“ZCommunications – A community of people committed to social change…Z Commentaries are sent every night to all Z Sustainers, and have been for many years. They are a kind of thank you mailing, you might say, for those who are supporting our overall operations. Commentators are diverse and many. A few of the more prominent ones are listed in the top menu, to show just their work. “
Read More “Z’s History – South End Press (1978) was founded to raise consciousness about class, gender, race, and power and to provide information, analysis, and vision to help activism…A community of people committed to social change…ZNet has tens of thousands of files and diverse facilities. “
Read More “As a vibrant youth oriented non-governmental organization committed to the empowerment of the youth of Ghana and Africa, Our foremost goal is to inspire and empower the youth of Africa inform themselves of challenges that awaits them in their lifetimes and take action to address them. “
Read More “The Youth Justice Coalition is working to build a youth, family, and formerly and currently incarcerated people’s movement to challenge America’s addiction to incarceration and race, gender and class discrimination in Los Angeles County’s, California’s and the nation’s juvenile and criminal injustice systems. The YJC’s goal is to dismantle policies and institutions that have ensured the massive lock-up of people of color, widespread law enforcement violence and corruption, consistent violation of youth and communities’ Constitutional and human rights, the construction of a vicious school-to-jail track, and the build-up of the world’s largest network of jails and prisons. We use transformative justice and community intervention/peacebuilding, FREE LA High School, know your rights, legal defense, and police and court monitoring to “starve the beast” – promoting safety in our schools, homes and neighborhoods without relying on law enforcement and lock-ups, preventing system contact, and pulling people out of the system. We use direct action organizing, advocacy, political education, and activist arts to agitate, expose, and pressure the people in charge in order to upset power and bring about change. “
Read More “Founded in 1986, Youth Service America® supports a global culture of engaged children and youth committed to a lifetime of meaningful service, learning, and leadership. With half the world’s population under age 25, our mission is to help all young people find their voice, take action, and make an impact on vital community issues. Starting in 2016, Youth Service America® will focus all our assets and outcomes on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.”
Read More Blog. “Founded in 1986, Youth Service America® supports a global culture of engaged children and youth committed to a lifetime of meaningful service, learning, and leadership. With half the world’s population under age 25, our mission is to help all young people find their voice, take action, and make an impact on vital community issues.”
Read More“A Non-Traditional Practice for America’s Inner City Youth & Young Adults…Our program, The Youth Escape Arena model, redirects those off track in the arena of life. We are experts in the field, working with “At-Promise” youth and young adults who are often identified as the “At-Risk” population. The Youth and Young Adult Escape Arena, reconnects those who have disconnected themselves from school, work, group homes, and traditional living environments in their communities, and reconnects them with strategic plans that address their social emotional living, exposing the path to escape to an arena of alternative options, to an arena of positive outcomes. “
Read More “We believe in the simple principle that youth can change the world. It’s time to refuse ordinary. It’s time to refuse ordinary standardized test scores that are used to define teenagers as if they were as meaningless as the tests they take, and to refuse ordinary expectations of compliance from teens at the expense of their individuality. Teenagers are uniquely capable of tackling the globe’s most pressing issues, but society often answers their call by marginalizing them instead, telling them to wait until an acceptable time that never truly comes. That’s where our job comes in. As a youth-led organization, Youngchange-Bestchange knows that change starts now, regardless of age. Stand with us, and declare that youth truly do hold the power to make a difference in this world. Youngchange-Bestchange actively strives to promote youth activism across the world by raising awareness of key issues, providing valuable resources for social change, and inspiring the next generation of activism through articles and local events.”
Read More “Hi. I’m KD Angle-Traegner, and I run Your Daily Vegan. I started this website in 2009 with one goal: To bring the vegan evolution to the masses. I’ve been living vegan for more than thirteen years — or 4,745 days — which I view as one of my most significant accomplishments. I’m not a vegan for myself, I live vegan to spare the lives of animals. I can’t save every life; I save every life that I can. I have shared the last 20+ years with my vegan wife, whom I married at Lasa Animal Sanctuary. Inspired by incredible life-saving work that animal sanctuaries do, I decided to start one of my own, Four Urban Paws Sanctuary.” Includes: Guides, Activism, Health, Recipes, Sanctuary Spotlight, Books & Movies
Read More A vegan blog
Read More “You may be familiar with vegan non-fiction books such as ‘Eating Animals’ and you probably own a vegan cookbook at least. But for those who enjoy reading literature, how frequently do you come across vegan books? A book that has vegan characters and a storyline where no animals are being harmed or eaten? Or perhaps even a story which speaks up for non-human animals? We are so used to be reading about non-vegans in books, that we often take this for granted…To give you a brief idea of what is out there I have made a top 10 list of life-changing vegan fiction books that I personally really enjoyed and that stood out for me. You might like them too, why not give them a try?”
Read More Resource directory of Restaurant Chains and Cuisine Guides
Read More Latest news and blogs on conservation issues. “WWF partners with governments, businesses, communities and individuals to address a range of pressing environmental issues. Our work is founded on science, our reach is international and our mission is exact – to create a world where people live and prosper in harmony with nature. “
Read More“Yale Environment 360 is an online magazine offering opinion, analysis, reporting, and debate on global environmental issues. We feature original articles by scientists, journalists, environmentalists, academics, policy makers, and business people, as well as multimedia content and a daily digest of major environmental news.”
