A delegation of Global South scholars and activists are launching a lobbying and advocacy tour of European capitals to discuss the urgent issue of an ecosocial energy transition. The seven participants are following up on a global manifesto (English/Spanish) published this year decrying a new Green colonialism and urging more equitable approaches to achieving a fossil-free future.

The delegation will hold public events, meet with policymakers and NGOs, and engage with members of the media in Berlin, Brussels, and London from May 29 to June 2, 2023.

The mission of the delegation is to inject Global South perspectives into current European policy discussions around energy and environment.

The delegation will include Right Livelihood Award and Rafto Prize-winning Nigerian activist Nnimmo Bassey, widely published Argentine sociologist and philosopher Maristella Svampa, the Fijian international human rights lawyer Kavita Naidu, Indian activist-researcher Madhuresh Kumar, Brazilian-Spanish activist-scholar Breno Bringel, Venezuelan linguist and ecofeminist Liliana Buitrago, and South African-Swedish scholar-activist Vasna Ramasar.

The tour is organized by the Ecosocial and Intercultural Pact of the South, the Global Just Transition project of the Institute for Policy Studies, and the Global TapestryThe weaving of networks of Alternatives 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..

Delegation members are available for press interviews.

In Berlin, the delegation will meet the press in the morning of May 30 and hold a public event co-sponsored by the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung at 5 pm (Str. der Pariser Kommune 8A). Contact: Nadja Charaby (Nadja.Charaby@rosalux.org)

In Brussels, Maristella Svampa will participate in a public event “The Green Transition and Critical Minerals” on May 30 at 12:30 at CCND (Quai du Commerce 9). Contact: Bernard Duterme (duterme@cetri.be).

Also in Brussels, on May 31, the delegation will meet with NGOs at Mundo-madou at noon co-sponsored by Oikos (Kunstlaan 7/8). Contacts: Elze Vermaas (elze.vermaas@oikos.be) and Dirk Holemans (dirk.holemans@oikos.be).

In the evening of May 31 in Brussels, the delegation will hold a public event at 6 pm co-sponsored by Broederlijk Delen at GEC in Ghent (Kon. Maria Hendrikaplein 6). Contact: Thomas Craenen (thomas.craenen@broederlijkdelen.be).

In London, in events co-sponsored by War on Want and Tipping Point, the delegation will meet with NGOs on June 1 beginning at 1 pm at Kairos House (The Bookroom, Essex Hall, 1-6 Essex Street)

On June 2, in London, there be a public event at Pelican House at 6 pm (144 Cambridge Heath Rd, Bethnal Green).

Contacts for London events: Seb Munoz (smunoz@waronwant.org) and Tatiana Garavito (tatiana@tippingpointuk.org).

Contact John Feffer (johnfeffer@gmail.com; 202-294-9128) for more information