Founding Declaration for the Asian People’s Fund for Mutual Benefit
Today, on October 9, 2009, we declare the founding of the Asian People’s Fund for Mutual Benefit, having completed the necessary measures for its establishment.
About two years ago, on August 9, 2007, funding from Europe’s short-term interbank market suddenly evaporated, and the giant financial bubble that had enveloped the world and dominated the economy burst. The credit that had been constantly expanding until then thus began to contract, affecting the real economy and causing it to also shrink rapidly. With the United States in the lead, key governments around the world began vast public spending to push back the shrinking economy, but the rupture of this financial bubble was just too big. Even with key governments countering it with public spending, it was not enough to make the difference.
There is now a fear of this turning into a global financial panic. There is a chance that the expectations of key governments that China and India will likely recover will end as fantasy. If this happens, workers in developed countries who have lost their jobs will be left out on the streets. Further, funds will dry up in emerging nations, making the curbing of financial activity itself inevitable. This will lead to the suffering of famine all over the world by vulnerable populations, such as children, women, the elderly and the disabled.
Currency and credit are essential to economic growth and development. Economic growth and development are essential to people’s livelihood security. Thus, currency and credit are essential to people’s livelihood security. The problem is that currency and credit are self-propelled and people have acted in conformity with it, thereby destroying the world and the global economy. In other words, the problem is that people are using the language of credit and currency and have lost sight of their own language, that of humanity.
Now, however, people are finally discovering that they must render mutual cooperation and care, with relationships of solidarity that are adaptable. The Asian People’s Fund for Mutual Benefit is launched today in an attempt to join citizens of the north and people of the south in mutual cooperation and care, and in adaptable relationships of solidarity. People cannot survive unless they are freed of the language of currency and credit and weave together a new language of humanity – the language of mutual cooperation and care.
We believe in a future where we help and care for each other, and we gather today at the launch of the Asian People’s Fund standing tall and in solidarity, as we take this firm step forward. Sadly, we admit that the difference we can make is slight. This global panic brought about by people’s poor use of language has caused a rumble and threatens to completely destroy lives around the world, and we can only do so much in response. Despite our endeavors being small, however, we will do our very best, and through our fervent efforts, believe that the lamp of people’s solidarity we hold high will provide a beacon of hope for people all around the world in years to come.
October 9, 2009
The Participants of the Founding Assembly
