The Assembly in search of a world order not submitted to economic tyranny

A new world order is necessary. Debates on antiglobalization have had their day. And even if some are still speaking of resistance at The World Assembly, others, the majority, speak of restoring a humane, ethical, educational, pluralistic, fair, and equitable globalization. The list of qualifiers posted on the panels in the halls of the Grand Palais and the Nouveau Siècle and describing the new world that has to be conquered is endless.

To achieve this new order, we have to restore what one participant called "governability" and apply it to all the aspects of the economy, so as not to be submitted to what many participants have called "the economic tyranny," the system "without laws or rules," that seems to rule.
In their globalization process, finance and economy have escaped any form of governance. "The international institutions, at least the IMF, the World Bank, and the OECD, have become the servants of this financial order," said a participant. We need to begin by giving the power to manage and make decisions back to those who have the legitimacy to exercise it: states, citizens, and between them, the intermediate powers, plus civil society. "The global economy needs to be subordinated to democratic control," said a participant. "We need to make people admit that growth in the National Product is no longer the way to measure progress, or the only answer to man's needs," said another.

This led to the question of how to achieve this new order. Perhaps we need to call upon ethics. "Abiding by a moral code would perhaps enable us to solve most of the problems that we have mentioned. Couldn't the Alliance act as a tool to foster the renewal of humanism?", was a question in one of the workshops. A World Law and International Courts with the power to punish infringement of Human Rights, women's rights, slave trade, as well as environmental crimes, would also be needed.

"We need to ..." These words could be read on several workshop boards. We need to provide a citizens education that is not limited to delivering knowledge but also teaches human responsibility. We need democratic powers: they need to be local, close to the population, respectful of their traditions, to rely on civil society, to be accountable. Different cultures are necessary because order never has to be based upon the domination of one culture over another. We need free press, fair trade, etc.. The Charter to be adopted after this ten-day Assembly will include this whole series of demands in an effort to reflect the ideas of all those calling for the reform of a global system that is no longer valid if human justice is to prevail.

Discussions will resume on Saturday. This time, participants will be "among themselves," that is to say, with people from the same world region. Communicating will no doubt be easier, but antagonisms will not necessarily be easier to solve.