Sunday, December 21, 2003
Introducing SP
I happen to be reading John's 2002 Schumacher lecture as I face this empty blog entry window. It's a very accessible presentation of the why, what and how of SP. Halfway through, this quote jumps out as one of those sayings that capture some of the essence of SP:
". . . global problems require global - and simultaneous - solutions."
SP is a "globalization from below" initiative to do just that, i.e., globalization of human values, by humans, not of market values by multinational corporations, investors and their political subordinates.
It's not that there's anything wrong with trade and commerce; without them our lives would be awfully crude, if not impossible. And we'd have to learn, somehow, to survive without blogs - a true humanitarian catastrophe.
The problem, as John puts it in the same Schumacher lecture, is that in the global economy that has evolved over the past couple of decades, "capital and corporations operate beyond the framework of governance of the nation state and are now running out of any democratic political control." People and small local businesses may have to answer to laws and community standards of behaviour. But big, transnationally mobile companies can go wherever the laws are leanest - or use that capability as leverage - a "threat," even - to get local and national communities and governments to literally rewrite the laws in the corporations' favour (to keep them from leaving).
But SP isn't just about righting the wrongs of economic/corporate globalization. It's about democratically addressing any and all of the global problems that beset us in an internationally cooperative and "simultaneous" way; and that includes such things as global warming, environmental destruction, hunger and poverty, and international security. It is, as I like to call it, a "killer political app" that could allow we the people of the world to take control of our own collective destiny.
Syd Baumel
Winnipeg
". . . global problems require global - and simultaneous - solutions."
SP is a "globalization from below" initiative to do just that, i.e., globalization of human values, by humans, not of market values by multinational corporations, investors and their political subordinates.
It's not that there's anything wrong with trade and commerce; without them our lives would be awfully crude, if not impossible. And we'd have to learn, somehow, to survive without blogs - a true humanitarian catastrophe.
The problem, as John puts it in the same Schumacher lecture, is that in the global economy that has evolved over the past couple of decades, "capital and corporations operate beyond the framework of governance of the nation state and are now running out of any democratic political control." People and small local businesses may have to answer to laws and community standards of behaviour. But big, transnationally mobile companies can go wherever the laws are leanest - or use that capability as leverage - a "threat," even - to get local and national communities and governments to literally rewrite the laws in the corporations' favour (to keep them from leaving).
But SP isn't just about righting the wrongs of economic/corporate globalization. It's about democratically addressing any and all of the global problems that beset us in an internationally cooperative and "simultaneous" way; and that includes such things as global warming, environmental destruction, hunger and poverty, and international security. It is, as I like to call it, a "killer political app" that could allow we the people of the world to take control of our own collective destiny.
Syd Baumel
Winnipeg
Welcome to Simultaneous Policy (SP)!
As the Simultaneous Policy (SP) concept has developed since the day late in 1998 when the idea first occured to me, Canadians have been amongst the quickest to take the idea up. So I am hopeful that Simpol-Canada will incorporate soon and set an example to the citizens of other countries who want to 'Take Back the World'.
To introduce those not familiar with SP to its ideas and concept, I'd like to quote two items below. The first was a speech I made at the World Trade Organisation in 2001. The second is an extremely brief summary of what SP is about.
WTO Symposium
ISSUES CONFRONTING THE WORLD'S TRADING SYSTEM
Work Session V – The WTO and Civil Society
6th and 7th July 2001
I would like to thank the WTO for the opportunity of addressing and participating in this Symposium and in this work session.
