By Siddharth Akali
In 2025, we mark ten years of the Coalition for Human Rights in Development. There is much to celebrate in our collective history of grassroots groups, social movements groups, Indigenous peoples’ organizations and civil society organizations working together across our diverse strategies and geographies. We can be proud of our shared history of mutual solidarity and care during moments of great adversity like the Covid-19 pandemic. And we must recognize the effectiveness of our community-led and defender-led campaigns to seek redress and shape policies and practices at the world’s largest public financiers.
But, at the same time, this does not feel like a time to celebrate. Growing militarization, authoritarianism, and genocides are going hand in hand with growing inequality and oligarchic capture of states and multilateral institutions. The earth is at the brink of ecological and climate collapse. Billionaires are more keen to build bunkers and suck the resources of planet Earth to colonize Mars, rather than give up even a fraction of their wealth to build a redistributive intergovernmental system centered on equality, dignity and justice for all. They would much rather cut off life saving medical support for the poorest than pay a few more percentage points in taxes. And our governing and business elites – indoctrinated in top-down economic development models, turbo-charged by neoliberal capitalism – are only too keen to oblige.
In this moment, when things feel like they are falling apart and billionaires want us to give up hope and surrender to their manufactured doom and gloom, it can be a radical act of self preservation to come together in community and feel joy for being alive on our planet Earth.
Little acts matter, especially when we do them in community. So, here’s the plan.
This July we’ll be hosting our Members’ Gathering in Kenya, coming back to our roots on the continent, a decade after our seminal meeting in South Africa. At a moment when right wing fascists are closing borders to keep out black and brown migrants, we are grateful to take advantage of the Kenyan government’s visa free policy for our members and partners from across the world.
The gathering will bring together about 70 individuals from 55 organisations and 40 countries to decide what’s next, building on the robust strategy consultations with our members and key allies. Our Steering Committee and Members’ Gathering Planning Committee have been doing an incredible job of moving forward our strategic planning process and preparing for the gathering.
The Members Gathering will also be an opportunity to celebrate our anniversary. We’re marking this important milestone with a new logo – featured in this newsletter – and with a series of blog posts where our members reflect on our 10-year journey.
In a world in flux, we are exerting control by choosing to celebrate our wins, and build on our strengths to create a different kind of future together. Come join us: let’s rejoice, rejuvenate and then let’s fight to win. As our feminist sisters say: Lucha, Siesta, Fiesta!