Political activism / Political engagement Books

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Book SynopsisTimor-Leste's independence was forged at a time when international developmental theory had rejected top down approaches and recognised the importance of participatory approaches. When the United Nations and a multitude of bilateral and multilateral non-government organisations arrived in Timor-Leste in 1999 it was hoped that the international intervention would at last produce a development success story. But independence also brought the realisation that dreams for an independent Timor-Leste varied, often according to the dreamer's generation. Three generations of Timorese: the political elite, a younger generation of independence activists (gerasaun foun) and today's youth of independent Timor-Leste, each bring their own experiences and face different challenges in Timor-Leste. Today stark contrasts between the values of customary life and those of the modernising world place both community leaders and young Timorese at a crossroads. The experiences of the Timorese are unique, but

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Book SynopsisThe gripping true story of a life-long forger working for the French Resistance and clandestine organizations, told to his daughter.  Subject of The New York Times documentary 'The Forger,'; winner of a World Press Photo Award and an Emmy AwardAs seen on 60 Minutes with Anderson Cooper'[An] engrossing literary debut. ... Writing in Adolfo's voice gives this suspenseful narrative candor and immediacy.' - Kirkus ReviewsReader's Choice Award –Elle Magazine, FranceWall Street Journal's Top 10 Most Anticipated Non-Fiction: Fall Books 2016'Every resistance movement had its forgers, but few have told their tales. Many, like Kaminsky, were very young technicians and chemists when they began their work. Sarah Kaminsky's affectionate rendering of her father's life, with Trade Review[An] engrossing literary debut. ... Writing in Adolfo's voice gives this suspenseful narrative candor and immediacy. - Kirkus Reviews Adolfo Kaminsky: A Forger's Life is "worthy of the best spy novels" and tells the story of Sarah Kaminsky's father, "the genius-forger who committed his know-how and convictions to serve the French Resistance during World War II, saving thousands of Jewish families, and many others over the course of 30 years for various causes around the world." - TED.com A detailed and touching story traversing a century in clandestine shadow crossings, where Adolfo's skill meant life... or death. - Liberation, France Riveting. - Haaretz, Israel Technical prowess, creativity, and self-denial drive the plot in the incredibly lucky life of Adolfo Kaminsky narrated in this exciting historical document. - Elle Magazine, France; 2010 Reader's Choice Award Undoubtedly one of the most captivating books of the season. - Paris Today A pointed, sober biography ... of one of the world's best forgers. - Der Spiegel If made into a film, the life of Adolfo Kaminsky would have the ingredients of suspense thriller, war movie, historical tragedy, intimate drama, romantic comedy and scenes of terror. - O Globo, Brazil A thrilling book. - la Repubblica Federal, Italy Kaminsky has lived, in the shadows, the brightest hours of the Resistance. - Le MondeTable of ContentsAuthor's Preface to the English EditionPrologueChapters 1 - 16EpilogueAppendix of Photographs by Adolfo Kaminsky from 1940s and 1950s Paris

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Book SynopsisThis book presents a long-term study of the activist campaign that contested the Botswana government''s much-publicized removal of the San and Bakgalagadi people from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Sapignoli''s multiple points of observation and analysis range from rural Botswana to the nation''s High Court, and a variety of United Nations agencies in their Headquarters, focusing on rights claimants and officials from NGOs, states and the United Nations as they acted on the grievances of those who had been displaced. In offering a comprehensive discussion of the San people and their claims-making through formal institutions, this book maintains a consistent focus on the increased recourse to law and the everyday experience of those who are asserting their rights in response to the encroachments of the state and the opportunities inherent in new indigenous advocacy networks.Trade Review'The legal battle waged by the San to defend their livelihoods from a history of dispossession has made their remote villages in the Central Kalahari into an epic battle-ground for elemental human rights and values. Sapignoli's meticulous account of this contest makes plain the complex mix of actors or interests in play, the daunting odds - and ever-present threat of appropriation - arraigned against her beleaguered litigants. Yet she mounts a compelling case against too simple a dismissal of the uses of insurgent lawfare: the San hunt for justice was no simple victory; but it has reshaped them as legal subjects, enabling new visions of entitlement and possibility.' John Comaroff and Jean Comaroff, Harvard University, Massachusetts'The book by Maria Sapignoli is a valuable contribution to the study of activism and social justice in Africa. Starting with the San case, the ethnographic research on which this volume is based has involved, in a creative and original way, the Kalahari villages, local NGOs, the Botswana High Court, and United Nations meetings. It is rigorous and exemplary in demonstrating the importance of comparative and multi-sited analysis, rich in generative ideas and theoretical connections that are useful for understanding the wider issues of indigenous rights, beyond the case in question.' Stefano Allovio, University of Milan'Invaluable contribution to debates on the indigenous legal turn. A powerful account of landmark litigation by San plaintiffs against Botswana after being forcibly evicted from the Kalahari. But as Maria Sapignoli explains, even a successful verdict does not ensure a favorable outcome, and may prolong rather than conclude their interactions with the legal system.' Stuart Kirsch, University of Michigan'Hunting Justice is a well-conceived, beautifully argued, and innovative study of a southern African indigenous peoples' social justice movement. In this momentous book, Maria Sapignoli assesses human rights, law and law-making, from global, regional, national and local perspectives. Places range from the United Nations to Botswana and small communities in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Drawing on court records and her own long-term fieldwork, Sapignoli focuses particular attention on the perspectives of the San and Bakgalagadi who have fought long and hard to retain their existence there and to have their rights to resources and livelihoods of their choice recognized in an African state.' Robert K. Hitchcock, University of New Mexico, and member of the board of Kalahari Peoples Fund'Sapignoli's book gives an excellent account of the complexities in the CKGR claim. It is also full of astonishing detail and up to date.' Alan Barnard, Emeritus Professor of Anthropology, University of Edinburg'As indigenous peoples gain greater visibility in their demands for recognition and rights, a book detailing the situation of injustice faced by the San (Bushmen) of Botswana and how they took their claims to the national courts and the UN is a truly welcome contribution. In Sapignoli's meticulous and superbly evocative account, we are given an insider's story of how an ignored and abused people fought against expulsion from their homelands and took their cause internationally.' Julian Burger, University of Essex, and Former Coordinator, Programme on Indigenous Peoples and Minorities, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human RightsTable of Contents1. Introduction; 2. Unsettling the Central Kalahari; 3. The 'bushman problem'; 4. Getting organized: the social lives of San NGOs; 5. The San in the United Nations; 6. The court; 7. After judgment; 8. Litigating for a way of life; 9. Conclusions.

