by BIEN | Oct 19, 2017 | News
The Future We Need campaign was launched by the Goa Foundation (GF), mines, minerals & People (mm&P), Common Cause and the Goenchi Mati Movement (GMM). Dr. K.R. Rao Committee has been entrusted by the Ministry of Mines in order to draft the National Mineral Policy, due October 31st, 2017.
A letter has been made by the campaign as a draft statement on values, which can be found here.
BIEN has reported on Goa several times (Madhavan, 2017; Shanahan, 2017; McFarland, 2017; McFarland, 2016). The article invokes the Intergenerational Equity principles, or IE, which is the protection of the inheritance resources for future generations.
“In Goa, over an eight year period (2004-2012), 95% of the value of the minerals was lost. The per-head loss from recent “legal” lease renewals was Rs.10 lakhs,” the Director of the Goa Foundation, Claude Alvares, said, “Data from across the country for iron ore, coal, oil and gas shows a similar trend. Everyone is losing equally, while a few are becoming super-rich. This is looting economics, not trickle-down economics.”
The Future We Need proposes some principles for a National Mineral Policy which regards natural resources as the Commons, in such a way that people in general are entrusted as the natural custodians of these resources In this new agreement, the Commons shall be preserved, and if sold the income must be equally shared by all.
More information at:
Alvares, C, “Goa Foundation, mines, minerals & People, Common Cause and the Goenchi Mati Movement jointly launch The Future We Need Campaign”, Futurism, October 3rd 2017
Madhavan, M, “India: Goa Foundation provides recommendations to Expert Committee to push a Citizen’s Dividend out of mining fund”, BIEN, September 29th 2017
McFarland, K, “GOA, INDIA: Citizen’s Dividend promoters find support in Archbishop’s address”, BIEN, January 10th 2017
McFarland, K, “GOA, INDIA: Mining reform group releases Manifesto, calls for citizen’s dividend”, BIEN, November 26th 2016
Shanahan, G, “GOA, INDIA: Goenchi Mati Movement gains political support”, BIEN, February 8th 2017
Photo: Goa mines, CC BY 2.0 Abhisek Sarda
by Genevieve Shanahan | Feb 8, 2017 | News
In the run-up to the Goa Assembly Elections that took place on 4 February, the Goenchi Mati Movement (GMM), which advocates for mining reform to fund a citizen’s dividend, gained the support of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Goa Su-Raj Party (GSRP). Its work was also endorsed by British MP John McDonnell on a recent visit.
As previously outlined on Basic Income News, the GMM advocates mining practice reforms in Goa, India, based on the principles of environmental custodianship and intergenerational equality. An aspect of its proposal involves the investment of mining revenues into a permanent fund, to be used to finance a citizen’s dividend – a type of basic income.
The GMM asked politicians and parties contesting the Goa Assembly Elections of 4 February to endorse their manifesto, which is here available in both text and audio, in multiple languages. It also implored voters to only support those who have adopted the manifesto’s aims, as listed on their Election Tracker. The results of this election will be announced in March.
In a press release, Claude Alvares of the GMM and director of the related Goa Foundation said:
“It is a significant step that two political parties in the fray in the February 4 election have written to the GMM accepting the Goenchi Mati proposals for mining. This is a sea change in the way politicians are now seeing mineral resources, that they do not belong to mining lease-holders or the government, but to the people of the state, poor and rich. It’s about time law and political activity reflects this basic constitutional promise.”
The AAP has been making waves in recent years for its anti-corruption principles and actions. With a name that translates as “the Common Man Party”, it enjoyed a surprise victory in Delhi (of which its leader, Arvind Kejriwal, is now chief minister). The GSRP, whose name is translated as “the Goa good governance party”, also focuses on corruption issues at a regional level.
John McDonnell with Rahul Basu and Claude Alvares of the GMM. Credit: goenchimati.org
Indicating that support for the GMM is not limited to India, John McDonnell, Labour MP and Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer in the UK, met with the main designers of the GMM on a visit to Goa over Christmas.
McDonnell’s visit was prompted by the Goans in his constituency of Hayes and Harlington, who requested that he consider the GMM’s proposal. Among those he met were Alvares and Rahul Basu, director of the Goa Foundation research cell specifically dealing with intergenerational equity issues.
The GMM reports that McDonnell expressed his interest in exploring the potential for a similar proposal in the UK. Quoting McDonnell:
“I wholeheartedly compliment the GM campaign for the originality of its proposals. I am studying with my team of expert advisers the potential for their implementation in the UK in the near future as well. The innovative and creative approach by the GM campaign to addressing the increasingly pressing issue of intergenerational equity is truly inspiring.”
