Don Chen on inequality and urbanization

Inequality means not having a say in how public policy is created, says Edgar Mora Altamirano, the mayor of Curridabat, Costa Rica. He says using technology to empower communities can increase civic engagement and break down barriers to understanding public policy.

Tanzanian member of parliament Zitto Kabwe says 30 percent of the world’s wealth is held in tax havens. To tackle inequality, we must address the issue of tax havens. An international tax convention that creates the same set of rules for everyone to follow would curtail them.

Inequality is not having access to basic public services. Carlos Moscoso Perea, mayor of Cusco, Peru, explains how despite his city being a UNESCO World Heritage site, only 40 percent of people in his town have access to potable water. People need to be given the minimum they need to survive.

Inequality is seen in the low numbers of African students attending tertiary education institutes both at home and abroad. 8B Education Investment Fund’s Lydiah Kemunto Bosire says it’s important to invest in world-class higher education for African students. This will enable Africans themselves to steer the continent to prosperity.

The National Domestic Workers Alliance’s Alicia Garza believes inequality is a political consequence. NDWA has fought to change state labor laws to include domestic workers. They’re building an intersectional movement and fighting to make sure that women’s work is seen as work.

Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga, the former mayor of Medellín, Colombia, knows the violence that inequality causes and that it’s a driver of social instability. But he’s witnessed what happens when this inequality is addressed through education and jobs, and how it can decrease the levels of violence.