On April 23, finance ministers from the G-20 countries will be meeting in Washington, where they will discuss various options for ensuring that the financial industry pays a fair share of the costs of the global crisis. This forum will highlight proposals for financial speculation taxes, very small levies on trades of stock, derivatives, currency, and other financial instruments that would curb excessive speculation and raise upwards of $100 billion a year for important public investments like creating jobs, providing global development aid, and addressing climate change worldwide.

U.S. and international speakers representing governments, labor unions, and global development groups will report on the growing momentum behind financial speculation taxes in many parts of the world, including the United States.

• Welcome: Stephen Lerner, private equity project director, Service Employees International Union
• Moderator: Sarah Anderson, director, Global Economy Project, Institute for Policy Studies

Speakers

• Heather Booth, executive director, Americans for Financial Reform.
• Henrik Harboe, deputy director general/Head of Multilateral Bank and Finance Section, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• Richard Samans, senior fellow, Center for American Progress, and Managing Director of the World Economic Forum; former special assistant to President Bill Clinton for International Economic Policy.
• Max Lawson, head of development finance and public services, Oxfam UK. Oxfam is active in the Robin Hood Tax campaign, which has enlisted Sir Ben Kingsley, Emma Thompson and other celebrities in a high-profile campaign for a financial speculation tax.
• Peter Bakvis, director, Washington Office, International Trade Union Confederation, the world’s largest labor federation, representing 175 million workers in 155 countries (including the United States).
• Bhumika Muchhala, policy analyst, Development and Finance Program, Third World Network.
• Luis Moreno, tax expert, LATINDADD (Latin American Network on Debt, Development and Rights).

This event will be webcast LIVE at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/financial-speculation-tax-forum-live-stream

Please RSVP by April 19 to: Wendi Wallace, Americans for Financial Reform, wendi@ourfinancialsecurity.org, tel: 202-263-4571.

This forum is cosponsored by ActionAid, Americans for Financial Reform, Center for Economic and Policy Research, Center of Concern, CIDSE, Friends of the Earth, Health GAP, InterAction, the Institute for Policy Studies, and Oxfam America.