Murray Bookchin cited in the New Yorker
The January 13th issue of the magazine includes an interesting article by New Yorker correspondent Evgeny Morozov critiquing a new “Makers” movement that combines elements of home crafts and computer hacking with high-tech tools, from 3D printers to what are described as “personal drones.” Like some elements of the “appropriate technology” movement of the 1970s, […]
For Murray, by Chaia Heller
A eulogy for Murray Bookchin, on the occasion of the anniversary of his birthday, January 14th, 1921.
A Spanish village utopia
In two articles from The Guardian and New Compass, authors Dan Hancox and Lisa Roth describe how an impoverished village in southern Spain made a conscious choice to create a socialist utopia influenced by the rich anarchist history of the region. Hancox has recently published a book that offers a more expansive analysis of this successful […]
New Book: Democratic Autonomy in North Kurdistan
New from New Compass Press: In the fall of 2011, a group of German activists journeyed into the Kurdish regions of Turkey to learn how the theory of Democratic Autonomy was being put into practice. They discovered a remarkable experiment in face-to-face democracy—all the more notable for being carried out in wartime. Past ISE associate […]
Education for Social Change
This essay by ISE co-founder and board chair Dan Chodorkoff was originally presented in 1998 at the annual reunion of the famed Modern School, based in NY City and New Jersey and founded on the principles of the Spanish anarchist educator Francisco Ferrer. It has been updated and will appear in a forthcoming collection of […]
US Occupy Movement at the Front Lines of the Crisis
An essay by ISE alum, Rob Ogman, available in full at http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/895.php: Three years after the financial meltdown of 2008, the U.S. Occupy movement opened the possibility for a left regroupment against resurgent neoliberalism. Yet the forceful eviction from the squares just two months after the movement emerged, cut short the development of such a […]
“The Fallen,” by Chaia Heller
Tonight we were eating turkey burgers on our deck. The pooling heat of the day had drained, leaving behind an unexpected cool stillness that lured us gingerly back outside. I set the table for dinner, putting life into place, when all of the sudden: a thump. A soft landing of new life, warbling around in […]
On OWS’ 2-year anniversary, 3 new Occupy books
September 17th is the 2-year anniversary of Occupy Wall Street, and all the kindred movements that spun off from that incredible day in lower Manhattan. Al Jazeera America offers reviews of 3 new Occupy books that have just been released: Nathan Schneider ‘s “Thank You, Anarchy: Notes From The Occupy Apocalypse” (University of California Press) […]
2014 Social Ecology Intensive Seminar
January 3-10, 2014 in Denton, Texas This year Texas has become an inspirational focal point in struggles for reproductive rights, anti-racism, climate justice, and democracy. This January, the Institute for Social Ecology (ISE) will be coming for the first time to Texas (just 40 min. north of Dallas) to offer a 7-day Intensive Seminar. During […]
What would real democracy look like?
Norwegian social ecologist Camilla Hansen, a member of the New Compass publishing collective, has posted an exceptionally comprehensive overview of current models of direct democracy that are in use today around the world. Camilla offers a clear analysis of the potentialities of each model, the obstacles to their fullest realization, and the need for a […]
