As the G-20 wraps up in London, another global forum is about to get underway in Brussels. The Global Progressive Forum (GPF) will bring together progressive politicians, trade unionists, NGOs, academics and figures from major international institutions from five continents to develop a new vision of a globalized world which benefits all of humanity not just a select few. The GPF will take place in the European Parliament and will be opened by former US President Bill Clinton.

The Global Progressive Forum will feature debates and discussions on the issues of global governance, trade, financial markets, fair labour markets, migration and climate change, all aimed at coordinating global answers to the multitude of global crises that we face.

The Global Progressive Forum (GPF) is a common initiative of the Party of European Socialists along with its political group in the European Parliament, and the Socialists International. The GPF sprang up from the success of the first World Social Forum held in January 2001 in Porto Alegre, in Brazil. The Global Progressive Forum aims to bring together a diversity of peoples from Africa, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, India, and Latin America to discuss and propose alternatives to the negative aspects of the current globalization process which specifically affects the developing world.

The problems we face are global problems and the solutions require input from the breadth of humanity. Neo-liberalism has failed. It has created great wealth but for whom? The top 0.1% of income earners in the US have increased their share of the national income from just under 2% in 1978 to over 6% by 2005, In Britain, the top 1% of income earners have more than doubled their share of the national income since 1979 to 13%. Globally, social inequality is far worse today than it was in 1960.

Neo-liberal market fundamentalism was always a political doctrine serving certain class interests. Its failure should be self-evident. As of 2005, eighty countries had lower per capita incomes than at the end of the 1980s when the neo-liberal agenda was in full swing. The record is even worse when we consider that the average per capita measure obscures the growing inequality and endemic poverty evident in all of these countries. Poverty in most countries is rising because: debt payments to foreign financiers continue to eat up a major part of the income the country earns through exports each year; foreign investment is not creating the needed jobs; and, tax forgiveness and incentives to transnational corporations deplete local social spending budgets, just as they do increasingly in the developed countries.

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The run up to Indonesia’s national elections on April 9th has been marred by logistical problems. Indonesia is the world’s third largest democracy and the most populous Islamic country in the world. Here’s some more background from the Jakarta Post:

As the April 9 elections draw closer, the mood has become more and more gloomy. The preparations for the big day have been marred by tremendous logistical problems. Incorrect printing of ballots, ballot shortages, the wrong ballots sent to some provinces and districts, uncertain campaign schedules, the problem of the transportation of election materials and many more problems have all pointed to the incompetence of the current General Elections Committee (KPU).

All these have led some observers to question the readiness of the government to hold the April 9 elections simultaneously across the country. Some have even called for the elections to be postponed. Whatever excuses the KPU officials can come up with, there is no doubt that this year’s elections, the third since Indonesia moved toward democracy in 1998, will be worse than those in 1999 and 2004.

This could be blamed on the quality of the KPU itself. Composed of figures of unknown merit, if not sheer incompetence, it seems that the KPU has no confidence in itself. But, we should also equally blame the House of Representatives (DPR) which elected the current members of the KPU in the first place. The previous KPU, despite being marred by corruption cases and charges, did an excellent job.

The upcoming elections will also face the question of legitimacy. The problem with the list of registered voters in the recent governor’s election in East Java has alarmed many political parties. Many began to worry that the elections might be fraught with fraud. If this problem persists, then the legitimacy of the elections would come under serious question.

There is also the high possibility of outbreaks of violence in the aftermath of the elections. This is a scary thought indeed. In 2004, the elections were almost trouble-free. Violence was almost absent. Those who disputed the results brought the cases to court. In turn, they accepted the court’s rulings. This kind of maturity served as a source of pride for the nation.

Indeed, Indonesian leaders have often cited the quality of the 2004 elections as the defining moment in Indonesia’s transition to democracy. Many praised Indonesia for its ability to organize such a complex election. Since 2004, Indonesia has been described as the third largest democracy on earth. It has become a source of inspiration for pro-democracy forces in other countries. In fact, it has become the last bastion of democracy in Southeast Asia.

Now, after such admirable achievements, could Indonesia plunge back to where it began? The stakes are too high for this nation. The failure to organize orderly and peaceful elections after experiencing two successful elections is unacceptable. The future of democracy would be at stake. Indonesia should prevent itself experiencing a democratic backslide. We should not give antidemocracy forces in the country, and outside, reason to cheer and celebrate the failure of democracy in Indonesia.

After 10 difficult years of transition, Indonesia’s democracy has begun to receive international appreciation. Indonesia’s profile and a positive reputation abroad have begun to emerge.

Within Southeast Asia, as mentioned above, Indonesia has increasingly returned to its previous status as the beacon of stability. It has also earned a reputation as the only free country in the region.