My name is John Bunzl and I am the founder of the International Simultaneous Policy Organisation (I.S.P.O. – or ‘ISPO’ for short). ISPO’s principal objective is to bring about a sustainable global economy by promoting economic, environmental and social co-operation amongst all nations. Such co-operation would restore a greater measure of genuine democratic control to the people of each nation but within a global and democratic framework; a synthesis of global unity and national diversity. It hopes to achieve this through a range of measures which are, together, known as the Simultaneous Policy. Amongst other things, the measures of the Simultaneous Policy will likely include the re-regulation of capital markets and transnational corporations; the restoration to democratic control of the creation of money; the imposition of global taxes on markets, corporations and resources and the redistribution of the revenue generated to fund sustainable development in the poorest countries on a debt-free basis. These and other such measures are to be defined through a process of collaboration with all organisations concerned with sustainable development.
The Simultaneous Policy is being adopted gradually by people around the world as I speak. But only when support is sufficient to persuade governments in all, or virtually all, countries to adopt it, will it be implemented by all nations simultaneously.
And why should it be necessary for all nations to implement these measures simultaneously? Quite simply, because in today’s world where capital and corporations are internationally mobile, implementation unilaterally – or by a single group of nations – would invite capital and corporate flight, inflation, unemployment for any nation or group of nations seeking to do so. But if all nations act simultaneously, no such adverse effects could arise. It is therefore on this basis that global co-operation can occur in a secure and responsible way.
Without such a basis, we remain – I’m afraid – irrevocably locked in the current paradigm of global competition in which all nations of the world are forced to compete with one another for capital and jobs to the benefit of market speculators and transnational corporations who play one country off against another. But this is a vicious circle which serves only to benefit the few to the detriment of the vast majority of society and the environment; a vicious circle which ultimately no one can win and all must lose. For even the rich and powerful who benefit in the short term have children who need clean air to breath and fresh water to drink; they too will come to realise that a wholesale transition from global competition to global co-operation is vital if spaceship Earth, all of its passengers and their off-spring are to expect a civilised and sustainable future.
We should be clear that the current tacit acceptance of today’s paradigm of global competition as ‘natural’, ‘irreversible’ or ‘inevitable’ can never lead to policies which are beneficial to society or the environment. For this mind-set inevitably leads to the false notion that ‘becoming more competitive’ is somehow synonymous with poverty reduction; that somehow competition can make us all richer; or as the institutions who uphold the Washington Consensus like to put it: “Short-term pain for long-term gain.” But as many amongst the NGO community have recognised, Structural Adjustment Programs have shown - and the Comprehensive Development Framework or PRSPs will also doubtless show - that such a mind-set is inherently flawed. For in case after case, there has proved to be minimal if any long-term gain.
Indeed it should be obvious to all but the most blind that competition cannot produce only winners. For today’s unfettered competition is also producing losers – millions and millions of them in rich and poor countries alike. Indeed, competition is not about social justice, economic or environmental security – indeed not; competition, my friends, is about winning! That is why nothing less than a total rejection of the competition paradigm will be required by all the multi-lateral institutions and their member nations if the universal human need for social justice, economic and environmental security is ever to be met.
Albert Einstein said: "No problem can be solved with the same thinking that created it". That is why, ladies and gentlemen, any engagement by Civil Society with any multi-lateral institution whose policies are predicated on a continuation of the existing competition paradigm can never provide lasting answers to current global problems. It is also why any Civil Society Organisation accepting that flawed paradigm – tacitly or otherwise – risks finding itself subverted and co-opted to the prevailing competition mind-set which serves only to perpetuate and exacerbate the current sorry state of affairs - even when it thinks it is helping to solve it.
The Simultaneous Policy, by contrast, offers a boldly different means by which politicians, voters, and civil society activists can work together to reverse the self-destructive economic policies pursued by those multi-lateral institutions and their member countries who uphold the Washington Consensus – a process for change that has already aroused interest among economists, ecologists, journalists, NGOs - and even some politicians. I therefore hope there might be time to debate such radical new propositions. But if not, I cordially invite you to find out more about the Simultaneous Policy. My colleagues and I working on this project in many countries around the world will be pleased to welcome your enquiries and your active collaboration.
End.
