Dear friends, 

September marks the time for a new beginning. For change. And we need it more than ever.

Over the last months, world events have gone from bad to worse, day after day. However bad they get, the good news is we already have the solutions, tech, and money to solve the biggest threats the world is facing. The only factor is whether we act, unite, and get the power to change this reality! 

And we have a plan:

ENDORSE MY CAMPAIGN

Read on to hear about how to deal with Israel, Russia, Sudan, MPOX & more, to learn about our political programme for the UN Secretary-General race, what we have achieved and the next steps of the campaign. Because yes, you have a role. 

The political corner |  How to address Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, MPOX and more

How can we even consider not acting to change the tide? How can we claim to have any humanity when:

• Israel has murdered over 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza in what is the most documented genocide in history, and yet the US approved $20 billion in arms sales to Israel?!
• As children returned to school on Monday, Russia unleashed a barrage of missiles on Kyiv?!
• Sudan, now officially the world's worst humanitarian crisis, sees around half of its population in urgent need of assistance. At the same time, the UAE is accused of fueling the conflict by violating an arms embargo and supplying weapons to the Rapid Support Forces?!
• Global poverty levels rise in high-income countries, daily global average temperatures reach new records, and MPOX becomes a public health emergency.

All of this can be stopped. As I said: we have the solutions, technology and money to solve most, if not all, the biggest challenges the world is facing.

We could stop Israel’s genocide, by: 

• Implementing an arms embargo, 
• Coordinating diplomatic, economic and political sanctions, 
• Isolate further Israel globally (including by suspending it from the General Assembly of the United Nations, as it was done to apartheid South Africa in the ‘70ies),
• Imposing a real permanent ceasefire which would enable the return of the hostages, and 
• Ensuring the end of occupation and apartheid.

Of course, some have tried and failed. Still, we need the leader of the United Nations and all willing countries to show real political leadership and use all their cloud to achieve this, including by pressuring those unwilling to follow through (like the United States) and those complicit in the genocide: I’m talking about the US, UK, Germany and Italy that are still providing weapons to a head of state wanted by the International Criminal Court. 

We could better support Ukraine to speed up its chances of victory, by:

• Providing Ukraine with the weapons and funds it needs. The current constant political bickering for each new weapon is ridiculous: it delays the arrival of much-needed support before finally being approved.
• Lifting the restrictions on how Ukraine can use weapons so that it can fight back, in accordance with international law. More than two years after the start of yet another Russian invasion, it is abhorrent to impose such limitations on how Ukraine can defend itself.
• Seizing Russian frozen assets and giving them to Ukraine.
• Isolating further Russia & its allies fuelling the war, just like Israel!  

We could support the Sudanese civilians, by: 

• Imposing sanctions on those responsible for crimes, 
• Re-implementing an arms embargo, and naming, shaming and isolating those violating it: the UAE is accused of sending weapons to the Rapid Support Force,
• Providing aid, and funds to support and protect civilians! 

We could prevent the worst of the climate crisis by decarbonising our economies through a Global Carbon Tax, the implementation of A Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, Global Safe Zones for Nature Conservation & Restoration and financial support for those on the frontline. 

We could end poverty by setting up a Global Safety Net that includes a basic income, implementing a wealth tax, resolving debt crises, and shutting down tax havens.

We could ensure MPOX doesn’t become the next COVID-19 by finally increasing medicines manufacturing capacity globally, including all countries in preparedness efforts and sharing intellectual property rights, technology, and know-how during emergencies. These are all policies I am championing (see next section).

As you see, we have the solutions. What we lack is the political willingness and leadership to do so. 

The United Nations is the perfect example: not only does it lack the competencies, legitimacy, and leadership to fulfil its mandate of ensuring peace and security, but it's too often frozen and stuck in the hands of a few superpowers, to the detriment of humanity. How then might change happen? By creating a movement leaving countries no choice but to reform it, while shaking it up from the top. That’s why I’m running for UN Secretary-General.

