Global Marshall Plan Initiative

The idea of a Global Marshall Plan was first published in 1990 by U.S. politician, entrepreneur and environmentalist Al Gore in his book “Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit”.

The choice of name deliberately recalls the historical Marshall Plan after the Second World War (officially: European Recovery Program), a symbol for hope, solidarity and peace.

As early as the beginning of the 1990s an ecological Marshall Plan was established by prominent personalities such as journalist Franz Alt and German Green politician Joscka Fisher.

Due to the enormous positive response and the wide range of activities, this commission was soon transferred to the Global Marshall Plan Foundation.

The initiative aims to provide the greatest possible support to the world to ensure that the plan is continually developed in its substance, quality, implementation and coverage.

The initiative has garnered international acclaim, evolving into a network comprising over 5,000 individual supporters, organizations, various federal states, and communities.

The increasing overexploitation of nature, the waste of limited resources and the expected catastrophic climate consequences linked to pollution will in the next 30 years present mankind with its biggest challenge yet.

With the self-understanding of a network-style movement for a World in Balance, positively aligned powers from politics, economics, science and civil society are brought together in a wide-ranging alliance based on the key requirements of fair globalization.

According to initiative, the new economic, ecological and social perspectives would have a strong impulse for a peaceful global community, which in turn is important for a lasting and sustained growth of economy.

It is also assumed that the positive effects of a Global Marshall Plan would also consequently increase the pull-on governments, who so far have been averse to the eco-social movement.

Good Governance signifies a well- working guidance and control system of a political social unit as a state or a community.

One of the surprising intermediate results of the present process is that it is supported by commercial and industrial enterprises and their federations as well as severe critics of the previous form of globalization and representatives from the “North” and “South”.

A series of appropriate and necessary declarations and agreements (such as the above-mentioned Millennium Development Goals) have been only previously implemented to an extremely discouraging extent.

In comparison: The percentage volume of the US Marshall Plan after the Second World War was 1.3% of gross domestic product (GDP) of the USA – over a time period of 4 years.

Since in the past self-contained national interests have repeatedly affected the efficiency of measures for development cooperation and consequently the public reputation of such programs has significantly decreased.

Critics of this idea are concerned that as a result of the tax, the “collective intelligence” in control of highly sensitive financial flows would be charged.

A fair partnership in development assistance on all levels and an adequate cash flow are the requirements for a sustainable future perspective for the entire world.

Promoting Good Governance, subsidiaries, rationality, education, combating corruption, as well as an appropriation of funds, coordinated and directed at a grass-roots level, are considered crucial for self-regulated development (e.g. micro-financing).

The most appropriate way appears to primarily be the relationship between ethic, economic, ecological, social, cultural and democratic standards with such a program.

This can best be achieved through a consistent focus on the mentioned standards, an associated accountability, an active and transparent involvement of industry and the organization of civil society.

The first phase of the Global Marshall Plan seeks for the application of the following standards which have already been agreed on by UN member states: Basic economic, social and cultural human rights, which are largely congruent with the core standards of the International Labour Organization (ILO), such as organizational rights, gender equality, prohibition of child labour etc.

This is mainly because, in accordance with their mandate, they primarily promote the reduction of trade barriers and in doing so, discounts ecological, social and cultural aspects.

In the long-term, however, the WTO could still be reformed into a sustainable institution with trade regulations associated with the above-mentioned standards towards a fair, balanced and sustainability-oriented economic system.

The arrogance of the Western civilization, which is perceived by people as humiliating, degrading and threatening, provokes anti-Western sentiment and provides the breeding ground for hate and violence.

In addition it is necessary to build mutual trust, to accept those in disadvantaged countries as equal partners and to allow contributions from international negotiation and decision-making processes.

As a result, an Erfurt Declaration was accepted, which expresses the will to establish an umbrella organization to house the local, regional and national groups.

Since the foundation has acted as secretariat for the initiative, taking care of the proper application of logos, networking actors and promoting many innovative projects with the help of numerous supporters.

Supporters of the initiative include Hans-Dietrich Genscher, Hubert Weinzierl (BUND), Rita Süssmuth, Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker, Franz Josef Radermacher, Jakob von Uexküll, Ulrich Martin Drescher, Renée Ernst, Sandra Maischberger (all from Germany), Josef Riegler, Franz Fischler (Austria), Prince El Hassan bin Talal (Jordan), Vandana Shiva (India), Jane Goodall (UK) and approximately 5000 supporters from Germany and Austria.

With the active announcement of the Global Marshall Plan the supporters understand as lobbying for the common goal – a World in Balance – and act from the center of society, pressurizing politics and the economy.

They already organized series of lectures with personalities such as Nobel prize winner Muhammad Yunus and was an incentive and model for other local groups.