Zukunftszeugen VII - Ricardo Petrella Index Interview Transcript 1 Transcript 2 Transcript 3 Transcript 4

				1. Ricardo Petrella, "Zukunftszeuge" Which major challenges do you see in the global era that require political action? Well, to make access to the right to life to everybody. Today, at the beginning of the 21st century, we are in a very curious situation where two billions of people almost have no access to safe, drinkable water. 2.7 billion people have to "live" with less than two dollars a day. More than 1.2 billion people have no access to employment. So we are celebrating the global economy, we are celebrating the global village, we are saying, that in the 21st century we are in a new era of the new economy, and then, the most important problem is, that people have no right to life. It's even worse than it was 50 years ago. There are billions of people who have no right to life. So this is the most important problem which asks for political action in the global area. The example of water which I gave this morning, is just taking time, I would say, and if we don't do anything on a corroborative, collective way to recognize that access to water is a human and social right and a humankind common good, then, we will remain on a level of speech and discourse about global cooperation and global governance that we will never translate these concepts to daily life. And how can these concepts be translated? We ought to move from speech to action. And what kind of action is necessary? And how can this action be achieved? I think that the most important task is to the leaders today. And particular the leaders from the developing world. The developed world represents 86 percent of the world wealth. So we fix, set the agenda of society. And we have not to continue to set the agenda just in our interest. But today we are told that we have to be competitive. And for example, today everybody thinks he has to be the number one in the world of our ascenders. So the leaders have a great responsibility for the future. So they have to change. How? Well, I think, citizens have also a role to play in our society. Citizens are sleeping today. Citizens do not take part into the action. They consider that politics and that kind of things belong to the politicians, to the scientists, the bureaucracies, the universal academic leaders. So that is just what they have been told during the last thirty years: Citizens have nothing to do. They have just to adjust, to adapt to a world that is unchangeable and irresistible. That present globalization nobody can resist, that the new technologies nobody can resist. And citizens have been educated not to be citizens, but to be consumers and shareholders. And that is all. And that is why I think if you want change, wake up the citizens! TOP
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