Trump’s Inauguration: Join us in finding answers
Today, more than ever, we need to stand for science, multilateralism, equality, and the rule of law.
Today, Donald Trump is President of the United States for the second time. We respect the choice of the American people. But this does not mean that we endorse the outright dangerous and irresponsible ideas and ideologies Trump promotes. On the contrary. Now is the time to stand up for a world based on multilateralism and the rule of law, not one in which self-serving leaders play shortsighted and immoral power games on the back of humanity and our planet’s limited resources.
On this day, let us remind ourselves: when we put nationalism first, humanity comes last.
Mass deportations are inhumane, cruel, immoral, and damaging to the economy.
Human-made climate breakdown is wrecking lives and livelihoods. Regulation to protect the environment is what can keep this planet liveable.
Vaccines are a cornerstone of public health. Ignoring science kills.
Banning gender education from schools and universities is neither freedom of speech nor freedom of science.
Social media without fact-checking is anti-social.
Women’s bodies are their own.
LGBTQIA+ rights are human rights.
Global cooperation is the cornerstone of a peaceful world.
Borders between countries are the materialisation of people's right to self-determination. Countries are not for sale.
Democracy is about everyone’s freedoms, not just of those who control the media.
Faced with a Trump administration that is bound to be erratic at best and actively destructive at worst, Europe cannot afford to fracture into a multitude of national interests. The EU has the means and the opportunity to safeguard international peace and multilateral cooperation against the seemingly inevitable damage the Trump administration may cause. We call on the EU to make use of its means to this end.
Let us also remember that many Americans are directly threatened by the political programme of the Trump administration. We may be separated by an ocean, but this should not stop us from supporting each other in fighting for a better future, where the EU and the USA can resist climate breakdown, the erosion of international law, and the unsustainable global inequalities between the Global North and South - together.
Join us in finding answers to the intertwined crises of today, instead of staring into the abyss of an increasingly uncertain future. Join us in talking across borders instead of talking up borders. This is what Volt stands for.