A new agreement with the World Economic Forum gives multinational corporations influence over matters of global governance.

Harris Gleckman

Anew corporate and government marriage quietly took place last week when the leadership of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the United Nations (UN) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to partner with each other. While this MOU is proudly displayed on the WEF website, it is nowhere to be found on the UN website. The only indication on the UN website of this important new development is a picture of the pen used to sign the agreement, and two pictures of the signing ceremony.

One reason for this difference is that the UN’s corporate-centered Global Compact has received a good deal of bad press. Now the new WEF-UN agreement creates a second special place for multinational corporations inside the UN. There is no similar institutional homes in the UN system for civil society, for academics, for religious leaders, or for youth. It is hard to imagine a national government signing a similar formal partnership with one of its business organizations.

At the same time, the UN is under pressure from Donald Trump who wants to deconstruct the whole multilateral system. For Trump, dismantling the international system built after World War II is a companion piece to his domestic effort at deconstructing the administrative state. For the Secretary-General of the UN, the pact with the WEF may well be his effort to find new power actors who can support the current system, which is now celebrating its 75th anniversary, in the face of Trump’s onslaught.

On the other side, the WEF recently received significant public criticism after giving Hungarian Prime Minister Orban and Brazilian President Bolsonaro a warm welcome at its 2019 Davos gathering. This marriage may be seen as a way for the WEF to re-establish itself as part of the global governance center.

The timing and managing of public perceptions are not the only interesting aspect of this arrangement. In 2009, the WEF published a 600 page report entitled the Global Redesign Initiative, which called for a new system of global governing, one in which the decisions of governments could be made secondary to multistakeholder led initiatives in which corporations would play a defining role. In a sense this WEF study recommended a sort of public-private United “Nations” – something that has now been formalized in this MOU. The agreement announces new multistakeholder partnerships to deliver public goods in the fields of education, women, financing, climate change, and health.

The rather detailed MOU includes forms of cross organizational engagement up and down the UN structure. The MOU contains commitments that the Secretary-General himself will be invited to deliver a keynote address at the WEF annual Davos gatherings. His senior staff and the heads of the UN programmes, funds, and agencies will also be invited to participate in regional level meetings hosted by the WEF. It also contains a promise that the UN’s individual country representatives will explore ways to work with WEF’s national Forum Hubs. Aware of the mutual importance of public legitimacy each institution can provide for the other, the MOU also contains an agreement to cross-publicize their joint activities.

Besides the institutional blessing of the United Nations, what does the WEF get from the MOU? The scope of each of the five fields for joint attention is narrowed down from the intergovernmentally negotiated and agreed set of goals to one with more in line with the business interests of WEF members. So under financing, the MOU calls only for ‘build[ing] a shared understanding of sustainable investing’ but not for reducing banking induced instabilities and tax avoidance.

Under climate change, it calls for ‘ …public commitments from the private sector to reach carbon neutrality by 2050’, not actions that result in carbon neutrality by 2030 . Under education, it re-defines the Sustainable Development education goal to ‘ensure inclusive and equitable quality education’ into one that focuses on education to meet the ‘rapidly changing world of work.’ The MOU explicitly restricts the WEF from making financial contributions to the UN, which might have ameliorated the economic impact of some of Trump’s threat to the budgets of the UN system. At the same time, it avoids any commitment to reduce global inequality, to make energy affordable, to hold multinational corporations accountable for human rights violations, or even to rein in the behavior of the WEF’s firms that act inconsistently to the re-defined goals set out in the agreement.

All this joint work might have some practical good if it were not for three crucial elements: firstly, the agreement circumvents the intergovernmental review process; secondly, the agreement elevates multistakeholderism as the solution to the problems with the current multilateral system; and thirdly the proposed multistakeholder partnerships are not governed by any formal democratic system. Were the Secretary-General convinced of the wisdom of a UN marriage with the WEF, he could have submitted the draft MOU for approval by the member states. Instead, the Secretary-General joined the WEF in declaring in effect that multistakeholder groups without any formal intergovernmental oversight are a better governance system than a one-country-one-vote system.

