Activism Archives - Page 52 of 62

Liberal Christian Organization Puts Theocrats on Notice

Jeff Nall October 25, 2005 Jeff Nall

In a move to save the integrity of the Christian faith and combat the extremist agenda of the religious right, a group of Jacksonville Floridians have formed the Christian Alliance for Progress (CAP). The group proclaims unequivocal support for economic justice, gay and lesbian rights, environmental stewardship, reproductive rights and universal health care.

Diverse Anti-war Protests Largest in DC Since Vietnam

Benjamin Dangl and Brendan Coyne, NewStandard September 26, 2005 Benjamin Dangl and Brendan Coyne, NewStandard

Kicking off three days of actions aimed ultimately at pressuring the US government to pull troops out of Iraq, scores of protesters converged on Washington, DC on Saturday, September 24 for an all-day protest that included an array of speakers, a march past the White House and a concert that lasted well into the early morning hours. Estimates of the demonstration's size ranged from 100,000 to 300,000 protesters. Participants from across the country spent long hours riding overnight on buses and in caravans to take part in the largest anti-war event the nation's capitol has seen since the Vietnam War era. Groups began assembling on the Ellipse in front of the White House early yesterday. In preparation for the event, police blanketed the Ellipse, Federal Triangle and the grounds of the Washington Monument with a confusing maze of orange-plastic and wooden fences, closing many roads to both automobile and pedestrian traffic.

Radical Folk Music: An Interview with David Rovics

Matt Dineen August 31, 2005 Matt Dineen

Having just started a deadening temp job alphabetizing books that students had returned at the semester’s end, there was something comforting about hearing the triumphant chorus: “When all the minimum wage workers went on strike!” bouncing off the University of Wisconsin’s buildings. It was early May and rabble-rousing folk musician David Rovics was in Madison to celebrate the centennial of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). I had first heard him play “Minimum Wage Strike” six years before at a student activism conference in Boston. I’ve been drawn to David’s music ever since. He continues to leave his own unique mark on the radical folk tradition. I had the chance to sit down with him on a lovely spring day inside the Orton Park gazebo where we discussed his passion for playing music for the revolution as an antidote to crippling wage slavery. read more

An Interview with Chris Crass

Matt Dineen July 26, 2005 Matt Dineen

{mosmedia} In his book A Language Older Than Words, Derrick Jensen articulates the dilemma of following one’s passions while surviving in a capitalist society: “Wishing away the wage economy did not make it cease to exist, and my determination to stop selling my hours did not lessen my need for food, nor for a place to stay. In other words, despite my highfalutin philosophy, I still had to find a way to earn some cash.” Chris Crass is a political organizer who has grappled with this dilemma for years.
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An Interview with Anne Elizabeth Moore

Matt Dineen July 4, 2005 Matt Dineen

{mosmedia} Is it possible to follow your passions, to do what you truly love to do, without compromising you r values? What about meeting basic human needs? Can it be done? Some people struggle most of their lives to obtain this dream. Some eventually submit to a job that goes against their beliefs or end up starving to death in the street. Yet others have proven that it is possible to live a life that is consistent with your values, pursue the things you love, and still afford food and rent. Anne Elizabeth Moore is one of those rare people. read more

Democratic Investment: National Trust proposal (06/04)

ROY MORRISON June 2, 2005 ROY MORRISON

Failure is usually an orphan. From my son Sam’s schoolyard to boardrooms and politicians explaining disappearing weapons of mass destruction, fingers nervously point in other directions. But on questions of jobs and the economy, George W. Bush and his administration are determined to press ahead with monetary, fiscal, and employment policies that have failed spectacularly and show no signs of recovery. The wisdom of this persistence in failure I leave to the president’s handlers. But the problem requires much more than clever spin. read more