After the Convivialist Manifesto of the year 2013, a second version is published now. Building upon the first manifesto, an initiative of mostly French intellectuals, the second manifesto was drafted by Alain Caillé, professor emeritus of sociology, and after international discussions signed by well-known personalities from more than thirty countries. It seeks support by people from the whole world and addresses, particularly, the young generation.

The second manifesto shall provide an in-depth analysis of the critical world situation by social sciences and humanities and give guidance for actions towards conviviality. Referring to that term introduced by the 1973 book of Austro-American Ivan Illich (Tools for conviviality; the German title is Selbstbegrenzung which means self-limitation), the basic idea of convivialism is to formulate principles of living together in a humanly sustainable future that can find acceptance by any member of humanity. An international movement shall be started – a movement that unites the diversity of current initiatives that aim at making the world a better place.

The old manifesto is amended such that the new one has now five principles and one imperative. The principles are:

• The principle of common naturality: the declaration of interdependence – as the first manifesto was called – extends to our natural environment.
• The principle of common humanity: there is only one humanity.
• The principle of common sociality: human beings are social beings living in relations with each other.
• The principle of legitimate individuation: in contradistinction to individualism that leads to self-caring individuals only and a struggle of all against all, the development of one’s individuality needs to recognise the interdependence with others and nature.
• The principle of creative opposition: opposition of individuals shall not endanger the first three principles (naturality, humanity, sociality).

And the following imperative cuts across all the five principles:

• The imperative of hubris control: rivalry for the common good must be devoid of desire for omnipotence, excess and hubris. Each principle must be tempered by the others in order to avoid being reversed into its opposite.

Edgar Morin, member of the GSIS Advisory Committee, belongs to the signatories. So do Frank Adloff, Axel Honneth, Hans Joas, Claus Leggewie, Stefan Lessenich and Hartmut Rosa from Germany, Margaret Archer, Bob Jessop and Chantal Mouffe from UK, Michel Bauwens from Belgium, Leonardo Boff from Brasil, Craig Calhoun, Noam Chomsky, David Graeber and Marshall Sahlins from the USA, Pierpaolo Donato from Italy, Andrew Feenberg and Kari Polanyi Levitt from Canada, Christian Felber from Austria, Mark Humbert and Bruno Latour from France, Saskia Sassen from the Netherlands and Jean Ziegler from Switzerland, to name but a few.

For more information go to the website of the convivialists.