Proposal for a People-Centric World Parliament Experiment: Towards Global Economic Justice
Response to proposal Agenda and Rules: WPE Event in Berlin (ID: 16643).
Proposal for a People-Centric World Parliament Experiment: Towards Global Economic Justice
Preamble
The initiative to explore the potential of a World Parliament is commendable and resonates deeply with the urgent need for global democratic governance. However, for such an experiment to truly reflect the aspirations of the world's citizens and pave the way for a post-capitalist future, its foundational principles, scope, and methodology must be radically reoriented. This proposal outlines a framework for a World Parliament Experiment (WPE) that prioritizes broad inclusivity, democratic agenda-setting, and a focus on actionable, systemic reforms.
Rejection of Exclusive Deliberation
The notion of the World Parliament Experiment as a "small internal research meeting" with a "selected small group of participants" is fundamentally antithetical to the very spirit of a global democratic institution. A World Parliament, even in its experimental phase, must embody the principle of universal representation. Limiting participation to a select few risks replicating the very power structures and inequalities that such an institution should aim to dismantle.
Proposed Framework for an Inclusive World Parliament Experiment
We propose the following revised framework for the World Parliament Experiment:
1. Mass Participation and Democratic Mandate
* Open Call for Participation: The WPE must launch a truly open, global call for participants, leveraging digital platforms to reach diverse populations across all continents. Quotas should be established to ensure geographical, socio-economic, and demographic representation, actively seeking out voices from marginalized communities and the global working class.
* Decentralized Deliberation Hubs: Alongside online engagement, regional and local "People's Assemblies" should be encouraged and supported to facilitate grassroots input and deliberation, feeding directly into the global experiment.
* Binding Online Agenda Setting: The initial suggestion to decide on the agenda and rules online is affirmed, but it must be established as a binding process for all stages of the WPE. This ensures genuine public ownership of the experiment's direction.
2. Core Agenda for Systemic Transformation
The World Parliament Experiment must not shy away from confronting the core challenges of our globalized capitalist system. Its agenda must be explicitly designed to propose and deliberate on transitional reforms that advance collective ownership and global economic justice. We propose the following mandatory thematic pillars:
#### A. Global Economic Justice and Wealth Redistribution
* Global Progressive Wealth Tax: Deliberate on the implementation of a binding, globally coordinated progressive wealth tax on ultra-high-net-worth individuals and multinational corporations. Funds generated would be allocated to a globally managed public investment fund.
* International Corporate Taxation Reform: Develop proposals for a unified, high minimum corporate tax rate and mechanisms to combat tax havens and illicit financial flows, ensuring corporations contribute fairly to global public goods.
* Debt Justice Initiative: Formulate proposals for the systematic cancellation or restructuring of unsustainable sovereign debts for developing nations, conditional on investments in public services and ecological transition.
#### B. Massive Public Investment and Democratic Control of Resources
* Global Public Infrastructure Fund: Establish a mandate for a massive, globally coordinated public investment program focused on sustainable energy, universal high-speed internet, public transportation, and resilient infrastructure, prioritizing public ownership and democratic oversight.
* Universal Public Services Guarantee: Deliberate on mechanisms to guarantee universal access to high-quality public healthcare, education, and housing as fundamental human rights, funded through global solidarity mechanisms.
* Democratic Control of Strategic Resources: Develop frameworks for the democratic and collective stewardship of critical global resources (e.g., water, rare earth minerals, digital infrastructure), removing them from speculative private control.
#### C. Empowering Workers and Building a Cooperative Economy
* Global Worker Cooperative Fund: Propose the creation of an international fund and legal framework to actively promote, finance, and support the establishment and growth of worker cooperatives across all sectors, shifting ownership and control to labor.
* Strengthening Global Labor Rights: Advocate for and develop proposals for universally enforceable labor standards, including living wages, the right to organize, and robust protections against exploitation, enforced by a global labor body.
* Participatory Economic Planning: Explore models for integrating participatory budgeting and democratic economic planning at regional and global levels, giving citizens direct input into investment priorities and resource allocation.
The Berlin Event: A Call to Action for Democracy
The proposed Berlin meeting on November 13th, 2026, should not be a closed "research meeting" to decide the WPE's fate. Instead, it must serve as a preparatory and coordinating session with the explicit mandate to:
1. Establish the mechanisms for the online, mass-participatory agenda-setting process.
2. Outline the technical infrastructure for broad digital engagement and deliberation.
3. Launch the global open call for participants, with clear guidelines for equitable representation.
4. Initiate the formation of working groups focused on developing concrete policy proposals within the thematic pillars outlined above.
Its purpose is to catalyze, not to conclude. The true work of the World Parliament Experiment lies in the hands of the global citizenry, deliberating on a future free from capitalist exploitation and guided by collective prosperity.
Conclusion
This revised proposal transforms the World Parliament Experiment from a theoretical exercise for a few into a vital platform for global democratic action. By embracing radical inclusivity and focusing on actionable transitional reforms, we can lay the groundwork for a truly post-capitalist world order, built on justice, equality, and collective ownership.
DISCUSSION
No comments yet!