Godfrey Moase has reflected on the recent federal election result, and has drawn some lessons for social movements that seem broadly right to me — they could be distilled down to something like ‘significant social change can only be achieved through a bold vision supported by an organised community’. Electoral politics is just one piece of the puzzle, and far from the most important one: “There is no shortcut past building a strong, effective and activated social base if we want to win lasting change and a safe climate.” Moase concludes with a rallying call: “The next three years should not be written off as lost to the wilderness. Deep social change, of the kind and scale required to build a new economy that is just, sustainable and democratic, is not incubated in the parliamentary sphere. Rather, the deep and transformational change required to properly deal with the climate emergency emerges in our communities and is later ratified by parliaments.” I look forward to his promised Part Two, which will address what needs to be done for the next three years.
18 June 2019