AEPF 13: The Covid19 Pandemic & The Broken Economic System

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The current global coronavirus pandemic magnified many social and economic injustices in society. Global trade, finance and investment policies increased the power of transnational corporations, which in turn heightened their capture of governance. The pandemic pushed the economy into a crisis far deeper than previous ones. The loss of lives and livelihoods and massive unemployment while the virus is continuing its spread and even mutating are now driving countries, especially poorer ones to more debts and unjust economic partnerships with more powerful states. The poor are forced to choose between life and livelihood. This will further deepen the already unacceptable inequality between countries and within societies, which in turn heighten the climate crisis, and erode human rights. The global pandemic has indeed exposed more clearly the structural weaknesses of a broken economic system.

A new dimension that has emerged prior to the pandemic, the impact of which has been intensified in the context of the global health and economic crisis, is the unequal access and use of technology. From research, development, production and distribution of the vaccines and other medical supplies urgently needed to address the health crisis, to the ‘zoomification’ of societies or the shift to all things digital, technology is clearly a driving as well as disruptive force shaping the new world order.

The plenary discussion aimed to unpack these issues underlying the broken economic system, identify important arenas for public campaigning across both Europe and Asia, and surface key strategies to strengthen efforts to push progressive agenda towards the transformation of the economic system.

Speakers: 

Jayati Ghosh: Professor: University of Massachusetts (India)
Dr. Walden Bello: Academic, environmentalist, former MP (Philippines)
Nick Dearden: Director of Global Justice Now (UK)
Sun Kim: PHM Coordinator for Asia Pacific (South Korea)
Helen Yaffe: Covid-19 Response Collective at Progressive International (Ireland)
Joseph Purugganan: Focus on the Global South (Philippines)
Harris Gleckman: Member of The Global Campaign To Dismantle Corporate Power (USA)

Moderators: Dorothy Guerrero (UK) & Rachmi Hertanti (Indonesia)

Resources:
Presentation: Vaccine apartheid and need for a TRIPS waiver by Sun Kim

Organisers: AEPF Cluster on Trade Justice & Corporate Accountability