Annual Report 2009
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AR 09 TRANSNATIONAL INSTITUTE 'Since we all agree that the world is suffering from war, from inequities, from the inhuman treatment of perhaps more than two thirds of humanity, let us come together to examine these questions and to see what answers we can collectively produce that may perhaps deliver us, as humanity, as the human race, into a world different from the one we are living in today' Philanthropist Samuel Rubin declaring his hopes for TNI, Paris, 1972 THE TRANSNATIONAL INstITUTE is an and representation, socially equitable movements concerned with poverty international network of activist distribution of wealth, and environmentally and marginalisation, social injustice, researchers committed to addressing sustainable modes of production and environmental degradation, militarism global problems. This is done from the consumption. and conflict, and other global problems. perspective of the interests of the Global South, paying particular attention to power TNI’s vision is of a democratic, equitable, We provide high calibre information structures that favour the rich over the peaceful and environmentally sustainable and analysis, convene seminars and poor, the powerful over the marginalised. world. conferences, facilitate transnational exchanges and network-building, and Our values include a commitment to Our mission is to provide empowering support the public outreach and advocacy non-violence and doing no harm, universal information and advocacy support efforts of the movements we work with. human rights, democratic organisation to progressive transnational CONTENTS | ANNUAL REport | TNI 02 TNI MISSION stATEMENT CREDITS For more information contact 03 CONTENTS AND CREDITS [email protected] Written by Andy Brown 04 MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR Fiona Dove | Executive Director TNI Edited by Andy Brown, Fiona Dove 07 MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD PRESIDENT Susan George | Board President Art Direction and Design by Sue Cowell | Atomo Design TNI HIGHLIGHTS 2009 08 Photography Maria Luisa Mendonça | Tom Kramer | Hans van den Bogaard | Climate Justice 10 TNI TIMELINE Now! Acknowledgements 13 TNI IN THE MEDIA Many thanks to Nina Brenjo and Ross Eventon THE TNI WAY Cross-cutting themes Printed by 14 PrimaveraQuint, Amsterdam PUBLIC SERVICES Participatory democratic public services as alternative to privatisation Published by 16 The Transnational Institute De Wittestraat 25 1052 AK Amsterdam 20 ALTERNATIVE REGIONALISMS Challenging divisive EU trade policies The Netherlands Tel 0031 20 6626608 Fax 0031 20 6757176 24 CLIMATE JUstICE Moving beyond a carbon-based economy www.tni.org Printed on FSC certified paper AGRARIAN JUstICE Challenging EU policy on biofuels 28 © TNI 2010. This publication may not be reproduced or copied without the permission of TNI. 30 DRUGS AND CONFLICT A focus on longer-term development and peace-building 34 DRUG LAW REFORM The human right to harm reduction 38 MILITARISM & GLOBALISATION Exposing the market in fear 40 APPENDIX TNI Fellowship 2009 42 APPENDIX TNI Staff 43 APPENDIX Finances 44 APPENDIX Thanks 47 APPENDIX Publications TRANSNATIONAL INSTITUTE | 3 TNI | ANNUAL REport | CHAPTER HEADER PARTNERS | CSOs | GOVERNMENTS PUBLIC SERVICES & WATER JUSTICE MILITARISM & ALTERNATIVE GLOBALISATION REGIONALISMS DRUG LAW TNI CLIMATE STAFF/FELLOWS REFORM JUSTICE DRUGS & AGRARIAN CONFLICT JUSTICE CROSS�CUTTING THEMES EXPOSING HARMS PROPOSING ALTERNATIVES EMPOWERING MOVEMENTS FOR CHANGE BUILDING MOVEMENTS FOR CHANGE FACILITATING ADVOCACY 4 | TRANSNATIONAL INSTITUTE MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR | ANNUAL REport | TNI MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR The year TNI turned 35 began hopefully with the inauguration of President Obama. The United Nations General Assembly was asserting leadership of the financial crisis. Expectations were high that the coupling of the economic and climate crises might see the world finally choosing the path to sustainability.E nergised, social movements converged to support changes in a better direction The G20, however, successfully power in the world is shifting too, at EU level. The urban poor of FIONA DOVE usurped the role of the UN opening both new threats and the developing world are facing Executive Director TNI and little changed. The non- new opportunities for another an acute shortage of access to binding Copenhagen Accord, system of governance. Now is the drinking water – a fundamental controversially drafted by the time to be proposing alternatives right for human beings. This is US and BASIC countries, was and demonstrating in practice caused by ailing public utilities the only tangible outcome of how they could work. and rapacious attempts the Climate Summit. Amidst by big – usually European the crisis, economic