New Internationalism

Resisting injustice and inequality has always been the most important task. In addition, in recent times, threats have appeared to life-sustaining conditions on earth which demand the most urgent attention. If adequate ameliorative steps are not taken within the next decade or two, some of these threats may cross the limits of redemption. Hence the challenge now is to link the new issues with the earlier issues of justice and equality. To give a specific example, plans will have to be prepared and implemented to ensure that the basic needs of all people of the world can be met within the limits of greenhouse gas emissions required to prevent catastrophic changes.

The most distressing news of our times (for humanity as well as for other forms of life, for the present generation and even more for future generations) is that the kind of intense worldwide effort that is clearly needed to meet this challenge and prevent the highly destructive drift towards unredeemable situations is just not visible.