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Book SynopsisIn theory, chemical-free sustainable agriculture not only has ecological benefits, but also social and economic benefits for rural communities. By removing farmers'' expenses on chemical inputs, it provides them with greater autonomy and challenges the status quo, where corporations dominate food systems. In practice, however, organisations promoting sustainable agriculture often maintain connections with powerful institutions and individuals, who have vested interests in maintaining the status quo. This book explores this tension within the sustainable farming movement through reference to three detailed case studies of organisations operating in rural India.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements; 1. Introduction; 2. India's agrarian crisis: a Gramscian view; 3. Embedded in power: potentials and constraints of sustainable agriculture ; 4. The Kheti Virasat Mission: people's movement or agrarian populism?; 5. The Tamil Nadu organic farmers' movement: the limits of participatory approaches; 6. The Beej Bachao Andolan: how 'grassroots' is the grassroots?; 7. Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis sociological study examines the religious movement Falun Gong within the context of the contentious politics literature. Using the 1989 democracy movement as a comparative case, the author explains Falun Gong's intensive grassroots mobilization, its significance for China, and its implications for understanding religious and political movements.Trade Review'Junker's incisive analysis of the two largest and most organized citizen movements in China's reform era - Falun Gong and the post-1989 democracy movement - is an invaluable resource for scholars of contentious politics and state-society relations, as well as those seeking to understand the direction of politics within the overseas Chinese diaspora.' Carl Minzner, Fordham University School of Law, New York'Becoming Activists in Global China is an extraordinarily interesting book. Employing impressive hermeneutic skills, Junker comes up with one eye-popping cultural interpretation after another. These empirical discoveries serve Junker's broader, theoretical ambition, which is to demonstrate that shared meanings - what he terms 'in-group culture' - play a much more consequential role in the formation of social movements than previous sociological thinking has allowed.' Jeffrey C. Alexander, Lillian Chavenson Saden Professor of Sociology, Yale University, Connecticut'An excellent book, meticulously researched, clearly written, and theoretically path-breaking.' David A. Palmer, author of Qigong Fever: Body, Science and Utopia in China'The book is methodologically solid, empirically nuanced, and theoretically provocative. Each page is an intellectually rewarding experience.' Rongbin Han, MobilizationTable of ContentsPart I. Thinking Comparatively: 1. Protest made in global China; 2. Comparing Falun Gong and Minyun as movements; 3. The forgotten importance of Falun Gong; Part II. The Cases: 4. Falun Gong: Qigong fad, new religion, protest movement; 5. Falun Gong's history of 'stepping forward'; 6. Overseas Minyun: democracy through bureaucracy, factionalism, and asylum brokering; Part III. Making Social Movements in Diaspora; 7. Publics, proselytizing, and protest: tactical repertoires compared; 8. Clarifying truth and saving souls; 9. Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisRiots, strikes, and protests broke out in the streets of Shanghai and Bombay (renamed Mumbai in 1995), with impressive frequency during the twentieth century. Many of the landmark protests and social movements had close connections with the neighborhoods, workplaces, and civic space of each city. By the late twentieth century, as the political geography of each city changed rapidly with the commodification of urban land, so too did the patterns of political contention. Using a comparative historical lens, Frazier chronicles the political biographies of these two metropolises and leading centers of manufacturing and finance. Debates over ideology, citizenship, and political representation took material form through clashes over housing, jobs, police violence, public space, among much else, in the lived experience of urban residents. Frazier puts contemporary debates over informal housing, eviction of inner-city residents, scarcities of manufacturing jobs, and questions of unequal citizenship in an illuminating historical context.Trade Review'Frazier reveals the power of a closely-studied, empirically-based and controlled comparison of two of Asia's 'maximum' cities over the last century. It makes for a fascinating read and embodies the best in the burgeoning field of Sino-Indian studies.' Prasenjit Duara, Oscar L. Tang Family Professor of East Asian Studies, Duke University, North Carolina'This impressive book is a tour de force account of the convergences and divergences that underpin collective protest in two of the world's great megacities: Shanghai and Mumbai. The book views contentious politics in both port cities through a comparative lens that will make scholars working on either of the two cities see them in new ways.' Prashant Kidambi, Centre for Urban History, University of Leicester'This remarkable and groundbreaking book examines contemporary Indian and Chinese urban politics and protests through a historical lens and with a focus on twentieth-century Shanghai and Bombay. It is a milestone in the comparative study of southern urbanism and politics.' Fulong Wu, Bartlett Professor of Planning, University College London'... it is worth noting that inasmuch as its empirical richness is a hallmark of Frazier's fine book, it can also present a challenge.' Prerna Singh, Comparative PoliticsTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Political geographies and contentious ports; 2. Nationalism and urban social movements, 1919; 3. Containing contention through nationalist movements; 4. In search of the socialist-modernist metropolis; 5. The rebellions of 1966; 6. Relocation, de-industrialization, and the politics of compensation in Mumbai; 7. Relocation, de-industrialization, and the politics of compensation in Shanghai; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisIn 1903, Emmeline Pankhurst founded the Women''s Social and Political Union, a militant organization dedicated to achieving women''s suffrage. Its radical approach, consisting of stone-throwing, window-breaking, arson, and physical confrontation with authorities. The History of the Women''s Suffrage was written at a time when it was in the very forefront of British politics and offers an insider''s perspective on the motives and ideals that inspired its leaders and followers. When the long struggle for the enfranchisement of women is over, those who read the history of the movement will wonder at the blindness that led the Government of the day to obstinately resist so simple and obvious a measure of justice. A passionate love of freedom, a strong desire to do social service and an intense sympathy for the unfortunate, together, made the movement possible.

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Book SynopsisCanada as a Settler Colony on the Question of Palestine explores Canada-Palestine relations through a settler colonial lens. The authors argue that there are direct parallels between Canada’s settler colonial project and its support for the Israeli settler colonial dispossession of Palestinians. Chapters reflect on community politics and activism, migration, orientalism, and critical race theory. Among its unique contributions, the volume provides a fresh look at Canada’s foreign policy as informed and shaped by its own history of settler colonialism. The collection also illuminates the breadth and depth of Palestinian life in Canada. Throughout, the chapters are connected by common themes of settler colonial destruction, dispossession, segregation, and otherness, as well as accounts of people challenging those processes in search of a better and fairer world. The book will be of interest to scholars in Indigenous Studies, International Relations, Peace and Conflict Studies, Canadian Studies, Palestine Studies, and beyond. Contributors: Samer Abdelnour, Nadia Abu-Zahra, Rachad Antonius, Lina Assi, M. Muhannad Ayyash, Peige Desjarlais, Randa Farah, Azeezah Kanji, Maurice Jr. Labelle, Nadia Naser-Najjab, Emily Regan Wills, Mira Sucharov, Jeremy Wildeman. Foreword by Veldon Coburn.Trade Review"This comparative analysis of Israeli and Canadian settler colonialism is one of the most useful angles for understanding the Palestine issue. Such an approach helps us to avoid the exceptionalism that has immunized Israel from international rebuke, and it charts crucial paths for liberation and reconciliation in the future." Ilan Pappé, Director of the European Centre for Palestine Studies, University of Exeter“This book is unique in its comparative approach to the effects of settler colonialism in Canada and Israel. It is also distinguished by its highlighting of the heterogenous experiences of Palestinian-Canadians, particularly of activist and working class sectors of this community.” Sunera Thobani, University of British ColumbiaNamed one of the 100 Best Books of 2023 by The Hill Times, December 19, 2023#9 on Calgary Non-Fiction Bestsellers list, January 25, 2024Table of ContentsForeword Veldon Coburn Introduction M. Muhannad Ayyash & Jeremy Wildeman Part I: Conceptualizing Palestine-Canada Relations through the Settler Colonial Framework Chapter 1: Hyphenation and Conciliation in the Settler Colony M. Muhannad Ayyash Chapter 2: A Shared Settler Colonialism Jeremy Wildeman Part II: Settler Colonial Dispossession and Repression Chapter 3: Canada and the Palestinian refugees: Humanitarian License to Dispossess? Randa Farah & Peige Desjarlais Chapter 4: Enforcing the Settler Contract: Repression of Palestine Solidarity in Canadian Colonial Multiculturalism Azeezah Kanji Part III: Canada’s Policies and the Perpetuation of Settler-Colonial Domination Chapter 5: Canada’s Role in the People-to-People Programme: A Critical Assessment Nadia Naser-Najjab Chapter 6: Aid for Peace Revisited: A New Paradigm for Understanding Conflict and Development Nadia Abu-Zahra Part IV: Restricting the Public Debate on Palestine Chapter 7: Palestinian Images, Israeli Narratives: Radio-Canada Coverage of the 2014 War on Gaza Rachad Antonius Chapter 8: Canada’s Israel Lobby and the Palestinians Mira Sucharov Part V: Palestinian Life and Activism in Canada Chapter 9: Exclusion and Exile: The Identity of Working-class Palestinians in Canada Lina Assi & Samer Abdelnour Chapter 10: Palestinian Organizations in Ottawa: Understanding Communities in Practice Emily Regan Wills Chapter 11: Re-Presenting Palestine: Sami Hadawi and the Palestinian Revolution in Canada Maurice Jr. Labelle Conclusion: The Struggle for a Fairer Future Jeremy Wildeman

