Van Jones: "We Need More Friends"

THE GREEN COLLAR ECONOMY

:: Anna Fahey’s review.

:: Excerpt from the book.

Van Jones has advocated a change in how we practice activism. In this interview, conducted on November 12, 2008, I asked him what he means when he says we need to make more friends and less enemies.

But this interview, which will appear in full in the Spring issue of YES! Magazine, shows Van’s leadership extends far beyond a single issue.

In November 2004, as the progressive world was in deep mourning after the close re-election victory of President George W. Bush, YES! published a lead article by Van in the Healing and Resistance issue that turned out to be extraordinarily prescient. Van showed what we had won during the build-up to the election, and showed how a progressive shift was on the way—or could be.

He later agreed to become a YES! contributing editor, and has written for us on such important topics as rebuilding after Katrina, forming common cause across black and brown, and the movement to stop the destruction of an urban farm in South Central Los Angeles.

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Green For All is a national organization dedicated to building an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty.
To learn more, visit www.greenforall.org.