Big News that Didn't Make the News
Policy Makers Address Insanity of Limitless Growth Economy
You likely haven’t heard this extraordinary news. It certainly hasn’t been covered by U.S. mainstream cable outlets which are utterly consumed by the non-news of speculating and sensationalizing Trump’s criminal investigation and Hunter Biden’s plea deal on misdemeanor tax charges. As far as I know, disappointingly, not even NPR covered the landmark event.
The Beyond Growth 2023 Conference was a three-day event hosted last month by the European Parliament to discuss pathways to a saner, sustainable European economy. The event, held in Brussels, drew over 2,000 participants and policy makers and advocates discussed ways to move beyond the current limitless growth economic system.
Economists, politicians, scientists, and activists shared ideas and creative thinking on issues such as moving beyond Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as the sole metric of societal success, people’s need for economic security rather than just growth, unravelling the current mess of growth and jobs reliant upon fossil fuels and destruction of nature, sufficiency rather than growth policies, the economics of well-being, and more.
Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Co-President of the Club of Rome, got a standing ovation when she stated the obsession with growth is the root cause of our problems and that the only technology that could save us is a time machine that could take us back 50 years. Later, Agata Meysner, Director of Generation Climate Europe, bluntly stated, “Young people are not responsible for giving you hope. And future generations are not responsible for fixing today’s failed leadership” – that received a standing ovation mid-speech.
This Youtube channel posts videos from the conference sessions.
This remarkable conference dovetailed with a landmark report by the World Health Organization (WHO) outlining a path for economies not just to deliver growth, but health – for people and the planet. The report was developed by WHO’s Council on the Economics of Health for All, which was created by WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in response to the COVID-19 crisis.
Dr, Tedros stated, “Two years ago, I asked a team of the world’s leading economists and public health experts – all women – to create a paradigm shift. Now, instead of health for all being seen as the servant of economic growth, we have a roadmap for structuring economic activity in a way that will allow us to reach the goal of seeing all people with access to essential health services faster with better results.”
Council Chair, Professor Mariana Mazzucato, noted, “Over the past two years, the WHO Council on the Economics of Health for All has worked to craft a new economic narrative – one that transforms financing for health from an expenditure to an investment,” And, “In our final report, we call for new economic policy that is not about market fixing but about proactively and collaboratively shaping markets that prioritize human and planetary health.”
Key recommendations include:
The need to value and measure the things that truly matter - human and planetary flourishing - rather than pursuing economic growth and GDP maximization regardless of the consequences. To achieve health for all, governments must rethink value and reshape and redirect the economy based on social and planetary well-being, guided by new metrics.
A fundamental overhaul of national and international systems for financing health is needed, so that spending on health is treated as a long-term investment. Delivering Health for All will require both more money, and higher quality financing.
Innovation requires collective intelligence – it is never the fruit of just one company or government agency. But unless innovation is governed for the common good, many people remain excluded from its benefits. A new end-to-end health innovation ecosystem that prioritises the common good is needed.
WHO hasn’t typically been a leader on system change or environmental restoration and I find this shift in focus and tone exciting. We don’t hear about these types of developments from U.S. news outlets because the U.S. is the chief exporter of the growth and consumption-driven economic ideology. Growth of GDP, production/extraction, and consumption as a Holy Grail is so entrenched in the U.S. cultural worldview that most never even think to question it. But as I’ve noted before lots and lots and lots of us have been doing exactly that for some time. The Beyond Growth conference and WHO’s push for economic redesign are powerful and hopeful developments.
I’d love to have your help!
Related to the piece above, as some of you know I’ve been working in the Beyond Growth/ Beyond GDP space for several decades now. Just because I’ve recently become an ordained minister doesn’t change that one bit! The vehicle is different, but my mission remains to do what I can to help humanity come into a healthy relationship with the rest of Nature.
To that end I have been invited to speak about “Sacred Economics: Creating a More Just World for All Beings” at the Parliament of World Religions in August in Chicago. This is the first time these concepts have been presented at this major conference.
This is not a paid speaking engagement but part of my mission and service. The travel costs are substantial and if you’d like to help cover those that would be just awesome! My “The ReThink Ministry” is a 501c3 non-profit so your contribution is tax-deductible. Here’s a link with contribution form at the bottom. Thanks so much for considering supporting this work.
The description of my program at the Parliament is as follows:
The global capitalist economic system, based on materialism, consumption and limitless growth, is wreaking havoc on Nature and keeping millions trapped in poverty or unsatisfying, dead-end jobs. There is a better way! The New Economy movement is robust and gaining momentum as more and more people, entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations say “enough is enough” and get busy creating healthier ways of making a living and doing business.
This session explores some of the current norms in status quo economic systems that need a change-up and dives into exciting emerging alternatives. Participants gain tools for becoming directly engaged in creating an economy that works better for all beings and making the shift from an economics of separation to an economics of reunion, respect and love.
Here's a link to the event -- https://parliamentofreligions.org/2023-program/
Much Love,
Cylvia
Your contribution to the conference will be invaluable. You’ve been working on this, as you say, for decades and your perspective is deep and broad!