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Book SynopsisPolynesian Panthers records the Pacific rights and social activist movement in New Zealand, told by those who were there. Forming in 1971, the Polynesian Panthers sought to raise consciousness and took action in response to the racism and discrimination Pacific peoples faced in New Zealand in the 1970s and 1980s. The Panthers organised prison visit programmes and sporting and debating teams for inmates; provided a halfway-house service for young men released from prison; ran homework centres; and offered ‘people’s loans’, legal aid and food banks that catered for 600 families at their height. Drawing on interviews, memoirs, poetry, newspaper articles and critical analysis, Polynesian Panthers is a thought-provoking account of this period in New Zealand.

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Book SynopsisEmerging relatively unscathed from the banking crisis of 2008, China has been viewed as a model of both rampant success and fiscal stability. But beneath the surface lies a network of fissures that look likely to erupt into the next big financial crash. A bloated real-estate sector, roller-coaster stock market, and rapidly growing shadow-banking sector have all coalesced to create a perfect storm: one that is in danger of taking the rest of the world’s economy with it. Walden Bello traces our recent history of financial crises – from the bursting of Japan’s ‘bubble economy’ in 1990 to Wall Street in 2008 – taking in their political and human ramifications such as rising inequality and environmental degradation. He not only predicts that China might be the site of the next crash, but that under neoliberalism this will simply keep happening. The only way that we can stop this cycle, Bello argues, is through a fundamental change in the ways that we organise: a shift to cooperative enterprise, respectful of the environment, and which fractures the twin legacies of imperialism and capitalism. Insightful, erudite and passionate, Paper Dragons is a must-read for anyone wishing to prevent the next financial meltdown.Trade ReviewThis welcome critique of global finance is admirably angry. * Guardian *Paper Dragons looks at the economic dangers building up in the Chinese economy and situates them in world economic developments since the Global Financial Crisis. * Green Left *Walden Bello suggests that, while the next devastating crisis with global ramifications can strike any one of capitalism’s many nodes, the immediate threat comes from Asian giant, China. The lesson? Reform of capitalism may be the immediate call, but in the final analysis we must transform how the system works and we live our lives. * C. P. Chandrasekhar, Professor of Economics, Jawaharlal Nehru University *Walden Bello argues that fragility remains within the system and points to China as the potential source of the world's next major economic crisis. He raises issues that citizens, policymakers, and financial players ignore at their peril. * Dean Baker, Co-founder and Senior Economist, Center for Economic Policy Research *Walden Bello shows how global capitalism remains structurally prone to financial crises. With clarity and conviction, Bello continues to explain reality lucidly and inspire progressive alternatives. * Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics Jawaharlal Nehru University *'Startling, revelatory, brilliant! An astonishing exposé of the frightening economic details of this moment. * Jerry Mander, author of The Capitalism Papers *'In 2008, a U.S. housing bubble careened out of control and plunged the world into a gruesome global financial crisis. Bello brilliantly lays out the case that – unless we put effective checks in place – the next financial crisis will likely erupt in China. * John Cavanagh, Director, Institute for Policy Studies *In this volume, Walden Bello demonstrates that East and Southeast Asia has been the location of multiple financial crises, despite enjoying an international reputation as a group of successful globalizers. * Manuel Montes, Senior Analyst, South Center, Geneva *Walden Bello, in this terrifying new book, explains that, if major changes are not taken, the same set of circumstances – unregulated shadow banking, runaway financial speculation and an overheated real estate bubble – are poised to take down China’s economy, and perhaps the world's with it. A very important book for this political moment. * Maude Barlow, author of Blue Future and chairperson of the Council of Canadians *A stark warning about the vulnerable state of global financial markets from one of our most acute and prescient thinkers. * Naomi Klein, author of This Changes Everything and The Shock Doctrine *'A tour de force of past and future financial crises by the globe's most astute progressive political economist. Bello puts forward a comprehensive agenda to prevent the next crisis. * Robin Broad, Guggenheim Fellow and Professor, American University *'Walden Bello brilliantly explains how our global financial system still operates as a giant casino — with China now one of the most reckless gamblers. Read this book to learn how we can tame the global financial casino — before China and other reckless gamblers cause the next crash. * Sarah Anderson, Global Economy Project Director *Walden Bello is one of the rare truly global thinkers. A must-read for those seeking prevent the next financial meltdown. * Superb.' *'Crisply and clearly written, Paper Dragons demonstrates that: "Yes, it can happen here, again and again." Politicians and lawmakers everywhere had better get a grip on finance, now. Or watch out, World! * Susan George, President of the Transnational Institute and author of How the Other Half Dies *Walden Bello is one of the foremost analysts of global economics and politics of our time. He shows that the global economy is a ticking time bomb. Erudite and eloquent, this book could not be timelier. This is a must read. * William I. Robinson, Professor of Sociology, University of California *'The question may not be if another crash will take place, but when and where will it start. Bello eschews pessimist fatalism, arguing for a broad programme of financial reforms integrated into a comprehensive programme of reforms of the real economy. Inspired and accessible … Wholeheartedly recommended! * Heikki Patomäki, Professor of World Politics, University of Helsinki, author of The Great Eurozone Crisis *Table of Contents1. Introduction: Will China be the Epicenter of the Next Financial Crisis? 2. Crisis in Wall Street and the Keynesian Response 3. Europe: Social Democracy’s Faustian Pact with Global Finance 4. Asia and Finance Capital: From the Japanese Bubble to China’s Financial Time Bomb 5. Reforming the Global Financial Architecture: Opportunities Lost, 2008-2018 6. How to Rebottle the Genie 7. Conclusion: Why Financial Reform is Not Enough

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Book Synopsis'Defying the Dragon' tells a remarkable story of audacity: of how the people of Hong Kong challenged the PRC’s authority, just as its president reached the height of his powers. Is Xi’s China as unshakeable as it seems? What are its real interests in Hong Kong? Why are Beijing’s time-honoured means of control no longer working there? And where does this leave Hongkongers themselves? Stephen Vines has lived in Hong Kong for over three decades. His book shrewdly unpacks the Hong Kong–China relationship and its wider significance—right up to the astonishing convergence of political turmoil and international crisis with Covid-19 and the 2020 crackdown. Vividly describing the uprising from street level, Vines explains how and why it unfolded, and its global repercussions. Now, the international community is reassessing relations with Beijing, just as Hong Kong’s rebellion and China’s handling of the pandemic have exposed the regime’s weakness. In a crisis that has become existential all round, what lies ahead for Hong Kong, China and the world?Trade Review'Written with honesty and integrity, [Defying the Dragon] chronicles a critical moment in Hong Kong’s history as the city prepares for an unclear future.' -- Post Magazine

