Dear John,

Back in 2018, we launched The Alternatives. This initiative united activists, healthcare workers, and communities worldwide who shared a common understanding: the prevailing global system was not only unfair but also unnecessary. Our united voice called out the fact that governments prioritise profit over people's wellbeing.

Fast forward five years, and instead of acknowledging the urgency for a fresh economic paradigm, the world entered the 2020s grappling with global issues that were worsened by this very inequality, plunging more people into poverty.

The Alternatives Campaign spoke out against the pharmaceutical industry's focus on profit denying millions of people vital medicines. The following year, the world was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. Affluent nations rushed to secure essential vaccines, while major pharmaceutical corporations reaped profits by refusing to #ShareTheScience.

Campaigners in 2018 lamented at the fact that more children were growing up in poverty despite unprecedented global prosperity. A stark revelation from Oxfam in January 2020 highlighted that the combined wealth of 2,153 billionaires surpassed that of 4.6 billion people - 60 percent of the world's population. The world’s wealth has grown, it has just stayed with the same handful of people at the top.

Despite governments' failings, health workers and activists have persevered. We saw how, despite chronic underfunding, the NHS was here for us during the pandemic. This year, after 10 years of negotiations, environmental activists saw the fruits of their labour when the historic ocean treaty was signed - decreeing the protection of 30% of the sea.

Health workers, activists and community members are still managing to challenge inequality and secure victories to build a more equitable world. The challenges before us recognize no boundaries. Join a global community of people willing to confront injustice, and support the movement for change. 

In solidarity,

Natalie Sharples,
Head of Policy and Campaigns