We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

When People Take Over [audio recording]

Click here to access audio recording of speech (37:32m) in April 2011 by David McNally of Toronto University. An interview with McNally follows the speech. 

He offers a survey of new democratic practices that have appeared in various parts of the world that gives activists encouragement and a basis to build upon these experiences to confront the juggernaut of the capitalist empire that seems intent upon destroying our planet, our communities, and our souls.
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