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Book Synopsis**A Telegraph Best History Book 2023 and Spectator Book of the Year**The inspirational story of the ordinary people who forged the documents that saved thousands of Jewish lives in World War Two.'Powerful ... gripping ... inspiring' JONATHAN DIMBLEBYBetween 1940 and 1943, a small group of Polish diplomats and Jewish activists in Switzerland engaged in a wholly remarkable - and until now, almost completely unknown - humanitarian operation. Under the leadership of the Polish Ambassador, Aleksander Lados, they undertook a systematic programme of forging identity documents for Latin American countries, which were then smuggled into German-occupied Europe to save the lives of thousands of Jews facing extermination in the Holocaust.The Lados operation was one of the largest rescue missions of the entire war, and The Forgers tells this extraordinary story for the first time. We follow the desperate bids of Jews to obtain these life-saving documents, and their painful uncertainty over whether they will be granted protection from the Nazis' murderous fury. And we witness the quiet heroism of those who decided to act in an attempt to save thousands of lives.'Fascinating' The Times'Remarkable' Sunday Times'As gripping as it is moving' JULIA BOYD'An astonishing book' KATJA HOYERTrade ReviewThe Forgers is a well-constructed and agreeably concise book with a clear narrative drive and fascinating detail ... Moorhouse's most laudable achievement is the light he shines on Lados and his team, who saved at least 2,000 Jews from extermination. Until now, they have not received the recognition they deserve * Gerard de Groot, The Times *Among the many remarkable aspects of The Forgers is the fact that the prime movers were Poles, many of whom were notorious for antisemitism ... [Moorhouse] does well to highlight that some Poles displayed admirable compassion. * Max Hastings, Sunday Times *Roger Moorhouse, the leading historian on Poland's war, publishes a full account of Lados's efforts in an excellent book on the passport ring * Daniel Finkelstein, The Times *Absorbing... It is a story that seems not to have been told much outside the academic literature, and it is deeply researched and well reported here * Spectator *In this fascinating book, Roger Moorhouse shines a light on extraordinary, audacious and little-known rescue operation * Mail on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisIn this collection of firsthand accounts by those who knew Cesar Chavez best, a portrait of an uncommonly complex man, both driven and focused, yet humble, empathic and exceedingly principled, emerges. The reader gains an understanding of the yoke Chavez chose to place upon his own shoulders, as well as the ideals he employed to accomplish for the migrant farmworkers what many predicted would be impossible. The 45+ contributors range from the famous -- Edward James Olmos, Henry Cisneros, Martin Sheen, Coretta Scott King, Jerry Brown and others -- to members of the Chavez family, to UFW staff, to the farmworkers themselves. Illustrated by the compelling black and white photographs of George Elfie Ballis, who began photographing the farmworker movement in the 1950s.

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Book SynopsisThe biggest challenges of the twenty-first century require global solutions. Focusing on three of the most urgent problems of our time climate change, conflict, and poverty and inequality Tu Rangarangaintroduces the notion of global citizenship, and what it means to be an active citizen in today's world. If we are fundamentally linked to people around the globe by the clothes we wear, the phones we use and the resources we consume, what does this mean for the rights and responsibilities that underpin citizenship? How should we respond to the climate crisis, conflict or inequality? In the face of these daunting global crises, this book encourages reflection on the power of collective action to enhance the dignity and rights of others.Part of a series of books exploring and promoting citizenship in Aotearoa and beyond,Tu RangarangajoinsTutira Mai(2021) andTurangawaewae(2017, 2022) in combining academic rigour with an examination of how to engage as an active citizen.

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Book SynopsisAfter first occupying vacant spaces in post-stock-market-crash Auckland in the mid-1990s, public art curators Letting Space re-emerged in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis. Confronted by the thin net of social welfare, the waste of the capitalist system and the climate emergency, it brokered spaces for artists to think and act radically, outside gallery walls.This book chronicles the projects those artists drove. From a grocery store where everything was free to an ATM for depositing moods and a citizens' water-testing lab, they added to the civic dialogue at a time when public space and media were increasingly commodified and under surveillance.Written by leading New Zealand writers and thinkers, including Pip Adam and Chris Kraus, Urgent Moments demonstrates the vital role artists can play in the pressing discussions of our times.

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Book SynopsisSince the end of the Cold War, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions have been faced with multiple upheavals of interethnic violence, bloody secessions and ethnic cleansing. Up to the present, both regions are confronted with unresolved border, minority and security issues, matters of recognition, protracted traumata and claims for justice. After the fall of the iron curtain, simmering ethnic tensions turned into hot wars that created new states, new power-political hierarchies and a heritage of violence. Reaching back to the early 1990s, several international and national transitional justice measures have been applied to face these heritages and lay the foundations for a common future. For the former Yugoslavia, they range from broad criminal trials to a series of restorative justice mechanisms

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Book SynopsisIn the late 1960s, the feminist scholar Kate Millet broadly defined "politics" as arrangements of power which enable individuals collectively to assert authority over others. Taking this definition, case studies by scholars from Europe, Israel and the United States explore the gendered professional in the 20th century as she navigated arrangements of power including organised religion, emancipation movements, cultural norms and shifting forms of government to practice architecture. Additional contributions reflect upon power structures in contemporary architectural education, practice and history to propose other means of architectural knowledge, representation and professional activity.

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Book SynopsisThe courageous acts of whistleblowing that inspired the world over the past few years have changed our perception of surveillance and control in today's information society. But what are the wider effects of whistleblowing as an act of dissent on politics, society, and the arts? How does it contribute to new courses of action, digital tools, and contents? This urgent intervention based on the work of Berlin's Disruption Network Lab examines this growing phenomenon, offering interdisciplinary pathways to empower the public by investigating whistleblowing as a developing political practice that has the ability to provoke change from within.

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Book SynopsisHow is solidarity understood by the people who practice it actively and daily? What is the role of solidarity in reconciling the relationship of individuals with the collective demands of communities that fight for the rights of others? Based on a variety of anthropological, sociological, and philosophical writings as well as ethnographic research, Maria Giannoula takes an elaborated look at the emotional and spiritual aspects of political participation within an activist group in Greece in the 2010s. This study is a valuable resource for those researching social movements and alternative communities, focusing on the ways in which individuals organise their own forms of activism.

