The principle of equality, while long enshrined in national constitutions and international institutions, remains an unrealized ideal for global humanity. The growing gap between ideal and reality, within and across countries, is feeding resentment and driving the growth of populism and authoritarianism worldwide. At the same time, conflicting understandings of equality—in terms of opportunity or results, for example, or as a matter of class, race, or gender—have made it increasingly difficult to build broad political coalitions to promote it in practice.
How serious is the problem of inequality, and why does it matter? Are there practical as well as principled reasons to make the issue a priority? Where should we invest most hopes for greater equality in our world—in global governance, national innovation, or transnational activism? Ranjit Hoskote, Nesrine Malik, Kohei Saito, and Branko Milanovic explored these questions in a conversation moderated by Nermeen Shaikh.
This event was part of the Georgetown Global Dialogues, which featured leading intellectuals from the Global South in forward-looking conversations with U.S.-based thinkers across a range of topics. It was co-sponsored by the African Studies Program, Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation, Master of Arts in Democracy and Governance program, Department of Government, and Global Human Development Program at Georgetown University.
