Five years ago today Waging Nonviolence published its first post — a short story about Dreamworks acquiring the life rights of Martin Luther King and the questions that arise when Hollywood gives its sanitizing treatment to a complex political figure. While that film project has remained stalled, Waging Nonviolence has not.
Despite starting out as a blog and the pet project of a few restless young journalists, Waging Nonviolence managed to avoid the blogosphere’s 95 percent abandonment rate. It then grew into a full-fledged news site with a staff and network of more than 250 contributors covering struggles for peace and justice all around the world.
These have been five incredible and historic years of people power. Since 2009, we have witnessed the Green movement in Iran, the Arab Spring, an uprising in Wisconsin, the European Indignados, the emergence of a climate justice movement and Occupy Wall Street. But that’s just the highlight reel. There are more struggles being waged each day around world than we are able to cover — a shortcoming that we are happy to admit!
So while Hollywood bides its time, waiting to tell the version of one story that most people already know, Waging Nonviolence will continue doing its best to tell as many of the little ones happening every day that you don’t.
A movement built on esperançar — collective active hope — beat Meta’s algorithms, took to the streets, and turned out millions of votes against the far right.
Beyond countering Trump, movements must pressure Democrats to enact structural reforms that rebuild and institutionalize bottom-up power.
We have a unique window to take on Trump and the tech billionaires. A central task is to join forces to cut off their funding and financing.
I just remembered that the night of our first meeting, I spilled beer on my computer and killed it.
Here’s a glass raised to comrades and supporters! Thank you for five fantastic years.