All multistakeholder governance groups are largely composed of a self-selected group of multinational corporations and those organizations and individuals that they want to work with. They work without any common internal rule book to protect the views of all who might be impacted by the group. Participation in multistakeholder group is a voluntary undertaking. The drop-in-drop-out arrangements are antithetical to the UN’s efforts for 75 years to build a stable secure global governance system with a clear understanding of obligations, responsibilities and liabilities.

What is surprising is that by accepting this marriage arrangement with the WEF, the Secretary-General of the UN is marginalizing the intergovernmental system in order to ‘save’ it.

Open Democracy 2^nd July 2019

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/oureconomy/how-united-nations-quietly-being-turned-public-private-partnership/?source=in-article-related-story

“Where did all this diversity talk come from? I mean… I have never seen so many big companies and their CEOs putting up rainbow logos and statements.” And we all know that changing logos is a capital crime in the eyes of the corporate brand and marketing departments.  The Germany vs. Hungary game earlier this week at the European Football Championship (June 2021)

While the petition to illuminate the Munich Stadium with rainbow colors for the aforementioned game drew a lot of attention to the controversial new Hungarian legislation restricting LGBTQ+ rights, it also helped white, middle-aged men to finally have a voice about #diversity and #inclusion: football!

But the question of my friend got me thinking deeper about the origins of this massive surge in corporate social responsibility. So yes, the pandemic played a part – the year we all remember as transformational in many ways and while we all had our unique experiences, I don’t think there is anybody who had not reflected on the big questions of life while enduring social distancing and toilette paper shortages.

Subsequently, it catalyzed deep-rooted social issues in the USA, where the early phase of the COVID19 crisis was particularly devastating and gave rise to the “Black Lives Matter” movement. That also did not come from out of the blue, there were many building blocks up to this moment as a result of the long history of mistreatment and discrimination of the African-American community in the country. Also from other angles, like the anti-sexual harassment and violence “Me Too” movement of 2016, the discourse about human rights started to take center stage in the privileged, wealthy, western societies – both in governmental and private sectors alike.

What do all these initiatives have in common?

They all originate from the USA.

Don’t get me wrong, obviously it’s not the only country that has unequal social structures and problems with discrimination. But it’s the biggest, most-influential, most economically and politically powerful country that has the culture and the willingness to address these issues openly and loudly. And thus, in our global, capitalized economies it has an impact on European, Asian and African countries to some extent

In my opinion, this is the question that leads us to the true reason why diversity is so big now and not before. And to answer it, we have to go on a little time travel back to the second industrial revolution. When the German-born philosopher and social revolutionist Karl Marx published his iconic works “The communist Manifesto” and “Das Kapital”, it started the labour rights version of the “Me Too” movement in the late 19th century. Marx became stateless due to his views, but factory workers and other blue-collar members of society benefited from them greatly as they started to unionize and form collectives to fight for better labour conditions and rights. This socialist wave swept across Europe in the 20th century, deeply embedding itself into the political and social structures of many countries. Minimum wage, paid vacation days, paid maternity leave, universal healthcare and paid sick days – just to name a few of the achievements of the human and workers rights activists. Subsequently, workers councils formed inside big corporations to continue representing employee interests and keep checks and balances with profit-oriented productivity maximization.

Back to our days, when workers councils in Germany, France, The Netherlands and many other European countries are well-established and part of the corporate governance structures, they are seen as a bit old-fashioned entities that stand in the way of progress. But in fact, they are the refined and organized successors of the thousands of activists demonstrating and fighting for workers’ rights on the streets a century ago, much like what their American counterparts are doing in recent years related to adequate Black, Latinx, LGBTQ, Female rights and representation in all facets of society.

Employee Resource Group (ERG) is the term in the US for a group of people sharing similar values and interests, meeting regularly for peer-support and to advocate their agendas towards the employer. However, since socialism and unionization are among the scariest words in the dictionary for many American big corporations, they have a vested interest in preemptively forming and closely managing ERGs, thus continuously balancing on the thin rope between support and control.

