Sarah van Gelder
Sarah van Gelder
is a co-founder and columnist at YES!, founder of PeoplesHub, and author of The Revolution Where You Live: Stories from a 12,000-Mile Journey Through a New America.
Sarah van Gelder
YES! co-founder Sarah van Gelder reflects on her conversations with the late Rev. Desmond Tutu, who spoke with YES! for our 2015 “Make It Right” issue.
Rebecca Adamson offers Native American views on scarcity, Wall Street, and how to thrive in hard times.
A rabbi, a minister, and an imam forge a bond, discovering new spiritual depths via dialogue and friendship.
On the anniversary of the March on Washington, we revisit an interview with the musician and civil rights activist about his anthology of Black music.
A society that fails to invest in its children, to protect its land and water, or to build a future is courting collapse.
Alarm over John Bolton, who has pushed for pre-emptive war in North Korea and bombing Iran, isn’t just among progressives.
We can build long-term power in our communities and help elect our favorite candidates if we work strategically, inclusively—and independently.
How former debt collectors showed everyone how to buy up people’s medical debt at pennies on the dollar.
Wisconsin dairy farmers reminded me not to allow Fox News and the NRA to define groups of people.
One of the most chilling reasons for being sent back to prison is failure to pay a fine or court or supervision fees.
Imagination, as Hawaiian Native rights advocate Poka Laenui describes it, is more than an antidote to hopelessness. It is a source of power.
The next women’s march is in the works. Although big mobilizations are important, they’re just one tactic.
Removing debris after a hurricane or giving blood after a shooting empowers us.
Let’s say goodbye to top-down revolutions and embrace grassroots action.
Last week, a Washington state energy panel voted unanimously to oppose what would be the nation’s largest oil-by-rail terminal.
The point isn’t to win. It’s to ignite understanding.
The era of empire, white supremacy, dirty energy, and global capitalism is coming to a close.
The effort to restore prairies in Washington state before they disappear.
It’s OK to be a part-time crusader or half-hearted fanatic. That helps you stay resilient.
Royalties for “We Shall Overcome” used to go to building the power of African Americans and other marginalized people. Not anymore.
The country’s universal, low-cost health care system works well.
The companies responsible for the climate crisis should cover the costs of fighting wildfires and recovering from hurricanes.
Every region of our country has its history of racial exclusion and white supremacy. Here are 13 ways to right those wrongs.
An online platform might be just the thing to spread around our grassroots genius.
While it is true that climate change is a global problem, we have power when we act locally.
My gratitude goes out to the millions of Americans who launched a resistance that has slowed or stopped many of Trump’s policies.
A new report finds public ownership is the best way for cities and towns to meet renewable energy and efficiency targets.
Instead of using debt to punish communities of color and the poor, we should invest in everyone and defend our civic legacies for future generations.
In Norway, a high-tech seed vault flooded from melting permafrost. In Montana, locals keep their seeds in the library.
A birthing center opening next year in New Mexico will provide a safe place for women to heal through their traditions.
Nearly 60 percent of Americans want Medicare for All. Democrats must support it, too.
We must protect the parks, pathways, and gardens that connect us to each other and to the ecosystems of our home.
Cities with vibrant arts, music, and social scenes are being hit hard by gentrification. But Berlin’s “co-housing culture” shows that a city’s future doesn’t have to go that way.
Last month, bank officials met face to face with leaders of the Standing Rock Sioux, and this week they announced the bank had sold the loan at the request of tribal leaders.
Although many people in these struggling regions voted for the new president, his cynical answers will not bring them prosperity. But I saw what could.
If Democrats want to retake government, they will need to do more than be the party that isn’t as bad as Trump, starting with closing the wealth gap.
When 500 refugees arrived in their community, residents of Zaandam were wary. But by the time the newcomers could apply for residency status in Europe, neighbors didn’t want them to leave.
We can start difficult conversations by speaking from the heart and sharing our wish for a world where everyone is safe and free.
After the inauguration and the Women’s March on Washington, what comes next? To make real change, we’ll need to build power where we live.
The election divided the year into “before” and “after.” But there remain signs of hope for 2017.
