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Brian Tokar reviews “Loisaida”

“Coming of Age in a Different Time,” by Brian Tokar Excerpt: Loisaida [is] a compelling coming-of-age story that describes one young woman’s journey of self-discovery and political awakening. Purple-haired Catherine … escaped a liberal but far too safe enclave in Scarsdale to live with her lover in a Lower East Side squat and work on […]

Popular Assemblies in Revolts and Revolutions

A new article by Norwegian social ecologist Sveinung Legard offers a thoughtful historical assessment of the re-emergence of popular assemblies in Europe this spring and summer: “These assemblies derive not only from the initiative of their protagonists but also from the history of the major revolutions in Europe from the 18th to the 20th century […]

Toward a “Green New Deal”?

My friend and colleague Richard Greeman, now living in France, has recently added some provocative and forward-looking comments to the ongoing discussion of whether a “Green New Deal” — centered in publicly funded expansion of renewable energy and other “green” technologies — can provide a necessary opening toward a more ecological future. Appropriately for a […]

Nationwide strike and state repression in Britain

Written the day before the June 30th general strike, this article examines the rising repression against protests in the UK, the historical mindset that makes it possible, and how people are continuing to resist. British unions were predicting a walkout of as many as 750,000 people to protest budget cuts and drastic changes in the public pension system […]

Assemblies & self-organization in Spain

Indignant and Organized: from 15-M to 19-J By David Marty By late June, when 250,000 people marched in Madrid, David Marty reports on ZNet, “15-May was no longer just the date of a protest, but also the name of a very organized movement with immediate demands as well as long-term political ambitions. The movement now […]

A new politics in Greece?

Social ecologist Peter Prontzos recommends a report on the continuing street protests in Greece, in response to the austerity plan passed by the Greek Parliament this week. The article explores some of the uncertainties, tensions and possibilities inherent in the Greek revolt. Excerpt: “Costas Douzinas, a law professor at Birkbeck, University of London, recently penned […]

New from Argentina: “Anti-Capitalism for Beginners”

Just out in English from Seven Stories Press. The author, Ezequiel Adamovsky, was interviewed this week on ZNet. Here’s an excerpt:

“Initially, the idea came to my mind in 2002. At that time, after the rebellion of December 2001 in Argentina, I was very much involved in the Neighbors’ Assemblies movement. We had all sorts of amazing political debates there. Most people had the feeling that the old Left had little to offer. And yet, they were craving for radical ideas and actions. There was the sense that we were building a new kind of movement, but there were no ideas, concepts or doctrines to name it […]

Eco-­Cultural Restoration in Colorado

by Eric Toensmeier The Woodbine Ecology Center is a unique educational center in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, offering courses, workshops, and events inspired by social ecology. Woodbine’s goal is eco-­cultural restoration, bringing back the traditions of indigenous management that shaped the landscape for thousands of years. Their goal is to use these traditional […]