Every design, every idea, every transformation, no matter how urgent, is confronted with monetary issues at some point. The roots and effects of current wars, the climate and energy crises, and the causes of social and technological injustice and poverty are closely connected to the financial markets, to profits or losses, to greed or generosity.
The motto of re:publica 2023 is therefore – blatantly and directly in your face:
CASH
When we read that the richest ten percent of the world’s population are responsible for 50% of CO2 emissions, it becomes clear that the other 90% will not stop climate change, even if they would cease to exist.
At re:publica 2023, we therefore want to follow the flow of money. Where does it come from? Where does it flow to? Where does it silt up in questionable stock markets, and where does it help to provide water for people’s fields? What are governmental responsibilities in digitization? What is being privatized and why? And what could alternatives oriented towards the common good look like?
We want to dicsuss whether democracies and social welfare systems are luxuries that have fallen out of time, or if is rather the construct of the global market economy that is threatening to collapse under the consequences of the multitude of crises.
We are deliberately not talking about economic deals, investments, scale ups, business opportunities or any other euphemisms originating from the financial industry. We are addressing the issue right on, we are speaking about: CASH. (*)
We want to ask: What does CASH mean to us and how does it impact the climate emergency or the protection of human rights? We believe a different way of thinking about money is not only necessary, but also crucial to tackle the biggest challenges of our time.
Because in every problem lies a solution, we therefore ask: “Whats the cost?” We are looking for the positive power of money, the market, trade and a profit that does not only benefit a priviledged few.
(*) CASH is to be understood here as a synonym for money, not as a distinction between cash and cashless forms of payment.