At the global level, Indonesia’s profile is also on the rise. As a member of the G20, Indonesia is expected to play a role in the G20 Summit in London this week to find a solution to many global economic problems. Indonesia has also played a major role in facilitating the path toward a global consensus on how to respond to climate change. More recently, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) included Indonesia in a group of the world’s fastest growing economies called BRIICS (Brazil, Russia, India, Indonesia, China and South Africa).

All these achievements are too valuable to be thrown away by our inability to organize peaceful, free and fair elections. Indonesia’s leaders and politicians, as well as its people, should not allow the country to slide back into chaos. The urgency for sustaining our political achievements is even greater now in this time of economic adversity.

Time is running out fast. However, we still have the opportunity to prove that all negative speculations are wrong. Prior to the 2004 elections, many observers also predicted that Indonesia would plunge into chaos. We proved them wrong then. We should do the same now.

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Two years of violence may have ended in Pakistan’s Swat valley, but it has taken its toll on the people living there. Following a deal with the local Taliban, the area is adjusting to life according to Sharia law.

Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr reports on the fragile peace and why it is not enough to entice back those who fled the fighting.

The Times of London also has a segment on the implementation of Sharia in Swat with a video of a girl, age 17, being flogged.

The girl was accused of adultery but some residents accuse the Taliban commander of ordering the beating to get revenge after the girl refused to accept his proposal of marriage. This is not uncommon in Pakistan. Approximately 3,000 women a year in Pakistan who spur would be suitors are burned with acid. The Depilex Smileagain Foundation (DSF) was conceptualised in 2003 as a support and assistance group for women who are victims of domestic violence with special emphasis in the area of deliberate acid and kerosene burning.

Finally the UK Guardian also has a story on the fear in Swat Valley as Sharia law is implemented.

With his flowing white beard and thick spectacles, Sufi Muhammad has an avuncular air about him that can initially appear reassuring.

But all that changes when the 70-year-old kingpin of the Swat valley opens his mouth to promise more of the kind of punishment meted out to the 17-year-old local woman captured in the mobile video footage.

Muhammad is leader of an Islamist movement that has long since agitated for sharia justice. And he took a big step towards his objective in February when he struck a “peace for sharia” deal with the authorities under which the Taliban would stop a two-year armed campaign in the region in return for the establishment of new religious courts. In a rare interview with any media outlet, domestic or foreign, he told the Guardian that the new courts would formalise penalties including flogging, chopping off hands and stoning to death.

Floggings are the correct punishment, Muhammad explained, for sexual intercourse between unmarried people, drinking alcohol and slander. Thieves should have their hands chopped off – unless they were poor people stealing to feed themselves. And, for adultery, stoning to death.

“These punishments are prescribed in Islam. No one can stop that. It is god’s law,” said Muhammad, sitting on the floor in his makeshift headquarters in Mingora, the regional capital. An aide, Ameer Izzat, hurriedly added the tough criteria that must be met for such sentences. For adultery, there must be four witnesses who actually saw the act of penetration.

The descent of Swat from the country’s favourite honeymoon destination to Taliban stronghold mirrors Pakistan’s own decline into violence and chaos over the past two years.

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During their first summit, the Arab and South American leaders had passed Brasilia Declaration, which focused mainly on trade and political issues. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva first proposed the Arab-South American summit during a visit to the Middle East in 2003. The two blocs have come a long way since then and the trade between them has almost tripled since the first summit in Brasilia.

Delegates from 12 South American countries and a 22-member Arab League delegation attended the summit, which came a day after the annual Arab League Summit ended in Doha on Monday.

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G20 Voice, a group of 50 bloggers, have been given unprecedented access to the summit of world leaders taking place in London.

The bloggers come from 22 countries, representing a global audience of 14 million readers.

Three of them – Ahmed al Omran from Saudi Arabia, who blogs at Saudi Jeans, Cheryl Contee from the United States, who blogs at Jack and Jill Politics, and Swati Sahi from India, who blogs at One World – spoke to Al Jazeera.

The full compliment of the 50 blogs are at White Band Action which sponsored the bloggers.

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Travel in Colombia remains complicated by the reality of on-going guerrilla war. A segment on travel in Arauca, a Colombia department in the eastern plains on the Venezuelan border.

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Barack Obama’s plan to name yet another Goldman Sachs alum to his economic team is proving too much for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Sanders put a hold on the nomination of Gary Gensler to head the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, effectively stopping the nomination process in its tracks. Sanders says Gensler, who spent 17 years at Goldman Sachs and then joined the Treasury Department under Bill Clinton, played too big a role in deregulating derivatives in the 90s’ to be trusted to reregulate the market now.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), however, has told ANP that he plans “move forward” with Gensler’s nomination despite Sanders’ hold. To Christopher Hayes, Washington editor of The Nation Magazine, the Majority Leader’s defense of Gensler and Goldman is a disturbing indication that it may be business as usual on the Hill when it comes to meaningful regulation on Wall Street.

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