activism

We Fight with Our Eyes. We Plant Seeds with Our Hands. We Will Watch the Wheat Fill the Valley

Medu Art Ensemble (Botswana), Shades of Change, 1982. This two-man play, set in a prison cell, was written by Mongane Wally Serote. Credit: Medu Art Ensemble via Freedom Park In the ancient time of national liberation, when partisans walked among the people in rural hamlets or small towns, they carried their message forward in the […]

Crowds, Masses and Movements

Orientation Why study crowds, masses and movements? It is tempting to imagine that as socialists we must know a great deal about crowds, masses, and in medieval thought individual meant inseparable, that is indivisible. People were defined as individuals by reference to the groups of which they were members. Group membership defined their very identity […]
The post Crowds, Masses and Movements first appeared on Dissident Voice.

Book review: Saving the World from Nuclear War: The June 12, 1982 Disarmament Rally and Beyond by Vincent J. Intondi

Book review: Saving the World from Nuclear War: The June 12, 1982 Disarmament Rally and Beyond by Vincent J. Intondiby Ian SinclairPeace NewsOctober-November 2023 Concise, accessible and well-referenced, this is a wonderful book about a protest I wasn’t previously aware of. Vincent J. Intondi, Professor of History at Montgomery College, sets the scene: surrounded by […]

The Israeli Mind and the Ultra-Right

A few days of truce allows a few days to ponder events and examine apartheid Israel’s response to Hamas’ October 7 attack. Engaging in talks and achieving mutual agreements that release captives prompts the question of why wasn’t this done much earlier, before the entire population of Gaza was subjected to brutal bombardments that killed […]
The post The Israeli Mind and the Ultra-Right first appeared on Dissident Voice.

Never forget: grassroots protest is a crucial driver in securing positive change

Never forget: grassroots protest is a crucial driver in securing positive changeby Ian SinclairMorning Star16 October 2023 The mainstream political culture – from the media to politicians to academia – often has a hard time recognising the decisive role of grassroots activism and protest in securing political change. For example, last month the Guardian reported […]

A guide to the UK’s new grassroots climate groups

A guide to the UK’s new grassroots climate groupsby Ian SinclairMorning Star5 September 2023 Perhaps it’s because of the pandemic, but Extinction Rebellion’s public opinion-shifting occupations of central London in 2018 and 2019 now feel a very long time ago. Since then successive Tory governments, ignoring increasingly loud warnings from scientists and the intensification of […]

Government of Canada’s Values on Display

"Canada unequivocally condemns Hamas’ attack against Israel – and we stand united with the Israeli people. That was the message I shared with Ottawa’s Jewish community and everyone at yesterday’s solidarity gathering." -- Canada PM Justin Trudeau, 10 October 2023

"No. You endorsed [Israel's] violence against Palestinians in Gaza. You attended a pro-war rally to call for more killing of Palestinians who’ve repeatedly been subject to [Israel's] “mowing the lawn” over the past 15 years. Shameful." -- Canadian writer Yves Engler in response, 10 October 2023

Marching with the Multitudes Protesting the Siege on Gaza

Tens of thousands rallied in San Francisco on October 28 to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and then marched to disrupt traffic on the freeway to get the attention of an otherwise inattentive press. That demonstration joined multitudes globally protesting the on-going genocide. Signs read, “You can’t hide genocide.” “Genocide Joe” placards connected the dots […]

The Power of Confronting Members of the Political Class

It’s time to revive the time-honored tradition of confronting members of the political and intellectual class. On Friday, October 27, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton joined Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee at a rally for her campaign for mayor of Houston. As an estimated 250 Houstonians cheered at the sight of Clinton and Jackson Lee Read More...