This latest volume in the august Research in Social Movements, Conflicts and Change series carries on a long tradition of featuring only the best data-driven and multi-method research upon which useful theory can be painstakingly built. Part one focuses on old and new media platforms and their intersections with mobilization issues, highlighting protest websites and the US Tea Party movement. Part two investigates the roles elites play in advancing movement campaigns for increased rights and decreased inequalities in the US and Peru. The third section spotlights best and worst practices in conflict transformation and peacebuilding ventures in Croatia and Israel/Palestine, while the fourth section interrogates the use of consensus building processes in Local Social Forums and in the Occupy Movement. Finally, on the 50th anniversary of the publication of Neil Smelser's A Theory of Collective Behavior, we close with a creative combining of Smelser's structural functionalist approach with social identity models for understanding crowd behaviors in the context of university party riots.

When the Women's March gathered millions just one day after Trump's inauguration, a new era of progressive action was born. Organizing on the far Right led to Trump's election, bringing authoritarianism and the specter of neo-fascism, and intensifying corporate capitalism's growing crises of inequality and injustices. Yet now we see a new universalizing resistance among progressive and left movements for truth, dignity, and a world based on democracy, equality, and sustainability. Derber offers the first comprehensive guide to this new era and an original vision and strategy for movement success. He convincingly shows how only a new universalizing wave, a progressive and revolutionary "movement of movements," can counter the world-universalizing economic and cultural forces of intensifying corporate and far-right power. Derber explores the crises and eroding legitimacy of the globalized capitalist system and the right wing movements that helped create the Trump era . He shows how left universalizing movements can--and must-converge to propel a mass base that can prevent societal, economic, or ecological collapse, stop a resurgent Right, and build a democratic social alternative. He describes tactics and strategies for this new progressive movement. Brief guest "interludes" by Medea Benjamin, Noam Chomsky, Ralph Nader, Bill Fletcher, Juliet Schor, Gar Alperovitz, Chuck Collins, Matt Nelson, Janet Wallace, and other prominent figures tell how to coalesce and universalize activism into a more powerful movement wave-at local, community, national, and international levels. Vivid and highly accessible, this book is for activists, students, and all citizens concerned about the erosion of justice and democracy. It thoroughly illuminates the rationale, theory, practice, humanism, love, and joy of the social transformation that we urgently need.

The special issue offers an interdisciplinary approach to exploring the questions of agency of less mainstream groups in protest movements in patriarchal and authoritarian societies. The themes covered include the place of feminist and gender equality movements in democratically restricted environments, intersections between feminism and nationalism and citizenship, possibilities of right-wing feminism and pop-feminism, the role of gender in high politics and the relationship between nationality and sexuality in the context of protest movements. The journal features contributions by scholars, human rights and gender equality activists, and journalists, and facilitates a constructive and wide-ranging discussion of the recent and ongoing protest movements in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine.

Changing relations between science and democracy - and controversies over issues such as climate change, energy transitions, genetically modified organisms and smart technologies - have led to a rapid rise in new forms of public participation and citizen engagement. While most existing approaches adopt fixed meanings of `participation' and are consumed by questions of method or critiquing the possible limits of democratic engagement, this book offers new insights that rethink public engagements with science, innovation and environmental issues as diverse, emergent and in the making. Bringing together leading scholars on science and democracy, working between science and technology studies, political theory, geography, sociology and anthropology, the volume develops relational and co-productionist approaches to studying and intervening in spaces of participation. New empirical insights into the making, construction, circulation and effects of participation across cultures are illustrated through examples ranging from climate change and energy to nanotechnology and mundane technologies, from institutionalised deliberative processes to citizen-led innovation and activism, and from the global north to global south. This new way of seeing participation in science and democracy opens up alternative paths for reconfiguring and remaking participation in more experimental, reflexive, anticipatory and responsible ways. This ground-breaking book is essential reading for scholars and students of participation across the critical social sciences and beyond, as well as those seeking to build more transformative participatory practices.

The courageous few Zimbabweans who dared to stand up to President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF party in the election campaigns of 2008 were persecuted, assaulted and in many cases brutally murdered. Should I Forgive? is based on the experiences of a young wife and mother, Nyasha Gapa, who was raped and beaten for daring to campaign for Morgan Tsvangirai's opposition party MDC (Movement for Democratic Change). While many of the details of the story have been changed to protect Nyasha's family and friends from further violence, all the events related in this tragic story, from the sadistic beating of Nyasha's husband to their flight to South Africa, their exploitation by a white farmer, the racist persecution the refugees experienced there and the catastrophic fire, actually happened. Should I Forgive? is a heartbreaking story of staggering courage, endurance and love.

