the transitions to independence difficult.
  After fighting for independence in 1950 the
  country partitioned into primarily Hindu India
  and Moslem Pakistan, later separated from
  Bangladesh with Indian military assistance.
• The disputed state of Kashmir has led to military
  confrontation, including nuclear threats between
  India and Pakistan. Besides military support to
  Pakistan, the US has offered unmonitored Nuclear
  technology to India but not to Pakistan.
• The predominantly Buddhist island of Sri Lanka
  has ongoing civil war against the Tamil Tigers,
  Hindu Indians brought into the island supply
  labor for the tea plantations and to rule during
  colonialism.
• The US military sponsorship of Pakistan to
  support Moslem rebels in Afghanistan and support
  of its military government seems to be coming to
  an end with the election of the party of the
  assassinated Benazir Bhutto. In Nepal the rural
  Maoist rebels have just won the first democratic
  elections. Meanwhile Bhutan seems to be a model
  of positive rule, emphasizing national
  happiness as its development goal.
• The review compares the SAARC rules with the
  success of the E.U. and looks towards strategic
  investment to generate peaceful trade, reduction
  of rampant poverty in some areas, and peaceful
  coexistence between the diverse cultures.

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(h) Draft Investments in Sustainable Biofuels in
ASEAN nations

• Members of the ASEAN trading bloc were under
  colonial rule for over 300 years, supplying goods
  to enrich the European empires. As the world runs
  out of oil and gas, the nations are making a
  transition to independence and fair world trade.
  The transition to sustainable world energy will
  take into account development of sugar cane, palm
  oil and other sustainable biofuels. It will also
  address the issues of deforestation, which has
  cleared mush of the Asian forests for
  international sales of lumber.
• The review of regional policy seeks a balance
  between, energy policy, world trade, global
  warming and food needs. OPEC members are looked
  to for help in supporting reforestation and
  development of biofuels to earn carbon credits
  for sales to Kyoto protocol nations. Development
  of the remaining oil and gas reserves for high
  profits are also looked to for investment in
  support of the transition fuels.
• Particular emphasis is placed on development of
  farming populations in the ASEAN regions, turning
  former plantation regions into locally owned
  community resources, improving economic
  independence, education and health without
  sacrificing the traditional cultural and social
  structures of the nations.
• Comment is also made on the transition from
  political colonialism to the issue of colonial
  dependence through new economic domination in
  trade. A brief review is done of the projected
  transportation plans related to fuel future.

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(i) Draft Development of trade for Rural Vietnam

• Vietnams history dates back over 4000 years.
  Until colonialism, it was ruled by various
  Vietnamese and Chinese Dynasties. In the 1800s
  it was colonized by the French, who used it for
  plantations producing tobacco, indigo, tea and
  coffee. Occupied briefly by the Japanese during
  WW II, Vietnam had to fight for its independence,
  first from France and then from the United
  States. Today it has entered world trade,
  exporting traditional and colonial crops and
  increasing numbers of manufactured goods. Over
  70 of the population live in rural villages
  growing traditional crops and fishing. The
  population of 77 million is composed of over 54
  ethnic groups. Traditional Buddhist religion is
  practiced by the great majority though a small
  Christian community is left from the colonial
  era.
• The government has extensive education, health
  and social services. Economic productivity and
  world trade has grown steadily.International
  financing, by Japan and other nations have led to
  a large international debt of about 37 of GNP.
  The Doi Moi program (economic change) has had
  mixed results. Vietnam has extensive off-shore
  oil production developed by their national
  corporation in partnership with Russian and other
  international oil companies.
• The study of the Vietnams transition from
  colonial rule, through a long struggle for
  independence and now growing economic comfort, is
  an example of the struggle for fair treatment of
  rich cultural traditions in world trade.