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Book SynopsisThe 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.Trade ReviewThe real strength of Gender, Nationalism, and Citizenship in Anti-Authoritarian Protests in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine...remains the sincere and ultimately academic handling of topics too often overlooked in Slavic Studies. -- Jeanine Pfahlert, Oakland Community College * Slavic and East European Journal, 61.2 *Table of ContentsIntroduction, by Olesya Khromeychuk Articles Negotiating Protest Spaces on the Maidan: A Gender Perspective, by Olesya Khromeychuk Sexuality and Revolution in Post-Soviet Ukraine: Human Rights for the LGBT Community in the Euromaidan Protests of 2013-2014, by Tamara Martsenyuk Ethical Concerns in Activist Ethnography: The Case of Ukrainian Protest Activism in London and a Russian Female Researcher, by Darya Malyutina Between Being Witty and Being Pretty: Paradoxes of Female Political Participation in Post-Soviet Eastern Europe, by Evgenia Ivanova "I'm a Feminist, Therefore...:" The Art of Gender and Sexual Dissent in 2010s Ukraine and Russia, by Olenka Dmytryk Perspectives & Reflections Feminist Art in Russia in 2014-15: The Problem of the "Turn to the Right", by Nadia Plungian "Wait a Minute, You're a Woman!" Interview with Maria Berlins'ka, by Olesya Khromeychuk Review Article: East Europe's Women in World War II, by Iryna Kosovs'ka Reviews Francesca Stella, Lesbian Lives in Soviet and Post?Soviet Russia: Post/Socialism and Gendered Sexualities, by Cai Wilkinson Jenny Kaminer, Women with a Thirst for Destruction: The Bad Mother in Russian Culture, by Katherine Bowers Stephen Amico, Roll Over, Tchaikovsky! Russian Popular Music and Post?Soviet Homosexuality, by Catherine Baker Irina Mukhina, Women and the Birth of Russian Capitalism: A History of Shuttle Trade, by Laura A. Dean Marian J. Rubchak (ed.), New Imaginaries: Youthful Reinvention of Ukraine's Cultural Paradigm, by Dafna Rachok Russell Scott Valentino, The Woman in the Window: Commerce, Consensual Fantasy, and the Quest for Masculine Virtue in the Russian Novel, by Connor Doak Valerie Sperling, Sex, Politics, and Putin: Political Legitimacy in Russia, by Rustam Gadzhiev Jennifer Utrata, Women without Men: Single Mothers and Family Change in the New Russia, by Anna Shadrina Steven Lee Myers, The New Tsar: The Rise and Reign of Vladimir Putin, by Anders Aslund Thomas W Simons, Jr (ed.), Islam in Eurasia: A Policy Volume, by Shahram Akbarzadeh Ieva Astahovska et al (eds.), Revisiting Footnotes: Footprints of the Recent Past in the Post-Socialist Region, by Ulrike Gerhardt About the Contributors

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Book SynopsisWhat are the reasons behind, and trajectories of, the rapid cultural changes in Ukraine since 2013? This volume highlights: the role of the Revolution of Dignity and the Russian-Ukrainian war in the formation of Ukrainian civil society; the forms of warfare waged by Moscow against Kyiv, including information and religious wars; Ukrainian and Russian identities and cultural realignment; sources of destabilisation in Ukraine and beyond; memory politics and Russian foreign policies; the Kremlins geopolitical goals in its 'near abroad'; and factors determining Ukraines future and survival in a state of war. The studies included in this collection illuminate the growing gap between the political and social systems of Ukraine and Russia. The anthology illustrates how the Ukrainian revolution of 20132014, Russias annexation of the Crimean peninsula, and its invasion of eastern Ukraine have altered the post-Cold War political landscape and, with it, the regional and global power and security dynamics.Trade Review"This book explores the Ukrainian crisis using a different approach, not often seen in other works. The authors have attempted to view the Ukrainian crisis not at the level of competition between superpowers and the issue of East and West, but from a social and identity perspective. In this they have been successful. As a result, the reader gains a more thorough understanding of events and better perceives the complexities of the tensions between Ukraine and Russia and, hence, between Russia and the West...."Ghasem Torabi (2018) Revolution and War in Contemporary Ukraine. The Challenge of Change, Europe-Asia Studies, 70:2, 303-304, DOI: 10.1080/09668136.2018.1430225Table of ContentsIntroduction; The Ukrainian Revolution of 2013-2014 & the Sources of Russia's Response; Ukraine is the Epicenter of the 'World Hurricane"; Ukraine & Russia: Entangled Histories, Contested Identities, & a War of Narratives; Living with Ambiguities: Meanings of Nationalism in the Russian-Ukrainian War; Ideologies of Language in Wartime; Ukrainian Euromaidan as Social & Cultural Performance; The Annexation of Crimea: Russia's Response to Ukraine's Revolution; Russian Hegemony in the Black Sea Basin: The "Third Rome" in Contemporary Geopolitics; The Invisible Front: Russia, Trolls, & the Information War Against Ukraine; The Impact of Russia's Intervention in Ukraine on Muslim, Jewish & Baptist Communities; The Perpetual Cycle of Political Corruption in Ukraine & Post-Revolutionary Attempts to Break Through It; Police Reform: Challenges & Prospects; Epilogue; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis book deals with the Slovak National Uprising (SNP) that was launched on 29 August 1944 in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia. In the West, the uprising is an under-researched topic in the history of WWII. The Slovak state was an ally of Nazi Germany, but the uprising proved that the population did not share the regimes ideology.

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Book SynopsisMarkus Jaeger explores the coalescence of Joan Baez's work as a singer and songwriter with her endeavors as a political activist throughout the last sixty years. He illustrates an American popular singer's significance as a political activist -- for her audiences and for her opponents as well as for those victims of politically organized violence who have profited from her work. Mingling popular culture with political activism can be a helpful means to achieve non-violent societal progress: Joan Baezs work offers an excellent example for this hypothesis. Revised and updated edition, with an additional chapter on Joan Baezs artistic and political endeavours in the 2010s.Table of ContentsIntroduction; Stepping Over Boundaries: Materials, Methodology and Theory; The Kingdom of Childhood: Major Moments of the 1950s; On Refusal Without Violence: Joan Baez and Henry David Thoreau; High School Activist and Folk Music Revivalist; Post-war Fractures in Society: Joan Baez in the 1960s; A Roller Coaster Decade: Joan Baez in the 1970s; A Narcissistic Decade: Joan Baez in the 1980s; Gone from Danger: Joan Baez in the 1990s; A Lifetime Achievement: Joan Baez in the 2000s; In Times of Nasty Men: Joan Baez in the 2010s; Conclusion; Bibliography; Acknowledgements; Curriculum Vitae.

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Book SynopsisWith the rise of grassroots initiatives in urban spaces across Eastern Europe and Eurasia in recent decades, Urban Activism in Eurasia addresses three central questions: What are distinctive features and the dynamic of urban activism in contemporary post-Soviet cities? How urban civic engagement does evolve on a micro level and in larger-scale processes? How a variety of group and individuals who claim to the city space and its development find their own ways to initiate local urban change. The volume challenges the prevailing simplistic view of weak, passive and scared citizens in Eastern European and Eurasian cities, which are often seen to be predominantly shaped by neo-liberal and authoritarian structures. Instead, we argue for the vibrant diversity and dynamism in the contemporary urban civic activism in Eurasia. Employing diverse sources such as intriguing photographs, interviews with local activists and scholarly reports from the field of anthropology, urban planning, architecture, political sciences and sociology, the edited volume explores the creativity and novelty of Eurasian urban grass roots activism. Drawing on these multi-disciplinary perspectives, the volume hopes to overcome distances and trigger dialogues in several respects and realms: among the interested public, activists, ‘urban decision makers’ and scholars in East and West, North and South alike. With contributions by Andrei Semenov, Levon Abrahamian, Gayane Shagoyan, Nadia Douglas, Oleg Pachenkov, Lila Voronkova, Christian Frohlich, Lela Rekviashvili, Esma Berikishvili, David Sichinava, Alexander Formosov, Nazaket Azimli, Otto Habeck, Jonas Büchel, Carola S. Neugebauer, Olena Denysenko and Tsypylma Darieva.

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Book SynopsisFanaticism turns the world on its head. It transforms the healing prescription of a messenger of God into noxious poison. In the middle of the 19th century in Persia, the founder of the Baha''I Faith described fanaticism as a world-devouring fire. He revealed a system for overcoming fanaticism which summons us to look beyond race, gender, religion, ethnicity and nationality and see ourselves as citizens of a unified world, owing our existence to a common Creator. This declaration produced a fierce fanatical reaction in Persia, where over 20,000 people who answered the call were brutally murdered in a wave of state-sanctioned persecution. Now over a century later, millions have embraced this unifying vision. This book will help you to understand why. Especially for those concerned with the outwardly intractable conflict between Muslims, Jews, and Christians, this book offers a beacon of light in these seemingly dark and hopeless times.