This book shows that the third wave of democracy has been accompanied by a worldwide wave of opposition-initiated, election-related protests. Such electoral protests result from a failure on the part of incumbent and opposition elites in the developing world to negotiate acceptable terms of electoral conduct, and their consequences for democracy depend on the context in which they occur. Where election boycotts receive international support, they increase the probability of democratic reform, but where support is primarily domestic, there is a higher probability of authoritarian backsliding. Based on an extensive new data set covering nearly thirty years of electoral protest and election-related reform in the developing world, this book explores the causes of different types of electoral protest and their consequences for democracy. Statistical analysis and case studies provide readers with a complete picture of the dynamics surrounding developing world elections, protest, and democratization.

The West African National Secretariat (WANS) has almost been forgotten by history. A pan-Africanist movement founded in 1945 by Kwame Nkrumah and colleagues in London and France, WANS campaigned for independence and unity. Nkrumah returned to the Gold Coast in late 1947. The colonial government accused him of being a communist and fomenting the riots of early 1948. He was jailed. This led to the beginning of the Cold War in West Africa. Drawing on archival research including the newly released MI5 files, Marika Sherwood reports on the work of WANS, on the plans for a unity conference in October 1948 in Lagos, and on Nkrumah's return home. Sherwood demonstrates that colonial powers colluded with each other and the US in order to control the burgeoning struggles for independence. By labelling African nationalists as 'communists' in their efforts to contain decolonisation, the Western powers introduced the Cold War to the continent. Providing a rich exploration of a neglected history, this book sheds light for the first time on a crucial historical moment in the history of West Africa and the developmental trajectory of West African independence.

The use of secret police, security agencies and informers to spy on, disrupt and undermine opposition to the dominant political and economic order has a long history. This book reflects on the surveillance, harassment and infiltration that pervades the lives of activists, organisations and movements that are labelled as 'threats to national security'. Activists and scholars from the UK, South Africa, Canada, the US, Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand expose disturbing stories of political policing to question what lies beneath state surveillance. Problematising the social amnesia that exists within progressive political networks and supposed liberal democracies, Activists and the Surveillance State shows that ultimately, movements can learn from their own repression, developing a critical and complex understanding of the nature of states, capital and democracy today that can inform the struggles of tomorrow.

This is the story of a remarkable organisation of white South African women who carved out a unique role for themselves in opposing the injustices of apartheid and working towards a free and democratic country. It is written by Mary Burton, herself national president of the Black Sash for many years and, later, one of the Truth and Reconciliation commissioners. Her book answers many of the questions that members often ask: What brought the Black Sash into being? What kept it alive for so many decades? How did an organisation of mainly white, middle-class, privileged women create and sustain a viable body that eventually made its contribution to the collapse of apartheid? What was it like to be involved in it? And what can we learn from its history that will teach us to be activists again? This is a story of hard work and dedication, of small victories won little by little against the odds, of personal courage in the face of injustice and repression, of vision, compassion and caring. It is a uniquely South African story. As Mary Burton says, "Joining the Balck Sash influenced the course of my life. Its leaders were an inspiring example and its members became friends and colleagues. It prompted me to join other organisations committed to the same ideals, and to study more about South Africa and its history. It was owing to the Black Sash that many of us were offered opportunities to serve the new society created after 1990, working for the elections, contributing to the new Constitution, taking part in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, or participating in the new government structures."

A cutting-edge and original analysis of contemporary social movements in a globalized world, providing a clear and comprehensive grounding in social movement and globalization theory and drawing on a range of case studies and examples from around the world, from Anonymous and 15-M/Indignados to the Zapatistas.

What is civil disobedience? Although Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King helped to bring the idea to prominence, even today it remains unclear how we should best understand civil disobedience. Why have so many different activists and intellectuals embraced it, and to what ends? Is civil disobedience still politically relevant in today s hyper-connected world? Does it make sense, for example, to describe Edward Snowden s actions, or those of recent global movements like Occupy, as falling under this rubric? If so, how must it adapt to respond to the challenges of digitalization and globalization and the rise of populist authoritarianism in the West? In this elegantly written introductory text, William E. Scheuerman systematically analyzes the most important interpretations of civil disobedience. Drawing out the striking differences separating religious, liberal, radical democratic, and anarchist views, he nonetheless shows that core commonalities remain. Against those who water down the idea of civil disobedience or view it as obsolescent, Scheuerman successfully salvages its central elements. The concept of civil disobedience, he argues, remains a pivotal tool for anyone hoping to bring about political and social change.

The radical black left that played a crucial role in twentieth-century struggles for equality and justice has largely disappeared. Michael Dawson investigates the causes and consequences of the decline of black radicalism as a force in American politics and argues that the conventional left has failed to take race sufficiently seriously as a historical force in reshaping American institutions, politics, and civil society.

