this is excellent stuff; haven’t had a chance to see the video yet, but this magazine is easily one of the best alternative lifestyle/ecology publications I have seen in the last 15 years…. (hadn’t realised it was first published in 1966 though!)
What is particlarly good about this magazine is that it not only shows many positive alternatives for social change but also recognises the value of art and recreation (I have some concerns that some parts of the Green movement view social activity such as raves as selfish hedonism and would actually clamp down on them as much as (if not more) than conventional governments do should they ever come to power!)
in the mid 1990s myself (and many other friends) were becoming concerned that environmental activism was merely becoming “politically correct hooliganism” – a situation where angry young males were joining these organisations merely to “impress” idealistic young girls by fighting with cops, bailiffs (or amongst themselves!) and eventually imposing a patriarchal “society” on the protest/squat scene (there were sadly a number of predators who latched on to that scene 🙁 )
In some cases you were even getting “lone wolves” “joining” activist organisations merely so they could make IEDs (bombs) or carry out acts of vandalism/violence for their own enjoyment.. (as well as my own research I was also informed of this situation by a lady who was once herself an eco-activist, she left because of the trend towards agression, Monbiot also mentions it in several of his columns from the late 90s)
All this was nothing to do with conspiracies/babylon infiltration (which was alleged at the time) , it was merely the powerful influence of outside society (the “lad culture” was making a resurgence around that time).
Because of this I am extremely sceptical of many radical environmental movements; even though I support many of their aims..
Therefore, Resurgence Magazine’s emphasis on non-violent social change and consensus solutions comes as a refreshing change to many other activists’ publications I have read over the years, which concentrate on single issue campaigns and confrontational activities…
hadn’t expected either to find what appears to be a significant community of Indian environmentalists following the teachings of Ghandi in the Exeter region! I am definitely going to susbcribe to the paper copy of this magazine, it is something worth reading…
