TRANSFORMING THE WORLD IN CRISIS

PRAGUE NGO DECLARATION

1 April 2009

 We, participants of the conference The World In Crisis: Economies and Policies for Global Transformation have discussed for three days in Prague the roots, impacts and responses to the financial crises, economic meltdown, climate change, mismanagemet of natural resource use, increasing inequity and volatile food and oil prices from the systemic perspective of the world's poor and vulnerable.

Date:

March 30^th – April 1^st 2009

Venue:

Michnův palác, Újezd 450/40, Prague, Czech Republic

(i) Prague Conference

The meeting of EU Economic and Finance ministers (ECOFIN) is taking place for the first time in the Czech Republic. The historical conjuncture of this event is exceptional. The world is witnessing the deepest financial and economic crisis since the Great Depression in 1929. At the same time, the climate crisis seems to turn into a dramatic acceleration, while the planet is confronting an energy crisis. Poverty and hunger are increasing.

In such a situation, civil society has to raise its voice and to mobilise for change. The economic paradigm that has dominated in the last decades, has failed. We urgently need alternatives. The EU has to play an eminent role in the process of change. Our conference is meant to discuss such alternatives and to contribute to the process of reform ahead.

(ii) Substance and Format

The conference will not focus only on the financial and economic crisis. It will try to link debates about three major crises of today – financial, energy and food – to identify best of response tomorrow. More specifically, the efforts will be to find out what these crises have in common and what differentiates them, could they be an opportunity to build up a new model of sustainable and equitable development which would make the process of globalization more democratic, transparent and participative? And what is the role of the EU and its policies in this process of change?

The conference will be divided into four modules: (1) first module will focus on roots of the systemic crisis and deficiencies of the current financial and economic model, (2) second module will focus on distribution of wealth and resources, (3) third module will deal with question of economic governance and change of geopolitics and (4) fourth module will be devoted to alternatives and solutions raised by civil society organizations.

The conference shall include several formats to best fit the objectives and substance of different modules: opening and closing plenary sessions (keynote general analysis of the triple crisis and conference summary), 9 workshops (dealing with thematic modules of each crisis and various EU policies).

Two days of discussions should result in common declaration with concrete demands and proposals for G-20 meeting in London and Informal ECOFIN meeting in Prague.

 (iii) History of Alternative ECOFIN Conferences

The tradition of Alternative Ecofin conferences has started in 2006 with the first of annual conferences held in Wien, Austria. As its name indicates the aim of the events was originally to offer “globalisation problems – friendly alternative” to the official Ecofin – high level meetings of EU Committee of Ministers of Treasury. Representatives from various think- tanks and NGOs discuss EU economic policy from larger perspective. Alternative Ecofin 2007 was organized in Berlin, Germany, in the same spirit whereas last year conference in Slovenia was initiated by Free Trade Unions of Slovenia with a very interdisciplinary approach where expert economists, social scientists and NGO representatives shared common floor.

Main aim of economists and social scientists as well as representatives from social movements, trade unions, and other important groups from all Europe that gathered at previous Alternative Ecofin conferences was to focus mainly on the European Union´s economic and financial policies in order to develop socially just and sustainable policy alternatives.

As tens of millions are hit by current financial and economic, energy and food crises, the agenda of Prague conference broaden in scope and economic and financial policies will not be by far the only issues.

From the very beginning Alternative Ecofin, unlike its official counterpart is a transparent event open to public.

More information about previous Alternative Ecofin meetings can be found at http://www.alternativer-ecofin.org/.

(iv) Organizers