Creating People-Centred Economics

["ÁÎ×Ó¹â HenryC.K.Liu ¹ù¤l¥ú" <hliu@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Welcome to FOCUS on the Global South
   Economic Sovereignty in a Globalising World: Creating People-Centred
Economics for the 21st Century

Why We Are Having This Conference

While financial analysts assess the global financial crisis in terms of
stock market indexes and currency values,
the real impact is being borne by the millions of people who are being
pushed further into poverty as we
approach the new millenium. Generations will inherit a debt not of their
making, and as the human costs of the
crisis continue to mount, speculators and currency traders escape
virtually unscathed.

Uncontrolled speculative investment and currency trading have a
devastating effect on economic stability and
long-term development. The crisis has shown that national economies no
longer have control over vital aspects
of economic policy, and that they too are subject to the whims of the
market.

The inability of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank to
respond to the crisis with appropriate policies
has called into question their capacity to understand and react to the
needs of people in a rapidly changing global
economy. A growing number of critics are now calling for a thorough
review of these institutions? policies and
decision making processes.

The dire human consequences of this demand our attention. It is
imperative that international economic relations
be reviewed and reshaped to control speculation, regulate financial
markets and reduce inequalities between
nations, while promoting economic democracy and fostering sustainable
development.

All these measures and reforms should aim to give local communities,
national governments and regional
groupings the chance to pursue economic policies which meet the needs of
people, instead of the markets.
http://focusweb.org/conference/