The lay of the land: Radical municipalism in the US and Canada
During the last five years, we have seen major social and political upheavals across the United States and Canada. Yet beneath the surface of tumultuous events, such as the George Floyd uprisings, Donald Trump’s presidency, or the COVID19 pandemic, a new tendency of grassroots organizing…
How Cooperation Birmingham went beyond crisis relief to build democracy
Cooperation Birmingham was envisioned in 2019, when a group of local residents were inspired by visiting members of Cooperation Jackson. Our project aimed to form a basis for a solidarity economy in the city and provide material infrastructure that would allow autonomous community groups to…
Don’t Panic! How Italian municipalists tackled COVID-19
The deadly outbreak of COVID-19 in Italy marked a turning point in the global conversation about the pandemic. When the disease first emerged and spread throughout China, people in powerful western countries found it easy to dismiss the threat. But by late February, news of…
Wildfires, housing crisis, fascist street violence, and an uprising: this municipalist organization in Portland, Oregon was in the middle of it all
In April 2020, Covid-19 was sweeping the United States. Store shelves were wiped clean as the capitalist system of distribution was breaking down. In Portland Oregon, the group Symbiosis PDX worked together with a number of partner groups to facilitate the community production of thousands…
Cape Town’s response to COVID-19 shows that another kind of society is possible
In early March 2020, as Covid-19 began to spread in South Africa, a group of community organisers, social justice activists, artists and health system researchers from Cape Town came together to plan a neighbourhood-based response to the virus and its socio-economic effects. The aim of…