Basu has previously written for the Citizen’s Income Trust about the lessons the UK might learn from the GMM. In that article, Basu outlines the general principles of a citizen’s dividend derived from natural resource revenues:
“states should a) ensure that they receive the full value of the minerals being extracted, b) set up a Permanent Fund in which all mineral receipts can be deposited, for the benefit of future generations, and c) as this fund belongs to the people, the real income (after inflation) generated by the fund should be distributed equally to every citizen as a commons dividend, a Citizen’s Dividend. This is like a Basic Income, or a Citizen’s Income, except that the funding source is income from the commons, and the amount can vary from year to year.”
Other actions GMM have been involved in recently include a Change.org petition and a song which, according to the GMM website, “relates to the aspiration of millions of Goans worldwide, that of saving the land that is so dear to our hearts. It gives traction to the thought of saving our land, and to discuss the real and secure future of Goa for our children.”
Read More:
The Goenchi Mati Manifesto
The Goenchi Mati Movement Election Tracker
Change.org petition
Roxanne Coutinho, “PRESS RELEASE: Goenchi Mati Movement announces support from GSRP & AAP”, The Goenchi Mati Movement, 18 January, 2017.
Kate McFarland, “GOA, INDIA: Mining reform group releases Manifesto, calls for citizen’s dividend”, Basic Income News, 24 November, 2016.
Kate McFarland, “GOA, INDIA: Citizen’s Dividend promoters find support in Archbishop’s address”, Basic Income News, 10 January, 2017.
Prakash Kamat, “Environment high on Goan agenda”, The Hindu, 21 January, 2017.
Roxanne Coutinho, “PRESS RELEASE: British MP and Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer meets Goenchi Mati Movement (Goa)”, The Goenchi Mati Movement, 13 January, 2017.
Rahul Basu and Deepak Narayanan, “Viewpoint: What can we learn from a campaign for zero-loss mining in Goa?” Citizen’s Income Trust, 3 August, 2016.
Reviewed by Cameron McLeod
Photo: Goa, India, CC 2.0 by @SunishSebastian
by Kate McFarland | Jan 10, 2017 | News
Archbishop Filippe Neri Ferrao, delivered a Christmas address in which he stressed that the Earth’s natural resources rightfully belong to all of the Earth’s children, including future generations, shared equally.
The Goenchi Mati Movement (GMM) advocates for the reform of mining practices in the Indian state of Goa. At part of these reforms, the group endorses a type of basic income: a citizen’s dividend financed by returns on money made from the sale of iron ore and other minerals (similar to the model of the Alaska Permanent Fund and Dividend, from which GMM draws inspiration). According to GMM, the minerals of Goa are rightfully owned in common by all of the state’s residents and their progeny; thus, any monetary gain from these minerals should be invested for the sake of future generations, and earnings on these investments should be distributed equally among all Goans.
In December, GMM was delighted to hear the Archbishop of Goa and Daman, Rev. Filippe Neri Ferrao, express similar sentiments in his annual Christmas address, while explicitly discussing Goa’s controversial mining practices. In the latter half of the address, while speaking about the duties of civil government, Rev. Ferrao stated:
Our beloved Pope Francis says: “The earth is essentially a shared inheritance, whose fruits are meant to benefit everyone.” He further says: “Each community can take from the bounty of the earth whatever it needs for subsistence, but it also has the duty to protect the earth and to ensure its fruitfulness for the coming generations.” The Pope is referring to the principle of inter-generational equity, which the Supreme Court of India has made into a law to be followed in the Goa mining case that it heard in 2012-14.
We are trustees of our land holdings. It is our solemn duty to ensure that the value of the land is passed on to our children and future generations. Only then may we enjoy the fruits, shared equally. All generations and all within a generation would benefit equally. This would truly embody the central message of most religions, “treat others as you would want to be treated yourself.”
But what we see is an extensive environmental and social damage to Goa, which has generated rampant corruption and even weakened governance. It has been an assault on our community and on our natural wealth. More distressingly, it has been a loss to our children and to our future generations. Are we not answerable to them? Or are they going to remember us as an irresponsible generation that has squandered natural wealth for the benefit of a few?
In a subsequent press release, GMM announced, “The Goenchi Mati Movement welcomes the statement of the Archbishop at the recent Annual Civic Reception endorsing the idea of intergenerational equity in mining. As was rightly pointed out, minerals are a shared inheritance. And the existing system is leading to enormous corruption and mis-governance.”
