Changing Our World: Ideas for New Times
A lecture series about the opportunities that exist for building other types of societies and relations between peoples. The collective construction of alternatives is already underway and has become a fundamental means of opposing the dominant narratives that insist there is only one way forward.
Is it still possible to change the world? A lot has been said about the need to change the world we live in. International laws, supranational organisations, conferences, internationalist movements, etc., have been created with the same goal in mind: to combat inequality, human rights violations and the pillaging of our planet. But when push comes to shove, what really remains? How can states make the tools they use truly effective? How can ordinary citizens forge alliances, create alternatives and ensure changes?
Today, well into the 21st century, the level of inequality is scandalously high: a mere eight men possess more wealth than half of the entire human race. For the first time in the last fifteen years, the number of people who suffer from hunger has passed the 815 million mark. More than 65 million people have been forced from their homes by conflicts, environmental disasters, abject poverty and human rights violations. One third of the women in the world have been victims of violence at least once in their lives. Gender inequality persists across the globe, denying women and girls fundamental rights and opportunities. The quality of democracy is deteriorating, and so are working conditions. The planet is suffocating. Year after year, sea levels rise, desertification spreads and 13 million hectares of forest vanish. And along the way, 200 people have been murdered for trying to stop climate change. Meanwhile, global military spending has shot through the roof, and in countries like Spain the defence budget will increase by 80% over the next seven years. Major corporations evade taxes to the tune of 100 billion dollars each year, and tax havens roll out the red carpet for the world's great fortunes.
Although the situation does not inspire optimism, in many places across the planet the seeds of change have already taken root and sprouted. This change may not be televised, but it’s happening around us every day, proving that other options are possible.
What if we take a closer look at all those real alternatives? Good healthcare, quality education, food sovereignty, degrowth, sustainable energy sources, feminisms, decent jobs, fair taxation, environmental care, human rights, sustainable cities and innovation: the options of change are many, varied and real.
Coordinated by: NGDO Coordination Group - Spain