“We fought you. We took your land. We signed treaties that we broke … But we’ve come to say that we are sorry.”
We can’t count on Republicans or Democrats to save us. Instead, we are the ones to build the world we want, starting in our communities.
As we work toward a post-fossil fuel society, we can look to these lessons from the Sioux.
We’ve learned a lot in 20 years of solutions journalism. We know that we can fix what’s broken in our communities, regardless of who inhabits the White House.
“We’re about protecting our future. And that’s what he should be about.”
Don’t talk about moving to Canada or Costa Rica. Reach out to those who are vulnerable and promise to stand with them.
A four-month road trip showed me how many of us are already building a better America by working together.
Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner talks about being disinvited to introduce Bernie Sanders at the DNC, racism in America, and grassroots leadership.
Songs and prayers, words of encouragement, and spaces for recovery are at the core of the healing happening here at Standing Rock.
The real change we need to stop the social and ecological unraveling can be found in the neighborhoods and cities, where we encounter each other every day.
Constitutional amendment organizers are confident of an eventual victory. “The push toward justice has always started at the grassroots.”
Four reasons communities all over the country are winning against the powerful and extremely wealthy fossil fuel industry.
Instead, White folks need to realize we have the power to stop police violence and defend Black lives.
Protecting the water and sacred sites brought people here. The experience of being here is changing lives.
Dallas Goldtooth, a veteran organizer of the Keystone XL fight, is amazed at the historic support from tribes at Standing Rock—even tribes that rely on resource extraction.
After the pipeline decisions, many at the protest site wonder whether future generations will look back on this as a turning point in U.S.-tribal history.
Celebration and solidarity as hundreds of tribes unite behind the Standing Rock Sioux’s opposition to the Dakota Access pipeline.
When we take the time to connect, we make our communities more resilient and compassionate, and maybe we find the courage to defeat racism.
When we live connected to a community, we are more likely to become champions for one another, not just for ourselves.
Our hope lies in shifting power to communities and regions that prioritize safety, clean air, children’s health, and locally rooted livelihoods.
The one thing we can count on is change. But what will make that change inclusive and sustainable instead of violent and fascistic?
When Donald Trump gets more air time than Bernie Sanders, the media misses the mark on grassroots change.
With a mix of anger and excitement, Bernie Sanders supporters shift focus away from the presidency and search for ways to sustain the political revolution sparked by his campaign.
Five ways to build on the momentum of the Bernie Sanders campaign and transform American politics in ways his supporters envisioned.
In every community I visited, I found people working hard to lay a different foundation for our society.
Our next president must be someone who understands the science of climate change and can build a clean energy future.
Like many startups, YES! Magazine began with an energized small team, an idea we thought important, and a basement office. Twenty years later, we're stronger than ever.
Even with Tuesday’s campaign setbacks, Bernie Sanders’ pledge to make the country more equitable and sustainable is more realistic than some people are letting on.
Twelve years ago, John Perkins published his book, “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man.” Today, he says “things have just gotten so much worse.”
"Self-care and healing and attention to the body and the spiritual dimension—all of this is now a part of radical social justice struggles."
Many survivors of domestic violence have had their attempts at work and creativity sabotaged for years. On these 40 acres of rolling farmland, they're being restored.
Author Florence Williams and her daughter discovered they had high levels of toxins—like flame retardants—in their bodies. Getting rid of the chemicals was harder than they expected.
The Turtle Mountain Band was among the first tribes to ban the drilling process. Here’s the difference it made.
The TPP makes the rights of companies sacrosanct, and that includes the right to mine. But what about the rights of people who live in the way of proposed mining sites?
Despite conflicts and crises at home and abroad, 2015 offered glimpses of the road to a more just, compassionate, and sustainable world.
As a Syrian family seeks safety in Texas, some voice outrage against the “Islamization” of America. This Sunday, I attended church services in Dallas where I found a commitment to live out the welcoming, compassionate side of Christianity.
"We realize that in this country we don’t have political power. So we have always looked at building alliances, coalitions, or being part of coalitions."