And doing all this in a very American, loud, patriotic and inspiring way.

That’s why recently many big corporations have ERGs, Chief Diversity Officers as member of their Senior Leadership Teams and most of their Board Members are outspoken about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) topics in a form of emotional, often tear-jerking and personal stories.

It’s a country of Hollywood and the Land of Dreams, so no surprise that human and labour rights activism is not confined to the boring limits of court rooms and legislation bureaus. They say everything is bigger in America – so is the wave of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion that is sweeping across the corporate world, and leaving many European businessmen, like my friend from Friday dinner, puzzled on why this is happening right now.

DE&I is in many ways a conversation about privilege that some of us are born with and others are not, yet it profoundly defines everything in our lifetimes – our socio-economic status, educational and career opportunities, health and life expectancy and family prospects. I have been blessed with many privileges in my life and after this conversation I realized I have another one: being European and – even more so – living and working in Germany, where the workers’ council of my employer is advocating for my rights so I can go and help those who don’t have this privilege.

And facilitate conversations about rainbow-colored buildings and football so everybody can find their role in the DE&I fight, as it is universal, it takes all of us and it never stops.

NZ HERALD REPORTED 27^TH DECEMBER 2022 ‘ WOMEN WHO KILL: NEW ZEALAND SHOCKING ROLL OF DISHONOUR

The baby farmer… The Black Widow….The Heavenly Creatures…..The body in the garden.

Lillybing. Decelia. Moko. Malachi. These are all notorious criminal cases in New Zealand where people have been murdered at the hands of women. Husbands, children, friends, lovers and complete strangers slain. Babies and children abused, neglected and brutalized. Police figures show between mid-2012 and 2022, about 280 people were convicted of murder in New Zealand.

Of those, just 9.5 per cent of offenders – 26 in total – were women. A further 47 women were convicted of manslaughter, 27 per cent of the 271 total offenders in that category. Senior crime and justice reporter Anna Leask looks back at some of New Zealand’s most shocking cases of murder, manslaughter and even some mercy killings carried out by women.You can also listen to Herald podcast A Moment In Crime, which revisits the offending by some of these offenders.Some of these cases relate to child abuse or domestic violence. For information on where to get help or report concerns or crimes, scroll to the bottom of this article.

Historic killers.. Minnie Dean – multiple murders..In 1895 Minne Dean became the first – and only – woman to be hanged in New Zealand for the murder of two babies. In the 1880s Dean started taking in the children of unmarried mothers or women who had too many children.

Juliet Parker and Pauline Hulme – murder The 15-year-olds murdered Pauline’s mother, Honora Rieper, in Christchurch in 1954 by bludgeoning her on a park walkway. The schoolgirls lured Rieper to Victoria Park in Christchurch, on June 22, 1954 and proceeded to hit her repeatedly on the head with half a brick in a sock. The girls wanted Rieper dead so Pauline would be sent to live with Juliet, whose family were set to move overseas.

Child killers Lise Jane Turner – multiple murders In 1984 Turner was convicted of killing 8-month-old Michael Tinnion while she was babysitting him. He was the son of a neighbour. She also murdered her own two daughters by smothering them: Megan in 1980, and Cheney in 1982.Turner was also convicted of attempted murder after she tried to kill two other babies in her care – a 5-week-old girl and a 4-month-old girl. In 1997 Turner, then 41, was released from prison on parole. She spent 13 years behind bars for her crimes.

Tania Witika – manslaughter Witika, later known as Tania Gaye Hopping, was sentenced to 16 years in prison after her the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Delcelia. The case was the first to highlight the shocking level of child abuse in New Zealand. A High Court judge said at the time Delcelia’s death was one of the most disturbing cases he had seen.

Rachaelle Namana – manslaughter Hinewaioriki Karaitiana-Matiaha, known as Lillybing, died at a Carterton house in July 2000.Police said she died after “a series of dreadful injuries suffered over a three-day period”.She was suffering from rotavirus, was covered in bruises and scratches, was violated and bleeding internally, and had horrific scalding burns on her face, shoulder and pubis.

