International figures blast widening economic disparity
International figures blast widening economic disparity
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Lille, France
More than 400 social, political and business leaders who
gathered in France from around the world, have raised concerns
over the widening economic gap within and between countries and
the concentration of economic and political power in increasingly
fewer hands.
These, together with threats to the diversity of cultures and
the exploitation of natural resources "are creating unrest and
conflicts worldwide and giving rise to deep concerns about the
future of the planet," the leaders say in their communique titled
Charter on Human Responsibilities.
"We are now at a new crossroads in human history," the charter
says.
The charter also criticizes the pervasive power of the
international market which it says is undermining the traditional
role of states, and international economic institutions which
were accused of failing to close the economic gap worldwide.
Scientific institutions were more interested in pursuing their
own interests than analyzing and addressing the interacting
global issues that confront humanity, it says.
The charter calls on all people and nations to act
responsibly, to promote dialog and solidarity and to heal all
problems.
The charter was issued at the end of the so-called World
Assembly which ran from Dec. 2 to Dec. 10 in Lille.
Participants from five continents included business leaders
and executives, political leaders, labor union activists, local
governmental officials, artists, journalists, philosophers,
scientists, non-governmental organization activists,
businesspeople, youth, farmers and fishworkers.
Indonesian participants included NGO activist Bambang Ismawan
and Sylvia Tijong Jong Nio Kwee and a student from the University
of Indonesia, Berly Martawardaya.
Former Minister of Research and Technology AS Hikam was also
invited but he failed to attend.
"The meeting is another milestone in human history to tackle
the future challenges," Pierre Calame, director of the Paris-
based Charles Leopold Mayer Foundation for the Progress of
Humankind (FPH), which sponsored the meeting, told The Jakarta
Post
The foundation was established in 1982 based on funds provided
by Charles Leopold Mayer (1881-1971), a French chemist,
financier, researcher, philosopher and philanthropist. Its goal
is to promote the progress of mankind through science and social
development.
Prior to the World Assembly, the foundation, together with
several partners, started organizing meetings in several
continents to address the world's social, political and economic
issues.
In 1994, it started to build a worldwide network called
Alliance to further examine the problems and to find solutions to
them.
The series of meetings held by the Alliance network then
climaxed with the World Assembly in Lille.
According to Calame, the charter produced at the Lille meeting
was only a draft which was not expected to be completed until
March next year.
Once the final text of the charter was approved by all
Alliance members, the organization expected governments
throughout the world to sign it.
Once all nations had signed, the charter would become the
"third pillar of the world principles" after the Declaration of
Human Rights and the United Nations Charter for Peace and
Development, Calame said.