The global economic justice forum was held in Dhaka city from the 29th to the 31st of January 2008 with a vow to free society from hunger, illiteracy, unemployment and discrimination. ActionAid Bangladesh along with 50 local and foreign non-government organizational organized the forum with a view to strengthening the effort to establish economic justice in the world. The inaugural session was held on the 29th of January evening followed by a cultural function in the open spaces of Rabindra Sarobar on the banks of Dhanmondi Lake which was attended by hundreds of people, many of them Ngo workers carrying banner, placards and festoons. Renowned economist of Bangladesh Prof Muzaffar Ahmed who attended the inaugural ceremony as the Chief Guest urged everyone to work together to establish a new world of equality; he also demanded that all should ensure the rights of the deprived people and establish equal opportunity. Activist and leader Shirin Akhter urged all to fight against those who are involved with arms trade in the name of war and creating anarchy in the name of religion. Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh Farah Kabir called upon all to work together and make a poverty fee Bangladesh as well as blaming the western world for the suffering in Bangladesh due to global climate change.
Three programs of the Global economic justice forum included seminars and discussions on various adverse topics such as access to natural resources, farmers rights, youth forums, aid effectiveness, women and land rights, market access, environmental justice and democracy, political freedom and social justice amongst others during the day cultural programs in the open theatre during evenings.
A 14-point declaration was placed at press conference at the national press club which called for writing off all loans of the World Bank, the DB IMF and other international monetary organizations. It emphasized strengthening of local government and establishing good governance removing bureaucratic red tape.
The 14 point declaration was as follows;
i) To enhance building a Global process of continuous struggle of Economic Justice where establishment of Human Rights globally including Women- Indigenous people- Worker-children.
ii) Any form of torture and assassination should not be acceptable anywhere including War captive zone of Juantamai of Caribbean Sea, Algarib of Iraq or any place of subcontinent by state or other force. Environment of humane must be created through implementing updated declaration of Human Rights Charter and other declaration. Proper steps must be taken to face Human Rights Violation case especially under Government Custody.
iii) To liberalize Global Trade, human right must be give priority over corporate interest formulating policy of WTO. Priority must be given in Globalization of humanity over Globalization of Corporate interest.
iv) To build capacity of investment in human sectors of Developing country, debt burden imposed by different financial organization including World Bank, IMF, and ADB must be negated. Remain financial resource must be utilize for marginalized people. Except consulting with people, any kind of development program should be not imposed on.
v) Initiative must be taken to consider receiving Aid / assistance to utilize by the participation of people of all strata and grass root level people must be resume instead of relationship between Donor and Government. It is also necessary to adjust and integration of different Aid related policy.
vi) Strong infrastructure must be build to establish Democracy-Good governance-Development. Democracy and Good Governance must be established to the grass root level through empowering Local Governance by avoiding bureaucracy.
vii) In delivering essential services to the people including Health and Education, succeeds lies on smooth implementation and distribution-classification. Lease of financial outlet must not be given to private venture or Corporate to uphold basic human consideration. Ensuring effectiveness of Government Education and health care service. Poor people of our society must bring under Education program. By enlisting essential drugs and controlling price, access of the poor must be crated. A global system must be created where basic rights including deliver food to the extreme poor are ensured. By destroying chain of Global-aggression, development of different commodity industry including jute-cotton is essential.
viii) By considering Agriculture as most important sector, agricultural tools must be making available in the local market through protecting seeds and agriculture from aggression of corporate house.
ix) Access must be created to provide safe drinking water. Cooperation must be developed among small and big countries to build Water Management system. Joint initiative must be taken instead of avoiding control of single country over common water resource. Nature-friendly development must undertake instead of chaining nature and taking steps infavour of preserving bio-diversity and environment.
x) Ownership of natural resource must be bringing under people, not to the Corporate House.
xi) Special financial assistance must be provided by the developed country in response to liability of climate change.
xii) Process of developing incessant employment must be created. Source of terrorist-impatience -fundamentalism must be stopped by raising purchase power of people and establishing economic justice.
xiii) Necessary steps must be taken to make political reformation to ensure participation of least developed and marginalized countries in balancing situation at Security Council of United Nations.
xiv) By upholding proper democratic ethics, effective role must be played by the United Nations to prevent gathering arms and creating war. Special Veto power in United States must be void of few countries.
