PhD Community | An invitation to join a Global Mass Movement for Eco-Social Change

We are delighted to extend to you an invitation to join a Global Mass Movement for Eco-Social Change! UNESCO RILA [1] at the University of Glasgow is pleased to announce our partnership on "The People's Summit:  Co-building a New Eco-Social World: Leaving No One Behind [2]"

We join over a dozen international associations and NGOs [3] inviting contributions to shape the Global Values Declaration for a new eco-social world.  The aim of the Summit is to prepare a set of values that shape policies and practices which will ensure sustainability and good quality life-cycles – not only for each human being but for each part of our eco-systems.

The resulting Global Values Declaration for a new eco-social world will be delivered to the United Nations High-Level Political Forum [4] (HLPF) in July 2022 and will create a catalyst for further global action.  The HLPF has a central role in the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the global level.

The steering principles of the Summit are:

• Buen Vivir,* love and care of people and the planet, responsibilities and rights  
• Respect, dignity, harmony and justice  
• Diversity, belonging, reciprocity and equity  
• Ubuntu**, togetherness and community

*Buen Vivir –a social philosophy drawing on South American indigenous belief systems that describes a way of life and a form of development that sees social, cultural, environmental, and economic issues working together and in balance, not separately and hierarchically as at present.

**Ubuntu – an indigenous African philosophy based on people’s interdependency and interconnectedness with their environment; I am because we are.

Why are we involved?

The steering principles of the Summit link closely with UNESCO RILA's work in MIDEQ (Migration for Development and Equality) [5] exploring multilingual research, creative resistance and well-being, all vital components of a new Eco-Social World. We are all radically dependent on one another: we must include creativity and creative resistance in our ways of working.  The new Eco-Social World will be built by politicians, but also by ‘poet-icians’.  You can watch these videos for further explanation

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How can I get involved? 

• Make a contribution - We invite everyone in our extended global network to engage with the Summit and consider contributing. Please see the Summit website for ways to contribute [8]. 
  A summary of your contribution needs to be submitted for review and acceptance before 15th February 2022 and the Summit is accepting submissions NOW!
• Be a reviewer - The Summit requires people with different specialisms and languages to review contribution summaries - everyone is welcome to be a reviewer. You will be allocated up to 10-20 proposals to review.  There is no financial inducement available for reviewers, however your name and title will be registered in the book abstract as well as on the summit website as a contributor reviewer.  Please see attached invitation form for further details and to volunteer as a reviewer.
• Spread the word - Together the Summit partners represent 100 million people.  Even then, this represents only just over 1% of humanity! We need your help to ensure that as many people hear about the Summit and get the chance to contribute in any way they choose. 

For more information about the summit, please see the website https://newecosocialworld.com/ [9] where you can also sign up to the Summitt newsletter for updates.

With very best wishes on behalf of the UNESCO RILA team,

Lauren

Lauren Roberts | Secretariat Coordinator, Unesco Chair in Refugee Integration through Languages and the Arts