Read More “YES! is a vibrant and dynamic body of people – staff, board, global program partners, alumni, and supporters – on a learning journey, seeking to live and work more consciously in alignment with our values. Our organization and program principles focus on restoring balance and sustainability; means-to-end consistency; partnerships across historic divides; and intentional space for the role of love and spirit. YES! brings these core elements into social change movements worldwide by convening transformational gatherings called Jams and building lasting partnerships with diverse social entrepreneurs. Since being founded in 1990 by two teenagers, YES! has spoken in person to more than 650,000 students in school assemblies, led hundreds of day-long workshops, and held more than 100 week-long gatherings for visionary young leaders from 65+ nations. YES!’s Jams support some of the planet’s most potent and dedicated young social change leaders and are currently being held on six continents.”
Read More “Journalism for people building a better world…YES! Media is a nonprofit, independent publisher of solutions journalism. Through rigorous reporting on the positive ways communities are responding to social problems and insightful commentary that sparks constructive discourse, YES! Media inspires people to build a more just, sustainable, and compassionate world.”
Read More Categories: Climate | Forests | Freshwater | Marine | Species. “WWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries and territories. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.”
Read MoreBook by Leo Tolstoy
Read More “Written in 1986, but still a fountain of commonsense tips, theory, and practice for getting organized. Whether its settling up a literature table, batting through the courts, contacting the media, or staging a sit-down protest, this is a great place to start.”
Read More “WWF has a long and proud history. We’ve been a leading voice for nature for more than half a century, working in 100 countries on six continents with the help of over five million supporters. Passionate and dedicated people like you. WWF partners with governments, businesses, communities and individuals to address a range of pressing environmental issues. Our work is founded on science, our reach is international and our mission is exact – to create a world where people live and prosper in harmony with nature. As the seventh largest member of the WWF Network, WWF-Australia has a challenging brief. We’re striving to conserve biodiversity in Australia and throughout the Oceania region. It’s a big task and not one we can tackle alone. But together we can.”
Read More Relevant books. “Through research and outreach that inspire action, the Worldwatch Institute works to accelerate the transition to a sustainable world that meets human needs. The Institute’s top mission objectives are universal access to renewable energy and nutritious food, expansion of environmentally sound jobs and development, transformation of cultures from consumerism to sustainability, and an early end to population growth through healthy and intentional childbearing.”
Read More WWFs climate initiative. “Create a climate-resilient and zero-carbon world, powered by renewable energy”
Read More “Our Vision: “Peace Begins with Me”. Our Mission Statement: We hold that a lasting peace will not be found in the world, until it is developed in the hearts of humanity. Our goal is to inspire the brothers and sisters of our human family with an achievable vision that is not bound by politics or religion or economics but an inevitable, triumphant victory of the heart. We believe that our responsibility for peace begins within each of us. The peace we offer to ourselves, our families, our communities and finally to our world family is the harbinger of tomorrow’s oneness-world of peace. We believe there is a simple choice for each human being between war and peace, between laying blame and increasing anger and conflict, or opening our hearts and sharing peace and love within our global family. We hold that violence and aggression will not create peace at home or in our schools or communities. We envision an irresistible wave of peace, a critical mass that will not stop until the world is free. We proclaim proudly “PEACE BEGINS WITH ME!” “
Read More “World Resources Institute (WRI) is a global research organization that spans more than 60 countries, with international offices in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico and the United States, regional offices in Ethiopia (for Africa) and the Netherlands (for Europe), and program offices in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Our more than 700 experts and staff turn big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity and human well-being. Our Challenge: Natural resources are at the foundation of economic opportunity and human well-being. But today, we are depleting Earth’s resources at rates that are not sustainable, endangering economies and people’s lives. People depend on clean water, fertile land, healthy forests, and a stable climate. Livable cities and clean energy are essential for a sustainable planet. We must address these urgent, global challenges this decade. Our Vision: We envision an equitable and prosperous planet driven by the wise management of natural resources. We aspire to create a world where the actions of government, business, and communities combine to eliminate poverty and sustain the natural environment for all people.”
Read More Videos: “-World without Wars and Violence – presentation of activities in the Czech Republic, -Increasing peace or growing destruction, -Drum flashmob for nuclear disarmament, -A world without wars and violence on a demonstration against a crossing American convoy across the territory of the Czech Republic, -History repeats. To laugh or cry?, -What is active nonviolence: M. Gandhi, -What is active non-violence: M. L . King, -Noam Chomsky on the crisis in Ukraine, -Short history of NATO, 1949 – 2015”
Read More “Through research and outreach that inspire action, the Worldwatch Institute works to accelerate the transition to a sustainable world that meets human needs. The Institute’s top mission objectives are universal access to renewable energy and nutritious food, expansion of environmentally sound jobs and development, transformation of cultures from consumerism to sustainability, and an early end to population growth through healthy and intentional childbearing.”
Read More Book: “A visionary ahead of her time, Joanna Macy sounds the call for us to wake up to a deeper relationship with the Earth or risk its destruction. In renewing our commitment to the natural world, she writes, we can nourish and replenish our spirits as well. ‘World as Lover, World as Self’ is a love poem to the planet, a story of personal journey, and a blueprint for social change.”
Read More News categories: Animals in the wild. Education. Animals in farming. Promoting global animal welfare. Animals in entertainment. Animals in disasters. Animals in communities. “We are World Animal Protection. We end the needless suffering of animals. We influence decision makers to put animals on the global agenda. We help the world see how important animals are to all of us. We inspire people to change animals’ lives for the better. We move the world to protect animals.”
