Social Watch Report 2010: After the Fall – Time for a new deal

Source: NGLS

Today, Social Watch launched, After the Fall – Time for a new deal, a report that calls for climate justice; financial, fiscal and economic justice; social and gender justice; and plain old justice.

The report addresses various thematic issues, and looks at international as well as national progress made on the MDGs. It notes with concern that progress on poverty reduction has slowed down since the MDGs were set and notes that social progress does not automatically follows economic growth. Besides, it highlights that better (non-monetary) indicators are needed to more accurately monitor the evolution of poverty in the world.

The report further calls for a complete transformation of society along the lines of a new logic that prioritizes human needs over corporate profits; in other words, it calls for “a new social deal.” Besides, it underlines the need to rethink macroeconomics and recognize the role of women in an extensive care economy; and addresses civil society concerns regarding the fundamental ambiguity surrounding the status of public banks such as the European Investment Bank (EIB).

After the Fall also highlights a new approach in the advocacy work of civil society organizations: “critical shareholding.” This means that civil society organizations and networks buy shares in companies that have negative social and environmental impacts; after which they can criticise these firms from the inside.

The report is available online.