ROB OKUN – The 25th anniversary of the Columbine High School mass shootings is on April 20th. Imagine what it would mean if men organized a Million Men’s March Against Gun Violence!
Category: What’s Happening In the Movement
Unions as a Pillar of Democracy in 2024
ANDREW MOSS – The three co-presidents (Ada Briceno, Susan Minato, and Kurt Petersen) of UNITE Local 11 stated simply, “As we see it, a strong union does more than negotiate work contracts. It helps workers become active citizens who stand up for their democratic rights.”
A huge battery has replaced Hawaiʻi’s last coal plant
JULIAN SPECTOR – Plus Power’s Kapolei battery is officially online. The pioneering project is a leading example of how to shift crucial grid functions from fossil-fueled plants to clean energy.
The Heroes Fighting for Public Education
LAURA PAPPANO – The first thing to reflect on is this: Public schools gather everyone. All are invited. There is no test you need to pass, no amount of money or influence or fame you must possess to be allowed in. Do you know how rare that is in the United States today? This has made public schools the place where people from all backgrounds and circumstances have come together to learn. It is where parents have volunteered and, regardless of their political bent, have worked alongside other parents for a common purpose.
Standing Together: The Peace Movement Inside Israel
URI WELTMANN – The biggest demonstration since the beginning of the war on Gaza defied the police and brought together all those calling for a ceasefire on the streets of Tel-Aviv.
Why conspiracy theories are corrosive to social movements — and what to do about it
SHANE BURLEY – Opposition to the current state of the world is not synonymous with fighting for a liberatory future. And the inability to parse out this reality has revealed instability across a radical left that often clamors after any ally in the struggle against systemic injustice. Without safeguards and clarity on the mission, nearly any voice against the status quo can be mistaken for a friend — including those who want to replace it with something even more deadly or whose analysis relies on conspiracy. The left needs to return to political arguments, reading groups, liberation schools, teach-ins and serious debate hashed out in late night meetings. This is what will move the justifiable instinct that something is wrong to an accurate diagnosis that begs workable action. Without a clear picture of how our world has failed, any demagogue can capture the energy of the disaffected by offering a solution that creates even more profound problems. Our mission is not to simply destroy the old world. It’s to build a new and more just one in its place.
Senior Nonviolent Resister Celebrates Nuclear Ban Treaty the Hard Way
JOHN LAFORGE – A super-majority of UN members finally decided that the nuclear weapons powers must have lied when they promised, in 1970, in Article VI of the Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) “to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date”, etc., etc. After 57 years, “at an early date” has become the laugh line of international law. The phrase was vague enough for nuclear powers to ignore it indefinitely, while asserting their lawful adherence.
How To Celebrate MLK Beyond His Holiday Commemoration
TOM H. HASTINGS – If we would honestly study MLK, his writings, his speeches, and learn from his actual words and actions, we would start to really grasp how we can heal our racial divide, stop our culture wars, and be the best version of America that we can be.
Satyagraha: A Word You Should Know in 2024
ANDREW MOSS – Activists striving for equality and justice, including climate justice, may not necessarily use the word satyagraha, but they are nevertheless engaged in what Gandhi called “experiments with truth,” exploring and advancing each day understandings of the deep interrelatedness of factual and ethical truths.
We Can End Mass Atrocities in Gaza and Beyond
SHIMRI ZAMERET – Ordinary people can fix the broken postwar international system and deliver global justice to Palestinians and oppressed people worldwide.
Acting like we own it: Full participation in democracy
TOM H. HASTINGS – Democracy is way deeper than one vote every few years. It will live or die, depending on our commitment to it. We are powerful, every one of us.
What If Soldiers Refused to Fight? It Has Happened Before.
ARNOLD J. OLIVER – An iconic song back in the 1960’s addressed the causes of war, and what leads young people to fight in them. Buffy Saint Marie’s Universal Soldier advised that we could end war if soldiers refused to fight. So what if we gave her idea a test this winter? Let’s suggest to the soldiers among the various warring parties from the Middle East to Europe to Africa and beyond that they refuse to kill each other for a while.
Capitol Hill Interns Accuse Congress Of Suppressing Cease-Fire Demands
MOLLY REDDEN – Congressional interns and fellows released a letter on Monday accusing Congress of having “suppressed and ignored” a tidal wave of constituent support for a permanent cease-fire in the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Scientists skip COP28 to demand climate action at home
ANIL OZA – From his research, Nathaniel Geiger observes, “If scientists can show that their advocacy is based both on a combination of the science and values that they share in common with regular, average Americans, the more their efforts will potentially resonate.”
Parties to Nuclear Ban Treaty Agree Nuclear Deterrence is the Problem
INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO ABOLISH NUCLEAR WEAPONS (ICAN) – The Second Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW has successfully concluded and agreed that nuclear deterrence is a significant security problem, requiring urgent attention by the international community, that more research on the impacts of nuclear weapons is needed, and that the harms caused by nuclear weapons use and testing require ongoing attention.