Read More “World BEYOND War is a global nonviolent movement to end war and establish a just and sustainable peace. We aim to create awareness of popular support for ending war and to further develop that support. We work to advance the idea of not just preventing any particular war but abolishing the entire institution. We strive to replace a culture of war with one of peace in which nonviolent means of conflict resolution take the place of bloodshed.”
Read MoreBook: “Food is our most intimate and telling connection both with the living natural order and with our living cultural heritage. By eating the plants and animals of our earth, we literally incorporate them. It is also through this act of eating that we partake of our culture’s values and paradigms at the most primal levels. It is becoming increasingly obvious, however, that the choices we make about our food are leading to environmental degradation, enormous human health problems, and unimaginable cruelty toward our fellow creatures. Incorporating systems theory, teachings from mythology and religions, and the human sciences, The World Peace Diet presents the outlines of a more empowering understanding of our world, based on a comprehension of the far-reaching implications of our food choices and the worldview those choices reflect and mandate. The author offers a set of universal principles for all people of conscience, from any religious tradition, that they can follow to reconnect with what we are eating, what was required to get it on our plate, and what happens after it leaves our plates. The World Peace Diet suggests how we as a species might move our consciousness forward so that we can be more free, more intelligent, more loving, and happier in the choices we make.”
Read More “Those who wear wool claim to do so because of its warmth and ability to maintain heat. For wool to be available to humans, it must be taken from animals. Millions of sheep die from exposure to the cold weather every year as a direct result of shearing.”
Read More “The central purpose of the Work that Reconnects is to help people uncover and experience their innate connections with each other and with the systemic, self-healing powers of the web of life, so that they may be enlivened and motivated to play their part in creating a sustainable civilization.” –Joanna Macy
Read More “The books, Coming Back to Life, World as Lover, World as Self, and Thinking Like a Mountain, describe many forms of experiential group work relating to deep ecology, deep time, and despair and empowerment. The practices listed below are described in Coming Back to Life, by Joanna Macy and Molly Brown. Please acknowledge the source when you use any of these practices…Gratitude | Honoring our Pain for the World | Seeing with New Eyes/Ancient Eyes | Deep Time | Going Forth | Meditations”
Read More “We end the needless suffering of animals. We influence decision makers to put animals on the global agenda. We help the world see how important animals are to all of us. We inspire people to change animals’ lives for the better. We move the world to protect animals.”
Read More “We address the root causes of violence through a feminist lens”
Read More “Woodstock Farm Sanctuary envisions a peaceful world rooted in respect and justice for all living beings. We rescue farmed animals and give them care and sanctuary, connect animals with people to advance veganism, and advocate for animal rights in alliance with other social justice movements. We welcome visitors to come and meet animals who are most commonly exploited, abused, and killed in animal agriculture. Our animal residents are given lifelong sanctuary and are treated with respect as individuals. By giving farmed animals the chance to live their lives with dignity and by sharing their stories, we advocate for veganism and aim to reduce suffering for all.”
Read More “Witness for Peace (WFP) is a politically independent, nationwide grassroots organization of people committed to nonviolence and led by faith and conscience. Witness for Peace’s mission is to support peace, justice and sustainable economies in the Americas by changing U.S. policies and corporate practices that contribute to poverty and oppression in Latin America and the Caribbean.”
Read More “Our Vision: A Just and Healthy Planet for All. We envision a world in which gender equality has been achieved and all women, men and children live in dignity, and share responsibilities for a healthy environment, and a just and sustainable world. Our Mission: Bringing women’s priorities into policies and actions. Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF) is an international network of over 150 women’s and civil society organisations implementing projects in 50 countries and advocating globally to shape a just and sustainable world; our Common Future. Our Overall Goal: Achieving an Equitable and Sustainable Future. We strive for balancing the environment, health and economy, taking the different needs and perspectives of women and men into account. We enable women and men to participate at local and global levels in policy processes for sustainable development. Our network’s activities are based on our partners’ own visions and needs. WECF implements solutions locally and influences policy internationally.”
Read More News & Reports. “Our Vision: A Just and Healthy Planet for All. We envision a world in which gender equality has been achieved and all women, men and children live in dignity, and share responsibilities for a healthy environment, and a just and sustainable world. Our Mission: Bringing women’s priorities into policies and actions. Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF) is an international network of over 150 women’s and civil society organisations implementing projects in 50 countries and advocating globally to shape a just and sustainable world; our Common Future”
Read More “There are two distinct threats that could indicate that yes, meat is on the way out. One is that a continuation of present trends against consuming meat will make it socially unacceptable for a large segment of society, as tobacco is today. The other is that a technological revolution will make producers of live cattle, pigs and chickens as irrelevant as Kodak became when the once-dominant camera and film manufacturer failed to embrace the digital revolution.”
Read More Film: “Within Reach explores one couple’s pedal-powered search for a place to call home. Mandy and Ryan gave up their jobs, cars, and traditional houses to ‘bike-pack’ 6500 miles around the USA seeking sustainable community. Rather than looking in a traditional neighborhood, they begin to recognize that community is the secret ingredient to living sustainably on this planet. Along the way, they explored 100 ecovillages, cohousing communities, co-op houses, communes, transition towns, and their own principles and commitment.”
Read More “WISE Uranium Project is part of World Information Service on Energy. It covers the health and environmental impacts of uranium mining and nuclear fuel production.”
