Principle 5 : Build solidarity and community across borders - don't empower authoritarians
The COVID-19 pandemic demands swift and unprecedented action from national governments and the international community. Choices being made right now will shape our society for years, if not decades to come.
As decision-makers take steps to ensure immediate relief and long-term recovery, it is imperative that they consider the interrelated crises of wealth inequality, racism, and ecological decline – notably the climate crisis, which were in place long before COVID-19, and now risk being intensified.
This is a time to be decisive in saving lives, and bold in charting a path to a genuinely healthier and more equitable future through a Just Recovery. We call for a global response to COVID-19 to contribute to a just recovery.
Responses at every level must uphold these five principles:
1. Put people’s health first, no exceptions.
Resource health services everywhere; ensure access for all.
2. Provide economic relief directly to the people.
Focus on people and workers – particularly those marginalised in existing systems – our short-term needs and long-term conditions.
3. Help workers and communities, not corporate executives.
Assistance directed at specific industries must be channeled to communities and workers, not shareholders or corporate executives, and never to corporations that don’t commit to tackling the climate crisis.
4. Create resilience for future crises.
We must create millions of decent jobs that will help power a just recovery and transition for workers and communities to the zero-carbon future we need.
5. Build solidarity and community across borders – don’t empower authoritarians.
Transfer technology and finance to lower-income countries and communities to allow them to respond using these principles and share solutions across borders and communities. Do not use the crisis as an excuse to trample on human rights, civil liberties, and democracy.
Just Recovery RTD Series
350.org ran a Just Recovery RTD Series scheduled for October 26 - October 30. The goal is to facilitate a space where regional partners and organisations with similar calls and work areas can network & collaborate on how to operationalize each of the five Just Recovery principles in the Asia region.
Klima Action Malaysia - KAMY as co-organizers, have facilitated a panel and interactive discussion with our partners from 350.org East Asia , Forum ASIA, Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center and 350 Hong Kong. The theme we have focused on called Principle 5 : Build solidarity and community across borders - don't empower authoritarians
Transfer technology & finance to lower-income countries and communities to allow them to respond using these principles and share solutions across borders and communities. Do not use the crisis as an excuse to trample on human rights, civil liberties, & democracy.
The interactive discussions starts with a panel where a sharing session proceeded. Nadiah Dzulfakar of Klima Action Malaysia, Cornelius Hanung and Rachel Arinii of FORUM Asia, as well as Mai Taqueban of Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center-FOE and 350 Hong Kong's co-founder Ringo Mak.
Takeaway from the discussion
For principle 5, the participants envisioned an intersectional, unified movement, grounded on broad-based conversations in the region and human rights. There is a need to target diverse groups and networks and building a common board of knowledge drawing also from international mechanisms and legally binding instruments both on the national and international levels. To do this, the participants highlighted the need for even more outreach to relevant groups, the inclusion of youth in these spaces and regional strategic power mapping.
These are also the next steps suggested for future conversations in the platforms right now being build to translate these conversation into a working structure across borders.
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