Endorsements
Jan Tinbergen, Economist and Nobel Prize Winner:
“I compared his (Kooistra’s) ideas to mine and found that we agreed on quite a number of things. So, I have a very favourable opinion of the book. By being receptive to his reasoning and after carefully considering his ideas we will find we also come to similar conclusions.”
Wouter van Dieren, Member of the Club of Rome:
“A basic income is the next phase needed after the phases of charity and, in the Netherlands, social security: removing fear. The next logical phase would be a basic income not only for the Dutch and Europeans, but for everyone. It’s a prerequisite for removing anxiety and for ensuring a fair division of goods in the world.
It’s a slow process which will take us several decades to complete. In that time, the old economy will lose its conditions and advantages. A sustainable economy will emerge. I really believe this. It’s in the interest of us all. We are entering a new millennium. And in one way of another, in this new millennium an enduring economy will certainly be realized. We have several decades to achieve this.”
Theo van Boven, Professor of International Law Maastricht:
“If this could be realised worldwide, it would be a big step forward and would protect people from poverty and misery. It was not without reason that in 1945 President Roosevelt said that human rights include freedom from fear and want. I think that freedom from want is a crucial prerequisite for the enjoyment of other rights.
Whatever you may say about the UN in practice, all the plans for a new world order including Kooistra’s, have something in common with the UN. So I think that he’s right to seek to work with the UN perhaps in a new form. This is one perspective of human rights: that we don’t think only of the human rights of those living now but also maintain a healthy environment for generations to come. This requires a certain discipline. It requires insight into and knowledge of what we can, cannot and may do. This is why this book conveys such a powerful ethical message.”
Elly Pradervand, Switzerland, Director Women’s World Summit Foundation:
“I read the Plan with great interest. It occurs to me this could represent an extraordinary opportunity and a window of hope for the world’s poorest population of which more than 1,3 billion people are living on the edge of survival. I represent the Worlds’ Women and Children’s interests and their rights. We are concerned about reaching the UN objectives by the international community. In such a context such a World plan could economically advance all those who need it most and provide others as they so wish the opportunity to educate themselves and develop their capacity for goodwill and brotherhood. The world’s people and especial!y the children are indeed waiting for a real implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. And as a woman I know I am not alone with this wish.”
Hazel Henderson, U.S.A. Futurist and Alternative Economist:
“The new infocurrency is not scarce and only needs a plan like this for its orderly introduction.”
Anita Roddick, U.K. Founder and Chief Executive of The Body Shop:
“The way forward is not always giving or spending more money but using money effectively.”
Vimala Thakar, India, Spiritual Leader:
“This new Economic Plan on the basis of participation by the rich and the poor alike, is a stroke of genius.”
A.T. Ariyaratne, Sri Lanka, president of the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement:
“Please go ahead promoting this idea of Mr. Pieter Kooistra. The world needs an alternative economic plan. In the first instance I like to express my appreciation for the effort you are making to make known to the world Mr. Pieter Kooistra’s Plan for world renewal. There is no doubt that it is an ingenious idea and it should draw the attention of all those who can make a difference to the lives of millions of people in the world who are poor and powerless. Certainly Mr. Jan Pronk, your Minister of Development Co-operation is one such person in the world. I also accept the fact Sarvodaya is in a good position to try out this experiment.”
Dennis Meadows, USA, Club of Rome, Director, University of New Hampshire:
“It is absolutely clear that competitive markets and the globalization of trade no longer offer any prospect of equity or even a decent life for most of the world’s people. A recent United Nation’s report indicated that the world’s 358 billionaires now have more income than the poorest 40% of the globe’s people. The gap between the rich and the poor is growing explosively in most of the world, and there is not any pretense that this trend will be reversed by current policies. So I welcome this report by Pieter Kooistra. It demonstrates the kind of innovative thinking that is nessessary, if we still have any commitment to the goal of humane lifestyles for the majority of the world’s many peoples. I am sure there will be disagreement with specific details of Kooistra’s proposals. But this will be good; his purpose is to give information and to generate creative responses. Without both we are heading quickly towards a bipolar world that will be maintained for awhile only with accelerating destruction of the environment and increasing resort by the rich to the rich assortment of economic, legal, and military instruments of force and represssion.”
R. Gomez, India, President People Association for International Integration: (An Organisation committed to People’s Development through Communal Harmony):
“As the president of the above organisation I received from Mr. Henk J. Hoge boom van Buggenum of the Stichting UNO-inkomen voor Alie Mensen in Varik, Holland, the book of Pieter Kooistra “The Ideal Self Interest.” I went through it with great interest. Many things in it are written in a systematic way. During the last two decades, we have tried to put these things into practice in the state of Tamil Nadu: Literacy, awareness-building and development of people in the rural areas. As such it is a laudable and realisable plan. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Pieter Kooistra for committing those ideas to paper and Mr. Hogeboom van Buggenum for taking the trouble of sending the book to me. I promise to study these ideas in the workshops and training programmes which I’ll be organising in the coming months and the ways and means of implementing them in our work of improving the standard of living and quality of life through Education, Awareness-building and training for Income-Generation.”
Ervin Laszlo, Italy, President of The Club of Budapest:
“I read your WORLDPLAN with attention and interest. It is a fascinating project that merits deeper study. The problems faced by humanity at the turn of the century are such, that all imaginative solutions that could lead to sustainable forms of well-being need to be explored. A UN-basic income distribution scheme would come high on this list of priority studies.”
Robert Muller Costa Rica, former UN Vice-Secretary General and Chancellor of the University of Peace:
“I have given your plan so tar to the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, Mr.Gustave Speth. I was one of the founders of that programme and Jan Tinbergen vas one of our experts . We became great friends .I also gave it to the Ambassador of Chile, Juan Somavia , alao a very great and old friend, very active in the development field. He is at present the President of the Security Council. I will continue to use every opportunity to spread the idea. Alas, here in the US, the anti-UN campaign of the extreme right isolationists and Republican Party ls such that all one can do is try to save the UN. Perhaps Europe would be a better platform to start it or to launch it. See herewith a text which points at this direction . Europe could become the base of tomorrov as new world order, if the Americans abandon, as it seems to be the case at the moment. The Intergovermental Conference of the European Union should be much more ambitious and see its role in the world as a whole instead of only concentrating on its internal growing pains. Il faut de 11 audace, de l’audace et encore de l’audace. Sooner or later your plan will save the world trom the economic collapse which is progressively building up.”