Transnational Institute Sept 2 Newsletter

international | miscellaneous | other press Sunday September 05, 2004 16:55 by *

In this issue:

1. Cross-regional people's dialogues
2. New proposal for taxing corporations
3. New book: The Left in the City
4. Participatory budgeting in Uruguay
5. India - Pakistan relations
6. US Election Debates
7. Pinochet precedent
8. New from our fellows:
- David Sogge on the need to reform international aid
- Boris Kagarlitsky on terrorism in Russia
- Hilary Wainwright interviews New Left leader in Russia

2 September 2004


CROSS-REGIONAL PEOPLE'S DIALOGUES

In the face of an increasingly competitive and hostile global
environment, the political and economic regrouping and mutual
strengthening of countries of the South has become a survival
imperative. TNI is involved in two cross-regional people's dialogues
taking place in early September. The one is the 5th Asia-Europe
People's Forum taking place in Hanoi, Vietnam and which involves
hundreds of organisations from both regions concerned to develop
civil society positions on the inter-governmental Asia Europe
Meeting (ASEM) process.  The second is an exchange between
civil society groups on new regional development strategies in the
Mercosur and Southern African regions to take place in
Johannesburg, South Africa. A briefing paper was published for the
occasion:

Linking Alternative regionalisms
For Equitable & Sustainable Development
TNI briefing series 5/2004
This briefing, prepared for the Johannesburg and Hanoi people's
dialogues, outlines the strategic thinking underlying TNI's
Alternative Regionalisms project. The context for why a new
emphasis on regionalism, the kind of new regionalism sought, and
a report on some of the processes in which regional civil society
networks are currently engaged are succinctly presented.
Full report
http://www.tni.org/reports/altreg/linking.pdf
Summary
http://www.tni.org/reports/altreg/linking.htm

For more information on People's Dialogue, Johannesburg
http://www.tni.org/altreg/index.htm
For more information on Asia Europe People's Forum 5
http://www.tni.org/asem/index.htm

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NEW PROPOSAL FOR TAXING CORPORATIONS

The Vanishing corporate Profits Tax
By Howard Wachtel
Tax laws were set up within the nation state bordered phenomenon
and now we have to deal with the global borderless phenomenon. In
the current globalised economy, countries are competing for foreign
investment by reducing corporate profit tax, thus relying more on
consumption and personal income tax to finance social services,
and when that fails, reducing them. Transnational corporations are
able to manipulate tax obligations by reporting smaller profits in
high-tax countries and high profits in low tax countries (transfer
pricing). Wachtel argues that tax rates are artificial political
constructs, having nothing to do with market forces of comparative
advantage. They are simply a means to get one country to
compete with others. With great lucidity, Wachtel proposes a new
way of ensuring TNCs meet their tax obligations which would not
only put a stop to transfer pricing but would provide a source of
finance for global development. His proposal was received with
great enthusiasm by the Chirac Commission, which includes
representation from ATTAC and was set up late last year to look
into a global fund for development.
http://www.tni.org/archives/wachtel/vanishing.htm

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NEW BOOK BY TNI NEW POLITICS PROJECT

The Left in the City: Participatory Local Governments in Latin
America
Edited by Daniel Chavez and Benjamin Goldfrank
Foreword by Hilary Wainwright
Latin American Bureau and TNI, London, 2004
The Left is back in Latin America, shout the headlines, but of
course it never went away. Lula's and Chavez's victories in Brazil
and Venezuela may have put the Left on the international map
again, but it was achieved through many years of building power.
The Left in the City explores examples of progressive parties in
local office from across the continent, from Mexico to Uruguay and
from Brazil to Peru, and examines the successes and failures of
the Left in government.
http://www.tni.org/books/leftcity.htm

==========================================

PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING IN URUGUAY

Democratise Democracy: Towards Participatory Budgeting in
Uruguay
Policy research working document
By Daniel Chavez

On 31 October 2004 Uruguay will have a crucial election.
According to recent polls a coalition of progressive parties and
movements will win the national government. As a contribution to
the programmatic debate and drawing on previous investigations on
participatory democracy conducted by several researchers in the
framework of TNI New Politics Project, Daniel Chavez prepared a
working document towards the creation of a nation-wide
participatory budgeting system. With supporting research by
economists, lawyers and social scientists from Delaraiz, an
Uruguayan co-operative of young researchers, a comprehensive
proposal is expected to be ready before the end of November.
Delaraiz's work is being supported by TNI Young Fellows
Programme.
http://www.tni.org/archives/chavez/uruguaydraft.pdf

