Re-negotiate: A new social contract in an age of crises

Despite thirty years of desperate warnings from scientists and civil society, we have so far failed to address the looming catastrophes of runaway climate change, biodiversity loss, social inequality, and democratic decay. All the possible futures that we face in this moment involve transformative change. Either we reshape the ways our societies function, or these crises will overwhelm our societies and economies, causing untold suffering.

We believe that the only way to deliver a fair and fast transition lies in new economies and new social contracts: covenants between citizens, their states and others such as businesses and nature.

For creating and realizing a sustainable, healthy and just future for societies worldwide it will require a fundamental renegotiation of our current social contracts, which implies institutional change as well as multiple parties, multiple sectors, and multiple levels of governance to act and collaborate effectively.

The Roundtable will use a hybrid format, supporting both in-person attendance and online participation.

The speakers and panellists will include:

• Mary Robinson, the first woman President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who will deliver the keynote address
• Patrick Huntjens, award-winning author of the international academic bestseller ‘Towards a Natural Social Contract’
• Donald Pols - Director, Milieudefensie
• Najma Mohamed - Policy Director, Green Economy Coalition
• Hans Stegeman - Chief Economist, Triodos Bank
• Marine Cornelis - Next Energy Consumer, Europe
• Paul Ladd - Director, UNRISD
• Dharmendra Kanani - COO, Friends of Europe
• Nikki Trip - Shareholders of the Future
• Isabell Kempf - Head of UNRISD Bonn Office
• Maria Geuze - Director, Slow Food Youth Network
• Frank Boons - Director, Maastricht Sustainability Institute