The Urgency of Now: A call for active citizenship

Ann-Louise Anderson reviews The Urgency of Now

Active citizenship: Freshta, from Afghanistan, speaks about her involvement in the ‘We Can’ campaign at a conference in Sri Lanka. ‘We Can’ aims to end all violence against women. Oxfam campaigners dress up as the G8 leaders with Pinnochio noses in the run-up to the G8 Summit in Rostock, Germany, reminding the leaders that they have promised to deliver an extra $50 billion in aid and need to keep their promises. We are already seeing the effects of climate change. This man is wading through flood water which swept away the road to their village in Pakistan, 2007.

As a nation, we are growing increasingly more aware of our social responsibility. After years of discussion and debate, it seems that people are finally beginning to accept that their attitude and behaviour does make a difference, and indeed, it is somehow through human actions that we are now subject to a changing global climate. Many of us are beginning to ‘think green’, buy ethically produced products, recycle household waste, sign petitions and donate money to charity. But the question must be raised that is this enough to tackle the incredible inequality, poverty and injustice still present throughout the world. These small individual actions are not enough, and, as ‘The Urgency Of Now’ explores, it is the combination of active citizenship and effective states that will really make the change.
It is hard to believe that we are in the 21st century when there is still such widespread inequality throughout the world. The opening chapter to The Urgency Of Now explores just this, and vividly demonstrates just how restricted certain nations are, with striking examples of how inequality is not just about differences in income. What makes this small book so powerful is that the statistics and examples used even within the first chapter immediately bring the reader into focus with the true state of the world, it is not sugar-coated nor a bright and breezy read, the facts are raw and direct. The contrasting situation of one woman from Sierra Leone compared with that in Norway helps the reader understand that poverty, disease, and discrimination is still horrendously widespread, and after a couple of pages, it seems impossible not to share the sense of imminent need for reform. It isn’t just lists of facts and figures either, there are pictures and diagrams that illustrate the scale of inequality that affects so many people, making for a thought-provoking and interesting read that doesn’t overpower the reader with meaningless numbers, nor dumb down the message in too simplistic a fashion.
This is a style that continues throughout the book, whereby the biggest challenges facing modern citizens are laid out in a clear and concise way, with chapters on the redistribution of power, sharing wealth and reducing fear and anxiety. The content of The Urgency of Now makes the problems of the western world, such as the increasing price of petrol, seem very trivial in comparison. The success of this book is that the picture it paints is not a dismal one, indeed the facts are there and they are unavoidable, at times they are even depressing, but this is not a patronising lecture on everything that is wrong with the world, it is a positive and optimistic outlook on what the problems are, and most importantly, how they can be changed. It is more like an action plan for the active citizen, and is the perfect start for those who want to be well informed on the big issues facing the world today. There are many encouraging examples of how the barrier of injustice has been broken down across the globe, instances where a little intervention has helped local people to work together with governments to action change. The sad fact is that those without the social security of a wealthy nation such as that within the UK face this barrier of injustice on a daily basis, which prevents them rights to basic public resources that we take for granted, such as fundamental education and healthcare. The penultimate chapter in this book is entitled “Changing the Rules” and explores how global governance could be the answer.
This is the modern world, and we are subject to a rapidly changing climate, whereby the risk of inaction looms over us all, and calls for us all to be active, now. As the final chapter “Lets get Urgent” suggests, the time is now. We can stop the catastrophic effects of climate change and eliminate the poverty and inequality that still blights the lives of many people. We know what causes the problems, we have the technologies and intelligence to prevent them, and there's a rapidly growing understanding of just how urgent the need for action is. The Urgency of Now calls for active citizens, whereby every individual has the power to change the world in a positive way. This book acts as a guide and an action plan for everyone, to join the movement that aims to change the world, so it is time to answer the call, now.