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Book SynopsisIt is common knowledge that Mahatma Gandhi was shot dead in 1948 by a Hindu militant, shortly after India had both gained her independence andost nearly a quarter of her territory to the new state of Pakistan.esser known is assassin Nathuram Godse''s motive. Until now, no publication has dealt with this question, except for the naked text of Godse''s own defence speech during his trial. It didn''t save him from the hangman, but still contains substantive arguments against the facile glorification of the Mahatma. Dr Koenraad Elst compares Godse''s case against Gandhi with criticisms voiced in wider circles and with historical data known at the time or brought toight since. While the Mahatma was extolled by the Hindu masses, politicaleaders of divergent persuasions who had had dealings with him wereess enthusiastic. Their sobering views would have become the received wisdom about the Mahatma if he hadn''t been martyred. Yet, the author also presents some new considerations in Gandhi''s defence from unexpected quarters.

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Book SynopsisThis book tells the stories of social justice warriors who are quietly powering the country''s progress by being agents of real change. Words Mahatma Gandhi lived by-such as ''India lives in villages and to serve the poor we will have to serve in the villages'' or that ''truth may get troubled but it never gets defeated''-are their moral compass. They have shown by personal example how adopting Bapu''s ideology as a way of life can be personally enriching and socially beneficial. The people in this book mostly work away from the spotlight. Through entirely Gandhian ways, they have proved that his methods, such as satyagraha, still help effect real change and progress for the people most in need. Many have won awards and recognition, but largely their stirring stories have remained untold-a gap that Being the Change seeks to fill.

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Book SynopsisThe fast-paced narrative is based on exclusive interviews with ULFA functionaries in the Northeast, Myanmar and Bangladesh, former officers engaged in counter-insurgency operations, as well as papers of ULFA leaders.

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Book SynopsisA rabbi, an arms smuggler, a collaborator and a spy, he has flirted with danger, been trailed and jailed, and broken his share of laws. Yet throughout his long and full life, Herb Friedman has always held steadfastly to his beliefs, his Judaism and his faith in the uniqueness of the Jewish people. Over the years, Friedman maintained close friendships with some of the finest Jewish leaders of our time - David Ben-Gurion, Golda Meir, Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, Abba Eban -- and some of the most prominent names of the 20th century, including Harry S Truman, Lyndon B Johnson, and Popes Pius XII and John XXIII. Roots of the Future is the collection of the astounding stories and anecdotes which composed over 80 years of Herb Friedman''s remarkable life. It is also an affirmation of the enduring value of the Jewish heritage and proof that one man can make a lifetime of difference.

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Book SynopsisThrough much of the 20th century, federal policy toward Indians sought to extinguish all remnants of native life and culture. That policy was dramatically confronted in the late 1960s when a loose coalition of hippies, civil rights advocates, Black Panthers, unions, Mexican-Americans, Quakers and other Christians, celebrities, and others joined with Red Power activists to fight for Indian rights. In Hippies, Indians and the Fight for Red Power, Sherry Smith offers the first full account of this remarkable story. Hippies were among the first non-Indians of the post-World War II generation to seek contact with Native Americans. The counterculture saw Indians as genuine holdouts against conformity, inherently spiritual, ecological, tribal, communal-the original long hairs. Searching for authenticity while trying to achieve social and political justice for minorities, progressives of various stripes and colors were soon drawn to the Indian cause. Black Panthers took part in Pacific NorthweTrade ReviewIn this remarkably insightful work, Sherry L. Smith brings to light a series of cross-cultural encounters during the Red Power era that until now have not been carefully parsed. ... Her persuasive analysis reveals example after example of meaningful cooperation and sincere mutual support. ... It is a bold and important retelling that should shape our discussions for years to come. * Western Historical Quarterly *Smith's book is...a model of cross-racial negotiation. She sees her task as correcting the record on the makeup of Red Power politics without diminishing the leadership of 'the original American 'long hairs' or the costs borne by their communities. She...judiciously trac[es] the false starts and the achievements of co-operation. * Christine Bold, Times Literary Supplement *Smith must be commended for opening a new door on the counterculture-Indian relationship. Smith's well written text substantially advances our understanding of the multiethnic nature of Native American activism in the 1960s and 1970s, and it both reveals and redeems the imaginings of Indianness by sixties hippies as important to that cause. * Current Anthropology *Elegantly written and thoroughly documented Smith does an excellent job of shedding light not only on the complicated relations between Indians and non-Indians but also on the nuances within Indian America, particularly among various Red Power movements, more established organizations like the National Congress of American Indians, and reservation-based tribal governments. * Akim D. Reinhardt, American Historical Review *An outstanding book.... Smith has written one of the very best histories of 'Red Power'. ... Her account of how Indian activists fought for greater sovereignty and control over their lands and their collective lives by attracting outside support and forging alliances with nonIndians is a moving and thought-provoking tale. ... Her method in analyzing the Red Power movement is innovative.... An exemplary account of a major sixties-era social change movement that can serve as a conceptual model. * H-Net Reviews *A convincing, concise, and readable introduction to a topic with which many readers may be unfamiliar. * CHOICE *If ever there was a story difficult to get right, it's the turbulent confluence of hippies and American Indians in the 1960s and 70s. Sherry Smith gets it right. * Stewart Brand, author of Whole Earth Discipline *With penetrating analysis, Sherry Smith argues eloquently that the 1960s and 1970s were the defining moment in modern political history for America and American Indians struggling for justice. This book defines this pivotal time; it contextualizes nationwide political activism by putting an odd couple - Indians and hippies together - on the center stage of making history. Absolutely brilliant! * Donald L. Fixico, author of The Urban Indian Experience in America *Sherry Smith has done a masterful job of sorting out the braided cultural strains which tangled and interpenetrated during the cultural and political revolutions of the Sixties. I was present at a number of these events, knew many of the players, and am amazed at the way she has clarified 'the fog of war,' which is how history recounted appears to participants. Her book covers an unacknowledged aspect of Native people's struggle for justice and the confusing, often ignorant manner in which counter-culture hipsters, liberals, and well-meaning do-gooders tried to 'help' them. Through it all, 'White' cultural assumptions loom as large as a rude and noisy guest at a prayer breakfast. It's eye-opening, ground-breaking work and deserves to be read. * Peter Coyote, actor and author of Sleeping Where I Fall *Without ever losing sight of the larger tragedy of American Indian history, Sherry Smith writes deftly and often wryly of the 1960s and 1970s when the counterculture and the New Left discovered Indians, and Indians discovered the political possibilities that alienated young white Americans presented. The results were sometimes comic, sometimes painful, occasionally touching, but always revealing of the changing valence of Indian peoples and cultures in American society and American politics. This is an original and absorbing book. * Richard White, Stanford University *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ; Introduction ; Ch 1. In the Pacific Northwest ; Ch 2. The California Scene ; Ch 3. Alcatraz ; Ch 4. Back to the Land ; Ch 5. From Coast to Coast ; Ch 6. On to Wounded Knee ; Epilogue ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisRevolutions, social movements, religious and ethnic conflict, nationalism and civil rights, and transnational movements: these forms of contentious politics combine in Charles Tilly''s and Sidney Tarrow''s Contentious Politics. The authors present a set of analytical tools and procedures for study, comparison, and explanation of these very different sorts of contention. Drawing on many historical and contemporary cases, the book shows that similar principles describe and explain a wide variety of struggles as well as many more routine forms of politics.This fully revised and updated edition explores some of the major contentious events that have taken place since the original book was published in 2007, including the Occupy movement in the United States, the campaign for free elections in the city of Hong Kong, insurrections against Middle Eastern dictatorships, and armed conflicts on the border of the former Soviet Union. Comprehensive and empirically rich, Contentious Politics, 2nd eTrade Review"The second edition of Contentious Politics offers state-of-the-art tools for examining contemporary and historical movements and wider forms of collective action from transnational terrorism to civil wars. The text will be indispensable in social movement-related courses as well as a resource for scholars of resistance movements and historical struggles." --Paul Almeida, University of California-Merced "What do anti-slavery protests in 18th century Great Britain share with the Maidan encampment and its outcome for contemporary conflicts in Ukraine and in Europe as a whole? This must-read volume addresses this question by leading us through the complexity of contentious politics. Much more than just an introduction to a vital field of study, it contributes to it at several levels. Not only does it cover a broad range of popular contention in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas, but it also magisterially highlights the theoretical achievements and potential of the field of contentious politics." --Donatella della Porta, Scuola Normale Superiore and the European University Institute "I would be highly inclined to use the second edition of Contentious Politics as a main textbook for an undergraduate course on contentious politics and social movements. I believe that this updated edition will inspire discussions around the dialogue between theory and empirical cases. Moreover, its up-to-date analysis of major episodes of contention in the past decade will undoubtedly stimulate students to apply the theoretical definitions of contentious politics to real-world cases." --Diana Fu, University of Toronto "Clearly presented and engaging, Contentious Politics remains essential reading for undergraduate and graduate courses on sociopolitical mobilization." --M.L. Weiss, University of Albany, lChoiceTable of ContentsList of Tables, Figures and Boxes ; Preface ; PART I: INTRODUCTION ; 1. Making Claims ; 2. How to Analyze Contention ; PART TWO: REPERTOIRES, REGIMES AND OPPORTUNITIES ; 3. Democracy, Undemocracy, and Change in Repertoires ; 4. Contention in Hybrid Regimes ; PART III: INTERACTION AND MOBILIZATION ; 5. Contentious Interaction ; 6. Mobilization and Demobilization ; PART IV: MOVEMENT AND LETHAL POLITICS ; 7. Social Movements ; 8. Lethal Conflicts ; PART V: CONTENTION TODAY AND TOMORROW ; 9. Transnational Contention ; 10. Conclusions ; Appendix A: Concepts and Methods ; References ; Index ; About the Authors