Read More “Within Reach is a film documenting one resilient couple’s 6,500 mile bicycling journey across the United States in search of sustainable communities. Mandy and Ryan gave up their corporate jobs and houses to travel thousands of miles in search of a new home, while also looking within. One of the most important questions facing the world today is “Can humans live sustainably?” This film answers this in a resounding way – Yes! Within Reach: Journey to Find Sustainable Community. Meet people from around the country showing that there might just be a better way we can live together on this planet. It is not only possible, it is already underway!”
Read More “WITNESS makes it possible for anyone, anywhere to use video and technology to protect and defend human rights. Every day, activists and citizens risk their lives to expose the truth. We help make sure their efforts aren’t in vain. WITNESS is a leader of a global movement that uses video to create human rights change. Join us.”
Read More “The mission of WISE is a world without Nuclear Power. In our vision it is possible to create a reliable, affordable and sustainable energy-future without nuclear power. This will not happen by itself. We are convinced that this will only mature if we manage to build up enough pressure for a real change. Empowerment is the key for this change. WISE supports grassroots (groups and individuals) to enable them to effectively oppose nuclear power.”
Read More “Following a trip to Denmark in 1980, I’ve stressed the theme that wind energy does indeed work, makes economic and environmental sense, and is here to stay. Even then Denmark was a model of how successful wind energy could become–when given the opportunity. In North America at the time, there were few wind turbines and only a few of those operated well. Most simply didn’t work. My slogan was as much a statement of what could be as it was a statement of fact. Today, wind turbines are commonplace throughout the world and “wind works”, once a bold statement, now elicits a “What? Of course it does. Everyone knows that.” And that’s the way it should be.”
Read More “Winona LaDuke—an Anishinaabekwe (Ojibwe) member of the White Earth Nation—is an environmentalist, economist, author, and prominent Native American activist working to restore and preserve indigenous cultures and lands.”
Read More “Wisconsin Network for Peace, Justice & Sustainability advances a sustainable world free from violence and injustice by connecting, engaging, and strengthening member groups and serving as a catalyst for community organizing and education.”
Read More Research articles on wild-animal suffering
Read More “At Wilderness Reflections, we believe that finding sanctuary and connection in the natural world is essential to our wholeness and wellness as individuals and as a community. Through direct, embodied, meaningful contact with wild Nature, our rites of passage, education and training programs foster personal and professional transformation for teens, adults, professionals and organizations. This work is a part of our effort to make vibrant and essential contributions toward a more reciprocal and balanced relationship between the human community and the natural world.”
Read More Book: “Whether referring to a place, a nonhuman animal or plant, or a state of mind, wild indicates autonomy and agency, a will to be, a unique expression of life. Yet two contrasting ideas about wild nature permeate contemporary discussions: either that nature is most wild in the absence of a defiling human presence, or that nature is completely humanized and nothing is truly wild. Wildness, edited by Gavin Van Horn and John Hausdoerffer, charts a different path. Exploring how people can become attuned to the wild community of life and also contribute to the well-being of the wild places in which we live, work, and play, Wildness brings together esteemed authors from a variety of landscapes, cultures, and backgrounds to share their stories about the interdependence of everyday human lifeways and wildness.”
Read More “Wild Animal Initiative’s mission is to: Research, raise awareness, and reduce the suffering of animals. Wild Animal Initiative publishes research on wild animal welfare, and works to build welfare biology as an academic field. In 2019, we are prioritizing research and outreach. Our research focus is prioritization within wild animal welfare, and understanding the cost-effectiveness of near-term interventions to improve wild animal welfare. Our outreach focus is academic field-building with an emphasis on early career scientists interested in welfare biology.”
Read More Blog about local events in the Bay of Plenty with info on wellness, environment, community and sustainability.
Read More“WikiLeaks is a multi-national media organization and associated library. It was founded by its publisher Julian Assange in 2006. WikiLeaks specializes in the analysis and publication of large datasets of censored or otherwise restricted official materials involving war, spying and corruption. It has so far published more than 10 million documents and associated analyses. “WikiLeaks is a giant library of the world’s most persecuted documents. We give asylum to these documents, we analyze them, we promote them and we obtain more.” – Julian Assange, Der Spiegel Interview. WikiLeaks has contractual relationships and secure communications paths to more than 100 major media organizations from around the world. This gives WikiLeaks sources negotiating power, impact and technical protections that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to achieve. Although no organization can hope to have a perfect record forever, thus far WikiLeaks has a perfect in document authentication and resistance to all censorship attempts.”
Read More“We are a group of volunteers whose mission is to present reliable, unbiased and relevant news. All our content is released under a free license. By making our content perpetually available for free redistribution and use, we hope to contribute to a global digital commons. Wikinews stories are written from a neutral point of view to ensure fair and unbiased reporting.”
Read MoreBook: “Martin Luther King’s classic exploration of the events and forces behind the Civil Rights Movement—including his Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963. “There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair.” In 1963, Birmingham, Alabama, was perhaps the most racially segregated city in the United States. The campaign launched by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Civil Rights movement on the segregated streets of Birmingham demonstrated to the world the power of nonviolent direct action. In this remarkable book—winner of the Nobel Peace Prize—Dr. King recounts the story of Birmingham in vivid detail, tracing the history of the struggle for civil rights back to its beginnings three centuries ago and looking to the future, assessing the work to be done beyond Birmingham to bring about full equality for African Americans. Above all, Dr. King offers an eloquent and penetrating analysis of the events and pressures that propelled the Civil Rights movement from lunch counter sit-ins and prayer marches to the forefront of American consciousness. Since its publication in the 1960s, Why We Can’t Wait has become an indisputable classic. Now, more than ever, it is an enduring testament to the wise and courageous vision of Martin Luther King, Jr.”
