Austin Eco-Change Exchange
In 2009 we organized the Eco-Change Exchange, bringing together all of the environmental groups to develop a common plan for city leaders. Our mission was: “to awaken the dream of Austin as a leader among sustainable cities, to weave our community relationships, and to chart a course, rooted in justice, to get us there.” This process lead to hundreds of participants in the City Council Chambers who learned about the history of racism and environmental degradation in Austin and what people have done to fight it. We explored in-depth recommendations in each of the issue areas below with opportunities to make new ones. People then participated in a prioritization process that set this agenda for the city....
The Global Justice Movement
This page contains manuals, reports, pictures, and other artifacts from significant Global Justice mobilizations over the last 10 years. To see my complete slideshow of pictures and stories from 1999-2003, click here (please allow time to load) Articles about the Global Justice Movement The Shock of Victory, by David Graeber Where Was the Color in Seattle? by Elizabeth Betita Martinez Lessons from a Summit Hopper, by Lisa Fithian, an open letter to the direct action community in advance of the Miami FTAA protests, reflecting on lessons learned from past mobilizations Explaining Globalization Neoliberalism in a Nut Shell, by Pamels Sparr Ten Ways Globalization Promotes Militarism World Trade Organization, Seattle, Washington, Nov 30, 1999 Mass Nonviolent Direct Action Handbook...
History of Affinity Groups
The idea of affinity groups comes out of the anarchist and workers movement that was created in the late 19th century and fought fascism in Spain during the Spanish Civil War. The Spanish Anarchist movement provides an exhilarating example of a movement, and the actual possibility of a society based on decentralized organization, direct democracy and the principles behind them. Small circles of good friends, called “tertulias” would meet at cafes to discuss ideas and plan actions. In 1888, a period of intense class conflict in Europe and of local insurrection and struggle in Spain, the Anarchist Organization of the Spanish Region made this traditional form (tertulias) the basis of its organization. Decades later, the Iberian Anarchist Federation,...