Vision, goals and main content
(as seen by Peter Hesse) of the

Global Marshall Plan Initiative

planetary contract – a development-concept
for "ONE world in diversity".

Vision:

Original version as agreed by the Global Marshall Plan Initiative in Vienna,
14 Oct. 2004:

A world in balance – in harmony with nature,
in peace between cultures (especially between religions),
in peace with societies and in worldwide prosperity in which
every human being can reach his/her desired potential.

Long-term Goal:

A new - "root-design" - legal framework for a peaceful and just world-order in our global village - a worldwide Eco-social market-system as a world-order framework for global trade and a peaceful society in "ONE world in diversity" with open, free markets - but with binding - enforceable - democratically agreed limits to freedom, basic ILO*- and environmental standards, which are interwoven in a binding way with agreed trading standards, especially with the WTO, the IMF and the world bank - in a legal framework of international law - respecting all economic, social and cultural as well as general Human Rights - and value-driven by the global "golden rule".

Strategic initiatives

to promote a free, just, ecologically and socially balanced world-order – for fair trade in and for our global society – to replace market-fundamentalism.

Methododical Goals:

Efficient and transparent, democratically controlled administration as well as well directed use of new funds targeting ownership, capacity development and empowerment of those without power - following the guiding principles : TRANSPARENCY + SUBSIDIARITY + PARTICIPATION + environmental SUSTAINABILITY.

*Basic ILO-standards, which are considered to by part of general human rights:
Nr. 29 (1930) - Forced Labour convention (still containing exceptions).
Nr. 87 (1948) - Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize Convention.
Nr. 98 (1949) - Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining Convention.
Nr. 100 (1951) - Equal Remuneration Convention (men and women in comparable work).
Nr. 105 (1957) - Abolition of Forced Labour Convention (all types of forced labour).
Nr. 111 (1958) - Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention.
Nr. 138 (1973) - Minimum Age Convention (connected to school-age).
Nr. 182 (1990) - Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention. 

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The Global Marshall Plan Initiative from VISION WORKS, 2008
6 original pages: 266 to 271.

"SOLIDARITÄT die ankommt!" – Well-targeted SOLIDARITY - for sustainable development – a book published by me with and for the Global Marshall Plan Initiative in 2006.

Poverty reduction, fulfilment of basic needs and sustainable development in ONE world in diversity - especially to reach the millennium goals (MDGs) in 2015 - need more resources than are now available. For the acquisition of funds, realistic problem solving concepts are outlined in the concept of a Global Marshallplan. For its implementation, an appropriate political will is needed. Precondition is, however, a deepened and widened consciousness. Such consciousness will have to develop anyway, otherwise our world might end in disaster. In any case, in a world where corruption and mismanagement are widely spread, the problem of effective use of funds must be solved. This is the subject of a new book (in German) that has been published in the framework of the Global Marshall Plan (GMP) Initiative in 2006.

Especially - but not only - where governments cannot be trusted to practice good transparent, efficient governance and to limit corrupt mismanagement of funds, a direct basic approach is needed. Goals of a "bottom-up" approach are:

  • empowerment of those without power
  • capacity development to initiate self-help structures
  • ownership of development measures by those who want to develop themselves and their communities.

The ultimate goal must, however, maintain that national governments themselves are providing for the basic needs of their own people, observe internationally agreed social and environmental standards and provide a safe, just and fair framework for their countries' own social and economic development. In such cases, a country's ownership of development measures (on a macro-level) does not conflict with its people's ownership on a micro-level.

Guiding principles - both on a country's macro- and micro-level - are - SUBSIDIARITY, giving preference to the smallest possible unit, - TRANSPARENCY of all goals, objectives, plans and activities, - SUSTAINABILITY of the natural environment, the base of all existence, - as well as of all social, cultural and economical structures - and - PARTICIPATION of all who are concerned for true holistic development.

Although there is no general recipe for development and although nothing and nobody can be developed, there are some outstanding "instruments" for development which have proven their worth and can be considered as pillars of self-development:

- Micro-finance instruments, especially socially administered micro-credit systems but also financial bottle-neck opening systems using small well target funds through trustworthy facilitators in the field - and for long-term sustainable development: - Learning in all its forms. Outstanding learning-models are being described in this new German book "SOLIDARITÄT die ankommt!".

But learning is also of vital importance for each individual to enable a successful, dignified life in all its possible variety. Such learning must start early in life - from birth with the help of loving parents or care-takers and from around the age of 3 years through various forms of well-guided conscious support, one of them being good quality child-centred preschools (like Montessori). Early learning should be followed by the best possible primary school - and various culturally and individually adapted life-long learning systems. Highest priority should, however, be given to earliest learning - wherever it is possible. It is worth the effort.

However: As long as such framework conditions for development are not fully developed, individual and global solidarity are needed for a dignified life in our ONE world in diversity.

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