With state elections to take place on February 4, 2017, GMM is encouraging Goans to only vote for candidates who support its call for a permanent fund and citizen’s dividend, as well as the rest of its Manifesto.
Read more:
Archbishop Filippe Neri Ferrao’s Civil Reception Speech.
Shweta Kamat, “Goenchi Mati movement gets boost after Archbishop’s ‘down to earth’ speech,” Goa Herald, December 30, 2016.
Kate McFarland, “GOA, INDIA: Mining reform group releases Manifesto, calls for citizen’s dividend,” Basic Income News, November 24, 2016.
Reviewed by Genevieve Shanahan
Cover photo CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Eustaquio Santimano
by Kate McFarland | Nov 24, 2016 | News
The Goenchi Mati Movement advocates for the reform of mining practices in the Indian state of Goa. Its proposals include the investment of all money from iron ore mining into a permanent fund, which would be used to finance a citizen’s dividend.
Similar to Alaska’s Permanent Fund Dividend, the fund’s income would be distributed equally to all citizens in the form of an unconditional cash grant, providing all Goans with a basic income.
Founded in 2014, the Goenchi Mati Movement (GMM) aspires to reform mining practices that it believes to deprive residents of Goa their deserved share of the natural resources in their homeland, while also rapidly depleting these resources and damaging the environment. Describing the state’s mining practices, the GMM’s Manifesto says, “The total loss was enormous: nearly twice the state revenues, or over 25% of per capita income, or thrice the poverty line. The loss was effectively a per head tax equally on everyone. A few have become rich from our children’s inheritance. This is clearly not a reasonable situation.”
While iron ore mining has a long history in Goa, it expanded rapidly during the mid-2000s, and quickly became plagued with malpractice and illegal activity. In September 2012, the Supreme Court of India temporarily suspended mining in the state while hearing a public interest litigation. In its final judgement in April 2014, the Supreme Court declared all mining activities to have been illegal, largely due to mining companies’ lack of valid leases and licenses.
The environmental action group The Goa Foundation submitted a series of letters to the government of Goa in 2014, wherein it demanded the recovery of losses due to illegal mining and a restructured mining system based on the Goenchi Mati Principles. However, the government did not respond and began renewing the leases of Goa’s iron ore mines near the end of the year. By early 2015, the government had renewed the leases of 88 mines.
The GMM Manifesto
The Goenchi Mati Movement has published a Manifesto that outlines its proposal, which centers on six core principles (bold typeface in original):
1. We, the people of Goa, own the minerals in common. The state government is merely a trustee of natural resources for the people and especially future generations.
2. As we have inherited the minerals, we are simply custodians and must pass them on to future generations.
3. Therefore, if we mine and we sell our mineral resources, we must ensure zero loss, i.e. capture of the full economic rent (sale price minus cost of extraction, cost including reasonable profit for miner). Any loss is a loss to all of us and our future generations.
4. All the money received from our minerals must be saved in the Goenchi Mati Permanent Fund, as already implemented all over the globe. Like the minerals, the Permanent Fund will also be part of the commons. The Supreme Court has ordered the creation of a Permanent Fund for Goan iron ore and already Rs. 94 crores [about 3.8 million USD] is deposited.
5. Any real income (after inflation) from the Goenchi Mati Permanent Fund must only be distributed to all as a right of ownership, a Citizen’s Dividend. This is like the comunidade zonn, but paid to everyone. [The comunidades of Goa are traditional villages in which land is owned collectively. Comunidades pay an annual dividend, called the zonn, to residents.]
6. The implementation of these principles will be done in a transparent participatory process with the people of Goa.
The GMM launched its Manifesto at a press conference on Monday, November 21, and hopes soon to publish it in multiple languages, as well as to develop a variety of supplemental materials (e.g. animated explainer videos, video-based FAQs, and even songs and street theatre).
GMM’s Claude Alvares and Rahul Basu at press conference
The Permanent Fund and Dividend
As stated in the manifesto, an important first step towards the creation of a Goan iron ore permanent fund is already in place: in April 2014, the Supreme Court of India issued an order that mandated the establishment of such a fund, which presently holds Rs 94 crores (or about 3.8 million USD). Commenting on the significance of the permanent fund, Rahul Basu of the GMM states, “It is, to our knowledge, the first such permanent fund on intergenerational equity grounds to be ordered by judicial pronouncement. If it stands up to the legal challenges, which will then also clarify some aspects of the order, it can become a global legal precedent, which makes it potentially very powerful.” However, the Supreme Court’s order did not require that the permanent fund be used to finance a citizen’s dividend.