Bayard Rustin knew that winning required a team
GEORGE LAKEY – As the new ‘Rustin’ biopic shows, the great organizer of the 1963 March on Washington was always working to join more people together in the struggle for greater justice and peace.
Russian artist sentenced to 7 years in prison for Ukraine war protest
CLYDE HUGHES – A Russian artist who admitted to passive acts to protest Moscow’s war against Ukraine was sentenced to seven years in prison on Thursday after being found guilty of “knowingly spreading false information about the Russian army.”
Talk to a Neighbor, Feel Better, Save Humanity
PAUL HELLWEG – It’s only through collective action that we can respond effectively to the problems that threaten our quality of life and potentially our very survival.
How the National Infrastructure Program Creates Jobs for Today and Tomorrow
DAVID MCCALL – President Joe Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) on November 15, 2021, unleashing $1.2 trillion for tens of thousands of projects nationwide. It is upgrading transportation, communications, and energy systems while building back manufacturing capacity, generating hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, and investing in the middle class.
Over 5,000 actions were organized for Campaign Nonviolence Action Days 2023
RIVERA SUN – During the 10th annual Campaign Nonviolence Action Days from Sept. 21 to Oct. 2, hundreds of local, national and international groups organized actions and events to build a culture of peace and active nonviolence, free from war, poverty, racism and environmental destruction. In 2023, a staggering 5,057 actions were planned across the United States and 20 countries. Over 60,000 people took part in these actions and events.
Thousands protest around the world against Japan’s nuclear waste dumping
KERRY SMITH – Ahead of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Summit on September 18–19, thousands of people in 16 cities across 8 countries gathered to call on the UN and governments to stop Japan’s discharge of nuclear waste into the Pacific Ocean.
Fridays for Future: Greta’s school strikes led a third of Swiss citizens to change their habits
ANGELA SYMONS – ‘Collective action can have a direct effect on society’, study on climate strikes shows.
New York University will divest from fossil fuels in win for student activists
DHARNA NOOR – New York University plans to divest from fossil fuels, the Guardian has learned, following years of pressure from student activists.
From Montana to the Amazon, Let’s Remember to Celebrate Climate Victories
KWOLANNE FELIX – Climate advocacy is arduous, thankless work. But recent wins in the courtroom and at the ballot box give Kwolanne Felix hope.
One Day for Labor Is Not Enough
ANDREW MOSS – The state of labor this year is so fraught, so weighted with issues and problems, that a single day of homage and reflection doesn’t seem enough. It’s as if a year or more is needed to engage the issues, challenges, and possibilities facing American workers today.
Activists Now Have 104,000 Signatures to Put “Stop Cop City” on the Ballot
MIKE LUDWIG – Worried that city officials will reject large numbers of signatures, organizers have collected far more than required.
New 4% Tax on Wealthiest Residents Will Fund Free School Meals in Massachusetts
ZANE MCNEILL – Public school students in Massachusetts are set to get a free breakfast and lunch after the state implemented a new 4 percent tax on the state’s wealthiest residents. Massachusetts is the eighth U.S. state to make free school meals permanent.
Coast to Coast Peace Walk Being Planned
VETERANS FOR PEACE – The goal of promoting VFP or any organization is secondary. That is why we welcome anyone or any left antiwar organization of good will to get on board. The primary and basic foundation organizing will be done by VFP. However, we want your input, involvement and suggestions. If we can all come together on this walk across the heart of America, we can do anything, maybe even begin to actually stop the war machine and find peace.
Survivors of Oppenheimer’s Trinity test are still fighting for justice and recognition
ALESSANDRA BERGAMIN – Nearly 80 years after the first atomic test in New Mexico, a consortium of “downwinders” are documenting the bomb’s impact on their community and organizing for restitution.
‘This Is Huge’: Judge Sides With Montana Youths in Historic Climate Ruling
JULIA CONLEY – “As fires rage in the West, fueled by fossil fuel pollution, today’s ruling in Montana is a game-changer that marks a turning point in this generation’s efforts to save the planet,” said one attorney representing 16 young plaintiffs.
The climate movement has a recruiting and retention problem – here’s how we fix it
CHARLIE WOOD – Bringing more people into the climate struggle starts with transforming movement culture and opening diverse paths to entry.
How America Undervalues Working People, and How Workers are Fighting Back
ANDREW MOSS – America is one of the wealthiest nations in the world. Yet when compared to other advanced industrialized countries, it fares dismally in national laws and policies affecting workers. This is a major claim of a recent cross-national study sponsored by the humanitarian organization Oxfam America, a report that offers a powerful lens for understanding the major strike activity now underway in the U.S.
Oppenheimer Film Offers Great Organizing Opportunity
ROBERT DODGE – I attended this weekend’s Los Angeles opening of Christopher Nolan’s epic film, Oppenheimer. This must-see film provides a critical opening for an essential conversation about nuclear weapons and their role in our security and the fate of the planet.