A "Jubilee" initiative in Cincinnati aims to wipe out the debts of the city's poorest people. Theologian Walter Brueggemann explains the idea's biblical foundations.
When Republic Windows and Doors closed down without giving workers notice, the issue drew national attention. Since then, they’ve turned the factory into a worker-owned co-op—where they hold the power.
Rest well, dear friend. Millions of us have been enlivened and empowered by your wisdom and spirit.
The author and activist talks with YES! about millennials, climate change, and how she can't imagine being alive at "a more thrilling, challenging time."
Meet the ranchers, grandmothers, professors, and tribes who are bringing back grizzlies, blocking oil equipment deliveries, getting arrested—and having a great time doing it.
University of Montana professor George Price on permaculture, race, and how he's standing up to tar sands extraction.
YES! co-founder Sarah van Gelder sets out on a road trip to find the edge of change.
A leading activist pastor speaks about the emerging face of civil rights leadership in 21st century America.
South Africans surprised everyone by transitioning to a relatively peaceful post-apartheid society. Here’s what Americans can learn.
The father and daughter recently published The Book of Forgiving, a guide to help perpetrators and victims embrace their mutual humanity.
For decades, we've been taught that economic growth and buying more stuff will make us happy—while trashing the planet. The good news is, there’s a better kind of happy: It starts with meaningful work, loving relationships, and a thriving natural world.
From slavery to police brutality, reconciliation begins with the truth.
Partisan gridlock keeps the focus on the fight—but we might have some radical ideas in common.
Alternative business models such as worker-owned cooperatives are gaining ground, proving that a more just and sustainable future is possible.
From Native activists to urban youth, new leadership finds ways to deal with climate chaos.
Let’s be honest: It was a brutal year for human rights. But we still have victories worth celebrating.
New energy is transforming our cities into hotbeds of democracy and progressive innovation.
At a time when nations are gridlocked and corrupted by special interests, cities are taking on poverty, social isolation, and the climate crisis.
The starting point is to realize we have choices—like meaningful work, authentic relationships, and gratitude.
Naomi Klein’s powerful new book explains why not only can the climate movement win—but it’s our best chance at overturning some of history’s greatest injustices.
First the anger, then the love—overcoming generational anger to find the courage required for the difficult work ahead.
Today's storytellers show that each of us can be part of something more powerful, diverse, and creative than we might have imagined.
This issue of YES! looks at the ways new voices are being heard, and at how their stories are transforming our culture.
For decades the myth of failing public schools justified industrial-scale testing and a privatization agenda. Now radical educators are bursting the bubble test, getting culturally relevant, and restoring justice to the classroom.
Lama Tsomo is a Tibetan Buddhist lama, a former homesteader, and an heiress to a family fortune who lives a quiet life in the mountains of Montana. Now she is beginning to teach the practices and insights gained through years of solitary retreats and study.
While the president outlined important steps forward last night, bolder steps are needed. Here are eight with the power to truly create the universal opportunity the president called for.
In December 2007, YES! editor-in-chief Sarah van Gelder interviewed Pete Seeger in his home in Beacon, New York. Seeger showed Sarah his family photo albums, his DIY solar-powered car, and, of course, a whole wall filled with banjos.
Beyond the headlines of conflict and catastrophe, this year’s top stories offered us some powerful proof that the world can still change—for the better.
“Our philosophy is good, clean, and fair food: Good because it is healthy and tasty; clean because it is produced with low environmental impact and with animal welfare in mind; and fair because it respects the work of those who produce, process, and distribute it.”
It's time to reclaim the well-being and exuberance that is part of healthy food culture.
‘‘A seed sown in the soil makes us one with the Earth. It makes us realize that we are the Earth.”
Here are four cases in yesterday's election where people power won out over corporate interests. And one that went the other way.
Of course the media needs to start talking honestly about climate change. But there's more to the issue than just gloom and doom.
In Iraq, Afghanistan, and many other cases, the people protested and got war anyway. Why—at least, so far—has the story played out differently with Syria?
Many of the legal and diplomatic processes that led to peace in other times of conflict haven't even been tried yet in Syria.
Remember the last time we were told military strikes were needed because a Middle Eastern despot had used weapons of mass destruction?
