Where Did International Women’s Day Come From?
Today, the world honors advancements for women’s rights—and it all started with a courageous group of garment workers.
Social Justice
Film Offers Fresh Take on Racism in Obama’s America
Cracking the Codes features stories of racism’s continuing effects told by those who experience it daily, and includes a teaching guide for those who want to address racial issues within groups and projects.
Dancing the World into Being: A Conversation with Idle No More’s Leanne Simpson
Naomi Klein speaks with writer, spoken-word artist, and indigenous academic Leanne Betasamosake Simpson about “extractivism,” why it’s important to talk about memories of the land, and what’s next for Idle No More.
Why You Don’t Frack With John Lennon’s Farm
When fracking hits close to home, Mark Ruffalo, Debra Winger, Yoko Ono, and other big names find common ground with small towns.
What the Oscars Can Teach Us About Elections That Work
Academy Award-winners are selected by algorithms that allow voters to rank candidates in order of preference, selecting backups if their first choices lose. What if we elected our leaders that way?
Behind the Kitchen Door: A Must-Read for Anyone Who Eats at Restaurants
Review: More than half of the nation’s worst-paid jobs are related to food. Saru Jayaraman’s new book dives into the explosive movement for better rights for those who plant, process, and cook the food we eat.
MLK’s “Racism and the World House”: More Relevant than Ever
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s thinking on racism pertained to all of world society, not just the United States. In this writing, he makes the case that racism is a “corrosive evil” that must be conquered before we can achieve peace.
Largest Climate Rally in U.S. History Comes to Washington
What does it sound like when 40,000 people raise their voices for climate justice at once?
Rapper Brother Ali on Privilege, Hope, and Other People’s Stories
In this exclusive interview, hip-hop artist Brother Ali talks to YES! about the personal transformations that have shaped his life and lyrics.
Global Day of Dance Connects Women around the Globe
Eve Ensler’s One Billion Rising brought women into the streets in every country registered with the United Nations, plus a few places that aren’t. At the Seattle event, a dancing little girl seemed to represent the movement’s hopes for women’s lives.
Green Housing: In Buffalo, It’s Not Just for Rich People Anymore
Can we build sustainable housing that's affordable, too? The city of Buffalo did, and created a community jobs pipeline in the process. Here's what can happen when neighborhoods take the lead.
Today, One Billion Rise
Rise, strike, dance: The worldwide walkout for the end of violence against women and girls.
Arrests in Washington Signal Increasing Urgency on Keystone Pipeline
Forty-eight leaders of environmentalist groups such as the Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth, and 350.org were arrested today while participating in civil disobedience. They were demanding that President Barack Obama stop construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline.
From the Culture of Aloha, a Path Out of Gun Violence
Beneath mainstream culture runs a current of domination, individualism, and exclusion that is harming our children. We assume this is normal—but is it really?
Why Canada’s Indigenous Uprising Is About All of Us
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.
Only the People of the United States Can End Israel’s Occupation
Many progressives breathed a sigh of relief when last month’s Israeli elections set the stage for a centrist coalition and not a far-right one. Yet peace will remain out of reach until the American people pressure the Obama Administration to end Israeli impunity.
Pathway to Progress in Israel Runs through International Law, Local and Global Action
While Israel moved away from the far right in last month’s elections, the new coalition is unlikely to alter the occupation. But change may come from divestment campaigns, the new U.N recognition of Palestinian statehood, and in the Israeli and Palestinian campaigns of nonviolent resistance.
Sex in the Wild (a First-Hand Account)
What I learned about love from a hermaphrodite, a cannibal, and a dizzyingly diverse array of sea creatures.
Why I Returned My Queen Elizabeth Medal of Honor
A letter to Canada’s Governor General explains why Maude Barlow–together with Idle No More–are speaking out against the country’s new environmental rules.
Tomorrow, We March on Washington to End the Gun Violence
Twenty-two times more children have been killed by guns since 1979 than military personnel in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars combined. Rev. Jacqui Lewis on why all of us—from clergy to factory workers—must not be too sad, too busy, or too afraid to say, enough.
Europe Authorizes “Robin Hood Tax” on Financial Transactions
Support for the tax on stocks, bonds, and derivatives was so strong among EU finance ministers that it wasn’t even necessary to take a formal vote.
Eleanor: The Radical Roosevelt
Hollywood just can’t seem to tell the truth about Eleanor Roosevelt, who was a fierce defender of human rights. Historian Peter Dreier steps in to set the record straight.
To Follow in MLK’s Footsteps, Join the Fight against Foreclosure
How can today’s Civil Rights leaders follow in the tradition of MLK? Lester Spence argues that foreclosures are the issue and the church may just be the solution.
Vandana Shiva: Our Violent Economy is Hurting Women
There is a connection between the growth of unjust economic policies and the intensification of crimes against women. The Delhi gang rape has triggered a revolution—one that we must sustain.
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