Dear friends,
Every day, we hear about democratic setbacks or crackdowns. Rarely do we think about what democracy should actually look like, our role in it, and whether our conception of voting every couple of years truly represents what the power of the people should be about.
At Atlas, we dream of a world that is democratic, where we join forces across borders to solve existential challenges and unlock opportunities, and where together, we create a more equitable world, where we are all better off. For this dream to come true, however, we need to constantly reconsider the systems that rule the world, to understand whether others might better serve us.
And we want to do this with you. Read on to join in mindblowing conversations, participate in events, and shape the world of tomorrow!
🎤 Events
We have a series of upcoming events online and offline to discuss different areas of democracy, so join us!
Tomorrow | A Citizen Approach to Democracy & Governance
🕰️ 10 am LA time / 1 pm NYC time / 6 pm London Time / 8 pm Nairobi time / 10.30 pm Delhi time
🎤 Jon Alexander: we will discuss how a Citizen approach (versus the existing consumer one) might change the way we look at democracy, and how it practically functions. As Jon puts it plainly: "In the Consumer Story, we ask ourselves what we as individuals are getting in return for our taxes. In a Citizen society, we recognize the tax we pay as our contribution to sustaining the whole."
April 30th | Nairobi Consultations: The Power of Voting 🗳️
Voting is an integral part of democracy, but should it be the main one? Is it functioning as it should? Who should vote? When? Why? Together, let’s rethink the role of voting in society during those in-person consultations in Nairobi!
🗺️ Radisson Hotel (Upper Hill), Nairobi
🗓️ April 30th, 2023
🕰️ 1.30 pm - 6 pm
👉 Register to participate here
🤓 Consultations
At Atlas, we are running consultations online and in person across the globe 🌏 to crowdsource with YOU: What are the core issues with today’s global governance? What are the solutions & how to ensure maximum democracy? What will this system look like? Participate in our online software by registering here, and share your ideas and knowledge to define the future of democracy and governance.
Wondering where to get started? Here’s a recent question a member asked: How can we tackle political polarization?
🇷🇺❌🇺🇳 Boycott Russia's Presidency of the UN Security Council
On April 1st, Russia assumed the Presidency of the Security Council, the most powerful body of the United Nations. This is an affront to justice and to the 18 million people severely affected by Putin's evil invasion of Ukraine. We must act.
Join us in calling on countries to boycott the body & paralyze Russia’s month-long presidency. How? We are pressuring democracy-loving countries not to show up: if 7 out of 15 Security Council member states join the boycott, Russia won’t be able to get anything passed.
And don’t forget to make noise: Take a picture with a sign “Boycott Russia at the United Nations”, post it, and tag 5 friends to join the email campaign!
Here’s a sample caption: 🇷🇺❌🇺🇳 Boycott #Russia's meeting at the UN #SecurityCouncil today! Join #UNBoycottRussia, send an email to #UN Ambassadors telling them you want them to #StandWithUkraine 👉 https://atlasmovement.org/unboycottrussia
📚 Resources
Finally, if you want to read or hear more about our work on democracy, here are a few resources:
- Check out our discussion with Secretary-General Thomas Garrett here
- Read our latest opinion piece in Passblue on Russia’s presidency of the UNSC
- Check out some speeches at our protests to stand with Ukraine here and here
As my favorite protest chant goes: 📢 Together, United, We cannot be Defeated!
Onward,