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Aligning Demands for a Just Recovery

In late June, the Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR) organized two community calls with partners and allies from across the social, economic, and environmental justice movements on mobilizing for rights-based economic transformation in the wake of COVID- 19. More than 30 people joined the two calls—a diverse group of activists and advocates from around the world, whose works spans a range of issues from the local to global level. The idea was to come together in a more informal way; to collectively reflect on shared challenges and opportunities; to explore synergies between our efforts; and to create space for more open conversations and spontaneous connections.

The calls were an opportunity to dig deeper into one of the challenges shared in the previous calls held in April: how to frame—and show the connections between—our demands, striking a balance between pursuing more immediate wins and more transformative shifts, given the complex advocacy landscape we face. The goal was to share insights about framing demands in the current political context, and explore ideas for how we can stay better engaged to advance common goals. We’re so grateful to everyone who shared their wisdom on this topic so generously. Highlights from the discussion are summarized in this short reflection note.