Global University for Sustainability
Communique of Founding Members Community
No.22 (1 May 2020)
1.Seventh South South Forum on Sustainability (SSFS7) (2020)
The first 4 months of 2020, one third of the year, ended yesterday with the Day of the Buddha. Today, Labour Day, hopefully heralds an end to the raging pandemic. From the massive loss of lives to the coronavirus, the fears and anxieties for effective protection, to the lockdowns, the breakup of industrial and supply chains, the strengthening of state apparatuses, the immense impacts on the vulnerable masses in terms of livelihood, income, and access to food and health care, we see how all the contradictions and injustices of capitalism have exacerbated in the time of coronavirus, with 99% bearing the brunt of pain and suffering. Yet not everyone are victims in these times. Monthly Review yesterday reported that America’s super rich see their wealth rise by USD 282 billion in three weeks of the pandemic. The pharmaceutical industry has much profits to crave for, unless there is a radical global turn on patent rights.
Today, there is more urgency than ever in the search for alternative theories, practices, and ways of organization. SSFS7 was planned to take place on June 10-18, 2020, with the theme “Climate Change and Community Regeneration”. With the pandemic, it is now moved to one month later, with the new confirmed dates of July 8-12, 2020. The revised theme is “Climate Change, Global Crises, and Community Regeneration”. On-site attendance will be at the Lingnan University campus in Hong Kong. Online attendance is also organized. Please visit https://our-global-u.org/
As the webinar option is added to SSFS7, we can have online participation of more Global U Founding Members and your networks and colleagues. The programme is not yet finalized, pending your input. We hope to examine how communities, especially rural communities, are impacted by global crises of the pandemic, of the capitalist economy, and of climate change, and how they are exemplary in their organizing and responses. We also hope to have succinct analysis of the current state we are in, by theme or by region/country. It is also time to revisit the many challenging thoughts and experiences presented in the previous six SSFSs. While the team will approach some of you for your participation and input, you are welcome to suggest ways in which you can participate or co-organize webinars. We have Summer School on July 8-9, Forum on July 10-12, and Webinars on July 14-16 which will take into account time zone differences.
2. Webinars by Various Global Networks
In response to the global lockdown, many webinars have been organized around the world. Here are some links to networks or organizations which some Global U Founding Members are involved in. They can be found also on the Global U website links: https://our-global-u.org/
Global Dialogue for Systemic Change: https://globaldialogue.online/
Tricontinental Institute for Social Research: https://www.thetricontinental.
Defend Democracy Press (The Delphi Initiative): http://www.defenddemocracy.
Radical Ecological Democracy: https://www.
Monthly Review: https://monthlyreview.org/
MST: https://mst.org.br/
3. Alternatives Debate
Please join the debates, either by initiating it with your essays, or by responding to others:
https://our-global-u.org/
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