April 2011 - Centre for Civil Society - University of KwaZulu-Natal

homogeneous white racial identity, and from church socializing to secular
isolation. Because the collective social fabric has been disrupted, it is
more difficult to get people to agree and work together--but it is not
impossible.
Rebuilding Community
Rebuilding a sense of community is vital not only to spark future Wisconsin
Rebellions, but to enable greater individual creativity. Most of the signs in
the protests (and solidarity rallies around the country) have been
handmade and humorous, not prefab and dour. The rallies evoke the
feeling of grassroots movements rather than political campaigns, because
Wisconsinites would rather have a real party than join a political party.
This Rebellion is not just about Democratic politicians finally finding their
spines; it is about working people who are finding their own voice and
their own collective strength.
Organizers around the country are learning and drawing on their own
states’ progressive histories and community traditions. Each generation has
something to offer, and can learn from each other, and each generation
also has the potential to develop new tactics and do the unexpected.
Effective alliance-builders are trying to weave together different issues
without weakening the identities of distinct social groups. They are getting
out of the progressive ghettos, and trying to bring together different
regions within their state that represent different economic and
ethnic/racial histories.
But the Spirit of Wisconsin is not just about political tactics and strategies.
It is about building a greater sense of community through warmth and
hospitality. It is about gathering to share food and exchange ideas, rather
than simply having meetings. It is about overcoming apathy and fear
through strengthening our social bonds. Americans are trying to find this
real human solidarity in our own towns and neighborhoods, rather than
simply waiting for the next rally or election. Wisconsin shows us what is
possible in America, but change always begins at home.
www.zcommunications.org
Zoltan Grossman edited and produced maps for Wisconsin’s Past and
Present: A Historical Atlas, by the Wisconsin Cartographers Guild
(University of Wisconsin Press, 2002). He is a member of the faculty in
Geography and Native Studies at The Evergreen State College in Olympia,
Wash., and can be reached at grossmaz@evergreen.edu or through his
website at http://academic.evergreen.edu/g/grossmaz
Greece’s People Start To Reclaim Their Economy
Nick Dearden 7 March 2011
(March 3rd, 2011) -- This morning Greek trade unions, academics and
politicians issued a call to set up a Public Commission to examine their
debts. It’s the first ever call for a Debt Audit in Europe. Supported by over
200 prominent Greek and international figures, it is a concrete proposal
for how Greek people might begin to retake control of their economy.
Greece has suffered the worst of the financial crisis, forced to take new
loans of up-to €110 billion from the EU and International Monetary Fund
(IMF) last May, the country is facing the most brutal austerity cuts in its
history, while the economy is still contracting. Many economists remain