Confronting injustice : social activism in the age of individualism

"Written by an activist for activists... a powerful call for collective action against the social causes of poverty and climate change." — Climate & Capitalism A new generation of activists working for economic and environmental justice, and against war and poverty, confronts critical questions. Why is the world so unjust and crisis-prone? What kind of world should we fight for? How can we win? In this panoramic yet accessible book, Umair Muhammad engages with these and other urgent debates. He argues that individual solutions like "buying green" are dead ends and that hope for the future lies in a radical expansion of democracy and the transformation of the economy from one based on profit to one that can meet human needs. "A highly recommended read for those who are interested in working together to transform society." —Chelsey Rhodes, founder of DelusionsofDevelopment.com "This book will force activists to check their intentions. I wasn't even halfway done before I wanted to share it with everyone I knew." —Maryama Ahmed, Toronto-based community organizer "A wide-ranging and unflinching look at the global nature of the challenges contemporary activists seek to address. Its blend of environmental and anti-imperialist analysis, grounded in direct organizing experience, makes this a powerful and important resource." —Dru Oja Jay, coauthor of Paved with Good Intentions "What [Umair] provides is an opening statement in an important discussion that activists must have... A must-read book for today's activists." —Ian Angus, author of A Redder Shade of Green According to recent estimates 400,000 people die every year as a result of human-made global warming. The UN projects that 3 billion additional people may be pushed into extreme poverty by 2050 because of environmental destruction. The scale of the problems we face makes it clear that individualist, lifestyle-centric approaches to activism will not suffice. We need to change the structures of our social system, not our light bulbs. This book seeks to expose the structural roots of the injustices we must confront, and outlines an approach to activism which transcends the hopeless individualism of our time. "A new generation of activists working for economic and environmental justice, and against war and poverty, confronts critical questions. Why is the world so unjust and crisis-prone? What kind of world should we fight for? How can we win? In this panoramic yet accessible book, Umair Muhammad engages with these and other urgent debates. He argues that individual solutions like 'buying green' are dead ends and that hope for the future lies in a radical expansion of democracy and the transformation of the economy from one based on profit to one that can meet human needs"--Provided by publisher Urgent and powerful call to build the mass movements necessary to overcome global climate & save the planet.