GMM Workspace
According to the Goenchi Mati Movement, the citizen’s dividend is a crucial component of the mining reforms for several reasons. First, it gives Goan citizens a stake in the minerals in their land, creating a stronger bond between the citizens and the commons (as one of GMM’s blog posts puts it).
Second, it leaves the government without money from the sale of the state’s minerals. In the absence of money from iron ore, the government might then be forced to tax its citizens to raise revenue. Following thinkers like Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson (the authors of Why Nations Fail), GMM argues that this change would promote good governance: “If the government wants to do all the various good things that need to be done, let them make a case to the people directly. If the people feel the government is good, they will agree to whatever new tax is imposed.”
Third, it compensates for what GMM sees as a bald injustice. As Basu describes it, any appropriation of parts of the commons–such as minerals and the land containing them–is effectively a “per head tax” or a “negative UBI” (that is, a practice that takes a share of resources away from every citizen).
Further reflecting on the moral significance of the dividend, Basu comments:
“Fundamentally, we are turning a lump sum mineral into a perpetual stream of Citizen’s Dividend. The Citizen’s Dividend today is given equally to everyone, achieving intragenerational equity. The perpetual nature of the Citizen’s Dividend achieves intergenerational equity. In a sense, each generation benefits to the extent of the real income. From this, we get to a practical example of the Golden Rule (the principle of treating others as one would wish to be treated oneself), but even across generations.”
GMM has been influenced by the model of Alaska’s Permanent Fund and Dividend, and also considers itself closely aligned in its thinking with Our Children’s Trust, an Oregon-based organization that promotes global action for the adoption of carbon tax and dividend policies.
Speaking about GMM, BIEN co-founder and honorary co-president Guy Standing said:
This is the optimum way of promoting community development while giving every man, woman and child a sense of basic security and pride in their community. It is enlightened, it is sensible, and it is eminently feasible.
Goan State Elections
With state elections to take place in early 2017, the Goenchi Mati Movement is urging Goans to vote only for politicians who will implement its Manifesto, and is currently devoting much of its attention to this political action.
As other sources confirm, mining policy is expected to be a central area of debate in the 2017 state elections. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), a relatively young party in Goa, promises sustainable mining practices, while meanwhile calling for a doubling of the mining cap. Meanwhile, environmental groups such as the Goa Foundation oppose the AAP’s plans, calling for greater restrictions.
The two major parties in India, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress, were in power during the controversial and illegal practices documented by the Goa Foundation — the Congress while the illegal mining practice themselves were occurring, and the BJP when the leases of the companies were renewed.
GMM states, “We urge whichever Government is elected in 2017 to immediately cancel the leases and reframe a fair and just mining policy for the people of Goa. We request the Public to join our campaign, fight for what is rightfully theirs and urge them to vote for those politicians that will change the system.”
GMM has produced a short video to emphasize this message:
Other Activities
Outside of direct political action, the Goenchi Mati Movement has been adopting other strategies to raise awareness of its vision. For example, on November 11, it sponsored an art show intended to promote reflection on the shared inheritance of the citizens of Goa. While this initial show was centered on paintings, GMM plans to host a second art show featuring cartoons, and third featuring photography.
Basu states, “Artists are at the leading edge of thinking, and they influence the masses in subtle and long term ways.”
Scenes from GMM’s Art Exhibit
Additionally, the Goa Foundation is engaging in litigation — a challenge to the structure of the Goan permanent fund (including the demand for citizen’s dividend), and a challenge to the 2014-15 lease renewals of the mines — and beginning to undertake academic research.
GMM Members at Create-a-Thon
BI-Related Reading from GMM
Rahul Basu and Deepak Narayanan (August 3, 2016) “Viewpoint: What can we learn from a campaign for zero-loss mining in Goa?” Citizen’s Income Trust.
Connects the activities of the Goenchi Mati Movement to the worldwide movement for basic income. Published on the blog of BIEN’s UK affiliate, the Citizen’s Income Trust.
Goenchi Mati (September 20, 2016) “Why should all mineral receipts be saved in the Permanent Fund?”
Argues that mineral receipts should be saved only in a permanent fund.
Goenchi Mati (October 28, 2016) “Why a Citizen’s Dividend? Why only a Citizen’s Dividend?”
Addresses the counterargument that some of the revenue of the iron ore permanent fund should go to the government instead of directly to the citizens.
Longer Video on the Goenchi Mati Movement (22:59)
Thanks to Rahul Basu for supplying information and photos, and for reviewing an earlier draft of this article.
Cover Image CC Frederick Noronha