African Americans have been in the vanguard of progressive social movements throughout American history, but they have been written out of many histories of social liberalism. Focusing on the 1920s and 1930s, as well as the Black Power movement, Dawson examines successive failures of socialists and Marxists to enlist sympathetic blacks, and white leftists refusal to fight for the cause of racial equality. Angered by the often outright hostility of the Socialist Party and similar social democratic organizations, black leftists separated themselves from these groups and either turned to the hard left or stayed independent. A generation later, the same phenomenon helped fueled the Black Power movement s turn toward a variety of black nationalist, Maoist, and other radical political groups.

The 2008 election of Barack Obama notwithstanding, many African Americans still believe they will not realize the fruits of American prosperity any time soon. This pervasive discontent, Dawson suggests, must be mobilized within the black community into active opposition to the social and economic status quo. Black politics needs to find its way back to its radical roots as a vital component of new American progressive movements."

'We're not the future. We're doing it right now.'

Young girls and women are uniting across the world to create change, have their voices heard and stand up for what they believe in.

In this bold and brilliantly inspiring book, Lauren Sharkey profiles the powerful stories and achievements of 52 young campaigners, who are working to improve the lives of people across the globe. Some are active in feminist issues like period poverty or political problems such as police brutality and LGBT+ rights; while others are working in science, conservation and diversity. Yet whether it be Twitter campaigns or life-saving apps, their great ideas are all changing the world as we know it.

Illustrated by Manjit Thapp, this is a must-have for young women who would like to dare to make a difference and become empowered to be the change.

Of particular interest to scholars and students in women's studies and Canadian history, this book will also appeal to feminists with an interest in history and enthusiasts of British Columbia history.

Women are the caretakers of the world. Yet global HIV and AIDS and extreme poverty can seem overwhelming. Even if these things break our mother s hearts, how is a busy, full-time mom to get engaged and make a difference? Global Soccer Mom shows that everyday moms care deeply about these issues and long to engage the world in a meaningful way. Busy women everywhere will resonate with Shayne s story as a mother of three who learned she could make a difference on the global level. Follow Shayne s journey---sometimes humorous, sometimes poignant and learn how you can get involved too. Activist Shayne Moore knows the challenge of managing a home and the desire to make a difference for those who are suffering. As a full-time mom, she has journeyed from an insular suburban world into the arena of global advocacy, where she s worked alongside media superstars to effect change. Using the power of story, she inspires women everywhere to start right where they are and make a real difference. Moore s work has taken her far beyond her comfortable suburban home. She s travelled to international summits and was featured in a commercial with Julia Roberts, George Clooney, and Matt Damon. She s been interviewed by CNN, NBC, and The Wall Street Journal, and featured in a photo shoot in Vanity Fair s Africa issue. You CAN make a difference. Real change starts right where you are."

The definitive biography of a radical activist and intellectual Max Eastman (1883-1969) was a prolific writer, radical, and public intellectual who helped shape the twentieth century. While researching this masterful work, acclaimed biographer Christoph Irmscher was granted unprecedented access to the Eastman family archive, allowing him to document little-known aspects of the famously handsome and charismatic radical. Considered one of the "hottest radicals" of his time, Eastman edited two of the most important modernist magazines, The Masses and The Liberator, and campaigned for women's suffrage and world peace. A fierce critic of Joseph Stalin, Eastman befriended and translated Leon Trotsky and remained unafraid to express unpopular views, drawing criticism from both conservatives and the Left. Set against the backdrop of several decades of political and ideological turmoil, and interweaving Eastman's singular life with stories of the fascinating people he knew and loved, this book will have broad interdisciplinary appeal in twentieth-century history and politics, intellectual history, and literary studies.

How do middle-class Americans become aware of distant social problems and act against them? US colleges, congregations, and seminaries increasingly promote immersion travel as a way to bridge global distance, produce empathy, and increase global awareness. But does it? Drawing from a mixed methods study of a progressive, religious immersion travel organization at the US-Mexico border, Empathy Beyond US Borders provides a broad sociological context for the rise of immersion travel as a form of transnational civic engagement. Gary J. Adler, Jr follows alongside immersion travelers as they meet undocumented immigrants, walk desert trails, and witness deportations. His close observations combine with interviews and surveys to evaluate the potential of this civic action, while developing theory about culture, empathy, and progressive religion in transnational civic life. This timely book describes the moralization of travel, the organizational challenges of transnational engagement, and the difficulty of feeling transformed but not knowing how to help.

Discover the truth behind the headlines with this collection of Private Eye's popular reportage column Scene & Heard, including previously unseen sketches and reports. David Ziggy Greene travels the country asking questions and sketching scenes of modern life. His detailed, funny, astute works of graphic reportage - at protests and festivals, cycle rides, farms and prisons - reveal the human cost of policy and the profound local impact of legislation. This new collection of columns also contains much brand new material - including a series of insightful sketches of human hubs such as A&E, the tube and the courts. With a foreword by Mark Thomas.

