Written by Olli Tammilehto A key focus in social ecology has been the bringing about of profound societal change. This has been thought to mean a period of groundwork after which there would be a rapid revolutionary transition. Social movements, especially in cities, are seen as agents of change to a decisively more democratic and […]
Read More The Present is Pregnant with a New Future
The Paris Commune of 1871 was the biggest urban uprising and experience of self-organization of modern history. For those engaged in social and political change, this historic experience stands as the first example of the exercise of social and political power by the grassroots. To this day, it remains a vibrant and inspiring example of […]
Read More Paris Commune 150: From the 1871 Commune to Contemporary Communalism
Urban researcher Nikos Vrantsis interviews Yavor Tarinski, author of Common Futures: Social Transformation and Political Ecology [co-authored with Alexandros Schismenos] (Black Rose Books, 2021), on the current bureaucratic state of cities and the democratic perspectives offered by autonomous urban movements. Nikos Vrantsis: Day by day, state oppression turns into the new normal. Governmemts invested in […]
Read More Cities beyond bureaucracy: Exploring commons-based strategies
We publish below the call for papers of the upcoming conference “1921-2021: 100 years with and without Kropotkin”. Kropotkin has left an important imprint on the theoretical body of Social Ecology and because of this we strongly support every effort at researching and examining his legacy today. Piotr Alekseevich Kropotkin (1842-1921) was one of the […]
Read More 1921-2021: 100 years with and without Kropotkin
Written by Nikolaos-Ioannis Kanavaris, architect, MSc “design, space, culture” NTUA Psychodrama in Gavdos is a workshop that takes place almost 15 years in which over 100 people participate. The target of this seminar, as it is expressed by the coordinator Mr A. Liodakis, is to create a therapeutic community based on solidarity and empathy. This […]
Read More Healing Common Spaces: Psychodrama in Gavdos
Written by Yavor Tarinski With cities, it is as with dreams: everything imaginable can be dreamed, but even the most unexpected dream is a rebus that conceals a desire or, its reverse, a fear. ~Italo Calvino[1] In early March a group of motorized policemen reaches a public square in the Athenian neighborhood of Nea Smyrni. […]
Read More All Power to the Neighborhoods: Greece Rises Against Police Barbarity
Written by Metin Güven The struggle for the right to the city is growing in different contexts all over the world. For example, tens of thousands of people rebelled to protect Gezi Park in Istanbul in 2013, yet their actual driving motivation was resisting the authoritarian government that is trying to control every aspect of […]
Read More Do We Need a New Theory of the State?
Written by Christos Mantoudis Neoliberalism has undoubtedly become one of the most influential ideologies across the Globe over the last 40 years. This unique kind of capitalism has dominated the agenda of policy makers, business men and interest groups at national and transnational level. More importantly, neoliberalism has managed to effectively coexist with various political […]
Read More Why does Neoliberalism Persist?
Black Rose Books, in global collaboration with other organizations, scholars, activists, and university departments, organized a conference (5-8 of February) to celebrate Peter Kropotkin’s life and work. This conference commemorated 100 years since his death on February 8th, 1921. Kropotkin is undoubtedly one of the most important anarchist thinkers to understand the vision, and action, […]
Read More Life, Freedom & Ethics: International Conference on Peter Kropotkin
Written by Ercan Ayboga The History of Cities in North Kurdistan After the foundation of the Republic of Turkey, the cities in North (Turkish-occupied) Kurdistan became progressively poorer relative to those in the Turkish state. This led to comparatively weak municipalities ruled by so-called system parties, which were hierarchical, corrupt, and extremely alienated from the […]
Read More The Democratization of Cities in North Kurdistan