Read More Book: “In this absorbing and sometimes thrilling memoir, well-known eco-philosopher, Buddhist scholar, and deep ecology activist /teacher Joanna Macy recounts her adventures of mind and spirit in the key social movements of our era. Macy’s autobiography reads like a novel as she relates her multifaceted life experiences and reflects on how her marriage and family life enriched her service to the world.”
Read More A 16 page pdf by Vegan Outreach on animal farming and a vegan diet.
Read More “The word vegan can be somewhat confusing to outsiders. Being a vegan means more than refusing to consume animal remains or products. The argument that animals are not killed for their eggs or milk means nothing to vegans because animal exploitation itself is a crime against nature and decency.”
Read MoreBook: “In this paperback edition is a foreword by activist and author John Robbins and a reader’s group study guide. This ground-breaking work, voted one of the top ten books of 2010 by VegNews Magazine, offers an absorbing look at why and how humans can so wholeheartedly devote ourselves to certain animals and then allow others to suffer needlessly, especially those slaughtered for our consumption. Social psychologist Melanie Joy explores the many ways we numb ourselves and disconnect from our natural empathy for farmed animals. She coins the term “carnism” to describe the belief system that has conditioned us to eat certain animals and not others. In Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows Joy investigates factory farming, exposing how cruelly the animals are treated, the hazards that meatpacking workers face, and the environmental impact of raising 10 billion animals for food each year. Controversial and challenging, this book will change the way you think about food forever.”
Read More “Black bloc tactics have received much praise in recent weeks, but there are many valid questions about their effectiveness that we ignore at our own peril…I believe we can build such a movement. One that is grounded in nonviolence, but is just as powerful and militant as violence. That, however, requires work, strategy and training. Violence is easier, faster and more natural to us. Its dynamics are simpler to understand. “I make you suffer until you give in.” But now is not the time to get seduced by the short-term. We need to continue to train and grow, to have the humility to be self-critical, and to objectively evaluate our tactics and strategies. We need to continue to build a movement to transform violence.”
Read More “Implicit in recent scholarly debates about the efficacy of methods of warfare is the assumption that the most effective means of waging political struggle entails violence. Among political scientists, the prevailing view is that opposition movements select violent methods because such means are more effective than nonviolent strategies at achieving policy goals. Despite these assumptions, from 2000 to 2006 organized civilian populations successfully employed nonviolent methods including boycotts, strikes, protests, and organized noncooperation to challenge entrenched power and exact political concessions in Serbia (2000), Madagascar (2002), Georgia (2003) and Ukraine (2004–05), Lebanon (2005), and Nepal (2006). The success of these nonviolent campaigns—especially in light of the enduring violent insurgencies occurring in some of the same countries—begs systematic investigation.” 38 page pdf
Read MoreBook: “For more than a century, from 1900 to 2006, campaigns of nonviolent resistance were more than twice as effective as their violent counterparts in achieving their stated goals. By attracting impressive support from citizens, whose activism takes the form of protests, boycotts, civil disobedience, and other forms of nonviolent noncooperation, these efforts help separate regimes from their main sources of power and produce remarkable results, even in Iran, Burma, the Philippines, and the Palestinian Territories. Combining statistical analysis with case studies of specific countries and territories, Erica Chenoweth and Maria J. Stephan detail the factors enabling such campaigns to succeed and, sometimes, causing them to fail. They find that nonviolent resistance presents fewer obstacles to moral and physical involvement and commitment, and that higher levels of participation contribute to enhanced resilience, greater opportunities for tactical innovation and civic disruption (and therefore less incentive for a regime to maintain its status quo), and shifts in loyalty among opponents’ erstwhile supporters, including members of the military establishment. Chenoweth and Stephan conclude that successful nonviolent resistance ushers in more durable and internally peaceful democracies, which are less likely to regress into civil war. Presenting a rich, evidentiary argument, they originally and systematically compare violent and nonviolent outcomes in different historical periods and geographical contexts, debunking the myth that violence occurs because of structural and environmental factors and that it is necessary to achieve certain political goals. Instead, the authors discover, violent insurgency is rarely justifiable on strategic grounds.”
Read More “February 01, 2019 “Information Clearing House” – Last week Trump, his VP Mike Pence, US State Dept. director Mike Pompeo and Trump’s national security advisor John Bolton, plus a bunch of Central American countries that are pretty much US colonies and don’t have foreign policies of their own, synchronously announced that Venezuela has a new president: a virtual non-entity named Juan Guaidó, who was never even a candidate for that office, but who was sorta-kinda trained for this job in the US. Guaidó appeared at a rally in Caracas, flanked by a tiny claque of highly compensated sycophants. He looked very frightened as he self-appointed himself president of Venezuela and set about discharging his presidential duties by immediately going into hiding. His whereabouts remained unknown until much later, when he surfaced at a press conference, at which he gave a wishy-washy non-answer to the question of whether he had been pressured to declare himself president or had done so of his own volition. There is much to this story that is at once tragic and comic, so let’s take it apart piece by piece. Then we’ll move on to answering the question of Why Venezuela must be destroyed (from the US establishment’s perspective).”
Read More Video: “So many things are happening, changing, shifting to day. These changes are happening both within our vegan movement, and outside of it, in the technological, economical, creative and other domains. In this talk we will look at the newest developments and trends that are moving us closer and closer to a vegan world. We will also take a look at what position we vegans should take with respect to all these developments.”
Read More “Here is a guide to help you choose the right non-dairy milk for all your cooking and baking needs.”
