Instruct: Given a question, retrieve documents that answer the question.
Query: When was The Global Marshall Plan Initiative formed?
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 the world increasingly finds itself in a difficult, unsustainable situation as a result of rapid globalization, both in terms of environmental issues, poverty and unequal distribution, as well as the disproportionate cultural balance, on 16 May 2003 representatives from 16 civil society organizations revived the original idea for a global Marshall Plan as a movement for world peace, sustainability and justice, and at the Frankfurt airport, the Global Marshall Plan initiative was launched. Since the initiative should be organized as a network, i.e. locally and without hierarchies, the coordination of tasks and activities was assigned to different people and institutions: the coordination of content was taken up by Prof. Dr. Franz-Josef Radermacher as Head of FAW/n, politicians, and Josef Riegler, with particular importance on an EU level and the Eco-Social Forum Europe. The coordination, initiation and promotion of supporters’ activities internationally were assigned the Global Contract Foundation and Frithjof Finkbeiner. Due to the enormous positive response and the wide range of activities, this commission was soon transferred to the Global Marshall Plan Foundation.
The goal of the Global Marshall Plan Initiative is to make a substantial contribution to a global eco-social market economy. This eco-social Marshall Plan would include realistic perspectives:
In a series of lectures in 2003-4, the initiative was refined further. Eventually the first report on the Global Marshall Plan Initiative (“Global Marshall Plan – A Planetary Contract for a global Eco-Social Market Economy) was compiled. It was published in September 2004.
The long-term goal of the initiative is to establish a global eco-social market economy and alter the current failing global framework to lead to long-lasting peace and sustainability. From the beginning, the founders set themselves the goal of developing the initiative as openly as possible and also of winning over the support of the economy. All actors and parts of the global society should find that in the Global Marshall Plan one-sided organization can constructively be prevented. 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 Global Marshall Plan Initiative wants to strengthen these turnarounds. 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. This relies on the simultaneous pursuit of “bottom-up” and “top-down” approach, thus raising awareness and increasing lobbying.
To all people in the world to contribute to the initiative with their knowledge, experiences and ideas To religious organisations as well as the media and artists to spread the ideas of the Global Marshall plan and create awareness To interested groups as well as in NGO organised civil societies. The goal is to join forces and fight for a fair, sustainable globalization together. To science. All disciplines are invited to help to develop the Global Marshall Plan with detailed and interdisciplinary established projects. To the economy to make the Global Marshall Plan one its own concerns to create a socially fair and ecologically responsible economic development To governments and parliaments of nation states to officially support the Global Marshall Plan and to develop it through discussion with other actors. This new quality of global action and problem-solving ability lies in the long-term interests of all countries. To the European Union as an important bearer of hope for the project and for many people in the entire world. The EU member states are faced with the historical opportunity to make the transition from former colonial powers to partners of efficient and comprehensively understood development policies. The EU can and should courageously develop an alternative to current forms of globalisation and consistently advocate them in international negotiations. To the UN and its programmes and specialized organisations that play a central role in the implementation of these projects. Initiatives to reform the UN in the direction of greater efficiency, competency and funding are supported by the initiative. To the G8 to place combating poverty not as short-term measures such as aid and debt relief in the foreground, but to fight structural poverty through a reform of global regulations and institution at their roots.
Believing that change will come from the centre of society, supporters raise awareness of the issues surrounding globalization and motivate those around them for the implementation of fair globalization. Lectures are an essential part of spreading the word. By raising awareness and informing, alliances are formed and pressure is created from “bottom-up”. Those motivated are trained through multiplier training in Global Marshall Plan Academies.
As an international initiative, the goals are strategic: implementing a Global Marshall Plan and developing a broad public awareness of globally responsible action. Only an increased awareness and an improved understanding can be a reliable basis to lead the initiative to become better known and to create fairer globalization.
In January 2007 the state parliament of Thuringia became the first national parliament in Germany to commit the goals of the Global Marshall Plan. The parliament paper (Parliament paper 4/2658) also requested the Thuringia state government to support the development of a concrete package of measures for the implementation of the Global Marshall Plan and to raise awareness with prominent example projects and information events in Thuringia as well reporting on progress every three years in state parliament. Since November 2007 the city of Munich has also supported the Global Marshall Plan.
