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2024 has been a year of building. 2025 will be a year of mass mobilisation.

By: Jenny Ricks on behalf of the FIA Change Management Committee and Global Secretariat Leadership Team

As 2024 comes to a close, we reflect on an incredible year of building our movement and look ahead to an even more powerful 2025. This year, FIA has made strides in the fight against inequality while strengthening our structures to mobilise for the people’s alternatives the world so desperately needs.

The era of billionaires continues to dominate, with inequality rising sharply alongside the cost of living. Governments and global institutions have failed to reverse this trajectory, with neoliberal economic policies, austerity, and underfunded public services compounding the crisis. This has led to devastating impacts on people’s lives, particularly for the unemployed, insecure workers, women, young people, persons living with disabilities, and those living in informal settlements.

Across class, race, and gender, there is a growing realisation that inequality is driven by the greed of the super-rich and the neoliberal economic model. Now, more than ever, people-powered organising is critical to advancing alternatives and building a new era for the 99%.

One year ago, we wrote to you as FIA’s Change Management Committee and Global Steering Group, outlining the transformation roadmap agreed in Kathmandu, Nepal, in July 2023. Now, we celebrate 2024’s achievements, the internal and external changes we have created together, and look forward to a year of mass mobilisation in 2025.

Highlights from 2024

  1. Better Than Davos: In January 2024, we held “Better Than Davos” Peoples’ Assemblies alongside the World Economic Forum in Davos. These assemblies amplified the voices demanding real alternatives.
  2. World Social Forum in Nepal: February brought us together with allies across Asia at the World Social Forum in Nepal, fostering global connections and solidarity.
  3. Global Assembly in Manila: September marked a milestone with our Global Assembly in Manila. This prototype assembly sets the stage for larger gatherings in 2025 and positions itself as the assembly for the broader anti-inequality movement.
  4. National Campaign Wins: Our national campaigns of resistance achieved remarkable successes:
    1. Mexico: Despite a presidential pledge not to raise taxes, our advocacy opened the debate on progressive tax reform and introduced constitutional changes to enable it.
    2. Zambia: Resistance to the privatisation of public markets led to agreements guaranteeing street traders’ rights and space. The “Fix ZESCO” protest spurred dialogue with the public utility, bringing proposals to address electricity crises affecting marginalised communities.
    3. Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso: Local communities pressured mining companies to increase royalty payments, ensuring greater benefits for those affected by resource extraction.
    4. India: A 100-day campaign defended democracy and rights during elections, resulting in significant political shifts.
    5. Global Tax on the Super-Rich: Our collective pressure from different countries helped gather 1.5 million petition signatures, presented to Brazil’s finance minister at the G20 Summit, contributing to a historic agreement to introduce a global tax on the super-rich.

Internal Change Processes and Decisions

In the first year of our roadmap, we focused on intensive processes to build the foundation for our movement’s next phase. Through broad consultation with members, we co-created and approved:

  1. A new governance model.
  2. A mass mobilisation model.
  3. A membership policy.
  4. A 10-year fundraising strategy.

These are vital building blocks for our movement, agreed upon at the Global Assembly in Manila. To support this growth, we evolved the roles and responsibilities of our secretariats and councils. Zambia, Mexico, India, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, and Indonesia established the first national Councils, transitioning from Steering Groups. The Asia Council is under development, with two more Regional Councils and a Global Council set to form in early 2025.

We also strengthened the Global Secretariat, recruiting nearly a dozen new staff as part of our expanded structure. To manage the growing scale and complexity of our movement, we began the process of registering a global legal entity. This will ensure stability, accountability, and effective governance for the coming decade.

Looking Ahead to 2025

As we move into 2025, we declare it a year of mass mobilisation to build a new era for the 99%. Together, we will challenge the era of billionaires, who evade fair taxation, capture governments, and uphold systems serving the wealthiest at the expense of the majority.
At our Global Assembly in Manila, we collectively resolved to focus our activism and energy on:

  1. The gap between the rich and poor.
  2. Debt crises.
  3. Climate crises.
  4. Neoliberalism and regressive tax systems.
  5. Shrinking civic space.
  6. Gender, race, and caste-based inequalities.

Strategic Priorities for 2025

  1. Scaling Advocacy for People’s Alternatives
    We will continue to build momentum for taxing the super-rich and cancelling debt. This includes linking global demands to national and regional priorities. Key moments include the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, the Financing for Development Conference in June-July, the BRICS Summit, and the World Bank and IMF Annual Meetings. We will also focus on the G20 Summit under South Africa’s presidency while maintaining our outsider strategy.
  2. Strengthening National Alliances
    We aim to expand our reach across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Asia, deepening mobilisation in existing countries and establishing new alliances. By the end of 2025, we target 60 strong national alliances as outlined in our roadmap.
    National alliances have ambitious plans:
    1. Mexico: Campaigning for a 40-hour work week and progressive tax reform.
    2. Zambia: Advocating for fair mining taxes and opposing austerity measures.
    3. Zimbabwe: Pushing for tax justice, anti-corruption efforts, and increased social spending.
    4. Kenya: Prioritising Universal Health Care for vulnerable groups.
    5. Indonesia: Addressing economic inequality and challenging global financial institutions.
    6. Pakistan: Advocating for minimum wage implementation and expanded care infrastructure.
    7. Nigeria: Mobilising for structural tax system reforms to tax the rich, not the poor.
  3. Building Political Education
    Political education will be central to empowering activists and organisers. Through shared learning and skill-building, we aim to cultivate the next generation of leaders committed to dismantling inequality and advancing economic liberation.
  4. Evolving FIA’s Structures
    We will continue implementing the new governance model, membership policy, and mobilisation strategy agreed in Manila. These structures will enable more effective organisation, growth, and impact across the movement.

Starting Strong in January 2025

The year begins on 18 January with a global show of strength as we draw a #RedLineToBillionaires during the World Economic Forum in Davos and as President Trump is inaugurated in the United States.

2024 has been a year of building. 2025 will be a year of mass mobilisation. Together, we will continue to advance people’s alternatives and fight for a world that works for the 99%. Stay tuned for updates on our campaigns, events, and ways to get involved. This is only the beginning of a decade-long journey to dismantle inequality and create a just, equitable world.