Russia’s summer of the wildfires brought about a change in society, says Andrei Loshak. Previously the only possible options for those disenchanted with the system were to take the streets or pack our bags and leave. Now we have another: self-help and self- organisation, much in the spirit of the
Just a short introduction to the post that appears immediately below this in OK. It is written by this week's Front Page editor of openDemocracy, Jack DuVall an
“If you want to build a ship, don’t gather your people and ask them to provide wood, prepare tools, assign tasks. Call them together and raise in their minds the longing for the endless sea.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Three attributes can make the difference between success and failure for nonviolent movements around the world: unity, planning, and nonviolent discipline.
The political transformation and social drama of the 1989 revolutions in east-central Europe promised a decisive rupture with the past. But the perspective of two decades and of a global frame offers a more complex picture of this historic moment, says George Lawson.
The leader of the Liberal Democrats heading the Coalition's programme for constitutional reform set out his overview of the government's programme. It is far-reaching but is it coherent and is it as radical as it claims?
A brief critique of the abuse of the term 'fairness' in British politics.
For the past 20 years or more people have increasingly been exploring the British landscape on foot and by bike. Ken Worpole is one of them and here he reflects on the rewards for modern society in a renewed acquaintance with the natural world
The Chair of the Commons committee investigating local government power asks "should these be codified?" and invites submissions.
The narrative of the Cold War imposed a simplified vision of the world. The UK’s defence review does move towards an understanding that risks normally associated with domestic concerns now have to be dealt with on a global scale. What it does not do is to create a capability for this kind of inter
To mark the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, we have a true story from its early days. It is about a young man's rites of passage, but also an era of deception, self-deception and co-option, when those who made the journey to the other side could be turned by the Cold War into weapons.