So, having thus put the world - and the WTO in particular - on notice of our intentions, the following text briefly indicates how we shall achieve our objective:
"The International Simultaneous Policy Organisation (ISPO) is a growing association of citizens world-wide who use their votes in a new, co-ordinated and effective way to drive all nations to co-operate in solving our planetary crisis. Transnational citizen action is vital because global markets and corporations so comprehensively overpower individual nations that no politician dares make the first move to solve global problems for fear of competitive disadvantage.
ISPO overcomes this paralysis by bringing all nations to adopt in principle - and then to simultaneously implement - the Simultaneous Policy (SP), a range of democratically selected regulations to bring about economic justice, environmental security and peace around the world.
By adopting SP, ISPO's members pledge to vote in future elections for ANY political party or candidate - within reason - that also adopts SP. As more and more citizens act in this way, politicians will adopt it too if they wish to remain in office. Adopting SP involves no risk because simultaneous implementation removes everyone's fear of first-mover disadvantage. SP thus transcends party politics by providing a powerful tool for citizens to drive politicians and governments to deliver the measures our world so desperately needs. With SP, global citizens are replacing destructive competition with fruitful co-operation. With SP, we are together taking humanity to the next stage in our evolutionary future."
I feel sure Canada will be in the forefront of this campaign and I invite all those with whom the above resonates to adopt SP and so to join both with your fellow Canadians and with global citizens elsewhere to bring global cooperation one step closer.
with best wishes
John Bunzl - Founder
International Simultaneous Policy Organisation (ISPO)
http://www.simpol.org
Simultaneous Policy: Using Our Votes to Take Back the World
To introduce those not familiar with SP to its ideas and concept, I'd like to quote two items below. The first was a speech I made at the World Trade Organisation in 2001. The second is an extremely brief summary of what SP is about.
WTO Symposium
ISSUES CONFRONTING THE WORLD'S TRADING SYSTEM
Work Session V – The WTO and Civil Society
6th and 7th July 2001
I would like to thank the WTO for the opportunity of addressing and participating in this Symposium and in this work session.
My name is John Bunzl and I am the founder of the International Simultaneous Policy Organisation (I.S.P.O. – or ‘ISPO’ for short). ISPO’s principal objective is to bring about a sustainable global economy by promoting economic, environmental and social co-operation amongst all nations. Such co-operation would restore a greater measure of genuine democratic control to the people of each nation but within a global and democratic framework; a synthesis of global unity and national diversity. It hopes to achieve this through a range of measures which are, together, known as the Simultaneous Policy. Amongst other things, the measures of the Simultaneous Policy will likely include the re-regulation of capital markets and transnational corporations; the restoration to democratic control of the creation of money; the imposition of global taxes on markets, corporations and resources and the redistribution of the revenue generated to fund sustainable development in the poorest countries on a debt-free basis. These and other such measures are to be defined through a process of collaboration with all organisations concerned with sustainable development.
The Simultaneous Policy is being adopted gradually by people around the world as I speak. But only when support is sufficient to persuade governments in all, or virtually all, countries to adopt it, will it be implemented by all nations simultaneously.
And why should it be necessary for all nations to implement these measures simultaneously? Quite simply, because in today’s world where capital and corporations are internationally mobile, implementation unilaterally – or by a single group of nations – would invite capital and corporate flight, inflation, unemployment for any nation or group of nations seeking to do so. But if all nations act simultaneously, no such adverse effects could arise. It is therefore on this basis that global co-operation can occur in a secure and responsible way.
Without such a basis, we remain – I’m afraid – irrevocably locked in the current paradigm of global competition in which all nations of the world are forced to compete with one another for capital and jobs to the benefit of market speculators and transnational corporations who play one country off against another. But this is a vicious circle which serves only to benefit the few to the detriment of the vast majority of society and the environment; a vicious circle which ultimately no one can win and all must lose. For even the rich and powerful who benefit in the short term have children who need clean air to breath and fresh water to drink; they too will come to realise that a wholesale transition from global competition to global co-operation is vital if spaceship Earth, all of its passengers and their off-spring are to expect a civilised and sustainable future.