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Book SynopsisIn recent years leaderless social movements have proliferated around the globe, from North Africa and the Middle East to Europe, the Americas, and East Asia. Some of these movements have led to impressive gains: the toppling of authoritarian leaders, the furthering of progressive policy, and checks on repressive state forces. They have also been, at times, derided by journalists and political analysts as disorganized and ineffectual, or suppressed by disoriented and perplexed police forces and governments who fail to effectively engage them. Activists, too, struggle to harness the potential of these horizontal movements. Why have the movements, which address the needs and desires of so many, not been able to achieve lasting change and create a new, more democratic and just society? Some people assume that if only social movements could find new leaders they would return to their earlier glory. Where, they ask, are the new Martin Luther Kings, Rudi Dutschkes, and Stephen Bikos? With theTrade ReviewThis is an important new statement from two of the most creative thinkers on the left. * Jedediah Purdy, author of After Nature: A Politics for the Anthropocene *Are you ready for democracy? Assembly argues: don't be scared to remake it. Disturbing the tendency of resistance struggles to become hamstrung by a poverty of organization, Hardt and Negri throw question after question at left political habits and traditions of thought, imagining a New Prince from the multitude and new tools for self-governance. Some of their many propositions may seem questionable and some viscerally right, but all are thoughtful, potentially revelatory, fuel. * Lauren Berlant, author of Cruel Optimism *This is an impressive, full-fledged pars construens, theoretically sophisticated and politically plausible. Assembly is the crown jewel of an immensely influential production that every cosmopolitan critical thinker simply has to confront. One may disagree with Hardt and Negri, but the motivation for disagreement becomes more and more difficult, one masterpiece after the other. * Ugo Mattei, author of Plunder: When the Rule of Law is Illegal *A smart and in-depth examination of Marxist politics for a new century... [Assembly] is a fascinating, challenging theoretical journey into a future beyond capitalism. * Publishers Weekly *A combination of insightful analysis grounded in Marxism and a reasoned look at organizing in the social reality defined by neoliberal capitalism, Assembly is a highly recommended read. * CounterPunch *Table of ContentsPrefacePart I: The Leadership ProblemChapter 1: Where Have All the Leaders Gone?Chapter 2: Strategy and Tactics of the CentaurChapter 3: Contra Rousseau, or, Pour en Finir avec la SouverainetéChapter 4: The Dark Mirror of Right-Wing MovementsChapter 5: The Real Problem Lies ElsewherePart II: The Social Production of the MultitudeChapter 6: How to Open Property to the CommonChapter 7: We, Machinic SubjectsChapter 8: Weber in ReverseChapter 9: Entrepreneurship of the MultitudePart III: Financial Command and Neoliberal GovernanceChapter 10: Finance Captures Social ValueChapter 11: Money Institutionalizes a Social RelationChapter 12: Neoliberal Administration Out of JointPart IV: New PrinceChapter 13: Political RealismChapter 14: Impossible ReformismChapter 15: And Now What?Chapter 16: PortolanNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisWhy David Sometimes Wins tells the story of Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers'' groundbreaking victory, drawing important lessons from this dramatic tale. Since the 1900s, large-scale agricultural enterprises relied on migrant labor--a cheap, unorganized, and powerless workforce. In 1965, when some 800 Filipino grape workers began to strike under the aegis of the AFL-CIO, the UFW soon joined the action with 2,000 Mexican workers and turned the strike into a civil rights struggle. They engaged in civil disobedience, mobilized support from churches and students, boycotted growers, and transformed their struggle into La Causa, a farm workers'' movement that eventually triumphed over the grape industry''s Goliath. Why did they succeed? How can the powerless challenge the powerful successfully? Offering insight from a longtime movement organizer and scholar, Ganz illustrates how they had the ability and resourcefulness to devise good strategy and turn short-term advantages into long-

