Tag: communication
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On Contesting Populism
Cultural similarities such as nationality, dress, composure, vocabulary, and music override income, employment, health, education, and physical safety as the basis for coming together. Populist movements are therefore always cross-class endeavors. On the radical left, our small-scale populism has us hemmed in with little to no presence beyond university campuses and subcultural radical scenes (punk,…
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18 Tips from a Veteran Union Organizer
Workers need bread, but they need roses too. Labor unions generally focus on negotiating wages, benefits, fair work rules, and safety. That’s all very essential. But one thing we often fail to do is acknowledge workers’ need for recognition. People have dreams and values, along with a desire to be respected and to connect to…
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100 years of radio in Africa: from propaganda to people’s power
Sisanda Nkoala, University of the Western Cape; Christina Chan-Meetoo, University of Mauritius; Jacinta Mwende Maweu, University of Nairobi; Marissa J. Moorman, Indiana University; Modestus Fosu, Ghana Institute of Journalism, and Stanley Tsarwe, University of Namibia for The Conversation, CC BY-ND 3.0 Radio is thriving across Africa. Exact figures are difficult to come by because audience…
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Exposure to stories on war, hate, and violence can cause anxiety and depression in children – here’s how to discuss bad news with them
“There’s been a shooting in Maine.” “There’s been a hurricane in Mexico.” “There’s been a terrorist attack in Israel and now there’s a war, and that’s really hard, but I want to talk to you about it. Tell me what you’ve heard about it.” Allow them to have that ability to tell you what they’ve…
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How Students are Fighting the Arms Industry on Campus
In terms of education, we have a document that we’ve made public via our Instagram and emails we’ve sent out to interested students really detailing UMass’s connection to Raytheon — and detailing Raytheon’s connection to the IDF and the war on Palestinians. At our weekly meetings, we’ve also had things like teach-ins for interested students. We’ve also…
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How Conspiracy Theories Corrode Social Movements — and What to Do About it
Experiencing a crisis does not immediately grant someone special insight into the causes of their conditions, and there is a long history of communities turning their anger on marginalized people rather than the powerful. This is endemic to fascism’s rise.
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Lessons from Gramsci for social movements today
He has been called one of the most original political thinkers of the 20th century. Historians point out that “If academic citations and internet references are any guide, he is more influential than Machiavelli.” And his impact on the way we think about the processes of social change has been described as “little short of electrifying.”
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When activist burnout was a problem 50 years ago, this group found a solution
Our first decision was to adopt the proposal of long-time activists George and Lillian Willoughby to put training together with cooperative living, in a center. Learning together, in a supportive community, would handle anxiety by emphasizing over and over, “It’s not all about you, it’s about us. Together we’ll learn to make a difference.”
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Liberatory Education 101
First, attend to how you see yourself in the process of radicalizing others. Are you treating other people as vessels in which you can pour your “superior” knowledge into? If so, the radicalisation process, if it proceeds at all, is likely to be an unnecessarily arduous one. Liberatory education is a process of mutual growth and is…
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Building International Solidarity
In this brief article, I hope to outline some basic organizational networks, communications methods, and essential skills needed to build deeper relations with fellow anarchic people in struggle against colonialism, capitalism, and domination. Remember, this is only the suggestions of one person. Building relations is a deeply complex and often personal affair (when done well).…
MASSolidarity.org 