Not that any of the last few years have not been challenging enough for progressive forces across the globe, 2024 is shaping up to be a significant 12 months as we see major elections, not only in the United States and the United Kingdom, but also other contests and events play out across the world.

The Left, internationally, and certainly here domestically, must face the challenges presented by a resurgent radical Right, which is aggressively pushing its authoritarian and anti-democratic rhetoric and showing little sign of retreat.

Already, in some countries, we have seen the dramatic increase of far-Right forces, fuelled by an increasing dissatisfaction of mainstream political parties and established democratic institutions, coupled with overwhelming levels of misinformation peddled by ideologically obsessed media organisations. In an age of ‘alternative’ facts, holding politicians to account has become almost impossible as we witness a new level of comfort with outright deceit.

By far, the biggest test for progressive and pro-democratic forces, is the blatant assault on democracy and its institutions. Hardly, since the conclusion of World War 2, have we seen such strong and organised opposition to democratic values. What is clear, however, is that democracy needs to be defended, not just by our politicians and the established media, but by everyone.

The first part of our defence of democracy is to embolden it – to build it and strengthen our institutions and processes. At the heart of our democracy, we need to significantly improve levels of integrity, transparency, and accountability of our elected and public institutions – especially the bureaucracy. This includes tackling corruption, eliminating adverse practices such as ‘cash for political access’, introducing political spending and donation caps and establishing a level of ‘truth in political advertising’. It is of deep concern that the most recent Corruption Perceptions Index revealed that most countries are failing to stop corruption, which re-inforces the undermining of civic governance and in the end – our current institutions.

Here in Australia – let alone other places across the globe – we can also see the negative impact of an ideologically biassed media. We need media ownership reform. It is not healthy for one media conglomerate – foreign owned and controlled – to favour just one side of the national political debate. With the influence of the Murdoch media across our country we can see firsthand how one side is held to little scrutiny whilst the other side is treated with almost daily hysteria. Unfortunately, our mainstream progressive politicians do not have the stomach to tackle the Murdoch beast and in the end are its victims.

Importantly, we need also politicians who will fight for our human rights – especially the right to protest, which is slowly coming under attack. Despite a reluctance of some politicians to articulate comprehensive national human rights legislation, we need to ensure that this battle is not abandoned. As rights are being taken away in other countries, we cannot assume that our own democracy could not suffer the same fate.
In addition to the defence of our democratic institutions, we are continuing to witness a rise in social and economic inequality across the world. Only a few months ago we read that social cohesion in Australia was at a new low. Recent and longer term phenomena are affecting our collective sense of belonging and trust, negatively impacting social inclusion and participation in many communities.

We need governments, organisations, corporations, and individuals to act. We need our governments to re-build a progressive tax system, that eliminates corporate tax avoidance and ensures everyone pays their fair share. It is only by implementing genuine tax reform that we can, as a society, pay for a quality public education system, expand health and aged care services, and maintain a strong safety net to ensure we meet all basic human needs – especially housing. This must be the imperative over misdirected corporate welfare and subsidies.

We have just heard that 2023 was the hottest year in recorded history. The spectre of climate change is not imaginary, it is real, and it is at crisis point. The impact of an ever-increasing polluted planet not only has detrimental affects on bio-diversity, our environment and our longer term economy, but it is already negatively affecting the health of millions of people across the planet. The current dance with fossil fuel industry must end. Governments and corporations must significantly increase climate financing, demonstrably transition to, and support, low-carbon economies and promote carbon neutrality.

Finally, progressives must stand firm in their resolve to ensure international justice. We know our fight is not just with reactionary forces at home, but also with those abroad. We must remain in solidarity with those facing oppression overseas and support their struggle for emancipation. Palestine, for example, continues to be a tragic hot spot and it is imperative that the plight of its people is not abandoned as they seek a free homeland.

Closer to home, we must also stand with the people of West Papua and their fight for freedom and self-determination. Theirs is a fight that should not be forgotten, even when our own politicians are so ready to ignore their pleas due to a fear of upsetting the government of Indonesia.

And, of course, compassion for people seeking refuge across the globe is a cause we should never, ever shrink from. We must, as humans, view each other with empathy and soundly reject the forces of fear. With racism and intolerance finding new voices in our neighbourhoods, we must be willing to confront and challenge them – not cower and wait for them to pass. The lessons from our past are sadly, for many, waiting to be re-discovered as we fully know that any appeasement with intolerance and authoritarianism is not an option.
2024 will see many of these issues fought in the public arena. As individuals, we can either be bold and join the fight for real human emancipation and protection of our precious planet, or we can foolishly believe that what we are witnessing is a short aberration of history and do nothing.

History tells us that our only option is to fight!