==========================================

INDIA - PAKISTAN RELATIONS

India-Pakistan Dialogue Moves Between Stagnation, Hope
By Praful Bidwai
There is hope that after an initial series of talks between the new
Indian government and Pakistan will take the dialogue further
despite their sharp differences. Bidwai argues, however, that two
catalysts are absolutely indispensable: public opinion and high-
level official initiatives. The first is present in the form of a citizen-to-
citizen dialogue and civil society sentiment for peace. The second
catalyst is missing. It must be put in place soon.
http://www.tni.org/archives/bidwai/stagnation.htm

No Peace without Civil Society
By Praful Bidwai
The `detente from below' launched exactly 10 years ago through an
India-Pakistan people-to-people dialogue has been a critical, if
unacknowledged, input into the peace process now under way.
This vital civil society initiative must be sustained and expanded,
urges Bidwai.
http://www.tni.org/archives/bidwai/civsoc.htm

==========================================

US ELECTION DEBATES

Executive Excess 2004
Campaign Contributions, Outsourcing,
Unexpensed Stock Options and Rising CEO Pay
By Sarah Anderson, John Cavanagh, Chris Hartman, Scott Klinger,
and Stacey Chan
Report by Institute for Policy Studies & United for a Fair Economy
This report charts the consequences of job outsourcing to the
cheaper countries and concludes that CEOs at companies that
outsource the most US jobs are rewarded with bigger paychecks.
http://www.tni.org/archives/cavanagh/executive.pdf
Summary:
http://www.tni.org/archives/cavanagh/executive.htm

A Secure America in a Secure World
This new report from Foreign Policy In Focus argues that the open-
ended global war on terror is counterproductive, making US
citizens more vulnerable to terrorist attacks at home and abroad. It
offers an alternative approach that would focus on preventing
successful terrorist attacks by improving homeland security,
bringing terrorists to justice and addressing terrorism's root causes.
http://www.fpif.org/pdf/reports/terrorism/index.html

==========================================

PINOCHET PRECEDENT

Pinochet Watch No. 57

In this issue:
- Supreme court upholds decision to strip Pinochet of immunity
- Pinochet's banking acrobatics may take him to court for crimes
- Pinochet precedent transcript available
- Letelier Moffitt human rights awards; Sheridan Circle memorial
service
http://www.tni.org/pin-watch/watch57.htm

Pinochet: The Al Capone of the Southern Cone
By Saul Landau
After the Senate Committee discovered that the Riggs Bank of
Washington had laundered at least $8 million registered under the
names of Augusto Pinochet and his wife, Lucia, Landau recalls the
arrogant ex-dictator and the events that brought his arrest in 1998.
"I always acted with democratic principles," Pinochet declared in
the 1980s. With democrats like Pinochet, who needs dictators,
asks Landau?
http://www.tni.org/archives/landau/capone.htm

The Pinochet Precedent
http://www.tni.org/pinochet/index.htm

==========================================

NEW FROM OUR FELLOWS

Une nécessaire réforme de l'aide internationale
(Needed Reform of International Aid)
By David Sogge
Official development aid has diminished since the end of the Cold
War even though the economic and social situation in many
countries of the South, especially in Africa, has worsened.  The
debate on the amount of aid, however, obscures another important -
- if not more important -- debate:  the purpose of this flow of
resources, too often tied to donor interests, should be redefined
and control over the use of aid democratised, writes Sogge for the
September issue of Le monde diplomatique.
http://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/
Available also in Norwegian:
http://www.diplomatique.net/?show_front=741

More Casualties in the Battle for Power
By Boris Kagarlitsky
The latest terrorist attacks on two planes were clearly intended as
a message to the Kremlin, writes Kargalistky. This is simply how
the battle for power is waged in Russia.
http://www.tni.org/archives/kagarlitsky/casualties.htm

Internationale Rescue
Hilary Wainwright speaks to the disillusioned ex-oligarch now
spearheading the emergence of a new left in Russia.
http://www.tni.org/archives/wainwright/rescue.htm




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