Lisa Kuka – manslaughter The death of Nia Glassie remains one of New Zealand’s most horrific and high-profile child murders.The 3-year-old Rotorua toddler died in August 2007 at the hands of her mother and stepfather and other adults living in her home. She was abused for months leading up to her brutal death. When details emerged of what the toddler had been subjected to, New Zealanders were appalled. Nia was admitted to Starship Hospital with critical head injuries in July 2007. When she was admitted to Starship, Nia’s brain damage was so severe that she could no longer breathe for herself.

Tiana Mary-Anne Odessa Kapea – murder Jyniah Mary Te Awa died in September 2007 after being abused repeatedly by her babysitter Kapea, who was a close family friend. Kapea was caring for Jyniah when she suffered a brain injury. The little girl was admitted to Starship Hospital but died the next day.

Tania Shailer – manslaughter Moko Sayviah Rangitoheriri died on August 10 last year from injuries he received during prolonged abuse and torture.His case shocked, saddened and angered New Zealanders and led to marches in his name against child abuse.Shailer, then 26, and David Haerewa, 44, eventually pleaded guilty to manslaughter and were sentenced to 17 years in jail with a minimum non-parole period of nine years.

Michaela Barriball – Malachi murder In 2022 Michaela Barriball was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a little boy in her care.

Southern Thompson – murder In May 2022 Southern Thompson was jailed for abusing, neglecting and bashing her 18-month-old daughter Comfort Jay Thompson-Pene to death in their Tirau home in July 2018.

Comfort was born with a birth defect, and she spent the first few months of her life in hospital.

Spouse killers :Helen Milner – murder

Milner was dubbed the “Black Widow” after she was convicted of murdering her second husband Phil Nisbet by poisoning him with crushed sedatives in his food in 2009.

Rena Joyce – murder In January 2021 Rena Joyce walked into the central police station in Christchurch and told staff she had killed her partner. Within an hour officers had found the decomposing remains of Martin Orme Berry dumped in a compost heap in his own backyard.

Gay Oakes – murder In 1994 Gay Oakes was found guilty of murdering her de facto husband and burying him in the backyard of her Christchurch home.

Michelle Nicholson – murder Michelle Elizabeth Ann Nicholson was sentenced to life in prison in 1997 for the murder of her partner, Dennis Hind, of Temuka.

Amandeep Kaur – murder Amandeep Kaur, 33, and her lover Gurjinder Singh, 28, were found guilty in 2016 of the murder of Kaur’s husband, 35-year-old Davender Singh. Singh’s throat was slit as he sat in his car on a south Auckland road on August 7, 2014.

Joseph Michael Ngapera died in November 2018 after being stabbed twice in the chest. The first blow pierced his ribs, lung and heart.

His partner Karen Ruddelle was charged with murder, but after a trial in the High Court at Auckland she was found guilty of the lesser alternative charge of manslaughter.She never denied she was responsible for Ngapera’s death – but strongly denied there was any murderous intent.

Rikki-Lee Simeon – murder Simeon was just 18 when she murdered her partner Brendon Hamilton at an Auckland flat.

Sarah Barry – murder The 28-year-old was sentenced to seven months’ home detention after she admitted a charge of manslaughter.

Alana Bamber – murder Tony Waldron was found dead at his Gardiners Rd, Rakaia, home, 45 minutes south of Christchurch, on September 18, 2019, after failing to show up for 5.30am milking.After a lengthy homicide investigation, Waldron’s wife Alana Bamber, 35, and her cousin Joshua Dylan Morris-Bamber, 28, were charged with murdering the 25-year-old in his bed.