Four Big Banks refuse to renew loans to Whitehaven Coal
JIM MCLLROY – Environment groups said the refusal by [Australia’s] Big Four banks to renew a $1 billion loan to Whitehaven Coal — the country’s biggest coal-only mining company — is a win for people power.
How Daniel Ellsberg Helped End the Vietnam War
RUSSELL VANDENBROUCKE – Daniel Ellsberg, sent to Saigon in 1965 to evaluate civilian pacification programs, would spend 18 months with patrols into towns and villages. His skeptical reports about death and destruction and potential victory by North Vietnam went nowhere. Ellsberg struggled with his knowledge. He was a family man with a brilliant career, all of which would be at risk if he blew the whistle, and he knew it.
Wanted: More Fathers on the Front Lines of Social Change
ROB OKUN – Why are so many fathers and father figures standing mute on the sidelines of change?
Why the Jan. 6 Convictions Set Dangerous New Legal Precedents
SHANE BURLEY – Many are celebrating the recent convictions against the Proud Boys, but they will only strengthen the state’s ability to target the left.
How protests that double as trainings are growing this fossil fuel divestment campaign
RAY BAILEY – By melding theory and practice, Philadelphia’s Vanguard S.O.S. are building skills and collective power.
The Move Toward a Four-Day Workweek Obscures Low Pay
SONALI KOLHATKAR – Of course Americans deserve to work fewer hours. But unless the move to a four-day workweek is accompanied by a massive pay raise, it merely frees up time to work more.
The Power of Humor in Indigenous Activism
CATY BORUM – Humor in Native culture has never been simply about entertainment. Comedy is also used to fight cultural invisibility and structural oppression.
Banning Books to be Banned in Illinois
JUDD LEGUM – Across the country, right-wing activists are seeking to ban thousands of books from schools and other public libraries. Those promoting the bans often claim they are acting to protect children from pornography. But the bans frequently target books “by and about people of color and LGBTQ individuals.” Many of the books deemed pornography by activities are actually highly acclaimed novels. Now, one state is fighting back.
Oregon Nonprofit Returns Wallowa Land to Nez Perce Tribe
LAUREN PATERSON – Kathleen Ackley is the executive director of the Wallowa Land Trust. As more Northwest lake communities are being developed with vacation homes and Airbnbs, she says her organization’s focus is protecting natural areas, open spaces and farms in Northeast Oregon. The nonprofit recently gifted 30 acres of undeveloped land near the lake to the Nez Perce Tribe.
How Workers in the South Are Defying History
TOM CONWAY – Workers at Blue Bird Corporation in Fort Valley, Georgia, launched a union drive to secure better wages, work-life balance, and a voice on the job. The company resisted them. History defied them. Geography worked against them. But they stood together, believed in themselves, and achieved a historic victory that’s reverberating throughout the South.
Tell the Three Presidents to Stop the War
PETER BERGEL – A coalition of dozens of peace and justice organizations (https://bit.ly/StopWarOrgs) is collecting signers on a statement to Presidents Biden, Zelensky and Putin telling them that the time has come to end the war in Ukraine.
How a Tribal Rights Lawyer Is Winning Back the Rights of Nature
ARIC SLEEPER – Attorney Frank Bibeau found a way to legally protect nature by suing the state of Minnesota in the name of manoomin, or wild rice, sacred to the Ojibwe people.
Dan Ellsberg – A Profound Voice Against the Doomsday Machine
DANIEL ELLSBERG – Can we simply ignore the reality of the world’s largest nuclear arsenals on hair-trigger alert — amid escalation of a new cold war with heightened nuclear dangers? We ignore this impending disaster and its impassioned opponent, Daniel Ellsberg, at our own peril.Indeed, the U.S. just enacted its biggest military budget in history, with unprecedented investment in weapons of mass destruction and their deployment.
How Union Workers Are Fighting to Save Veterans
TOM CONWAY – New York enacted its version of the workplace poster law, written with USW members’ input, on January 1, 2023. Union members continue working to advance similar legislation in Iowa, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Texas, and other states.
The Nord Stream-Andromeda Cover Up
SCOTT RITTER – The German government’s crude effort to manufacture an alternative narrative regarding who attacked the Nord Stream pipeline fails the smell test — in short, it stinks. The holes in this story are such that even the most gifted screenwriters could not turn this Andromeda tale of changing history into something remotely believable. In short, Gene Roddenberry would not be impressed.
Agrivoltaics: The Farm-to-Solar Trend That Can Help Accelerate the Renewable Energy Transition
TINA CASEY – Using the same land for the production of both agriculture and solar energy is a win-win for the climate and farmers.
How Indigenous Land Management Practices Are a Blueprint for Climate-Resilient Agriculture
DANIEL ROSS – If aggressive commercial agriculture exacerbates the climate crisis, are there key lessons to be learned from Indigenous land management practices that can help to restore environmental balance?