Over the course of two full days of panel discussions and workshops, our members, allies, partners and like-minded academics analysed and strategised ways to bring about much-needed change to achieve economic justice for all.

After two year of virtual meetings, participants were glad to get together again in person. Over two days of panels and workshops, we critically considered ‘recovery’ plans and discussed alternatives. There was a collective feeling that the dominant financial system built on capitalism was part of the problem and wouldn’t be part of the solution. Still, there are opportunities for a normative shift and the Conference brought new energy and ideas to work together on them.

Jean Saldanha, Director, European Network on Debt and Development

Three years into the pandemic, the world is steeped in multiple and interconnected crises: climate change, debt, energy-scarcity and competition for other scarce but crucial resources for development. Against this backdrop, growing inequality and the irreversible breakdown of the ecological system mean that women, children, youth, indigenous peoples and those who face discrimination on the basis of gender, race, disability, migrant-status etc. are hit the hardest.

So far, global economic governance has not been very effective in supporting the global south’s ability to deal with the pandemic and plan for recovery, all while grappling with climate chaos. Whether your focus is on debt, tax justice or development finance; the economic justice movement has an important role to play in highlighting the problems and advocating for concrete policy change within institutions still steeped in patriarchy and colonialism.

At such a crucial moment, it was more important than ever for us to rethink systems, deconstruct the way we work and seek global solutions.

Scroll through some of the Conference highlights on Twitter

Rewatch the sessions:

See photo album here