Pack killers

Natalie Fenton, Katrina Fenton, Daniella Bowman – murder Sisters Natalie and Katrina Fenton and their cousin Daniella Bowman were sentenced to life in prison in 1999 for murdering Raymond Mullins.Renee O’Brien – murder Puti Maxwell, Kararaina Te Rauna – manslaughter The brutal killing of Keith Piggott in 1993 was carried out by three teenage girls and shocked New Zealanders.Renee O’Brien was just 15 when she was found guilty of murdering the Waitara man.Puti Maxwell and Kararaina Te Rauna, both 14, had earlier pleaded guilty to his manslaughter. The body of the 60-year-old was found in the Waitara River on the afternoon of March 11 1993.

Friend killers: Naomi Morrison – murder Dunedin hairdresser Naomi Morrison stabbed her friend to death and buried her in a shallow grave in the backyard.

Anna Browne – murder Repeat violent offender Anna Browne was jailed for life after she was found guilty of murdering Carly Stewart at a “pamper party” in West Auckland.

Gwenda Sloane – murder Michelle Hoffman-Tamm, 51, disappeared in November 2012 after leaving the Rotorua home she shared with her long-term partner to visit Gwenda Sloane.Police found her body weeks later in a forested area just off State Highway 38 near Murupara. The police summary of facts revealed the two women, who had been friends for more than 20 years and were having a casual sexual relationship, had been drinking together at Sloane’s house on the evening of November 7. Sloane told police she “lost it” when she thought Hoffman-Tamm had taken $20 from her wallet.She launched a frenzied attack that left Hoffman-Tamm with 33 stab wounds and her ears severed and one shoved in her mouth.Hoffman-Tamm’s body lay on her kitchen floor for more than a day before Sloane wrapped up the body, put it in her car and buried it in a ditch near Murupara.

Melissa Wepa – murder Melissa Anne Wepa was jailed for life for killing a friend who dobbed her into police about her involvement in a burglary.She stabbed Porirua woman Caroline Gardiner 50 times before dumping her body down a bank.

Mercy killers: Leslie Martin – attempted murder In 2004 prominent euthanasia campaigner Lesley Martin was sentenced to 15 months in jail for the attempted murder of her terminally ill mother.

Donella Knox – murder Donella Knox, 49, was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment after she admitted to murdering her 20-year-old daughter Ruby in May 2016 at their Blenheim home.

(https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/women-who-kill-new-zealands-shocking-roll-of-dishonour/HVLHIDLQ55DZDP7QCUSTMEBJ7Y/)

WakeUpNZ   RESEARCHER: Carol Sakey

UNITE- UNITE – UNE: “Workers Unite” and “Workers of the World Unite” the rallying cries from The Communist Manifesto (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels (German: Proletariat aller Länder, vereinigt Euch!. Hence literally ‘Proletarians of ALL countries, UNITE ‘, popularized in English as “Workers of the World  UNITE”!

Marx said “Communists have been reproached for desiring to abolish the ‘right’ of acquiring ‘private property’ through the fruits of ones own labour”. That individualism must be swept out of the way, the abolition of ‘individuality’ and ‘freedom’.  Independence. That Communism does not seek to modify the truth, but to overthrow it. Communism abolishes external truths, abolishes all religion and  all morality

Marx believed that Individualism must be swept out of the way. The abolition of individuality and freedom, independence. Marx did not believe the truth existed. He wrote that the past dominates the present, the present dominates the past. The Communist Manifesto’ abolishes individual freedoms and rights.

Under the Communist Manifesto the private ownership of sovereign nation states ability to own property for stability the future of the family is attacked. Individual rights become that of the rights of the collective, which leads to oppression, economic stagnation.

Marxism – Socialism- Communism is built upon Revolution. Minority Revolutionary minority groups are increasingly aggressive , creating civil unrest.

DEI -Diversity Equity, Inclusion is deeply embedded in majority of industries, local, central govt and local government, military, police etc., of course including universities and academia.

Communism, Socialism Marxism is a brutal oppression that leads to economic stagnation.  The Marxist ‘Communist Manifesto’ and ‘Workers of the World UNITE’    Post era 2020 (COVID19 UNITE- UNITE AGAINST COVID) Implemented and financed by WEF  Klaus Schwab’s baby ‘Stakeholder Capitalism (Communism)