Ethical Markets is a longtime supporter of the financial transactions tax . Now is the time to enact it ! – Hazel Henderson, Editor
Activists in over 30 countries are uniting this week to pressure their governments to back a Robin Hood Tax.
A huge rally of nurses dressed in Robin Hood hats are marching on the streets of Chicago, Robin Hoods are gathering on Mount Fuji in Japan, outside Big Ben in Britain, in Italy, India, Brazil, Zambia, Malawi, Belgium and more.
The co-ordinated action is timed to coincide with G8 leaders meeting in Camp David (May 18-19) and a meeting of European leaders (23 May) where the Financial Transaction Tax is on the agenda.
Activists represent a movement of millions spread across five continents. They want to see Europe and the rest of the world agree a Financial Transaction Tax, with the proceeds used to help the poorest and address global priorities such as food security, pandemic control, universal literacy and climate change adaptation.
A Robin Hood Tax would ensure the financial sector (which according to the IMF is “under taxed”) pays its fair share to support the most vulnerable who continue to lose out because of a financial crisis they did nothing to cause.
A spokesperson for [insert your own organisation] said:
“The Robin Hood Tax is a fair, feasible and phenomenally popular idea whose time has come. Millions of people around the globe are behind it, Parliamentarians are pushing for it and more than a thousand economists – including Nobel Prize winners – support it.
“If Gandhi’s chronology of ‘first they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win’ is anything to go by, the Robin Hood Tax campaign is getting close to its goal.
“European leaders deserve credit for backing a financial transaction tax, but it will not be worthy of the name Robin Hood unless money also goes to the poorest around the world who’ve lost out as a result of a crisis they did nothing to cause.”
Also as part of the Global Week of Action:
Hundreds of Civil Society Organisations from across Europe have written to the nine European countries that already back an FTT, calling on them to ensure proceeds are used to tackle poverty and climate change.
UN Human Rights experts have thrown their weight behind the Robin Hood Tax and have urged the European Union to take the lead in promoting a global financial transaction tax to protect basic human rights.
Notes to editors:
ñ Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande will attend both the G8 and EU Growth Summit – both have made an FTT a priority and indicated money could, in part, be put towards climate change and development.
ñ The nine European countries have already backed a Financial Transaction Tax are: France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Finland, Greece, Portugal, Italy.
ñ The European Leader’s “Growth” Summit, where the FTT is on the agenda, takes place on 23 May
ñ The European Parliament will also vote on the FTT on the 22 May
ñ The G8 (Group of 8 nations) will meet in Camp David in the United States this 18-19 May.
ñ The full list of countries participating in the Global Week of Action: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brussels (EU), Brazil, Canada, Congo, Costa Rica, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Ireland, italy, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Malawi, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Rwanda, South Africa, Spain, Uganda, UK, US, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
ñ Thousands of trade union, development, faith and climate change organisations are represented in this global week of action such as Oxfam, ITUC, Friends of the Earth, Plan International, Global Campaign for Climate Action (GCCA) and the Aids Alliance.
ñ For more information on UN Human Rights experts backing an FTT, see: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=12150&LangID=E
Contacts:
[insert own media contact details]Simon Chouffot (in United States) on: +1 347 866 5120 simon@robinhoodtax.org.uk