Read More “An Internet Guide to Power Structure Research…Power structure research is an approach to the study of power that highlights the unequal distribution of resources upon which power is based (e.g., wealth, political office, control of the mass media) and the importance of formal and informal social networks as the means by which power is concentrated and institutionalized…This site is divided into several sub-pages, organized by topic. Most pages have direct links to sources of data on the Internet.”
Read More “Welcome to WhoRulesAmerica.net, a site about how power is distributed and wielded in the United States. It both builds upon and greatly supplements the book Who Rules America?, now in its 7th edition. The book’s new subtitle, “The Triumph of the Corporate Rich,” reflects the success of the wealthy few in defeating all of their rivals (e.g., organized labor, liberals, environmentalists) over the course of the past 35 years. The story of how the corporate rich won all the big battles is complicated, but most of the answers are in the new Who Rules America? and/or this Web site; you can also watch some videos of Bill giving invited lectures on the topic.”
Read More “…But a small group of citizens have managed to escape mind control by the corporatocracy. Either to heal their own disease, or out of concern for their planet, or out of mercy for the creatures themselves– they have stopped eating the creatures. As their addictions to the flesh foods subside, their sensibilities recover and they awaken to the vast deception, corruption, and destruction perpetrated by the corporatocracy….”
Read More “It took years for King to understand nonviolence not merely as a moral force, but as an effective strategy for leveraging political change. Yet his embrace of that idea allowed him to shape history. Few are aware that Martin Luther King, Jr. once applied for a permit to carry a concealed handgun…To not merely adopt pacifism as a personal philosophy, but rather to stake your career and your organization’s future on a belief in the power of nonviolence as a political force, requires tremendous determination. It took years of deliberation and delay for Martin Luther King to take such a step. But when he finally did, the result was decisive: King went from being someone who had been repeatedly swept up in the saga of civil rights — a reluctant protagonist in the battle against American apartheid — to being a shaper of history.”
Read More Book: “Our Choice: Democracy or Corporate Rule. A handful of corporations and financial institutions command an ever-greater concentration of economic and political power in an assault against markets, democracy, and life. It’s a “suicide economy,” says David Korten, that destroys the very foundations of its own existence. The bestselling 1995 edition of When Corporations Rule the World helped launch a global resistance against corporate domination. In this twentieth-anniversary edition, Korten shares insights from his personal experience as a participant in the growing movement for a New Economy. A new introduction documents the further concentration of wealth and corporate power since 1995 and explores why our institutions resolutely resist even modest reform. A new conclusion chapter outlines high-leverage opportunities for breakthrough change.”
Read More “What the Health is the groundbreaking follow-up film from the creators of the award winning documentary Cowspiracy. The film follows intrepid filmmaker Kip Andersen as he uncovers the secret to preventing and even reversing chronic diseases – and investigates why the nation’s leading health organizations don’t want us to know about it. With heart disease and cancer the leading causes of death in America, and diabetes at an all-time high, the film reveals possibly the largest health cover-up of our time. With the help of medical doctors, researchers, and consumer advocates, What the Health exposes the collusion and corruption in government and big business that is costing us trillions of healthcare dollars, and keeping us sick. Join Kip as he tracks down the leading and most trusted American health nonprofits to find out why these groups are staying silent, despite a growing body of evidence. Audiences will be shocked to learn the insidious roles played by pharmaceutical companies, agribusiness, and processed animal food companies in the nation’s health, especially in the most vulnerable communities, and will cheer at the transformation and recovery of those who took their lives into their own hands. What The Health is a surprising, and at times hilarious, investigative documentary that will be an eye-opener for everyone concerned about our nation’s health and how big business influences it.”
Read More Monograph: “Why do some nonviolent revolutions lead to successful democratization while others fail to consolidate democratic change? And what can activists do to push toward a victory over dictatorship that results in long-term political freedom? Several studies show that nonviolent revolutions are generally a more positive force for democratization than violent revolutions and top-down political transitions. However, some nonviolent revolutions, such as the Arab Spring revolution in Egypt, do not seem to fit this pattern. This study takes on this puzzle and reveals that the answer lies in large part in the actions of civil society prior to and during transition. Democracy is most likely when activists can keep their social bases mobilized for positive political change while directing that mobilization toward building new political institutions.” 104 page pdf
Read MoreBook: “This national bestseller exploring the complex emotional lives of animals was hailed as “a masterpiece” by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas and as “marvelous” by Jane Goodall. The popularity of When Elephants Weep has swept the nation, as author Jeffrey Masson appeared on Dateline NBC, Good Morning America, and was profiled in People for his ground-breaking and fascinating study. Not since Darwin’s The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals has a book so thoroughly and effectively explored the full range of emotions that exist throughout the animal kingdom. From dancing squirrels to bashful gorillas to spiteful killer whales, Masson and coauthor Susan McCarthy bring forth fascinating anecdotes and illuminating insights that offer powerful proof of the existence of animal emotion. Chapters on love, joy, anger, fear, shame, compassion, and loneliness are framed by a provocative re-evaluation of how we treat animals, from hunting and eating them to scientific experimentation. Forming a complete and compelling picture of the inner lives of animals, When Elephants Weep assures that we will never look at animals in the same way again.”
