Page 325 – Toward Freedom

The “People’s Pope” and the Church’s Emerging Contradictions

Armando Carmona October 11, 2015 Armando Carmona

Pope Francis has radically changed the image of the Catholic Church. He has been called a progressive, the “people’s pope” and even a radical pope who is attempting to shift the global image of Catholic conservatism. It is impossible to deny the importance of the pope’s current discourse as he pushes global political leaders to address climate change and economic inequality, inviting them to refocus their energy toward a “revolution of tenderness.” read more

Remembering Grace Lee Boggs and the Revolution She Inspired in Me

Sarah van Gelder October 11, 2015 Sarah van Gelder

Source: Yes! Magazine

This week, I returned to Detroit as I do every few years. On Thursday, I visited the James and Grace Lee Boggs School and heard of the influence Grace had in founding a school that is deeply rooted in community. On Friday, I visited the Boggs Center and talked to board members about their perceptions of displacement, water shutoffs, and community power in Detroit.

And I had a chance to sit with Grace, hold her hand, and bring our greetings from YES!

“I’m tired,” she told me. read more

The Culture That Capitalism Created: An interview with Boots Riley

Laura Flanders October 11, 2015 Laura Flanders

Source: The Nation

Poet, rapper, and filmmaker Boots Riley has just published Tell Homeland Security—We Are the Bomb, a collection of songs, commentaries, and stories  from his work with the Oakland hip-hop group the Coup and the band Street Sweeper Social Club. Riley has been involved in political activism for decades, from police-brutality protests to supporting Occupy Oakland. This interview has been adapted from The Laura Flanders Show.

LF: How would you describe what you do? 

BR: I try to find creative ways to put ideas out to make the ground fertile for organizers. read more

Activists Arrested at ArborGen GE Trees World Headquarters

Anne Petermann October 5, 2015 Anne Petermann

A new organizing initiative called “GE Trees Fall” launched with a four day GE trees action training camp [1] outside of Asheville North Carolina, over September 24th to the 27th. Following the camp, activists converged on the world headquarters of ArborGen in Ridgeville, SC on Monday September 28th, resulting in two arrests.

Resurgence of the World Left?

Immanuel Wallerstein October 5, 2015 Immanuel Wallerstein

It is clear that, in a world that is living amidst great economic uncertainty and worsening conditions for large segments of the world’s populations, parties in power tend to be blamed and lose electoral strength. So, after the rightward swing of the last decade or so, the pendulum is going the other way.

Seven Points Not on the Arab Media Agenda: What Is There to Celebrate?

Ramzy Baroud October 5, 2015 Ramzy Baroud

It has been recently announced that Arab ‘media experts’ plan to ‘celebrate’ Arab Media Day on April 21, 2016. Yet Arab media has little to celebrate. If anything, Arabs should lament the moral malaise afflicting their media, whether official, semi-official, independent or opposition.