Watch the Webinar 

At the start of the nearly global lockdown, many climate activists hoped that the COVID19-pandemic would send a strong signal that a return to the ‘old’ normal would be impossible.
This global shock crisis should be a strong warning that our current neo-liberal system is very fragile, because it does not build strong social and environmental fundamentals and institutions.

In this webinar, Moshin Abdali (PKRC, Pakistan), Molly Walsh (Friends of the Earth Europe), Vijoo Krishnan (AIKS, India), Asad Rahman (War on Want, UK) and Lidy Nacpil (APMDD, Philippines) reviewed the current situation and and identified some crucial points of action to promote and prepare policies towards a just transition.

Moderators: Dottie Guerrero & Tabby Spence facilitated the session.

Informal sector workers feel the burden

Moshin: “For months, Pakistan was in a state of confusion. While the government downplayed the potential impact of the virus, religious leaders used this opportunity to spread misinformation and show that they can act independently. The government tried to prevent a total lockdown, knowing that 73% of the workforce is dependent on daily wages, putting the economy to a stop, would mean people going hungry. As the number of infections started to rise, the government had no other options than to close parts of the economy, but soon, it became very clear that there was no plan nor budget to address the needs of the informal workers.”

Building stronger International solidarity Molly questioned the lack of an internationalist approach to fight the pandemic: “At the start of the lockdown, I was hopeful that this would result in something better, that for once, the experts and science would prevail, and that solidarity would be the way to
handle this crisis. But, very soon, we observed a growing nationalism and opportunist policy makers. The climate movement always have to keep our minds open, we have only one way to go: building stronger and broader alliances to realise our big ideas.”

Divisive leadership

Vijoo deplores that fact that the government lost 2 crucial months in fighting the spreading of the virus. “Our leaders were busy creating racial divisions and organising the Trump visit. PM Modi gave that a higher priority. He also launched new reforms which paved the way for a more large scale agriculture, which goes against the need to decarbonise our economy.”

Magnifying inequalities

Asad points out that the COVID-16-crisis exacerbates the existing inequalities between people and between states. “Millions of people are dropping back into poverty, the death rates are highest
amongst the precarious classes. To address these challenges, we need a clear response: governments have to stop austerity and massively increase public spending. However, what do we observe? Stimulus packages are designed to serve the big polluters, such as the automobile industry and airlines while 50% of the jobs in the Global South are at stake. Thirty years of painful economic growth will be wiped out by one single virus, and who will benefit from the current climate finance schemes, the Global North, as the South is struggling to survive, Northern countries can borrow very cheap, while the weaker countries have to pay higher interests. “

Rebooting our economic order

Lidy looks at ways how to push our agendas. “First of all, we have to empower communities and CSOs in responding to the suffering.

They are in need, so they need more relief. Secondly, We have to denounce the incompetence of our leaders, they just serve the elite and sow fear and terror amongst the common people.
Thirdly, we need to reboot our economic order. The current system fails dramatically, we need changes which result in a sustainable, just, equitable, resilient, post-carbon and non-capitalist society. Fourthly, we have to broaden our movement, we need action and determination to shift to balance of power.”

What strategies to achieve change?

Lidy: We need to monitor the global situation very closely, and understand very well what is going on. Asad adds: there’s close link between the Black Lives Matter-movement and the one urging for
Climate Justice. Is this an opportunity for young Europeans to get more involved into politics? We have to be ready with a clear solidarity message, build a narrative of the ‘we’, not ‘us vs them’.

Our role should be to provide political education, and present an agenda of transformation, in terms of healthcare, social and climate justice, clean energy, healthy food and protection of the public goods.

Vijoo sees one big potential for unifying people: bring a clear message on the need for affordable and social housing. This crisis has clearly shown which families can respect physical distancing, and which cannot. The state must play an active role in realising that agenda.

Molly warns us not to wait for the perfect opportunity, we have to use every occasion to present and defend our agenda. We have inspiring proposals on energy transition, participatory democracy and restoring equality. Moshin confirms the internationalist and revolutionary perspective of our movement: “We need to give concrete answers to people’s concerns, not just present a mild reformative agenda, but answers which excite the imagination.”

Not the virus is the real enemy, we have to find race, climate and capital injustice.
One way to internationalise the struggle is to find common targets and common arenas. Wherever we speak, we should speak the same language, therefore, common platforms, like the AEPF are important as they provide space for interaction between CSOs and movements. Unfortunately, we cannot have face to face meetings to build stronger links, but we have to optimise the online opportunities to build cross sector alliances.

Next to the common narrative, it is also important to keep on exposing the imperial role of our way of living, especially amongst the elites. If we are really honest in fighting for a better world we have to identify our enemies and how they are exploiting people and nature. This is the first step to imagining a better world, and how to get there.

War on Want together with many organisations launched the Global Green New Deal, the search for a global intellectual framework to build the path of the directions to take towards our ‘utopia’. As we have united forces in the past vs the WTO, we should consolidate ourselves to fight the corporate control of the G7, G20 and COP 26. We can unite more people by bringing class back into the conversation and the struggle.

Our language must be uniting the global South and North. Because not this virus is the real enemy, no, race, capital and climate are undermining our system and planet. We can mobilise along the need for clean and green jobs, shifting away resources from fossil fuels and debt payments and for more local food systems.

Despite the pandemic, the struggle goes on! 

We can be proud of our movements, because in times of lockdown and all kinds of authoritarian restrictions, we have been more active than ever. We have totally revised our plans for 2020, and
while some are focussing on assisting local communities, others are building more awareness and resistance. It is clear that these actions are all very much needed in building the ‘bigger we’ as we
have a huge task ahead, we have to expose the failures and inconsistencies of the current system. It is clear, we don’t want the old normal to return, the time is ripe for something new, something better, we need policies which address the real problems and bring more prosperity, security and safety for all.