Top economists are now saying Iceland is showing the way: While many places have bailed out the bankers and made the public pay the price, Iceland let the banks go bust and actually expanded its social safety net.

Nobel prize-winning economist Joe Stiglitz notes: “What Iceland did was right. It would have been wrong to burden future generations with the mistakes of the financial system.”

On Oct. 11, 2008, five days after Iceland’s financial crash, Hörður Torfason planted himself outside the parliament building in Reykjavik and started putting questions to the people who passed by. Every day for a week he stood in the same spot and asked the people two questions. The first, “Do you know what has happened in this country?” The second, “Do you have any ideas about what we can do about it?”

By gauging opinion on the streets, he devised several demands which reflected the people’s immediate wishes and ultimately resulted in:

1. Resignation of the whole government.
2. Nationalization of the bank.
3. Referendum so that the people can make economic decisions.
4. Incarcerating the responsible parties.
5. Rewriting of the constitution by its people via Twitter and Facebook etc

All of this was accomplished peacefully.

A democracy advocate, currently lecturing on meta modern democracy in Europe, Hordur Torfason’s New Zealand visit is being financed in the most democratic way – through PledgeMe.co.nz

With a target of $20,000 for international and domestic flights, marketing, venue hire, accommodation etc, the public can pledge any amount above $5 to provide free entry for all to his talks. https://www.pledgeme.co.nz/691

“People should view the pledge as being an alternative to buying a ticket to hear him speak,” says organiser Sian Clement. “Only 1000 people need to pledge $20 to bring him here and then people from all walks of life can hear what he has to say. New Zealand was once a leader in democracy worldwide, it’s time for a refresher course!”

Torfason will be speaking in Auckland, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch and Dunedin. Tour information will be added to the facebook site www.facebook.com/HordurTorfasonNZTour .

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For further information please contact: Sian Clement - sianeclement@gmail.com

© Scoop Media

World Refugee Day:
Are We Doing Our Bit?

On World Refugee Day, Thursday June 20th, Doing Our Bit will officially launch a campaign to double New Zealand’s UNHCR Refugee Resettlement Quota...

New Zealand’s low refugee intake is not a new issue. In February a NZ Herald editorial commented that our intake was ‘paltry’, remarking that ‘surely we could do more’. In April, Amnesty International described the quota as ‘tiny'.

“Despite being a small country in the middle of the South Pacific, New Zealand prides itself on being hospitable. We are friendly to overseas visitors and we see ourselves as punching above our weight in international affairs,” said Murdoch Stephens, coordinator of Doing Our Bit.

“However, in terms of accepting refugees New Zealand is clearly not doing our share.” More>>