Looking for hope at the end of a troubling year

Last December, we were looking ahead to the year to come with some fear and trepidation. We were still in shock after Donald Trump's win in the U.S. What were we in for?

Well, now we know. To say it's been a challenging year is the understatement of the still-new century. And though it looks like Peace on Earth is a concept which seems more elusive than ever, there are lots of people out there working to reverse the damage that has been done over many years of globalization, corporate control, and the actions of demogogues who use "democracy" as a synonym for "capitalism".

For your holiday listening, some wise words from people who believe that all is not lost. The struggle continues, and is far from over.

a) Chris Hedges – Writing as Resistance – In this excerpt, Chris talks about his early years as an activist journalist. He was in Peterborough at the invitation of Bill Kimball, the artistic director of an organization called Public Energy. So, when you hear Chris talk about Bill, that's who he's referring to. They went to school together in the States in their younger days. You can hear the whole talk here.

b) For decades, Angela Davis has been deeply involved in movements for social justice around the world. She emerged as a prominent activist in the 1960s, especially for her involvement in the American Civil Rights movement. Her work as an educator — both at the university level and in the larger public sphere – has always emphasized the importance of building communities of struggle for economic, racial, and gender justice.

She spoke at the Canadian Labour Congress Convention on Sunday May 7, 2017 as part of the CLC Human Rights Forum: Disruption is Power. Here is the entire talk on Needs No Introduction.

c) Gerry Caplan has worked for justice for a long time. He was a key figure in the New Democratic Party for many years as a party strategist and even took a run at a seat himself at one point. He's an author, and a commentator on the state of the media. He's also an authority on genocide, especially in Rwanda. He writes for publications like the Globe and Mail and is a frequent guest on the CBC. And … we are very proud that Gerry Caplan has a blog on rabble, and especially proud that he's been a friend of rabble since the very beginning, way back at the turn of the century. You can read his rabble blog here. His entire interview on rabble radio with Victoria Fenner can be found here.

Thanks for the larger perspective, all of you. Thanks to all of our contributors to rabble podcasts, and we look forward to hearing your voices again in 2018.

Image: Peace on Earth – Wikimedia