The IU

the IU

Founded	1926
Location	London,United Kingdom
Website	http://www.theiu.org

The IU,in full theInternational Union for Land Value Taxation,is an international umbrella organisation for land value tax reformers. It has members in countries around the world – activists, politicians, professionals and academics, and is affiliated with national and local organisations. The IU enjoysSpecial Consultative Statusat theUnited Nations.

Principles

The objectives of the IU are "to stimulate in all countries a public opinion favourable to permanent peace and prosperity for all people, through the progressive removal of the basic economic causes of poverty and war".The IU's work is guided by principles of equal freedom and sharing of common resources of community and nature – ideas most cogently set out in modern times in the writings of the 19th-century American reformerHenry George.Specifically, towards the realisation of its objectives, the IU "favours the raising of public revenues by public collection of the rental value of land apart from improvements"; and, further, favours "the abolition of taxes, tariffs, or imposts of every sort that interfere with the free production and exchange of wealth".Following from those principles the IU advances a radical land and fiscal reform agenda and 'real'free trade(i.e. that does not privilege Western corporate interests). The principal policies advocated by the IU are the public collection of 'resource rents' andland value taxation,in lieu of traditional taxation.

Organisation

The IU is governed by an Executive Committee of officers including Vice-Presidents from each sovereign state with significant representation within the membership, and other members. The IU is funded mainly by members' subscriptions, donations and legacies. The IU's work is supported by voluntary effort.

History

The IU was founded at an international conference held inDenmarkin 1926. The conference was attended by some 500 delegates, all advocates of the ideas of Henry George.In 1992 the IU was accredited to theUnited Nationsas a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). In 2003 it was granted Special Consultative Status by the UN's Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which widened the scope of its engagement and influence in United Nations' processes.The IU retains 12 UN representatives who serve the world organisation's offices in New York, Geneva, Addis Ababa, Bangkok and Santiago.

Since its founding, the IU has held periodic international conferences and published conference papers. Until recently, with the exception of its UN work, the IU's principal function was to provide a forum for land and tax reformers around the world to exchange ideas at conference. At its 2006 Conference, inLondon,the IU agreed it "shall transform itself into an active and outgoing professional organisation".

Campaigns and publications

At theSwanwickConference in England in 1949 – as the United Nations was settling itsUniversal Declaration of Human Rights– the IU published a principle and policy pamphlet that later came to be known as itsDeclaration of Human Rights on Equal Freedom.This Declaration was translated into many languages, and subsequently amended and reaffirmed; most recently in 2001.

In 2008 the IU launched a global online petition to reform the UDHR by amending its Articles 3 and 29 to include "a universal right to a place on earth".

The IU is in the course of publishing the 'Economics of Abundance' series of monographs, written by the British economistFred Harrison.The first volume, published in 2008, titled The Silver Bullet, deals with global poverty.

Through its UN representatives the IU supportsLVTimplementation projects around the world, includingSouth Africa,NigeriaandVanuatu.The IU has contributed to the development of theLand Rights and Land Value Captureonline course and training program created under the auspices of the UN'sGlobal Land Tools Network.

The IU has produced (2008) two documentary short films on human rights and poverty in southernAfrica.

External links

• The IU's website