Rethinking the global economy

The old obsession with protecting national interests, the drive to maximise profits at all costs, and the materialistic pursuit of economic growth has failed to benefit the world's poor and led to catastrophic consequences for planet earth.

The incidence of hunger is more widespread than ever before in human history, surpassing 1 billion people in 2009 despite the record harvests of food being reaped in recent years.  At least 1.4 billion people live in extreme poverty, a number equivalent to more than four times the population of the United States.  One out of every five people does not have access to clean drinking water.  More than a billion people lack access to basic health care services, while over a billion people - the majority of them women - lack a basic education.  Every week, more than 115,000 people move into a slum somewhere in Africa, Asia or Latin America.  Every day, around 50,000 people die needlessly as a result of being denied the essentials of life.