Dear Friends,
Today is a big day! Not only is it the International Day of Democracy, which is a cause for celebration, but it’s also the day we announce that Atlas is entering global politics. Yes, you heard well: global politics!
Today’s problems know no borders, and we need a global political force to deal with them. It’s as simple as it gets. So we are building Atlas, the global political party in the making uniting people worldwide to create a freer, better and more equitable planet.
Read on for all the details, and watch this video to hear from us about it ⤵️
What’s happening in the world?
Where should we start?! Since WWII, our planet has experienced an incredible pace of technological and human development. We landed on the moon; those who can afford it can wake up in Shanghai and go to sleep in New York; we have access to a massive amount of information all the time, everywhere. The world has changed more in two generations than in the previous 20,000 years. Globalisation, digitisation, longevity: humankind has leapt forward, changing how we do business, accelerating our impact on the planet and shaking the governance models we have known for centuries.
These dynamics have brought great opportunities to humankind. For example, in 1940, 60% of the world's population was illiterate. Today, it is around 10%. Within a century, life expectancy has doubled: countries like India and South Korea have moved from a 23-year life expectancy to three times that. Great opportunities also brought along grave threats. Our own survival has never been put into question like today. From nuclear proliferation to climate change, digital disinformation to the gradual erosion of democratic processes, humankind manufactured tools and provoked dynamics that, if left unchecked, can disproportionately impact our future.
The historical moment we live in can potentially deliver uncharted, radical changes to our societies.
We need global politics
But to create change, we must take action. Because of artificial divisions within and between nations, we are unable to deal with today’s monumental challenges & opportunities. We need Unity across borders and communities to solve these issues. There is no way out. It’s time to create a political party that can bring people who believe in the same values and future together, regardless of where they are from, the colour of their skin or their religion.
Here comes Atlas, the global political party
Atlas is the global political party (in the making) uniting people worldwide to create a freer, better and more equitable planet.
- Global, because many of today’s challenges and opportunities know no borders. Think of climate change, authoritarian threats, technological advancements or space exploration. And all those trends have direct impacts on your life. We need a global force present worldwide that can address those trends and ensure that we benefit from them.
- Party, because we need political power to make our ideas a reality. Accessing parliaments and governments will allow us to bring about change in countries across the planet and push for the creation of a democratic global system of governance. Unfortunately, we lack an international forum where citizens like us can challenge the status quo. We must create it ourselves and impact change all over the world. And there’s also a plus: creating a global political party is a statement in itself, showcasing the power of unity!
- In the making, because we are building up. We are not brand new: we ran advocacy campaigns, built a network of 24,000 people in 134 countries, organised protests and coordinated lobbying efforts for three years, but we are now jumping into politics after lengthy talks with supporters. Thus, we must build up a diverse membership worldwide before establishing Atlas officially at our next General Assembly.
We did not come to this conclusion lightly: we have gone through a gruesome few years of learning, testing, and experimenting on how to unite people politically across borders and divides.
What we believe in
Through our political work, we advance the Philosophy of Unity.
In the last few years, we have encountered individuals standing up for what’s right and trying everything in their power to create a more just society. We met inspiring leaders risking and losing their freedom for others' rights and everyday volunteers willing to give every moment of free time to have a positive impact. They often expressed the same feeling: “We know what to fight against, but where we are heading is far less clear.” This is why we dedicated our energy to developing a new political doctrine.
The Philosophy of Unity is a revolutionary manifesto calling for humanity to unite beyond differences and work towards a fairer, freer, and better future.
A United society must be anchored within the fundamental principles of Freedom, Equity, and Well-being. We can only thrive as individuals, communities, and a planet when we all have access to freedoms, the resources and opportunities we need to flourish fairly.
To achieve our principles, three systemic reforms are needed. We must:
- Democratise wealth and power,
- Ensure equity among groups and
- Unite Beyond Borders.
We will champion this political vision at all levels, from your local council to the United Nations.
It’s a first draft, and surely enough, we will continue expanding upon it, but if you too are looking for a hopeful, revolutionary, forward-looking vision to hang on to, you might well become a Unitist like us!
What next?
We will run for elections in all democratic countries of the world. We are already eyeing elections in India, Kenya, and Italy and working to present a candidate for the very top job of the United Nations.
If you want to be part of this journey, here are a few things you can do:
- Volunteer with us or attend one of our Events
- Participate in our Crowdfunding
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Join our global community on Telegram, the messaging app! See you on:
- Our announcement channel (it's kind of like a social media, to send updates and news) that you can follow 🔛 https://t.me/atlasmovement
- Our community group to discuss all things that are linked to global politics & Atlas 🔛 https://t.me/atlasglobalcommunity/
There is obviously an ocean between building a political party and winning an election. When thinking about doing this globally, multiply that ocean by a factor of a hundred. We will start from the fundamentals, as we have always done: community events, disruptive actions and radical political views. Take this, mix it with some dreamers’ enthusiasm, ability to do much with little resources, and lots of consistency, and in a few years, we might well be a significant political actor on this planet.
We know you may still have questions, so here are some frequently asked ones with their answers.
Join our mission to unite the world,
Onward,
Andrea Venzon & Colombe Cahen-Salvador
For Atlas