growth This 2009 Annual Report – corporations to buy them up trumped sustainability. A ‘Green presents TNI’s efforts in the past in the hope of turning a quick New Deal’ was sidelined as year to continue to expose where profit. TNI has argued strongly, unaffordable, while government the problems lie, and to shift and demonstrated in practice, after government in the North policy in a more socially just and that the solution does not lie ploughed public money by the sustainable direction. with privatisation but rather in FIONA DOVE has been TNI Executive billions into bailing out banks so reforming public utilities. This has Director since 1995. She holds degrees in Industrial Sociology (University of that ‘business as usual’ could be We are particularly proud worked very well where public KwaZulu Natal) and Development Studies resumed as quickly as possible. of the achievements of our utility managers, engineers and (Institute for Social Studies, The Hague). water work (see p 16-19). In the unionised workers work closely Raised in South Africa, Fiona was active in the anti-apartheid movement from the The crises are not going away course of just six years, we can with users and community late '70s and worked for the Congress of though. Furthermore, they confidently claim a significant organisations. What has also South African Trade Unions for almost a have exposed the current contribution to the changes we helped enormously are ‘public- decade from the mid-80s dominant economic model as are now seeing at UN level, and public partnerships’ (PuPs) or unsustainable. The balance of albeit a little more modestly, non-profit twinning programmes TRANSNATIONAL INSTITUTE | 5 TNI | ANNUAL REport | MEssAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR between successful and under- now seeing a wave of reforms A few, in particular, deserve The crises are performing utilities. In what we being implemented across special mention. Firstly, the not going away. see as a major victory, both the Latin America, which are also Samuel Rubin Foundation Furthermore, they UN and EU are now offering inspiring countries in South which has unfailing supported funding for PuPs. Furthermore, East Asia. TNI is being called us for 35 years. Secondly, the have exposed the the network that TNI has helped upon to advise governments Dutch Ministry of Development current dominant build around this issue in over 60 wanting to introduce drug law Cooperation and the Open Society countries was invited to advise reform. We anticipate that it Institute which have supported economic model both bodies in 2009. is only a matter of time before our programme continuously over as unsustainable. the contradictions force the past five years. And finally, The balance of We are also seeing some results international treaty reform. special thanks are due to Oxfam- for our Alternative Regionalisms Novib for stepping up to support power in the world programme, which advocates a At a more general level, TNI is us when our contract with the is shifting too, sustainable and people-centred being taken ever more seriously Ministry ended and we feared a opening both new regional integration as the best by the mainstream media. funding gap. defence against globalisation in Alongside visible and articulate threats and new Southern regions. Latin America social movements, we see the TNI is now actively seeking new opportunities for offers the most opportunity to media as the other crucial means donors for the coming years. We experiment with an alternative for shaping public opinion. In are also encouraging appreciative another system regionalism. A first joint meeting 2009, we put particular emphasis individuals to donate through a of governance. between governments and on media outreach -- with shiny new button on our website! Now is the time social movements was held in gratifying results. We employed Paraguay during the Mercosur two professionals – one in TNI is one of the oldest institutes to be proposing Summit in 2009 to discuss just Amsterdam and one in Mexico of its type still existing in the alternatives and this (see p23). TNI facilitated the – who successfully generated world. We have proved our worth demonstrating in attendance of both parliamentary 250 articles citing TNI. This in the 35 years of our existence, and civil society observers from included reaching some of the and hope to continue to serve practice how they Southern Africa and South most influential wire services and in the global public interest for could work East Asia who are interested to newspapers globally (see p13). at least another thirty five. With stimulate a similar dynamic in your help, we can. their own regions. I would like to thank our dedicated interns, staff and Yours, Our long-standing efforts to fellows, our diligent researchers, shift drug policy are making very editors and translators