Read MoreBook: “Harry Hoxsey claimed to cure cancer using herbal remedies, and thousands of patients swore that he healed them. His Texas clinic became the world’s largest privately owned cancer center with branches in seventeen states, and the value of its therapeutic treatments was upheld by two federal courts. Even his arch-nemesis, the AMA, admitted his treatment was effective against some forms of cancer. But the medical establishment refused an investigation, branding Hoxsey the worst cancer quack of the century and forcing his clinic to Tijuana, Mexico, where it continues to claim very high success rates. Modern laboratory tests have confirmed the anticancer properties of Hoxsey’s herbs, and a federal govenment-sponsored report is now calling for a major reconsideration of the Hoxsey therapy. When Healing Becomes a Crime exposes the overall failure of the War on Cancer, while revealing how yesterday’s “unorthodox” treatments are emerging as tomorrow’s medicine. It probes other promising unconventional cancer treatments that have also been condemned without investigation, delving deeply into the corrosive medical politics and powerful economic forces behind this suppression. As alternative medicine finally regains its rightful place in mainstream practice, this compelling book will not only forever change the way you see medicine, but could also save your life.”
Read More “The LD50 test is one of the most controversial and inhumane experiments endured by laboratory animals. “LD” stands for “lethal dose”; the “50” means that half the animals, or 50 percent of the animals forced to endure testing the product, will die at that dose.”
Read More “This is a powerful 10-part compilation that (in important ways) pulls aside the veil of Official myths and Lies about “freedom”, “democracy”, Human Rights, etc., being the basis of U.S. foreign policy…Frank Dorrel: “I’ve put together this 2-hour video called ‘What I’ve Learned About U.S. Foreign Policy’. The basic message being that the CIA, the military-industrial-complex, the Pentagon, the multinational corporations, the media and the government of the United States are responsible for the deaths of millions of people in the third world, not to mention the poverty and oppression of millions more. We support, arm, and train dictators and militaries that do these evil actions to their own people. All of this is to ensure that we control the natural resources of these countries and their market place, use the people for cheap labor and keep the business of war (which is our biggest business) ongoing.”
Read More “All humans are hardwired to connect. Just as we need food, shelter and clothing, human beings also need strong and meaningful relationships to thrive. Restorative practices is an emerging social science that studies how to strengthen relationships between individuals as well as social connections within communities.”
Read More “It’s a sweltering midsummer day. “It must be global warming,” mutters someone. But is it the Earth’s changing climate that has made the day so warm? Or, is it just the weather that is so unbearable?…explore how dynamic forces within the atmosphere change our weather and climate. Learn what causes weather events and climate change and how NCAR scientists are exploring our atmosphere through scientific research.”
Read More Book: “Chris Rose’ powerful guide to values mapping is a ‘must-read’ for campaigners. If you want to communicate effectively with people – especially if you want to persuade them to act – you need to start from where they are, not from where you are. The failure to do this lies at the root of many communications damp squibs, disasters and social conflicts. Knowing about the Three Worlds gives you a head start in getting it right. These invisible ‘Worlds’ can only be truly revealed by large scale detailed surveys which identify the connections and correlations between attitudes and beliefs. These sets of attitudes and beliefs create three different versions of ‘common sense’, three distinct ways of seeing the world and of evaluating any offer or ask, any campaign or political idea, any past-time, hobby, social opportunity, any purchase, product or service. Because our place in one world or another is determined by meeting, or not yet having met, unconscious needs – of safety and security or identity, or for esteem of others or self esteem, or for things beyond that such as new ideas, innovations or ethics – we are not ordinarily aware that these worlds exist.”
Read More “We evolved within the community of life, and yet we humans often consider ourselves separate from nature. Are we unique? Is this distinction helpful? How do our ways of thinking of ourselves in relation to other life influence the identities we carry and actions we take? We invite you to share your reflections as we explore the relationship between humans and nature. Read a story, tell your own.”
Read More “In this episode of the Making Sense podcast, Sam Harris speaks with philosopher Peter Singer about the foundations of morality, expanding the circle of our moral concern, politics, free speech, conspiracy thinking, Edward Snowden, the importance of intentions, WWII, euthanasia, eating “happy cows,” and other topics. Peter Singer is Professor of Bioethics in the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University. He’s the author of Animal Liberation, The Most Good You Can Do, and many other books. His most recent book is Ethics in the Real World. He is also the co-founder of The Life You Can Save, a nonprofit devoted to spreading his ideas about why we should be doing much more to improve the lives of people living in extreme poverty.”
Read More “The West Virginia Highlands Conservancy promotes, encourages and works for the conservation – including both preservation and wise management – and an appreciation of the natural resources of West Virginia and the Nation. We focus primarily on the Highlands Region of West Virginia, but our work is for the cultural, social, educational, physical health, spiritual and economic benefit of present and future generations of residents and visitors alike.”
Read More “Many weightlifters think a vegan diet might be detrimental to their efforts because of the lower protein content of a typical vegan diet. Other weightlifters feel that a vegan diet enhances their training regimen by reducing fatigue and improving general health. Unfortunately, there are no studies looking directly at vegan weightlifters, but there is a fair amount of research that can be used to extrapolate to vegans.”
Read More “-Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH) & Milk, -Biomass, -Crematoria, -Dioxin, -Depleted Uranium, -Energy Justice Network, -Environmental Justice / Environmental Racism, -Incineration, -Israel / Palestine, -Landfills, -NukeNet Anti-Nuclear Network, -Plastics, -RACHEL’s Environment & Health Weekly Web Archive, -Sewage Sludge, -Toxics, Environmental Health and Pollution Mapping Projects, -Vegetarianism/Veganism”
Read More “The Web of Creation was established to foster the movement for personal and social transformation to a just and sustainable world from religious perspectives. To that end, the information at this site will: -connect you with ideas, resources and strategies for doing eco-justice. -inform, inspire, encourage, educate you about eco-justice. -support you in your efforts to live, work and pray in ways that promote eco-justice. The Web of Creation has also been developed to provide information and connections for theology students interested in environmental ministry.”