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Book SynopsisThe Politics of Child Sexual Abuse is the first study of activism against child sexual abuse, tracing its emergence in feminist anti-rape efforts, its development into mainstream self-help, and its entry into mass media and public policy. Nancy Whittier deftly charts the development of the movement''s therapeutic politics, demonstrating that activists viewed tactics for changing emotions and one''s sense of self as necessary for widespread social change and combined them with efforts to change institutions and the state. Though activism originated with feminists, the movement grew and spread to include the goals of non-feminist survivors, opponents, therapists, law enforcement, and elected officials. In the process, the movement both succeeded beyond its wildest dreams and saw its agenda transformed in ways that were sometimes unrecognizable. A moving account, The Politics of Child Sexual Abuse draws powerful lessons about the transformative potential of therapeutic politics, their conTrade ReviewThe Politics of Child Sexual Abuse offers a significant contribution to understanding the ongoing public issue of sexual abuse that will be of interest to a wide readership, and particularly to scholars of political culture, gender and sexuality, and social movement theory. * American Journal of Sociology *In a single book, Nancy Whittier overturns all conventional wisdom about why sexual abuse became such a contentious public issue. Battles over incest, repressed memory, and clergy abuse are not moral panics, she shows, but a collective therapeutic activism that challenges existing forms of knowledge and control. The Politics of Child Sexual Abuse sets out a bold, new direction that is essential reading for all scholars of political culture and social movements. * Kathleen Blee, Distinguished Professor of Sociology, University of Pittsburgh *Relying on interviews with a range of activists, along with documentary evidence of various types, Nancy Whittier provides a convincing explanation for the transformation of child sexual abuse in America since 1970. An engaging and balanced examination of this highly charged topic, The Politics of Child Sexual Abuse skillfully negotiates treacherous terrain in a fashion that respects all sides. This book is a highly original work and one of the best studies of child sexual abuse in the last twenty-five years. * Ross E. Cheit, Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, Brown University *The Politics of Child Sexual Abuse is an ambitious book that demonstrates the payoff of theoretical synthesis and careful empirical research. Whittier integrates the latest advances in thinking about social movements, the state, and gender politics in order to develop a comprehensive and compelling account of activism around child sexual abuse. This book will challenge analysts to rethink the intersection of politics, culture, and activism, as well as the relationship between social movements and their impacts. * Debra Minkoff, Professor of Sociology, Barnard College, Columbia University *Nancy Whittier has given us a powerful account of how the movement against child sexual abuse has unfolded over the past 40 years. Knowing our history--recording and preserving it--is essential if we are to learn from it. The Politics of Child Sexual Abuse is the story of how activists have changed their own lives and the larger world. At a time when public discourse often simplifies or dismisses this movement, Whittier tells our history in a way that advances deep understanding of the issue. * Ellen Bass, co-author of The Courage to Heal *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION; CONCLUSION; REFERENCES

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Book SynopsisFrom the 494 B.C. plebeians'' march out of Rome to gain improved status, to Gandhi''s nonviolent campaigns in India, to the liberation of Poland and the Baltic nations, and the revolutions in North Africa, nonviolent struggles have played pivotal roles in world events for centuries. Sharp''s Dictionary of Power and Struggle is a groundbreaking reference work on this topic by the godfather of nonviolent resistance. In nearly 1,000 entries, the Dictionary defines those ideologies, political systems, strategies, methods, and concepts that form the core of nonviolent action as it has occurred throughout history and across the globe, providing much-needed clarification of language that is often mired in confusion. Entries discuss everything from militarization to censorship, guerrilla theater, pacifism, secret agents, and protest songs. In addition, the dictionary features a foreword by Sir Adam Roberts, President of the British Academy; an introduction by Gene Sharp; an essay on power and realism; case studies of conflicts in Serbia and Tunisia; and a guide for further reading. Sharp''s Dictionary of Power and Struggle is an invaluable resource for activists, educators and anyone else curious about nonviolent alternatives to both passivity and violent conflict. Gene Sharp is perhaps the most influential proponent of nonviolent action alive.--The ProgressiveSharp has had broad influence on international events over the past two decades, helping to advance a global democratic awakening.--The Wall Street Journal[Sharp''s] work has served as the template for taking on authoritarian regimes from Burma to Belgrade.--The Christian Science MonitorTrade ReviewSharp's Dictionary of Power and Struggle is the definitive work on the subject. * Times Literary Supplement *Table of ContentsForeword by Sir Adam Roberts ; Author's Preface ; Introduction ; An Essay on Power and Realism ; Case Study: Serbia, by Joshua Paulson ; Case Study: Tunisia, by Jamila Raqib ; The Dictionary of Power and Struggle ; Appendix One: List of entries ; Appendix Two: 198 Methods of Nonviolent Action ; Appendix Three : For further reading on nonviolent action ; Acknowledgements ; The Albert Einstein Institute Mission Statement ; About the author

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Book SynopsisFrom Gandhi''s movement to win Indian independence to the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011, an expanding number of citizens have used nonviolent action to win political goals. While such events have captured the public imagination, they have also generated a new surge of scholarly interest in the field of nonviolence and civil resistance studies. Although researchers have produced new empirical data, theories, and insights into the phenomenon of nonviolent struggle, the field is still quite unfamiliar to many students and scholars. In Nonviolent Struggle: Theories, Strategies, and Dynamics, sociologist Sharon Nepstad provides a succinct introduction to the field of civil resistance studies, detailing its genesis, key concepts and debates, and a summary of empirical findings. Nepstad depicts the strategies and dynamics at play in nonviolent struggles, and analyzes the factors that shape the trajectory and outcome of civil resistance movements. The book draws on a vast array of historical examples, including the U.S. civil rights movement, the Indonesian uprising against President Suharto, the French Huguenot resistance during World War II, and Cesar Chavez''s United Farm Workers. Nepstad describes both principled and pragmatic nonviolent traditions and explains various categories of nonviolent action, concluding with an assessment of areas for future research. A comprehensive treatment of the philosophy and strategy of nonviolent resistance, Nonviolent Struggle is essential reading for students, scholars, and anyone with a general interest in peace studies and social change.Trade ReviewIt is not an easy task to capture a moving target, but Nepstad has successfully done so, having effectively woven the different threads of this emerging field together. Nonviolent Struggle provides a comprehensive overview of this still under-researched phenomenon and in that sense is clearly one of the foundational academic works... Nonviolent Struggle is a must-read for scholars, students, practitioners and anyone with a general interest in conflict transformation, peace studies, social change and social movements. * Siddharth Tripathi, Democratization *Table of ContentsList of Tables and Figures ; Preface ; Acknowledgements ; Chapter 1: What Nonviolence Is and What It Is Not ; Chapter 2: Religious and Ethical Positions on Violence and Nonviolence ; Chapter 3: The Strategy of Nonviolent Resistance ; Chapter 4: Types of Nonviolent Action ; Chapter 5: Dynamics of Nonviolent Struggles ; Chapter 6: Outcomes and Consequences of Nonviolent Struggles ; Chapter 7: Armed Forces, Defections, and Nonviolent Change ; Chapter 8: The Global Diffusion of Nonviolence ; Chapter 9: Future Directions in Civil Resistance Research ; Appendix: Discussion Questions ; Endnotes ; Glossary of Terms ; References

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Book SynopsisA finalist for the 2023 National Book Critics Circle AwardWinner of the Women''s Prize for NonfictionNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER National Indie BestsellerA New York Times notable book of 2023 Vulture's #1 book of 2023One of Slate's ten best books of 2023 A Guardian best ideas book of 2023 One of Time's ten best books of 2023 Winner of the Pacific Northwest Book AwardI've been raving about Naomi Klein's Doppelganger . . . I can't think of another text that better captures the berserk period we're living through. Michelle Goldberg, The New York TimesIf I had to name a single book that makes sense of these last few dark years, it would be this one. Katie Roiphe, The New York Times Book Review (Editors' Choice)What if you woke up one morning and found you'd acquired another selfa double who was almost you and yet not yo

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Book SynopsisAn authoritative new examination of John Brown and his deep impact on American history.Bancroft Prize-winning cultural historian David S. Reynolds presents an informative and richly considered new exploration of the paradox of a man steeped in the Bible but more than willing to kill for his abolitionist cause. Reynolds locates Brown within the currents of nineteenth-century life and compares him to modern terrorists, civil-rights activists, and freedom fighters. Ultimately, he finds neither a wild-eyed fanatic nor a Christ-like martyr, but a passionate opponent of racism so dedicated to eradicating slavery that he realized only blood could scour it from the country he loved. By stiffening the backbone of Northerners and showing Southerners there were those who would fight for their cause, he hastened the coming of the Civil War. This is a vivid and startling story of a man and an age on the verge of calamity.

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