The concept of care has become increasingly important as COVID-19 continues to make its way through populations worldwide. However, care extends beyond the strictly medical: it encompasses everything we do to preserve and restore our planet. The erosion of the welfare state, the continued plundering of the Global South, the lack of solidarity, and the persistent crossing of planetary boundaries is alarming to say the least. We can only turn the tide if we leave the instrumental view of nature and humans behind and radically care for all earthlings.
Can care offer us a fresh start based on interconnectedness, and generosity? How can care, as an emancipatory principle, underpin politics and the economy?
Dirk Holemans is the coordinator of Oikos think tank and co-president of the Green European Foundation (GEF). He is a researcher, lecturer and the author of Freedom & Security (EPO, 2016).
Philsan Osman studies African languages and cultures at the University of Ghent, Belgium and is a writer, activist and community builder.
Marie-Monique Franssen is sta member of Oikos think tank and co-author of The Ecological Compass (EPO, 2020). She has a master’s degree in cultural anthropology.
