There is now a consensus that climate change threatens the future of
humanity more than any other crisis we face today. There is a general
understanding that those who contribute to global warming the least are
already suffering from its effects the most. This is the case in
Southern Africa, where droughts and floods are everyday occurrences
which destroy development progress and lead to high adjustment costs in
some countries.
Climate change is not a natural disaster; it is
closely linked to high energy and resource consuming lifestyles,
particularly in developed countries, as well as the inefficient use of
natural resources, in both developed and developing countries. In facing
this problem, a total rethink is required, going beyond individual
ethics and voluntary simplification of lifestyle. Furthermore, the
structures of production and the distribution of prosperity must be
radically redefined. In order to find alternatives to the current
economic model, considerable imagination and political determination are
required, and these can only be achieved by mass mobilisation and
social pressure.
These alternatives should articulate, on the
one hand, in theoretical terms, new visions which could inspire many
people and encourage new trade, and on the other hand, be politically
and strategically geared in order to develop prospects for its
implementation. KASA campaigns for the discovery and development of such
alternatives in Southern Africa and works with other European
organisations and social movements to remind the rest of Europe of their
responsibility regarding climate change as well as the risks for
vulnerable and often defenceless parts of the world.
