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Mittwoch nachmittag:

Although life in a tent city is usually quite easy going, with the rain showers driving people to seek the shelter of the pavilions, the long shadow of the afternoon event looms: Joseph Stiglitz is expected, at the big discussion in the Monumental Baptist Church next to the tent city (yes, I know, actually it is the other way around). Before that is the press conference. The density of journalist starts increasing. I have a meeting with the ARD television team and a radio journalist.

The large congregation hall which in the last few days we had used as our  general abode, was particularly  tidy, and a podium for the prominent guest and his fellow podium-people was ready. 

Joseph Stiglitz meets with much approval from the journalists when he says that the G20 is avoiding tackling the problem of the banks which are „too big to fail“. He questions whether the IMF should be the platform to deliver the world from the financial crisis, when precisely this monetary fund played such an important role in the impoverishment of people and the preparations for the world crisis. He makes it clear that the G20 is an improvement over the elite club of the G8 – but that there are 192 countries in the world and no sensible reason why 172 should be left out in matters of great future interest.

When it starts in the church there are a few places left but no bench free anymore. Many people have made the journey to the Hill District who one would not otherwise meet here. There are invisible dividing lines in this city. One journalist reports that the taxi driver warned her of the violence in this part of the city. It is not often that the church gets to see as many white faces as today.  The event is rather NGO-like, which causes many people to prefer to stay under the rain shelters.

Stiglitz exhorts the people to call for a greater say in all matters. He warns again that there should no longer be banks designated as „too big to fail“, and points out that the financial lobby at first got many politicians to eagerly support deregulation, then diligently push for bank bailouts, and now to avoid regulations as much as possible.

 

 

It is sticky and humid it the church. Good thing that there is a fan lying next to the bible at every seat: with a portrait of Martin Luther King they get a little bit of breeze around our noses.

 

 

Emira Woods from the institute of „policy studies“ speaks after Stiglitz. Within minutes she enthrals her audience. She doesn't make it easy for them as she first of all makes it clear that there is a triple crisis to be overcome: A climate crisis, a resource crisis and a financial crisis. To do this the leaders of 20 countries are not the right people. The objective should be to give all 6 Billion people in the world a voice, and to hear their needs.

After such a long period where only the bankers, the rich, always just a few people have profited, it is about time to say „enough!“. It is about preserving human dignity throughout the world. We must overcome our dependence on oil.   

She ends with the emotional appeal to join hands and together to seek and demand a better way. The whole church calls out with her „people power“ and many stand up clapping giving a long ovation as thanks for this speech.

After her Carl Redwood of the consensus group of the Hill District closes the first round of lectures. He emphasises that opposition must take place at all levels, global, national and local. Who gets bailed out or receives massive support and who doesn't is constantly a theme even in Hill District. The „Penguins“ and their supporters received 750 million dollars of taxpayers money for their new arena. Today it is called the Mellon-Arena (not just by chance the same name as the bailed out bank). On the other hand the community after much long battles with the city could wring out just 10 million dollars. Of course that is better than nothing – but still a measure of how unevenly state subsidies flow.

(Translation by Homi Kutar)