Read More Book: “Since her arrest and five-day jail stay during the Seattle anti-WTO protests in November 1999, Starhawk has poured her energy into the global justice movement, participating in direct actions, leading nonviolence training workshops, and writing, always writing. Webs of Power is the outcome: an account from the front lines of that movement as it migrated from Seattle to Prague, then Brazil, Quebec City, and Genoa. As well as reporting the actions on the street, it includes a privileged glimpse behind the scenes, too, at the fierce discussion of the issues, strategies, and tactics of an always-evolving social movement. The book is also a personal vision of what an alternative future might look and feel like beyond the version offered up to us by the promoters of corporate globalization. Webs of Power is a unique contribution to our understanding of one of the most pivotal struggles of our time.”
Read More Resources for “people grappling with issues related to having wealth”
Read More “We is a fast-paced 64 minute documentary that covers the world politics of power, war, corporations, deception and exploitation. It visualizes the words of Arundhati Roy, specifically her famous Come September speech, where she spoke on such things as the war on terror, corporate globalization, justice and the growing civil unrest. It’s witty, moving, alarming and quite a lesson in modern history. We is almost in the style of a continuous music video. The music used sets the pace and serves as wonderful background for the words of Ms. Roy and images of humanity in the world we live all in today. We is a completely free documentary, created and released anonymously on the internet. There are many ways to download and view it. See the About This Project page for more information about the documentary, the filmmaker and this web site.”
Read More“We Are Change is a nonpartisan, independent media organization comprised of individuals and groups working to expose corruption worldwide. Founded by Luke Rudkowski, We Are Change is comprised of independent journalists, concerned citizens, activists, and anyone who wants to shape the direction our world is going in. We seek to expose the lies of governments and the corporate elite who constantly trash our humanity. By asking the hard questions the mainstream media refuses to ask, we shine a little more light on truth. Furthermore, we seek to connect, educate, and motivate those who are interested in alerting the public to the pertinent issues that are affecting our lives each and every day. Our goal is to create a community of truth-seekers and peacemakers who share a commitment to nonviolent action. We Are Change is not so much an individual or group, but an idea, an idea that “We the People” are the change we wish to see in this world. Together, as residents of this planet, we can push back against those who wish to dominate our lives and begin to restore liberty to all.”
Read More “Hi, I’m Michael Lanfield. The author of six books including two #1 Amazon best-selling books The Interconnectedness of Life and The Journey and also my newest book Return to the Gentle Sea: For the Love That Lives in Everyone. I’m also a vegan advocate, YouTuber, and certified World Peace Diet Facilitator. I have been featured on dozens of FM/AM radio stations, podcasts, various websites, magazines, and media outlets, sharing veganism to millions of people around the world.”
Read More “WatchDocumentaries.com is a leading online collection of free documentaries. Our mission is to curate informative and educational documentary films and to organise them in an accessible manner. The library is regularly updated with new titles for you to watch and enjoy.”
Read More “Watchdog.net, a project of Demand Progress, is a progressive organization whose one million activists work to guard the interests of ordinary Americans — and fight back against corporations and wealthy interests that seek undue control over our government, economy and society.”
Read More Book: “While draught and desertification are intensifying around the world, corporations are aggressively converting free-flowing water into bottled profits. The water wars of the twenty-first century may match or even surpass the oil wars of the twentieth. In Water Wars: Privatization, Pollution and Profit -Vandana Shiva, the world’s most prominent radical scientist ( the Guardian) , shines a light on activists who are fighting corporate maneuvers to convert this life-sustaining resource into more gold for the elites. In Water Wars, Shiva uses her remarkable knowledge of science and society to outline the emergence of corporate culture and the historical erosion of communal water rights. Using the international water trade and industrial activities such as damming, mining and aquafarming as her lens, Shiva exposes the destruction of the earth and the disenfranchisement of the world’s poor as they are stripped of rights to a precious common good. In her passionate, feminist style, Shiva celebrates the spiritual and traditional role water has played in communities throughout history, and warns that water privatization threatens cultures and livelihoods worldwide. Shiva calls for a movement to preserve water access for all, and offers a blueprint for global resistance based on examples of successful campaigns.”
Read More“War Resisters’ International (WRI) works for a world without war. WRI is primarily a global pacifist and antimilitarist network of organisations, groups and individuals with over 90 affiliated groups in 40 countries.”
Read More Film: “War Made Easy reaches into the Orwellian memory hole to expose a 50-year pattern of government deception and media spin that has dragged the United States into one war after another from Vietnam to Iraq. Narrated by actor and activist Sean Penn, the film exhumes remarkable archival footage of official distortion and exaggeration from LBJ to George W. Bush, revealing in stunning detail how the American news media have uncritically promoted the pro-war messages of successive presidential administrations.”
Read More “The War Resisters League affirms that all war is a crime against humanity. We are determined not to support any kind of war, international or civil, and to strive nonviolently for the removal of all causes of war, including racism, sexism and all forms of exploitation.”
Read More“Over the past several years, War Resisters League has developed several interactive, popular education workshops that deal variously with: the war economy, tear gas, police militarization, and the complex role of identity in organizing, all with an eye towards day-to-day libratory organizing and training. This page then, gathers some of those efforts, often in partnership with activist groups, and offers them for download. Let’s go!”
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