My Plan To Quell the World’s Biggest Challenges | The Survival Bill

1. RECAP

I’m running to become United Nations Secretary-General to do just that: end those threats to humanity. I’m running for Secretary-General to make those solutions a reality! 

Through this campaign, by mobilizing people across the world, raising awareness, getting support and shaking up the system, I aim to: 

• Get our political programme implemented to quell survival threats, 
• Start a reform of the United Nations for it to have the competencies, legitimacy and leadership to act and preserve peace and security,
• Bring the people’s voice to this institution by giving you a vote! 

For this, I actually really need your support: Find out more about my campaign!

2. WHAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED SO FAR

I announced this campaign in April 2024, and since then quite a bit has happened: 

Besides meeting with UN officials & ambassadors to discuss the campaign, I organized grassroots meetings to bring the voice of the people to the United Nations.

In Nairobi, 100 people joined  in person consultations to discuss how the UN might better serve them. They mentioned the broken trust in the institution, but also the hope that things could change. Because they could, if the United Nations were willing to take a hard look at itself and evolve, be reborn from its ashes, starting by including those left behind. 1. The veto power must be abolished; 2. people’s voices must be heard, and their priorities must be reflected in the work of the organization; 3. the United Nations should put its money where its mouth is.

Online, I hosted a town hall with Dr Oby Ezekwesili - former VP of The World Bank & co-founder of Transparency International amongst many other things - an absolute rockstar when it comes to rethinking unjust systems, holding those in power accountable, and fighting for people's basic needs. We explored a critical issue: how to make the United Nations accountable to all people, not just a few powerful nations. And she provided us with a clear roadmap! 

And finally, and maybe most importantly, during Atlas’  Annual Summit, we approved our political programme for the United Nations: the Survival Bill.

READ THE SURVIVAL BILL

This programme is our roadmap on how to ensure that climate change, artificial intelligence, wars, dictatorship, pandemics, and poverty are quelled to enable humanity to thrive! The policies we voted on are radical, bold, and forward-looking. The world needs political leadership, radical action, and a clear moral compass. We must prioritize the interests of people and the planet over those of individual countries. And I will do my utmost best to ensure I deliver on this. I’m not saying it will be easy. It won’t. However, I hope this can shake up the UN enough for us to take a better course because, together united, we cannot be defeated. 

Next steps 

1. Live Q&A: We received a LOT of questions. So following requests, I'm holding weekly live Q&As on different social media, every Thursday. Feel free to send me all your questions in advance and check out the next one here 
2. Grassroots Consultations on how to regulate AI on Sept. 22nd in NYC: I am hosting with Atlas an event on how to regulate Artificial Intelligence for our common good. You can register here 
3. Join the team: This campaign is big, it's disruptive, but it's also complicated. I'm building a team of dedicated volunteers to support strategy, implementation, events, and communication. If you have ideas and time, please reply to this email with your thoughts!

Additional News Analyses 

• My take on the current MPOX health emergency
• An analysis on the structure of the UN Security Council 
• An update on the Taliban’s crimes in Afghanistan
• An article in Passblue on Israel’s potential suspension from the United Nations General Assembly
• An interview I did with Sophie Véritier on the future of global democracy
• An article by Mavic Cabrera-Balleza that includes this campaign on why the next UN Secretary-general must be a feminist woman

I dream that in 50 years - actually less - we live in a world where the immense challenges the world is facing are tackled, so much so that we can afford to spend all our political energy bickering about small tax reforms. I believe that by overcoming divisions and thus uniting politically, we stand a chance to avoid climate breakdown, civil unrest due to ever-increasing inequalities, and wars. But more than this, we can strive for a tangible utopia. We can create a freer, truly equitable world where people’s well-being is prioritized over all else. It will be hard and require sacrifices and systemic change, but it is possible. Only if you step up and act. 

JOIN MY CAMPAIGN

Onward, 

Colombe

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Colombe Cahen-Salvador (she/her)

Co-Founder & Candidate for United Nations Secretary-General

Atlas

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