There is widespread agreement today that things are falling apart around us—economically, ecologically, and socially. And yet our political leaders seem out of touch with reality and are either unable or unwilling to act. We are facing a crisis of global leadership. Why? Are our political leaders incompetent? Do they not believe the warnings of our leading scientists? Can they not think beyond the next election?

Ross Jackson argues that the answer is due to more subtle factors; a worldview that is no longer appropriate; a flawed economic philosophy, and a flaw in the democratic form of government that has made politicians subservient to commercial interests.

Ross Jackson argues that the initiative for change will never come from the established power structures. It must come from elsewhere—from a joint effort by three other segments of global society, none of which is strong enough to bring about change on its own (1) a group of small nations prepared to take on a leadership role at this critical time, to be supported by (2) civil society in the major economic blocs and (3) the more progressive members of the business community. He calls it the “breakaway strategy”.

Speaker bio for website

Ross Jackson has for many years been an innovative leader in both the business and NGO worlds. He is chairman of Gaia Trust, a Danish-based charitable entity he co-founded in 1987 to promote a more sustainable and spiritual world. Gaia Trust has financed hundreds of sustainability projects in over 30 countries, and continues to support two major international NGO initiatives—the Global Ecovillage Network and Gaia Education.

He is the recent author of Occupy World Street: A Global Roadmap for Radical Economic and Political Reform (Green Books, 2012). Ross is a PhD in Operations Research from Case Western Reserve University in the USA. Born a Canadian, he has since 1964 lived in Denmark. His current business interests include Urtekram, the leading organic foods wholesaler in Scandinavia, of which he is the major shareholder. He lives with his Danish wife, Hildur, on an organic farm near Copenhagen.

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