What if the world were to become a decent place?

There are times when one wonders if it's possible to put a stop to this dizzying advance of crises affecting the majority of humanity, to this shameless barbarity that cuts short life, even for those who have barely begun it. There are times when one wonders how it's possible that, with so much money in the world, there are children who can't go to school, people who die in search of a decent life, and entire peoples relentlessly punished with violence, with bombings, with hunger as a weapon of war .

But there are also moments of opportunity. Moments when many people come together and ask those same questions, and think, and build, and propose measures, changes, and commitments that, if implemented, would change this global trend that is stifling life and the common rules that protect it. Changes that would advance the construction of a kind and just world for all who inhabit it.

One of those moments is here and now. Seville will host the Fourth Conference on Financing for Development at the end of June. A long and somewhat cold title, but loaded with consequences, because this conference may be the last opportunity to adopt political decisions that will allow us to achieve the goals agreed upon in the 2030 Agenda and, thus, guarantee human rights, the protection of the planet, and the care of the present and the future.

The Seville conference should be the space to decide whether to continue to uphold a system that perpetuates injustice and rewards the same old people, or whether, once and for all, we heed the call of decency and commit to a world without extreme inequalities. Or, as the song goes, a more humane, less strange world.

Common sense and human

Political representatives from around the world will attend this meeting, which shouldn't be just another appointment among the many that fill their agendas; a time to once again shirk commitments and instead pat the backs of the powerful. That shouldn't be the case; we can't allow it. We are living in times that are too complex to let this opportunity pass us by.

Thousands of organizations around the world demand that public money not be used to finance weapons, but rather schools, hospitals, healthy environments and a culture of peace.

This conference was first held in Monterrey in 2002 , driven largely by the discontent of countries in the South over the historical and structural injustices that have always hampered, and continue to hamper, their development. Social organizations from around the world have joined this proposal and for more than two decades have asked how it is possible that the economy and finance shamelessly feed the inflated coffers of the powerful at the expense of the majority. But we have also spent all this time building proposals that demonstrate that there are other models and that defending life is neither naive nor utopian, but pure common sense and humanity, since it is about the good of all.

It's no coincidence that it's being convened now, nor is it coincidence that the venue is Seville. The last time it was held was in Addis Ababa in 2015. Since then, the international landscape has changed considerably. It's time to reformulate and renew the agreements made then, which were never fully fulfilled. And it's also necessary to do so in a European country: due to the need to adopt decisions that guarantee justice that repairs the damage caused and to fulfill the obligations of the countries of the North toward those of the South.

There is money, will there be political will?

We're not asking for miracles. It's the bare minimum. Because while in 2024, military spending exceeded $2.7 trillion (€2.3 trillion) and $7 trillion was allocated to subsidizing fossil fuels , development aid commitments remain unmet, and millions of people lack access to food, clean water, education, or basic care. The funding gap for meeting the 2030 Agenda is approaching $4 trillion a year. The reports say so, and above all, so do the millions of people who suffer the consequences of this failure. It's indecent.

Our present and our future are at stake; the rules we have given ourselves to govern the world and the very survival of democracy are at stake.

We arrived in Seville with data demonstrating that development is not measured in GDP , but in rights, well-being, and freedom. Thousands of organizations around the world demand that public funds not fund weapons, but rather schools, hospitals, healthy environments, and a culture of peace. Because the much-vaunted security depends precisely on guaranteeing fundamental rights, and under no circumstances on spending more than 2% of GDP on arms purchases.

We demand that a feminist, environmental, human rights, and peace-based approach permeate all proposals. We demand the cancellation of illegitimate debts. We demand the financing of cooperation that repairs everything that was and continues to be plundered; a cooperation that listens, works together, and guarantees the funds pledged so many years ago. We propose regulating those who have done the most harm; ending opacity and tax havens. We demand accountability.

The proposals are on the table, detailed with rigor and humanity. We call on the political representatives who will be in Seville: it is in your hands to let this opportunity pass you by or, on the contrary, seize it to ensure respect for life in all its forms. For our part, we will remain available and working for this. Our present and future are at stake; the rules we have given ourselves to govern the world and the very survival of democracy are at stake. The good news is that we have plenty of ideas; now we just need to put them into practice clearly and firmly. Humanity and decency will be grateful for it.