The human species faces an apparent paradox. We have embraced economic growth as our primary indicator of human progress. Yet as economic output and consumption grow the number of people forced into lives of dehumanizing deprivation increases and the quality of life of all but the wealthiest among us declines … (full long text Homepage).
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About: The PCDForum envisions human societies in which three values serve as organizing principles of public policy.
- Justice. The just society gives first priority in allocating the human share of the sustainable renewable resource output of earth’s eco-system to assuring all people the opportunity to meet their physical needs at the level required for physical and mental good health. Progress beyond this most basic of goals is measured by indicators of social, intellectual, and spiritual advancement that reflect the quality of life, not the quantity of consumption.
- Inclusiveness. The inclusive society assures every person the right to participate in the decisions that shape their lives and the opportunity to be a recognized and respected contributor to family, community and society. It roots power in local people and communities, and gives their rights and needs precedence over any rights and needs claimed by corporations and the institutions of the state.
- Sustainability. The sustainable society celebrates the unity and diversity of all life and engages in a constant and conscious effort to balance human consumption and population with the needs of other life and the regenerative capacities of the eco-system. It embraces the natural obligation of human societies to protect the well-being of future generations of all species by maintaining earth’s natural capital and recognizing the rights of other species to share in the planet’s ecological space.
In the belief that voluntary citizen action is the necessary foundation of transformational change, the Forum works with and through other civil society organizations on alliance building, educational outreach, and the articulation of a shared vision. Its activities are carried out by:
- An International Secretariat that coordinates the Forum’s worldwide activities under the supervision of the Forum’s Board of Directors and carries primary responsibility for its research and public outreach through publication, presentations, and media.
- An international Advisory Board of leaders from the movement who share in the values of the Forum and advise on its activities.
The Forum works in close cooperation with the Positive Futures Network, which publishes YES! magazine, and with the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies. (full text about).