Occupy Wall Street: movements and manifestos

Occupy Wall Street has been attracting a lot of attention, at least in the parts of the Internet I visit regularly. Most of the commentary I've seen so far, including from activists, is doubtful about the protesters' ability to force change: numbers at the protests are increasing and unions are beginning to join in, but … Continue reading Occupy Wall Street: movements and manifestos →

Burning Man: Reaching Out

Creating change requires building coalitions, spreading a movement beyond its initial, committed core. This year's theme, Rites of Passage, was interpreted by many participants in individual terms, but has also been described by Burning Man organisers as shaping Burning Man's relationship to a world in crisis: We are living in a period of widespread fear … Continue reading Burning Man: Reaching Out →

Burning Man: individuality and community

"An error that is too often made is believing that individualism rejects organization. The two terms are, on the contrary, inseparable. Individualism more specifically means working for inner mental liberation of the individual, while organization means association between conscious individuals with a goal to reach" - Max Baginski All political theories and movements have to … Continue reading Burning Man: individuality and community →

Burning Man

Burning Man is a ridiculous, extravagant, glorious event held out in the Nevada desert once a year. I've been twice now, and although it's ostensibly been during my holidays I can't help but explore the ways in which it intersects with my research and activist interests. Burning Man runs almost entirely on a gift economy, … Continue reading Burning Man →

Blueprints for the Future

I went down to Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute (CUSP)'s Thursday seminar series for the first time today, which was given by Dr. Peter Ellyard from the Preferred Futures Institute. In the broadest outline, I agreed with many of the points that Ellyard was making. He emphasised the need to change the way we behave … Continue reading Blueprints for the Future →