Petition by 350, accessible here
The response to global COVID-19 Pandemic and economic recession will take months, maybe years. The actions we take now will have an impact on people immediately and in the future. We do not have all the answers, and there will be many other fights to come, but we believe it is important that our voices are heard right now by decision-makers and the public. Building upon an initiative that has already gained robust support in the US across a wide range of constituencies and organizations (see here: https://tinyurl.com/tl4tkwn), we are looking to unite civil society voices and movements to set a tone in this early stage. Our objective is to lay the ground for more visionary struggles as well as more specific demands going forward and to reinforce campaigns and struggles currently being undertaken. The aim of this sign-on is to publish an advert in a significant international print newspaper read by policy-makers. To be involved in this, you need to sign by 9am UTC Tuesday 24th of March. Please consider signing on (quickly) to display a broad powerful voice and counter the corporate lobbyists already knocking on politicians’ doors.
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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 policymakers 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, the undersigned organizations, call for a global response to COVID-19 to contribute to a just recovery. Responses at every level must uphold these five principles:
(1) HEALTH IS THE TOP PRIORITY, FOR ALL PEOPLE, WITH 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 marginalized in existing systems – our short-term needs and long-term conditions.
(3) RESCUE 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 who 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 transition for workers and communities to the zero-carbon future we need.
(5) BUILD SOLIDARITY AND COMMUNITY ACROSS BORDERS – DO NOT 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.