Democratization

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Below are groups and resources (books, articles, websites, etc.) related to this topic. Click on an item’s title to go its resource page with author, publisher, description/abstract and other details, a link to the full text if available, as well as links to related topics in the Subject Index. You can also browse the Title, Author, Subject, Chronological, Dewey, LoC, and Format indexes, or use the Search box.
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Connexions Library

The Abolition of the State: Anarchist & Marxist Perspectives
Price, Wayne
Book
2007
Both Anarchists and Marxists believe that it will be possible to do away with the state. But what do they mean by that? What is the state, after all? What institutions, if any, would be necessary ...
Against All Odds
Diemer, Ulli
Article
1985
The shadow haunting the power structure is the danger that those who are controlled will realize they are powerless only so long as they think they are. Once people stop believing they are powerless t...
An Anti-Capitalist Manifesto
Callinicos, Alex
Book
2003
An extended argument about what the anti-capitalist movement should stand for.
Barcelona's Experiment in Radical Democracy
Gessen, Masha
Article
2018
Issues that Barcelona en Comu is tackling come up against limitations set by Catalan and Spanish law. The city lacks authority to regulate housing, although the city has created new affordable housing...
The Battle for Democracy in Mexico: Against The Current vol. 117
La Botz, Dan
Article
2005
The Mexican people won a battle for democracy this past spring when massive demonstrations — the largest in Mexico’s tumultuous history — prevented President Vicente Fox from making Mexico City Mayor ...
Beating Back the Corporate Attack: Socialism and the struggle for global justice
Clement, Chris; La Botz, Dan; Luce, Stephanie; Post, Charlie
Book
2000
Our movement is calling for a new direction -- for democratic control of our political life, and for democratic control over the most important aspects of the economy. Why should handful of the super-...
Canada's Distorted Electoral System
Diemer, Ulli
Article
2000
Canada's electoral system is undemocratic
Changing The Cogs: Activists and the Politics of Technology
Martin, Brian
Book
1979
What are the best ways to achieve beneficial change in society? Will widespread use of solar energy and other renewable energy sources bring about a good society? What technologies will be promoted by...
Communication for and Against Democracy
Raboy, Marc and Bruck, Peter A. (ed.)
Book
1989
This anthology explores the circumstances in which communication serves at times as an instrument of repression and domination, and at others as a support for human emancipation.
Connexions Annual Resource and Reading List
Article
1989
A short and selective list of resources on issues addressed in the Connexions Annual, such as environment, education, peace, interntional development, women's issues, urban issues, housing, human rig...
Democracy Against Capitalism
Wood, Ellen Meiksins
Book
1995
Wood provides a brilliant explication and defense of the key theoretical concepts relevant to socialism, understood to be the most radical social and economic democracy.
Democracy and Social Change
Gray, Stanley
Article
1966
Gray maintains that liberal democracy places power in only a few hands and calls for a radical democratization of power within the framework of an economy owned, controlled, and responsible to the pub...
Democracy is in the Streets: From Port Huron to the Siege of Chicago
Miller, James
Book
1987
A thoughtful and evocative history of the American New Left in the 1960's, looking critically but sympathetically at the struggles and passions of that period.
Democracy Is that it?: New Internationalist June 2000
Serial Publication (Periodical)
2000
Democracy has become commonplace and its original meaning -- "rule by the people" -- has got lost. Real democracy depends on active citizenship, something that's missing from contemporary culture. Ar...
Democratic Struggle: What Role for Marxism?
Pilon, Dennis
Article
2003
Exploring what Marxist approaches to democracy have offered to contemporary discussions.
Diemer, Ulli: Connexipedia Article
Article
2010
Canadian socialist publisher, writer, and archivist.
Direct democracy: Connexipedia Article
Article
A form of democracy wherein sovereignty is lodged in the assembly of all citizens who choose to participate.
Electing for Democracy: Proportional Representation and the Left
Kuper, Richard
Book
1990
An argument for proportional representation in the United Kingdom.
Electoral reform will give us a voice
Wainwright, Hilary
Article
1998
The democratic case for electoral reform is fundamental, and to attack it as somehow a 'right wing' issue is a betrayal of the radical democratic tradition.
