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Youth
Declaration on Globalization
Toronto,
Canada, March 2002
We, the participants of the Grasping Globalization conference, notwithstanding
the cultural and regional differences among us, stand together in
the spirit of cooperation at this historic gathering of youth leaders
from across Canada, to declare our joint beliefs about globalization,
to articulate our vision of a world that we would like to see, and
to define our role in bringing into reality our vision of a common
global future.
We,
as young people, assert our right to participate and assume our responsibility
to contribute to matters that affect us. As global citizens, involved
in all parts of society as students, consumers and workers, we are
determined to make our presence felt, as globalization affects every
aspect of our lives. We represent a vast reservoir of untapped energy
and creativity, and a source of new and innovative thinking in the
globalization debate. We are willing and able to contribute and to
play our part in defining an unfolding global order.
We
seek to let our voices be heard in the decision-making process at
the local, national and international levels, and we call upon world
leaders to work with us to help move youth participation from the
margins to the mainstream. In 2025, half of the world's population
will be under that age of 25. It is, therefore, imperative that youth
be involved in the fundamental issues of today that will define our
present and future realities.
We
are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but are also the leaders of
today. All across the globe, young people are at the forefront of
major social movements, as they have always been, proving that they
are committed to making the world a better place for all. We stand
in solidarity with fellow youth and peoples around the globe who are
leading the charge to create a more just, harmonious and sustainable
world. Their struggle serves as our guide and inspiration.
We
recognize that globalization has brought many benefits, including
offering great opportunities for promoting sustainable development,
democracy and respect for human rights. It creates channels for people
to connect and can help to promote greater cultural understanding.
It helps to facilitate advances in technology and access to information
to greater numbers of people. And it helps to create wealth and promote
trade and enterprise.
But,
we also recognize that globalization, without proper guidance and
management, leads to the untrammeled pursuit of profits, often at
the expense of social justice. It has led to, among other negative
aspects, greater inequalities between peoples, an erosion of state
power in favor of corporations, gross violations of human rights and
environmental standards, the destabilization of national and regional
economies, and the displacement of traditional and local cultures.
We believe that, on balance, globalization has not worked to improve
the standard of living of most of the world's people. In fact, it
has widened the gap between the rich and the poor and has contributed
to the further marginalization of already vulnerable peoples.
WE
RAISE OUR VOICES TO SPEAK LOUD AND CLEAR THAT GLOBALIZATION WITHOUT
ADEQUATE DIRECTION, AND DEVOID OF A HUMAN FACE, WILL LEAD TO GREATER
SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL UPHEAVAL. GLOBALIZATION MUST BECOME
AN INSTRUMENT OF PROGRESS TO BENEFIT ALL HUMANITY. WE ARE DETERMINED
TO WORK TOWARDS THIS END.
We
strongly believe that, as a human family, we have it in our power
to shape the course of globalization and its impact on humanity. We
refuse to sit back and accept that, as a people, we are impotent and
unable to exercise control over the forces that are affecting us.
We firmly believe that we can make a difference and influence the
development of a new global society that is more just and equitable.
As
a means to achieving this objective, we seek increased democracy,
transparency and accountability on the part of governments and global
institutions, including but not limited to, the World Trade Organization,
the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. We call upon these
entities to promote not just free trade, but FAIR TRADE, and to make
decisions that, at the very least, do not undermine human rights and
environmental standards. Moreover, we especially call upon multinational
corporations to adhere to codes of conduct and to assume, more rigorously,
their social responsibility.
All
of us, governments, international financial institutions, the corporate
sector and indeed civil society and young people must work to promote
sustainable economic growth together with greater social equity and
environmental sustainability. Globalization must have a human and
an environmental dimension. Nothing less will suffice. The alternative
is too disastrous to contemplate.
We,
therefore, stress the need for the empowerment of people and increased
citizen participation in decision-making processes. It is only when
the average citizen is empowered and given a meaningful voice as a
stakeholder in the decision-making process that the forces of globalization
can be tempered with a sense of social justice, and work to benefit
all humanity.
We
resolve to play our part and to remain actively engaged in the globalization
debate, and we pledge to continue to be committed to social action
in our schools and communities, and to contribute to building a movement
at the local level by becoming more involved and leading actions to
promote positive social change. We accept this great responsibility
sincerely.
We
hold fast the hope that we can change the world to make it a better
place for all. We greatly appreciate and value opportunities such
as this one provided by the Grasping Globalization conference, to
empower young people with the tools to find meaning and voice in an
increasingly globalized world. With a renewed sense of hope and optimism,
we pledge to work in earnest, utilizing our newly acquired knowledge
and skills, to bring into reality a world where all humanity can share
in the fruits of globalization. We believe that such a world can come
about only with the full participation of young people. We welcome
all those concerned with social justice and the future of our world
to join us in this struggle.
We
especially welcome efforts for dialogue and collaboration, as it provides
opportunities to exchange ideas for action, to learn from one another,
and to reach new levels of integrated thought and action among governments,
businesses, civil society and youth. This, we believe, is crucial
in helping to build a broad based movement, inclusive of all major
stakeholders, to meet the challenges and opportunities presented by
globalization. No doubt, the road will be long and rocky, but let
history record, as we declare here today, that the youth of the world
are ready for this challenge.
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