Despite tremendous sentiment against the American-led occupations, citizens and soldiers continue to die. Award-winning journalist Jamail shows a new generation of American soldiers taking opposition into its own hands. As one of the few unembedded journalists in Iraq, he investigates the growing anti-war resistance of GIs embodied in organisations such as Iraq Veterans Against the War. Gathering stories from these courageous men and women, Jamail makes explicit the betrayal committed by politicians.

Wars crush our humanity. Defeats splinter our movements. Corporate media turns a blind eye to our mounting crises and a cynical one to the people who stand up against them. Against a tide of ignorance, isolation and cynicism, 'Big Noise Dispatches' take you around the world to look war and crisis in the face, but also to witness a shared struggle for survival and dignity in this time of violence.RETURN OF THE WARLORDS
Afghanistan's most notorious warlord is back--at the invitation of the president. Karzai hails his warlord allies as national heroes, but what does their return to political prominence mean for Afghan democracy? (21 min)CURVEBALL
Six years into a disastrous war in Iraq, stories have emerged about a staggeringly incompetent pre-war intelligence effort that got nearly everything wrong. . . but the truth is much more troubling. (21 min)BROKE DOWN IN MOTOR CITY
Detroit was once the epicenter of American industry. Today, it is a city in crisis. Broke Down in Motor City is the story of this crisis, and of the people fighting to save their homes and their city. (21 min)THE CONTINUING OCCUPATION
As the American occupation grinds on, Iraq remains in ruins, with over 1 million dead and 4 to 6 million refugees who have not begun to return home. How did the occupation turn into this, and what went wrong? (10 min)

This book brings together an important collection of documents that have not been used before by the historians of the Khilafat and Non-Cooperation movements. The political historian of the twentieth century is familiar with the major actors operating on the national scene. These reports, hitherto unpublished, reveal the role of local and regional leaders, their linkages, strategies and techniques of mobilisation. Likewise, there exists much secondary literature on the mobilisation conducted, say by M K Gandhi, Maulana Abdul Bari, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad or the Ali brothers. These documents, on the other hand, reveal, perhaps for the first time in such detail, the mobilisation processes in the localities. There is, consequently, much that I new in them. This work makes an important statement on a vital phase in Indias encounter with British colonialism. Though written for the officials, the reports unwittingly reveal the depth of the agitation against the government. Finally, as a source book we are introduced to many facets of the Khilafat and Non-Cooperation movements. With detailed biographical notes the editors have placed this book in its context and made it accessible to modern readers.

A growing number of environmental groups focus on more sustainable practices in everyday life, from the development of new food systems, to community solar, to more sustainable fashion. No longer willing to take part in unsustainable practices and institutions, and not satisfied with either purely individualistic and consumer responses or standard political processes and movement tactics, many activists and groups are increasingly focusing on restructuring everyday practices of the circulation of the basic needs of everyday life. This work labels such action sustainable materialism, and examines the political and social motivations of activists and movement groups involved in this growing and expanding practice. The central argument is that these movements are motivated by four key factors: frustration with the lack of accomplishments on broader environmental policies, a desire for environmental and social justice, an active and material resistance to the power of traditional industries, and a form of sustainability that is attentive to the flow of materials through bodies, communities, economies, and environments. In addition to these motivations, these movements demonstrate such material action as political action, in contrast to existing critiques of new materialism as apolitical or post-political. Overall, sustainable materialism is explored as a set of movements with unique qualities, based in collective rather than individual action, a dedication to local and prefigurative politics, and a demand that sustainability be practiced in everyday life - starting with the materials and flows that provide food, power, clothing, and other basic needs.

The participatory politics and civic engagement of youth in the digital age There is a widespread perception that the foundations of American democracy are dysfunctional, public trust in core institutions is eroding, and little is likely to emerge from traditional politics that will shift those conditions. Youth are often seen as emblematic of this crisis--frequently represented as uninterested in political life, ill-informed about current-affairs, and unwilling to register and vote. By Any Media Necessary offers a profoundly different picture of contemporary American youth. Young men and women are tapping into the potential of new forms of communication such as social media platforms, spreadable videos and memes, remixing the language of popular culture, and seeking to bring about political change--by any media necessary. In a series of case studies covering a diverse range of organizations, networks, and movements involving young people in the political process--from the Harry Potter Alliance which fights for human rights in the name of the popular fantasy franchise to immigration rights advocates using superheroes to dramatize their struggles--By Any Media Necessary examines the civic imagination at work. Before the world can change, people need the ability to imagine what alternatives might look like and identify paths by which change can be achieved. Exploring new forms of political activities and identities emerging from the practice of participatory culture, By Any Media Necessary reveals how these shifts in communication have unleashed a new political dynamism in American youth. Read Online at connectedyouth.nyupress.org