Sustainable development goals

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The Global Development Narrative and “Strategic ambiguity”

September 19, 2016 by Guest No Comments

According to Kevin Anderson, deputy director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, global subsidies to the fossil fuel industry, both indirect and direct, amounted in 2015 to $5.3 trillion dollars. Or to frame it another way, 6.5% of global GDP. Roughly $10m per minute. That’s right you read...

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2015 did not deliver, frugal abundance will

December 18, 2015 by François Delvaux No Comments

2015 will soon be over. During this year, two major documents that were supposed to shape our common future were adopted – and as this blog post is being written, negotiations in Paris are slowly coming to an end.

Featured, Ideas, Money, The story of poverty

It’s time to move beyond growth for growth’s sake

December 5, 2015 by Martin Kirk 2 Comments

Growth for growth’s sake is the poison in the well; the fatal flaw that is leading us over the cliff of environmental and social catastrophe. Given how central this problem is to the future, it amounts to a dereliction of duty by those responsible. It is now up to the...

Ideas, Money, Power, The story of poverty

Global Goals – The party’s over

October 8, 2015 by The Rules 5 Comments

The glitter has settled over New York, celebrities and world leaders have flown home and the party is over. A week after the adoption of the United Nations’ seventeen Sustainable Development Goals, we take a moment to reflect on the Global Goals and the efforts of The Rules community to...

Featured, Ideas, The story of poverty

‘When it clicked’ – I chanced upon a series of eye-opening discussions on social justice with a friend

October 2, 2015 by Guest 3 Comments

About five years ago, I chanced upon a series of eye-opening discussions on social justice with a friend that made me realize that pretty much all I had assumed till then was fundamentally flawed.

Featured, Ideas, Money, Power, The story of poverty

UN Millennium Development Goals replaced by new ‘distraction gimmicks’

September 27, 2015 by Guest 2 Comments

The ubiquitous ‘development goals’ chosen by the United Nations – first Millennium (MDGs) in 2000 and now Sustainable (SDGs) – were and are and will be a distraction from the real work of fighting poverty done by social justice activists.

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Forget ‘developing’ poor countries, it’s time to ‘de-develop’ rich countries

September 26, 2015 by Jason No Comments

As the UN’s new sustainable development goals are launched in New York, there’s little to celebrate about the business-as-usual approach

Featured, Ideas, Money, Power, The story of poverty

The Sustainable Development Goals: A Siren and Lullaby for Our Times

by Alnoor 1 Comment

At first glance, the rhetoric of the SDGs seems irresistible. They talk about eliminating poverty “in all its forms, everywhere” by 2030, through "sustainable development" and even addressing extreme inequality. None of which we would argue with of course. But as with all half-truths, one just has to dig beneath...

Featured, General, Ideas, Money, Power, Secrets, The story of poverty

J’accuse: Laying Poverty Blame Where It Belongs

September 25, 2015 by Elsie Bryant 5 Comments

A lot of people might agree that the United Nations as a concept is a good one – it’s intended to protect human rights, seemingly uphold some sense of ‘universal’ values and strive for some kind of international cohesion. But can an organisation arguably run by the old rich, (largely)...