Published in: Transformation
Why positive thinking won’t get you out of poverty

Written by: Farwa Sial and Carolina Alves All articles by Farwa Sial and Carolina Alves

To say that poor people don’t have enough hope, tenacity and aspiration is to deny their agency as well as the size...
Published in: Transformation
Why I choose Samuel Beckett over positive thinking, any day

Written by: Dionne Lew All articles by Dionne Lew

A good way to move forward is to say what we really feel, and dispense with juvenile solutions.
Published in: Transformation
No, you can’t ‘be the change’ alone

Written by: Alessandra Pigni All articles by Alessandra Pigni

Writer, activist and mindfulness-in-action pioneer Alessandra Pigni died from cancer in December 2018. This piece is...
Published in: Transformation
The dangers of radical self-love

Written by: Chloe King All articles by Chloe King

Positive thinking is no basis for social transformation. Better to seek out the truth than live in someone else’s fairy tale.

New in our projects

Published in: 50.50: Opinion
Haiti needs inclusive feminism that defends all women, including trans women
Published in: Beyond Trafficking and Slavery: Video
Webinar: Time to get off the fence on sex workers' rights
Published in: Can Europe Make It?: Analysis
Why at-risk Afghans have a right of admission to EU member states
Published in: Dark Money Investigations: News
Record profits for Tory donor's firm that won huge PPE contracts
Published in: democraciaAbierta: Opinion
Latin America 20 years after 9/11: a missed opportunity
Published in: digitaLiberties: Analysis
A constellation is born: Approaching the Web3 platform economy
Published in: North Africa, West Asia: Analysis
As the West cuts aid lifelines, Afghanistan’s real crisis looms
Published in: oDR: Feature
'New schemes of deception': what Russian election observers told us
Published in: openDemocracyUK: Opinion
By crushing party democracy, Labour may sign its own death warrant
Published in: ourNHS: Analysis
What the Tories want to do with our health data, and why we need to stop them
Published in: ourEconomy: Opinion
The US is taking on its corporate monopolists – now the rest of the world must follow
Published in: Countering the Radical Right: Opinion
The deadly political game being played at the EU’s eastern border
Published in: Global Extremes: Opinion
The enduring appeal of Sayyid Qutb’s jihadist ideology
Published in: Pandemic Borders: Analysis
Migrants bear the brunt of Canada’s worsening housing crisis
Published in: Live discussions
Can we prevent the incel movement from inspiring mass killings?
Published in: Freedom of Information: News
UK government’s ‘Orwellian’ FOI unit interfered in Grenfell fire FOI requests

Live discussions

General live discussions promo image

Every Thursday we host a video panel of experts, influencers and openDemocracy editors discussing a timely theme.

Sign up or watch past discussions

Tweets by openDemocracy