The new economy: A living earth system model
Article / 22nd August 2016In this thinkpiece for The Next System Project, David Korten sets out his ‘natural case for sharing’. No-one has a right to own or control, for his or her exclusive private benefit, a share of assets essential to living far beyond any conceivable personal need, if this results in depriving others of a means to life, he argues. Redistribution to achieve a semblance of economic democracy is not only just, it is an imperative of a viable human future.
Spotlight on Sustainable Development 2016
Article / 18th August 2016If the Sustainable Development Goals are to become a reality, what has to be done, and what specific policy changes are necessary at the international level? The Reflection Group on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has produced the first annual Spotlight Report assessing the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the structural obstacles in its realization, with contributions from many prominent civil society observers.
The Right to Development at 30: Looking Back and Forwards
Article / 18th August 2016To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Right to Development, the Human Rights Council held a Panel discussion at the Palais des Nations (Geneva) on 15 June 2016. As argued in a speech by the South Centre, this Declaration remains an important framework for the achievement of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, and it has an enduring practical relevance for the key global issues of our time.
Meeting Africa’s universal health challenge
Article / 17th August 2016Two of the Elders, Graça Machel and Ricardo Lagos, call on the African continent’s leaders to invest substantial political capital to make Universal Health Coverage a reality for their peoples. Countries like Malawi and Ethiopia prove that it is possible to provide free services to the entire population, if governments prioritise health in their budgets.
Why distinguish common goods from public goods?
Article / 15th August 2016It’s time for a rational conversation on the norms, rights and duties of every citizen for global common goods: the shared resources that must be negotiated and organized by the world’s people themselves, writes James B. Quilligan.