
Our Future is Public
Jan 26, 2023
The climate emergency, rising inequalities and the COVID-19 pandemic have reaffirmed the failures and limitations of the current neoliberal model to respond to crises and ensure a dignified life for all. Transformation in the organisation of our economy is needed in order to confront the challenges the world is currently facing and to create societies that are fair, inclusive, socially-just, equitable and sustainable.
To this end, actors from a diverse range of movements, sectors and regions have, in recent years, been mobilising to reclaim and rebuild public services as the foundation of a fair and just economy that works for all. Key milestones have included the first global “Future is Public” conference held in Amsterdam 2019, which brought together over 400 participants to discuss strategies for putting the “public” back into public services and to build democratic public ownership of the economy, and the launch of the collective civil society Global Manifesto on Public Services in October 2021, signed by over 200 organisations.
From 29th November to 2nd December over a thousand representatives from over one hundred countries, from grassroots movements, advocacy, human rights, and development organisations, feminist movements, trade unions, and other civil society organisations, met in Santiago, Chile, and virtually, to discuss the critical role of public services for our future.
Following the meeting, the Santiago Declaration on Public Services was adopted by a drafting group representing all sectors, on the basis of the notes and discussions during the four days.
We are at a critical juncture. At a time when the world faces a series of crises, from the environmental emergency to hunger and deepening inequalities, increasing armed conflicts, pandemics, rising extremism, and escalating inflation, a collective response is growing. A large movement is building and concrete solutions are emerging to counter the dominant paradigm of growth, privatisation and commodification.
Hundreds of organisations across socio-economic justice and public services sectors, from education and health services, to care, energy, food, housing, water, transportation and social protection, are coming together to address the harmful effects of commercialising public services, to reclaim democratic public control, and to reimagine a truly equal and human rights oriented economy that works for people and the planet.
We demand universal access to quality, gender-transformative and equitable public services as the foundation of a fair and just society.
Taking action
We will join forces across sectors, regions and movements to formulate and carry out common strategies and new alliances towards joint proposals for a just, feminist and decolonial transition in the face of the climate and environmental crises. We will work to transform our systems, valuing human rights and ecological sustainability over GDP growth and narrowly defined economic gains.
Video
Santiago Declaration for Public Services
Endorse the Santiago Declaration for Public Services
We demand universal access to quality, gender-transformative and equitable public services as the foundation of a fair and just society.
RICARDO manuel Ramírez AGUIRREFrente Nacional por la Salud de los Pueblos del Ecuador (FNSPE) Ecuador
about 3 hours agoNasheli Noriega IzquierdoOxfam LAC Mexico
about 13 hours agoDavid StoughtonCommunity Regeneration United Kingdom
about 14 hours agoAnonymous signature
about 20 hours agoHeidi Flassak Germany
1 day agoChuck Woolery435 Campaign for Global Justice United States
1 day agoJoachim Guilliard Germany
1 day agoMarc Batko United States
2 days agoAnonymous signature
2 days agoSteve OngerthIWW Environmental Union Caucus (cofounder; listed for ID purposes only) United States
2 days agoRosemary LeeRetired United States
2 days agoPamela Pamela McLeman United Kingdom
2 days agoJeremy Johnson United Kingdom
2 days agoMelinda RigbyCambridge Doughnut Economics Action Group United Kingdom
2 days agoAnonymous signature
