Towards a New Eco-Social Contract: The Case of Nepal and Chile

At the core of any social contract—that is, the implicit understandings and agreements between citizens and the state—lies the responsibility of the state to be competent, accountable and transparent in protecting the welfare, security, freedoms and human rights of all people. Today, however, the multiple crises, rising inequalities and social divisions felt around the world suggest that the social contract is broken. And it is not only the social contract that is broken. Our relationship with nature is broken, too.

Recognizing this, many diverse movements have been calling for the creation of a new kind of contract—an eco-social contract. Such a contract between people and governments is urgently needed to fight inequalities and spur the transformation of economies and societies to halt climate change and environmental destruction. Nepal and Chile represent two interesting instances of these efforts.

In Nepal, historically marginalized members of society—including women, Dalits, and Indigenous Peoples—and social movements led by rights-based civil society organizations are keeping governments and policy makers accountable. The adoption of the 2015 Constitution set several key milestones in the social inclusion policy arena.

In Chile, a three-year-long process to replace the constitution from the military-rule era resulted in the rejection (by 61.86% of voters) of a new and progressive constitution through a referendum. However, the experience has provided Chile with new alternatives and paradigms. Public support for a new constitutional reform has also remained.

This webinar, organized by the Global Research and Action Network for a New Eco-Social Contract, examines these two experiences. The speakers consider whether and how they gesture to a 21st-century eco-social contract—one that protects and upholds the well-being of both people and the planet.

Speakers
—Alina Saba, Programme Officer, Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR)

—Ananda Mohan Bhattarai, Honourable Justice, Supreme Court of Nepal

—Pedro Cisterna Gaete, CEO, Nuestra América Verde

—Isabell Kempf, Senior Research Coordinator & Head of Bonn Office, UNRISD (moderator)