We should be clear that the current tacit acceptance of today’s paradigm of global competition as ‘natural’, ‘irreversible’ or ‘inevitable’ can never lead to policies which are beneficial to society or the environment. For this mind-set inevitably leads to the false notion that ‘becoming more competitive’ is somehow synonymous with poverty reduction; that somehow competition can make us all richer; or as the institutions who uphold the Washington Consensus like to put it: “Short-term pain for long-term gain.” But as many amongst the NGO community have recognised, Structural Adjustment Programs have shown - and the Comprehensive Development Framework or PRSPs will also doubtless show - that such a mind-set is inherently flawed. For in case after case, there has proved to be minimal if any long-term gain.
Indeed it should be obvious to all but the most blind that competition cannot produce only winners. For today’s unfettered competition is also producing losers – millions and millions of them in rich and poor countries alike. Indeed, competition is not about social justice, economic or environmental security – indeed not; competition, my friends, is about winning! That is why nothing less than a total rejection of the competition paradigm will be required by all the multi-lateral institutions and their member nations if the universal human need for social justice, economic and environmental security is ever to be met.
Albert Einstein said: "No problem can be solved with the same thinking that created it". That is why, ladies and gentlemen, any engagement by Civil Society with any multi-lateral institution whose policies are predicated on a continuation of the existing competition paradigm can never provide lasting answers to current global problems. It is also why any Civil Society Organisation accepting that flawed paradigm – tacitly or otherwise – risks finding itself subverted and co-opted to the prevailing competition mind-set which serves only to perpetuate and exacerbate the current sorry state of affairs - even when it thinks it is helping to solve it.
The Simultaneous Policy, by contrast, offers a boldly different means by which politicians, voters, and civil society activists can work together to reverse the self-destructive economic policies pursued by those multi-lateral institutions and their member countries who uphold the Washington Consensus – a process for change that has already aroused interest among economists, ecologists, journalists, NGOs - and even some politicians. I therefore hope there might be time to debate such radical new propositions. But if not, I cordially invite you to find out more about the Simultaneous Policy. My colleagues and I working on this project in many countries around the world will be pleased to welcome your enquiries and your active collaboration.
End.
So, having thus put the world - and the WTO in particular - on notice of our intentions, the following text briefly indicates how we shall achieve our objective:
"The International Simultaneous Policy Organisation (ISPO) is a growing association of citizens world-wide who use their votes in a new, co-ordinated and effective way to drive all nations to co-operate in solving our planetary crisis. Transnational citizen action is vital because global markets and corporations so comprehensively overpower individual nations that no politician dares make the first move to solve global problems for fear of competitive disadvantage.
ISPO overcomes this paralysis by bringing all nations to adopt in principle - and then to simultaneously implement - the Simultaneous Policy (SP), a range of democratically selected regulations to bring about economic justice, environmental security and peace around the world.
By adopting SP, ISPO's members pledge to vote in future elections for ANY political party or candidate - within reason - that also adopts SP. As more and more citizens act in this way, politicians will adopt it too if they wish to remain in office. Adopting SP involves no risk because simultaneous implementation removes everyone's fear of first-mover disadvantage. SP thus transcends party politics by providing a powerful tool for citizens to drive politicians and governments to deliver the measures our world so desperately needs. With SP, global citizens are replacing destructive competition with fruitful co-operation. With SP, we are together taking humanity to the next stage in our evolutionary future."
I feel sure Canada will be in the forefront of this campaign and I invite all those with whom the above resonates to adopt SP and so to join both with your fellow Canadians and with global citizens elsewhere to bring global cooperation one step closer.
with best wishes
John Bunzl - Founder
International Simultaneous Policy Organisation (ISPO)
http://www.simpol.org
Simultaneous Policy: Using Our Votes to Take Back the World
