Date: 9th November 2PM Glasgow/ 15PM CET

Abstract: The climate emergency is upon us, and it is already disproportionately impacting the lives of grassroots communities and marginalized sectors. While government and industry leaders, climate experts and civil society convene in Glasgow to chart forward the fate of the world for the 26th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), grassroots insights, inputs and initiatives are notably absent, if not intentionally sidelined and disregarded. Discussions around the right to develop, common but differentiated responsibilities, just transition, resource mobilization by global powers for adaptation, and reparations for loss and damages are downplayed. Degrowth, decarbonization, and divestment ring the halls of universities and governments, while conversations around hallmarks of especially Global South grassroots resistance such as collective action, direct engagement, and revolution are hushed. Additionally, radical alternatives are dismissed without understanding their transformative potential.

It is in this context that the Environment and Climate Justice Commission of the International League of Peoples Struggle (ILPS XXIX) - an anti-imperialist and democratic formation of people’s movements, organizations, along with its partner organizations and formations - the Global Tapstery of AlternativesAre activities and initiatives, concepts, worldviews, or action proposals by collectives, groups, organizations, communities, or social movements challenging and replacing the dominant system that perpetuates inequality, exploitation, and unsustainabiity. In the GTA we focus primarily on what we call "radical or transformative alternatives", which we define as initiatives that are attempting to break with the dominant system and take paths towards direct and radical forms of political and economic democracy, localised self-reliance, social justice and equity, cultural and knowledge diversity, and ecological resilience. Their locus is neither the State nor the capitalist economy. They are advancing in the process of dismantling most forms of hierarchies, assuming the principles of sufficiency, autonomy, non-violence, justice and equality, solidarity, and the caring of life and the Earth. They do this in an integral way, not limited to a single aspect of life. Although such initiatives may have some kind of link with capitalist markets and the State, they prioritize their autonomy to avoid significant dependency on them and tend to reduce, as much as possible, any relationship with them. - an initiative seeking to create solidarity networks and strategic alliances amongst all these alternatives on local, regional and global levels - and Adelante - a grouing of eight global networks for collective and solidarity action in the future - propose this side event with the main aim of gathering and promoting visions and demands of peoples from the grassroots of the world we want to create - one that is socially just, equitable, and environmentally sustainable.

More information: https://adelante.global/doku.php?id=events:cop26