Your community is the perfect place to begin healing the wounds of racism.
It can be hard for youth to deal with the overwhelming effects of climate change. But, by taking action, we can erode the hold that oil, fracking, and coal has on people and the environment.
On life, leadership, and the future in an age of catastrophic change.
Pastor Jim Wallis has been arrested for protesting the Keystone XL pipeline, builds bridges between polarized politicians, and pushes Christians to worry less about gay marriage and more about justice. And even better—there’s a whole new generation following his lead.
The climate crisis is spinning out of control, and the gap between the rich and poor continues to grow unabated. It’s time to let the radical uncertainty of this moment enlarge our sense of possibility.
From 1999 to 2013, Hugo Chavez served as president of Venezuela. He leaves behind a mixed legacy that includes admirable efforts to empower the poor, but also a disturbing tendency toward authoritarianism.
Co-ops—just like people—can get more done together than anyone can do alone. They come in many forms, and are more common than you might imagine.
Video: At her TEDx talk, YES! magazine editor Sarah van Gelder discusses the “mean world syndrome” caused by excessively negative news coverage, and describes how solutions journalism creates a more balanced—and hopeful—point of view.
When a new law paved the way for tar sands pipelines and other fossil fuel development on native lands, four women swore to be “idle no more.” The idea took off.
Many were surprised to hear President Barack Obama take up climate change at today’s inaugural address. Here are a few ways the president can seize the moment and transform our approach to climate action.
2012 was a year of superstorms, mass shootings, debt strikes, and the most spendy election ever. Here’s how last year’s most important stories will shape 2013.
The two-time Pulitzer Prize winner accepted an appointment as U.S. poet laureate so he could offer just one simple warning.
Corporations aren’t hiring, and Washington is gridlocked. Here’s how we take charge of our own livelihoods.
Van Jones is leading a national mobilization to rebuild the middle class—through decent work, fair taxes, and opportunities for all.
In the work you do each day, how do you distinguish truth from fraud, build community, and speak up for what’s right?
Meet the man who’s convincing the country, and the new President, that the next economy needs to be green and just.
Large majorities of Americans agree on some of the most important issues of the day, from health care to foreign policy.
On Wild Rice, Wind Power, Thunder Beings, Self-reliance, and our Covenant with the Creator
George Shultz was there when nuclear disarmament slipped through our fingers. Today, he says, action is even more urgent. Sarah van Gelder interviews George Shultz, former Secretary of State.
In a 2007 interview, folk singer Pete Seeger talks about hitchhiking with Woody Guthrie, inspiring people with music, and the power of millions of small changes.
Investment in energy projects will total $16 trillion in the next two decades. Sarah van Gelder lays out over a dozen sustainable energy policies and technologies that can make our infrastructure more climate friendly.
Americans spend the most, get the least, and have no health care security. The solution is not that difficult.
Matthew Fox, formerly of the Roman Catholic Church, nailed 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. Some 500 years after Luther pounded his theses on the door of the same church, Fox is after a transformation just as radical
Sprawl overruns open space, jams up roads, degrades air quality, and leaves center cities without jobs and services. Policies that fight sprawl could bring new life to cities and suburbs, diversify our neighborhoods, and save the environment.
What if the American people chose a different path? What if we chose not to assume the mantle of empire?
Vandana Shiva is a physicist and an organic farmer, an instigator of India’s historic “tree-huggers” movement, and a renowned author. She speaks internationally on the perils of globalization, while mobilizing fellow citizens to reclaim their rights to life itself.
Danny Glover is a life-long activist. His involvement ranges from raising awareness about the AIDS crisis in Africa, to literacy, to the well being of African Americans and impoverished communities in the US. Danny is also a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador.
Are all crime victims after revenge? Genesee County criminal justice officials are finding that victims are after something else-something that our criminal justice system rarely offers.
Editor Sarah Van Gelder reflects on the WTO, peacebuilding, and the zen of double zeros.
A multi-cultural coalition can lead the way to greener and more vibrant cities that work for all residents, says Carl Anthony in this interview with YES! executive editor, Sarah van Gelder