6 Uneven Progress, Shared Future

For a long time, when people spoke of stakeholders, the only ones we recognised were ourselves. Humanity assumed it was alone at the table of history. Other possible stakeholders, the environment, plants, animals, even forces or intelligences we could not yet imagine, were not acknowledged, let alone invited into any kind of agreement. We were too busy negotiating among ourselves, caught in struggles of language, religion, race, and power. Out of that struggle, humanity dreamed that through democracy and collective agreement, we might build a better place to live.

Wherever this dream was partially realised, remarkable things happened. People gained freedoms, innovation flourished, and societies created institutions that improved life in countless ways. Human beings lived longer and with a greater quality of life. These were not small achievements.

But there was a hidden flaw. All of these advances were designed as though humans were the only players in the system. Other stakeholders were ignored. And in liberating ourselves, in extending our own lives, we shortened the lives of many other things. Most strikingly, we left the environment without a seat at the table. We treated it as if it did not matter, and we are now living with the consequences.

We turned the earth into a dumping ground for plastics, filled the skies with gases, and even pushed our waste into space, though we rarely notice because the debris does not wash back onto our beaches. Some dismiss the environment as soulless, as something that cannot be spoken to, cannot be a partner. But who declared it soulless? Who decided it cannot feel? Look around; can you not see how it responds to us? When we abuse it, it replies in kind. We now experience storms and natural events that once seemed confined to faraway lands. As a child on the Mediterranean coast, I remember hearing of hurricanes in the Americas, tornadoes sweeping across the south, or tropical storms striking distant shores. Now such events feel ordinary in every part of the world. Living outside seasonal norms has become the new normal. Unbearable heat and unusual cold have become part of our daily lives. Nature is speaking back, loudly, because we never treated it as a partner.

And while this was happening, humankind continued to mistreat itself. Wars raged, young people died for no justifiable reason, and power-holders, driven by nationalism or religion, hypnotised masses and sent them to their deaths. If humanity could not respect its own members, how could it possibly respect other stakeholders?

Today, some fear that superintelligent AI may one day spell the end of humankind. But ask yourself, in a world where humans are capable of destroying one another so casually, why should we be surprised if another stakeholder also challenges our existence? The real ignorance lies in believing we were ever alone, in imagining that agreements like the Magna Carta represented a universal covenant, when in fact they were only pacts among ourselves. We forgot that outside our circle there are countless others, entities living and non-living, that shape or are shaped by the system we all share.

Before we move forward, it is worth pausing for a moment. What I have described so far is not just about our relationship with other stakeholders but also about the path humanity itself has travelled. This is the journey of humanity, a story of how history unfolded differently across the world and how some nations succeeded while others did not. The data and patterns from the past make this clear.

For many centuries, income per capita and living standards remained almost flat. Then, gradually, starting around the 1300s and 1400s, some countries began to show signs of movement. By the 1700s and 1800s, that movement turned into a sharp and rapid rise, but only in certain places. Why did this transformation occur in some countries and not in others? The answer, as discussed throughout this book, is not simply luck. The countries that succeeded did so because they struggled, often over generations, for the values we have been exploring. These values were not just empty words; they were truly embraced and put into practice.

The countries that were left behind did not take part in this struggle. And what they missed is exactly what this book has highlighted from the start: the commitment to values, institutions, and ideas that support meaningful progress.

Throughout the earlier sections, we have referred to these ideas in various ways, through different historical contexts, symbolic stories, and political, economic, and cultural experiences. But the underlying thread has remained constant. At the heart of this book lies the conviction that for societies to achieve political stability, economic prosperity, and environmental sustainability, both individuals and institutions must act with greater awareness, responsibility, and purpose.

This requires more than policy change; it demands a deeper cultural shift. It means recognising that the quality of our institutions depends on the values we practice daily, values like accountability, fairness, participation, and care for the collective good. These are not only democratic virtues; they are the foundations of resilience in a world facing rapid change, uncertainty, and crisis.

At this point, it is helpful to pause and articulate what these values actually are. Democracy is not just a form of government; it is a culture of shared responsibility and co-existence. Throughout this book, we will often return to the democratic virtues that have proven essential to building just, peaceful, and prosperous societies. These include:

• Participation and Representation: Democracies give citizens the right to take part in decision-making. Through elections and institutions of representation, the voices of the people help shape the rules we live by.

• Accountability: Leaders in democratic societies are accountable to the public and limited in their power by time, law, and civic scrutiny.

• Rule of Law: No one is above the law. Democratic societies function with transparent, fair, and predictable legal systems that reinforce justice and equality.

• Freedom of Expression and Pluralism: A healthy democracy values diverse opinions, media freedom, academic independence, and the right to criticise those in power. This diversity strengthens society.

• Peaceful Dialogue and the Culture of Compromise: Democracy avoids violence and encourages consensus-building, negotiation, and common ground.

• Social Equality and Justice: Democratic ideals promote fairness, equal rights, access to services, and protection under the law for all, regardless of background or identity.

These are not abstract ideals; they are the living foundations of successful nations. When societies internalise and institutionalise these principles, they create conditions for sustained growth, innovation, and human well-being.

Now we will begin to explore both micro and macro cases. These will include real-world examples of how individuals, businesses, and governments make decisions. We will often return to this foundation, because whether we are discussing small-scale choices or national-level outcomes, these core ideas continue to shape the future.