The End of Politics: Corporate Power and the Decline of the Public Sphere
Boggs, Carl
Book
2000
From the events of privatization, economic globalization, spread of violence and gun culture, and the end of the cold war, Boggs explores the depoliticization process in the United States.
Faces of global resistance: New Internationalist September 2001 - #338
Serial Publication (Periodical)
2001
Discussion of corporate globalization and how some are organizing themselves to resists.
The Fifth Modernization: China's Spirit of Democracy
Wei Jingsheng
Article
1978
Wei Jingsheng, a 28-year-old electrician, posted this on the “Democracy Wall” in Beijing in 1978.
For Political Equality: All citizens vote on all policies: 20th Century Power Politics and their 21st Century electronic alternative
Orr, Aki
Book
2007
This book aims to motivate people to set up post-parliamentary direct democracy (DD) enabling all citizens to propose-debate-vote on all issues of society. Every citizen - one vote - on every issue o...
Global Visions: Beyond the News World Order
Brecher, Jeremy; Childs, John Brown; Cutler, Jill
Book
1993
This book seeks to establish how our diverse globalizing world can be turned into a common home. The authors create a dialogue about the two types of globalization occurring in the world: globalizatio...
The Great Class War: 1914-1918
Pauwels, Jacques R.
Book
2016
In this critical, revisionist account, historian Jacques Pauwels shows how the First World War was rooted in class strife that begin with the French Revolution in 1789 and continued long past the war ...
Hal Draper on the Two Souls of Socialism: Insights from Hal Draper
Article
1990
A comparison of socialism-from-below and socialism-from-above that considers Marx's struggle for socialism through liberal democracy.
Hatred of Democracy
Rancière, Jacques
Book
2007
Rancière defends the principle of democracy against neoconservative repression. He argues that the West can no longer simply extol the virtues of democracy by contrasting it with the horrors of totali...
The History of Democracy: A Marxist Interpretation
Roper, Brian S.
Book
2013
Roper traces the history of democracy from ancient Athens to the emergence of liberal representative and socialist participatory democracy. He argues that democracy cannot be understood separately fro...
Imagine Democracy
Rebick, Judy
Book
2000
Rebick calls for the transformation of fundamental institutions in Canada: the economy, the media and the electoral system.
Interview with Ulli Diemer
Diemer, Ulli; Orchard, Jeff
Article
1990
Jeff Orchard interviews Ulli Diemer about socialism, capitalism, life, and social change.
The Invading Socialist Society
James, C.L.R.; Forest, F. [Raya Dunayevskaya]; Stone, Ria [Grace Lee Boggs]
Book
1947
History has shown that in moments of great social crisis, its farthest flights fall short of the reality of the proletarian revolution. Never was the proletariat so ready for the revolutionary struggl...
Israel & Palestine The occupation is killing us all: New Internationalist August 2002 - #348
Serial Publication (Periodical)
2002
An in-depth look into the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Discusses modern myths that have further fuelled the conflict, possible paths to peace, and the role of the United States in the issue.
The Joy of Revolution
Knabb, Ken
Book
1997
Knabb says "What is needed, I believe, is a worldwide participatory-democracy revolution that would abolish both capitalism and the state. This is admittedly a big order, but I'm afraid that nothing l...
Karl Marx's Theory of Revolution: Volume I: State and Bureaucracy
Draper, Hal
Book
1977
A wide-ranging and thorough exposition of Marx's views on democracy.
Karl Marx's Theory of Revolution: Volume III: The Dictatorship of the Proletariat
Draper, Hal
Book
1986
Hal Draper examines how Marx and Marxism dealt with the issue of dictatorship in relation to the revolutionary use of force and repression, particularly as this debate has centered on the use of the t...
Keep raising the issue of democracy
Diemer, Ulli
Article
1989
Socialists should keep hammering away at the issue of democracy.
The Key to Happiness That No One -- Not Even the Happiness Gurus -- Are Discussing
Lappe, Frances Moore
Article
2009
There's just one pathway to happiness in which this deep, human need for power is given pride of place: democracy. By this I mean democracy as a living practice that enables us to have a real say in e...
Latin America: Peace, Democratization and Economic Crisis
Silva-Michelena, Joe (ed.)
