Wiki-WTO

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This page is about an initiative that emerged at the beginning of 2008. It is not immediately related to the WSF, but it might become a WSF activity, or related to several WSF activities, before and during the WSF in Belem 2009.

An email announcing the Wki-WTO to the European ATTACs

(from the attacsem list 4 January 2008)

Dear All,

Here is an idea.

We all know the Wikipedia on-line encyclopedia, each of us may consult it on many topics, so that it becomes a reference

Behind this scene are countless volunteers, as well as Internet tools supporting their cooperative effort.

In this line, please find enclosed a Wiki forum project, termed as "World Fair Trade Organisation" or "OMC légitime".

The idea emerged suddenly and the concept may be powerful.

The project summary has been already translated in several languages. A workshop at the next gathering in Sarrebruck will allow people to know each other, join forces and gain speed.

Three skills are required to launch the forum:

1) Multilateral trade issues expertise, so as to feed and moderate the exchanges

2) Wiki software experience and expertise, to implement and steadily develop

3) The ability to communicate across languages

Gilles Meuriot and Carol Bonvin started on 3) and immediately 30 translators + (EN, DE, IT, PT, FR) expressed their interest and support.

Among several thousands of Attac Europe members, no doubt there are many others capable of and willing to give birth, first light to the wiki forum. We are now looking for those persons who shall initiate the Wiki (free software, Docu Wiki for example), support its growth and protect it from attacks. This forum is meant to make people across the world bring forward and agree proposals through a voting procedure, a process that needs to be transparent and robust.

Thank you for conveying and disseminating the information so that volunteers emerge and come together. All your suggestions are most wellcome.

(you may send comments & suggestions to gilles.meuriot2 (at) orange.fr)

SUMMARY

(this Summary of the project was attached to the posting mentioned above. This summary is also available in Italian, French, German and Spanish.)

Aims

This document proposes a collaborative activity between different parts of civil society, supporting a WIKI internet forum for the purposes of creating a "legitimate WTO"-to regulate international trade.

Context

- The exclusively market-dominated WTO is moribund. It is undermined by its disputes, and 88 NGOs have announced the death of the Doha Round.- On the other hand, civil society is heading for consensus and can organise itself thanks to new Internet resources which allow long-distance collaboration.

Objectives

• To point to the values which need to be uppermost in international trade;

• to reaffirm the need for a regulation of international trade in keeping with these values;

• to create a new WTO which will be legitimated by its attitude to charters and international conventions, its transparent functioning, its global representation and use of consensus in relation to schemes which meet the needs and rights of people as well as the protection of the environment;

• to gradually deprive the market-based and illegitimate WTO of its already undermined credibility.

Approach

• The project will be anchored to the Doha is dead declaration made by 88 NGOs on 17 July 2007.

• Wiki software will be used to allow an interactive forum to be constructed which will bridge distances.

• A proposal will be made to Attac Europe and then to the NGO network (Our World is Not For Sale and its branch S2B (Seattle to Brussels) putting forward the idea of a legitimate WTO and defining the required skills (expert knowledge, translation, administration, moderation).

• A joint approach will be undertaken, starting with an expression of interest from the NGOs and a commitment to mobilising their resources.

• A meeting in Saarbrucken will be arranged six months hence to enable volunteers to meet each other face-to-face over several days before continuing on a virtual-level.

• The Wiki content will be developed using a cascading system, starting at the top with a statement of values (liberty, solidarity) the universal and seamless application of these values will be emphasised.

• The main headings of international trade to be dealt with will be confirmed; then the principles (food security) using a methodical analysis.

• Initial proposals will be formulated, along with arrangements, choosing appropriate measurement indicators (human development, ecological footprint).

• Electronic voting will be trialled (Condorcet method, or similar) inspired by "Democratic Experience".

• Wiki's sensitivity to attacks will be overcome by arranging for registration, reading/writing rights, authentication, encryption

• The project will be developed along the lines of Wikipedia by ensuring that the synthesis (base position) is always made clear in the forum threads.

• 12 months hence, for example, an initial communication to the political world will be made, in order to make visible a multi-lingual forum which already convinces by its relevance and its sturdiness.

• The network and its contents will be extended until politicians can no longer ignore this legitimate WTO and come to align themselves with its proposals rather than those of the market-oriented WTO.

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