Introduction

This report presents the experiences of a process of weaving the pluriverse called The Global Tapestry of Alternatives (GTA). GTA is an initiative seeking to create solidarity networks and strategic alliances amongst radical alternatives on local, regional and the global levels. It locates itself in or helps initiate interactions among alternatives to the destructive hegemonic system. GTA has been working to create spaces of collaboration and exchange, in order to learn about and from each other, critically but constructively challenge each other, offer active solidarity to each other whenever needed, interweave the initiatives in common actions, and give them visibility to inspire other people to create their own initiatives. It seeks to facilitate people seeking transformative change, hopefully eventually converging into a critical mass of alternative ways that can support the conditions for the radical systemic changes we need.

The report traces the history and experiences of the GTA process, drawing from in- depth reflections from the GTA facilitation team as well as contributions from Weavers and Endorsers to the process. This is grounded in community and activist articulations of what radical alternatives and a pluriverse are. The authors, as members of the GTA facilitation team, share the findings and process to bring the voices from the global south/ majority world together in both conceptualising the polycrisis and responding to it. As an on-going experimental and organically developing process, the GTA offers lessons from an effort to co-develop an inclusive and dynamic knowledge and praxis of progressive alternatives. We highlight the struggle of pluriversal transition from, for example, different cosmologies or understandings of alternatives to the mundane and practical elements of language and time zones. The GTA continues to develop and grow as a result of the opportunities that are constantly present and these are highlighted such as the profound human connection; solidarity and will to build a global commonist project.

Credits

This document has been coordinated and put together by Shrishtee Bajpai and Vasna Ramasar with inputs from Ashish Kothari, Franco Augusto and Madhuresh Kumar.

We are grateful to Omega Resilience Awards for providing financial support for putting the report together.

Design and Layout by: Naveed Dadan

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