Fernandez at World Food Summit

[NewsWhore]

President Leonel Fernandez, spokesman for Latin America at the UN World Food Crisis Summit in Rome, has called for the creation of a global solidarity fund to help poorer countries overcome the present food crisis. Fernandez said that on the local front, the current increase in food prices should be viewed as an opportunity for local producers to compete at an advantage with imports. He called for an end to protectionism by developed countries, and urged for a sense of justice to prevail in the pending Doha Round of international trade talks. He criticized the fact that only US$10 million has been available to assuage the crisis in Haiti. Fernandez told the audience that not only food is at stake, but that this is also a crisis affecting capitalism, finances, paradigms, social, ecological and possibly democratic governance. He said that cooperation and solidarity have been lacking. He said that if the world's privileged sectors continue to accumulate wealth and power, we would face a threat to civilization as it is known today, and a world governance crisis. He suggested an Emergency Action Plan with the backing of funds from a Global Solidarity Fund, coming from the 0.7% of GDP to development cooperation and percentage of surplus funds generated by the oil boom.
"History has taught that great changes that have benefited the peoples of the world have come on the heels of great cataclysms. From darkness has come the light, and at this time we need to convert globalization into an act of solidarity," he concluded.
To listen to the speech, go to www.presidencia.gob.do/app/article.aspx?id=9407 (http://www.presidencia.gob.do/app/article.aspx?id=9407)

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