Another Politics

Chris Dixon is an activist, writer, and educator who received a PhD from the History of Consciousness program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. His writing has appeared in We Are Many: Reflections on Movement Strategy from Occupation to Liberation, Anarchist Studies, Clamor, the Earth First! Journal, Left Turn, Social Movement Studies, and Upping the Anti. He has been involved in transformative social movements for more than two decades.

"An excellent distillation of what Dixon calls 'another politics,' a shared political orientation that unites grassroots organizers working from similar principles in the United States and Canada across issue, movement, sector, strategy and identity... Like a good organizing mentor, Dixon (and his interviewees) gives us insight without 'right' answers, helping to deepen our understanding of commonalities and remind us of the deep roots of the 'another politics' leftist lineage." -- Andrew Willis Garces Waging Nonviolence "An invaluable snapshot of the North American left today... To understand the state of the left in North America, in all its aspirations and its limitations, Another Politics is an important book." -- Justin Podur teleSUR "With such widespread challenges and injustice facing our society, combined with the shifting energies and momentum of people power, the 'another politics' Chris Dixon documents in Another Politics: Talking Across Today's Transformative Movements offers perhaps the most promising and exciting approaches to collectively addressing these problems while simultaneously moving us into the world in which we wish to live." -- Greg MacDougall Rabble "One of the most engaging books on activism that I've read in a long time ... Another Politics is inspiring and thought provoking without being naive. A must read for anyone into activism and grassroots politics." -- E V E L Y N We Were Raised By Wolves "Gripping and politically productive ... impressive and important ... A compelling work of social and political theory." -- Ted Rutland Race & Class "Chris Dixon exposes the teeth of anti-authoritarian organizing, and captures--with rigor--the emergent possibilities in this new spirit of radicalism ... This book serves as an invitation to activists and organizers to struggle better, more wholly, and more effectively for collective transformative change." Make/Shift "Remarkable... [Another Politics] accomplishes [a] complex task... by strategic inquisitiveness...[a] unique contribution." Labour/Le Travail "Another Politics is a major new work... a vital learning tool... [and] a must have." New Political Science "Dixon is an extremely generous scholar as he weaves his text around interviews with movement participants. The book offers readers a meticulous account of these organizing cultures in addition to the thought processes, decision-making mechanisms, and application of historical reflections and theoretical concepts in a contemporary social movement." -- Kevin Van Meter Cultural Geographies

• List of Illustrations Foreword by Angela Y. Davis Acknowledgments Introduction Part 1. Politics 1. "Fighting against amnesia": Movement Histories of Another Politics 2. "Defining ourselves in opposition": The Four "Anti's" 3. "Organizing now the way you want to see the world later": Prefigurative Politics Part 2. Strategy 4. "Do you want to have a chance at winning something?": Developing Strategy 5. "In the world but not of it": An Emerging Strategic Framework Part 3. Organizing 6. "Bringing people together to build their power": Anti-authoritarian Organizing 7. "Leadership from below": Taking Initiative and Building Capacities 8. "Vehicles for movement-building": Creating Organizations Conclusion: "Imagining ourselves outside of what we know" Resources for Movement-Building Organizations and Projects Mentioned Biographies of Interviewees Notes Bibliography Index