The Global Marshall Plan Initiative addresses this with their ideas and suggestions aimed at different audiences:
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:
Al Gore: Wege zum Gleichgewicht. Ein Marshallplan für die Erde. S. Fischer, Frankfurt am Main 1992. ISBN3-10-027200-5 Möller, Radermacher, Riegler, Soekadar, Spiegel: GLOBAL MARSHALL PLAN, Statement der Global Marshall Plan Initiative. 64 pages. Foundation basis of the initiative, Horizonte Verlag, 2004, ISBN3-89483-102-2. Global Marshall Plan Initiative (Hrsg.): Hoffnung Europa. Strategie des Miteinanders, Hamburg. 2006. Global Marshall Plan Initiative (Hrsg.): Impulse für eine Welt in Balance. Hamburg, 2005. Global Marshall Plan Initiative (Hrsg.): Welt in Balance. Zukunftschance Ökosoziale Marktwirtschaft. Hamburg, 2004. Huber, Florian J.: Global Governance und der Global Marshall Plan - Strategien, Kritik und Analyse. Saarbrücken, 2007 Franz Josef Radermacher: Global Marshall Plan. A Planetary Contract. Für eine weltweite Ökosoziale Marktwirtschaft. Hamburg, 2004. (published in both German and English) Huschmand Sabet: Globale Maßlosigkeit. Der (un)aufhaltsame Zusammenbruch des weltweiten Mittelstandes. Düsseldorf, 2005. Radermacher, F.J.: "Die neue Zukunftsformel" in: bild der wissenschaft. 4, 2002a Franz Josef Radermacher, Bernd Beyers: Welt mit Zukunft - Überleben im 21. Jahrhundert. Der Global Marshall Plan als Zukunftsoption. Hamburg, Murmann-Verlag, 2007, ISBN978-3-938017-86-9
Global Marshall Plan Initiative () Stiftung Weltvertrag / Global Contract Foundation () Eco-Social Forum / Ökosoziales Forum Österreich () Plant for the Planet Initiative ()
Some of the more than 200 organizations that support the Global Marshall Plan Initiative, set up a coordination circle for the initiative in December 2010 in Munich and took over the political and content related duties that had until then been shared out between others. The coordination circle develops strategic and content positions of the Global Marshall Plan Initiative, decides which projects to support, works on further development of content and is responsible for the yearly initiative meeting. Since November 2011 members have busied themselves with the development of a list of demands for the financial crisis. The current paper can be downloaded from the initiative’s website.
To be able to develop the desired effect and gain broad and sustained support of global civil society but also to find the economy and politics, earlier mistakes in development cooperation must be avoided in the implementation of the Global Marshall Plan.
The goal of the Global Marshall Plan Initiative is to globally link appropriate order processes with competitive mechanisms to create value added systems by combining potential, resources and infrastructure with well planned, institutional solutions. A global eco-social market economy would therefore create the right balance between competitive economy, social solidarity and ecological sustainability.
Another proposal to finance a Global Marshall Plan, which also has support from numerous experts, is a tax on global financial transactions. The financial transaction tax (FTT) is currently on the verge of a breakthrough in the EU.
According to the initiative, a Global Marshall Plan could also allow attractive new perspectives for many other problems caused by an unbalanced globalization. Possible impacts for example could be:
Currently the initiative for a Global Marshall Plan is supported by more than 5000 individuals, 200 organisations, all Austrian federal states as well as some German states and prominent public figures. In many European and non-European countries the first national and regional structures have been established. From the 19–20 April 2008 representatives from numerous local and regional groups from Germany met in Erfurt to discuss establishing a national initiative with the purpose of a new governance structure of the Global Marshall Plan Initiative. As a result, an Erfurt Declaration was accepted, which expresses the will to establish an umbrella organisation to house the local, regional and national groups. As to not contract initiative’s own understanding of its network-like character and open design, the establishment of a national organisation has recently been abandoned. People can belong to numerous organisations, get involved in local groups informally or organize a club. There should not be a national organisation or governing body.
An up-to-date list of supports can be found on the Global Marshall Plan website.
Shortly after establishing the Global Marshall Plan Initiative, Karolin and Frithjof Finkbeiner founded the Global Marshall Plan Foundation. From them on, the foundation took over from the duties originally assigned to the Global Contract Foundation of an international coordination office of the initiative. 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. Alongside the support of the children’s initiative Plant-for-the-Planet, which is active in more than 193 countries, it is possible to organize more international conferences, as for example the Commons Forum, and train around 40 participants through the multiplier training of the Global Marshall Plan Academy that take places yearly.
The current projects of the initiative are the University Days: Eco-Social Market Economy and Sustainability, a collaborative project between the initiative and 5 other organizations, as well as other multiplier training through the internationalisation and offer of other formats within the Global Marshall Plan Academy. Both projects are supported by the Global Marshall Plan Foundation. The foundation of one of three project offices finances the University Days, for the Global Marshall Plan the organizational administration. The support and maintenance of local activities through the coordination office, the coordination and communication of speakers and lecturers are additional important component of the commitment of the initiative.
Given the above considerations, the Global Marshall Plan Initiative sees the following principles and suggestions for the application of funds as particularly noteworthy:
These numbers illustrate that the proposed Global Marshall Plan on the stated level is by all means financeable.