2 days agoSYLLA Sékou MohamedCERIDA (Centre d'Etude et de Recheche pour l'Intégration régionale et le Développement de l'Afrique) Membre du CADTM International et du CADTM Afrique Guinea
2 days agoAnonymous signature
3 days agoCorinne Abbas Netherlands
3 days agoDavid Podgorski France
3 days agoLeonie Rushforth United Kingdom
3 days agoAnonymous signature
3 days agoWinne van WoerdenCommons Network Netherlands
4 days agoAnonymous signature
4 days agoPatricia MirandaRed Latinoamericana por Justicia Económica y Social - LATINDADD Peru
4 days agoSteve Krimstock United States
5 days agoFeliciano Castaño Villar Spain
5 days agoMarc B. SanganeeDanish Communist Party Denmark
5 days agoTHOMAS W ADAMSYES Australia
5 days agoBrooke Stanley PaoAuckland Action Against Poverty New Zealand
5 days agoAnonymous signature
5 days agoDavid L Hatch United States
5 days agoJohn Michalik United States
5 days agoDavid cooper None United Kingdom
5 days agoWendy Emerson United States
5 days agoMike DaviesIAI Zimbabwe
5 days agoJohn W HessFaculty Staff Union at University of Massachusetts Boston United States
6 days agoPhilippa Colgan New Zealand
6 days agoPeter J CrowleySelf United States
6 days agoAnonymous signature
6 days agoAnonymous signature
6 days agoAnonymous signature
6 days agoSetu PelzIIASA Austria
6 days agomichele larini Italy
7 days agoAnonymous signature
7 days agoChris BrownVarious United Kingdom
7 days agoLaura Wimbish-VanderbeckV Studio United States
7 days agoAnonymous signature
7 days agoManlio PertoutThe Human Exploring Society United Kingdom
7 days agoBrian Glennie Canada
7 days agoSteven Katz United States
7 days agoCristin CashMontgomery College United States
7 days agoAnonymous signature
7 days agoMadeline KiserMARBE SA Costa Rica
7 days agoRachel StrohmSocial Policy Insights Kenya
7 days agoCláudia Elisabete da SilvaSecretaria de Estado da Educação de São Paulo Brazil
7 days agoAnonymous signature
7 days agoMichael B Hall United States
7 days agoJohn MorrisonSEIU1021 United States
7 days agoHank KeetonKeeton Corporation United States
7 days agoAlexis LaBarge United States
7 days agoDavid L Mandel United States
7 days agoLily MendozaOakland University United States
7 days agoCarolyn Steinhoff United States
7 days agoAnonymous signature
7 days agobill baskin United States
7 days agoPaul BergerLakehead University Canada
7 days agoAnonymous signature
7 days agoBruno DiasEscola Secundária de Odivelas Portugal
7 days agoHerb HammondSilva Forest Foundation Canada
7 days agoBarry Johnson United States
7 days agoRebecca Church United States
7 days agoAnonymous signature
7 days agoCraig NixonDefense of Democracy United States
7 days agoEric Zatarack United States
7 days agoJim Crittenden United States
7 days agoDanny McGregor Americanminion.blog United States
7 days agoEmilia ReyesEquidad de Género: Ciudadanía, Trabajo y Familia Mexico
7 days agoAzadeh Ardakani Canada
7 days agoLuce Melançon Cisss de Lanaudière Canada
8 days agoPatrick BiggerClimate and Community Project United States
8 days agoJames Gillies United Kingdom
8 days agoPaul GroenewegenRights Initiative Netherlands
8 days agoDaniel Leclerc France
8 days agoOlivier HoedemanCorporate Europe Observatory (CEO) Belgium
8 days agoGoran ZanganaHUMAN network for health and humanitarian affairs Iraq
8 days agoAnonymous signature
8 days agoVenus Aves Philippines
8 days agoSophie VerdonCoalition solidarité santé Canada
8 days agoAnonymous signature
9 days agoNatalie BaldwinBrighton and Hove City Council United Kingdom
9 days agoPaula ReisdorfCorpWatch Brazil
9 days agoSadienState and Other Employees Federation Mauritius
9 days agoFaith LumonyaAkina Mama wa Afrika Uganda
9 days agoKonstantinos FoteinakisNaturefriends Greece Greece
9 days agokandondo DeniseCoalition EPTBAFASHEBIGE Burundi
9 days agoEric GingrasCSQ - Centrale des syndicats du Québec Canada
9 days agoSude GokceCongregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd United States
10 days agoIlyes Benammar Groupe de travail pour la démocratie énergétique Tunisia
10 days agoRAMDE IssaONG EVEIL-CI Côte d'Ivoire
10 days agoCesare OttoliniInternational Alliance of Inhabitants Italy
12 days agoAnonymous signature
16 days ago