Hello from 2050. I have good news and bad news. The good news is that OpenDemocracy still exists and has expanded into education, film and art. The bad news is that an advanced form of democracy does not exist. Corruption is now rampant in most countries and governments are ill-equipped to control disease outbreaks, terrorism and violence. In the 2030s, the oceans reclaimed about one tenth of land on earth, and over three thousand cities ceased to exist. Hundreds of millions of people were moved into newly built, crowded housing estates further inland. The "West" lost most of its wealth during this time and whatever was left is now being spent on building new cities, managing the mass movement of populations, and resource wars. The global economy has been in recession for 20 years. Many nations that existed in 2011 no longer live as one. The people who used to live in Chile, Guyana, Suriname, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Greece, the Maldives, Uruguay, Sierra Leone, Liberia and many other coastal nations are now living in other parts of the world as refugees. Most countries are run by political extremists or religious ideologists. The United Nations still exists and is working with a 4th set of development goals. They have all failed. But the human spirit has not died. Social movements have become a true organizing force in most societies. Music, film, books and art are keeping us alive. Happy birthday OpenDemocracy!
Postcard image info
archer10 (Dennis)/ Flickr (Creative Commons)
Author: Jeanne Darida 1
