Society – Radical Ecological Democracy

“Hola, Gustavo!”- A personal tribute to Gustavo Esteva

April 5, 2022April 5, 2022 Alternatives, Community, Indigenous Communities, Innovation, New Politics, Revolutionary Struggle, Social Change, Social Movements, Society

The struggle for progressive “alternatives” suffered a great loss last month when one of its prominent standard bearers, Gustavo Esteva, passed away at the age of 86 in Mexico. In his remarkable and revolutionary journey spanning over six decades, Esteva redefined the very idea of “societal transformation”, and charted a unique course of praxis and theory for the realization of his vision. In this personal tribute, Ashish Kothari recounts Esteva’s enormous contributions, and their collaboration in the quest for meaningful “alternatives”.

Action Agenda Ideas News Stories

Reflections on the Founding of the First Ecosocialist International

September 5, 2018April 13, 2022 Capitalism, Community, Democracy, Ecology, New Politics, Power Dynamic, Revolutionary Struggle, Society

The search for transformative alternatives to the current miasma of neoliberalism is very much on. Ecosocialism is one such idea finding resonance in many parts of the world. Quincy Saul recounts the thinking and the efforts behind the founding of the First Ecosocialist International.

Agenda Analysis

Finding Pathways to a Better Future

December 16, 2017April 13, 2022 Capitalism, Democracy, Ecology, Environment, Politics, Power Dynamic, Society

2017 has seen the kindling of resistance to global capitalism and the accompanying elite rule. John Foran gives us an insight into the ideological imperative of the movements leading that charge, and outlines the possible path towards an ecologically just and economically egalitarian future.

Ideas News

The Movements of Movements…

October 28, 2017April 13, 2022 Democracy, Politics, Revolutionary Struggle, Society

Movements of resistance, movements of change, movements of hope – all kinds of movements are erupting all over the world, questioning power and challenging established dogmas. Jai Sen introduces us to to a book project that aims to explore this flowering of social consciousness through collective action and mobilization.

Agenda Analysis Ideas

Questioning Development, Transforming Modernity

October 28, 2017April 13, 2022 Community, Development, Environment, Politics, Society

If the failure of the idea of “development” is manifest in the economic and ecological crisis rampant all over the world, then how exactly do we assess “modernity”? What are the emerging alternatives to the western narrative of “development”? Arturo Escobar explores the recent thinking on these critical issues.

Analysis

Is There A Way Out?

September 27, 2017December 21, 2017 Capitalism, Climate Change, Colonialism, Development, Environment, Innovation, Nature, New Economy, Policy, Politics, Power Dynamic, Society

There’s much that makes us feel despondent in the contemporary world – climate change, economic inequality, social discord and a sense of intense personal ennui. How do we move towards solutions which restore sanity to our existence and connect us to others in our communities and to nature? Ashish Kothari and Pallav Das explain the idea, conviction and commitment behind an attempt at documenting some of the serious efforts being made in that direction.

Agenda Conversations

RED Conversations Series

September 27, 2017April 13, 2022 Alternatives, Community, Consumerism, Degrowth, Democracy, Development, Innovation, New Economy, New Politics, Policy, Power Dynamic, Society

A group of leading thinkers, activists and researchers discusses the roots of contemporary environmental issues and related socio-political challenges facing the world and the possible way out of it.

Ideas

‘Nature’s Grandchildren’

September 27, 2017April 13, 2022 Climate, Community, Democracy, Education, India, Innovation, Pedagogy, Society

Rabindranath Tagore designed a revolutionary form of pedagogy for the educational institutions he founded as a challenge to British educational orthodoxy. It was based on revolutionary environmental principles and influenced by the country’s ancient philosophical insights. Aseem Shrivastava discusses its deep relevance for the contemporary world.

Agenda

Creating New Political and Ecological Consciousness Through Direct Democracy

September 27, 2017April 13, 2022 Community, Democracy, Environment, Global, Innovation, New Politics, Policy, Society

Would new experiments in Direct Democracy hasten the much needed evolution of representative forms of democracy in the near future? Chistos Zografos gives us an insight into the new developments.

Action

Planting Trees To Challenge Israeli Occupation

September 27, 2017April 13, 2022 Agriculture, Community, Farming, Justice, Nature, Palestine, Revolutionary Struggle, Society, Sustainability, West Asia

Zeina Fakhriddin takes us on a journey of action and defiance in the quest for environmental sanity in occupied Palestine

Action News Stories

Indigenous Community Conserving the Philippine Eagle

September 27, 2017April 13, 2022 Community, Conservation, National Parks, Society

An indigenous community initiates a conservation project with the help of the IUCN to save the threatened Philippine Eagle in the strife stricken Mindanao island.

Stories