Book
Wars between countries in Latin and Central America may be rare, but peace in the region is a fragile hostage both to economic crisis and repressive regimes, and Cold War conflicts and U.S. interventi...
Let's Stop Kidding Ourselves About the NDP
Diemer, Ulli
Article
1989
Canadian socialists are terribly reluctant to give up their illusions about the NDP.
The Long Haul: An autobiography
Horton, Myles
Book
1990
Myles Horton tells the story of the Highlander Folk School. A major catalyst for social change in the United States for over sixty years, this school has touched the lives of so many people, including...
Looking for Democracy
Diemer, Ulli
Article
1989
Instead of sitting on the sidelines congratulating ourselves on how wonderfully free and democratic we are, we should be pressing for a radical democratization of our own society.
Manifestos, Programs, Visions: Selected Manifestos - Political Statements - Programs
Website
1649
A selection of left manifestos, programs, poltical statements and visions from the 1600s to today.
Marx at the Margins: On Nationalism, Ethnicity, and Non-Western Societies
Anderson, Kevin B.
Book
2010
Marx’s critique of capital was far broader than is usually supposed. To be sure, he concentrated on the labor-capital relation within Western Europe and North America. But at the same time, he expen...
Marx on Democratic Forms of Government
Draper, Hal
Article
1974
Marx's socialism (communism) as a political programme may be most quickly defined, from the Marxist standpoint, as the complete democratization of society, not merely of political forms. For Marx, the...
A Marxist History of the World part 14: The Greek Democratic Revolution
Faulkner, Neil
Article
2010
Neil Faulkner looks at the radical participatory democracy which began in Athens between 510 and 506 BCE and spread to virtually every city-state in the Aegean.
Memory as Resistance: Grassroots Archives and the Battle of Memory: Preservation as subversion: Do grassroots archives have a future?
Article
2012
CONNEXIONS and Beit Zatoun are spotlighting grassroots archives this November with an open house and networking event November 24, a talk and discussion November 27, and an exhibit (November 16-27). G...
The No-Nonsense Guide to Democracy
Swift, Richard
Book
2002
Ths book explores how democracy is constricted and deformed by economic power-brokers and a self-serving political class.
Other Voices: The Connexions Newsletter - November 13, 2014: Libertarian Socialism
Diemer, Ulli (editor); Khan, Tahmid (production)
Serial Publication (Periodical)
2014
The topic of the week is Libertarian Socialism. Articles on no-state solutions in Kurdistan; right-wing dirty tricks used to attack labour and environmental groups; scientists unravelling the risks of...
Other Voices: The Connexions Newsletter - July 2, 2016: Brexit, Jeremy Corbyn, and Contempt for Democracy
Diemer, Ulli (ed.)
Article
2016
Brexit, the British vote to leave the European Union, has thrown the political elites into turmoil and confusion. The referendum was supposed to be a safe political manoeuvre, a way to produce an appe...
Overcoming Zionism: Creating a Single Democratic State in Israel/Palestine
Kovel, Joel
Book
2007
Kovel argues that the inner contradictions of Zionism have led Israel to a 'state-sponsored racism' fully as incorrigible as that of apartheid South Africa and deserving of the same resolution. Only a...
Palestine/Israel: A single state, with liberty and justice for all
Abulhawa, Susan; Baroud, Ramzy
Article
2009
The notion of religious-ethnocentric entitlement and exclusivity for one people at the expense of another has been rejected the world over. Palestinians reject it and we assert that we are human being...
Participatory Democracy: Prospects for Democratizing Democracy
Roussopoulos, Dimitrios; Benello, C. George
Book
2008
Twenty or more arguments for participatory democracy written contributors including Goerge Woodcock, Murray Bookchin, Gerry Hunnius, Colin Ward, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, and Don Calhoun.
Politics Without Politicians
Orr, Aki
Article
Citizens can - without representatives - run society by voting directly for policies rather than for politicians.
Popular Struggles for Democracy in Africa
Nyongo'o, Peter Anyang (ed.)
Book
1989
In this book, leading African and Caribbean scholars examine the forms of popular alliance being forged, the demands for 'a second independence', and what they may presage for the future of the Contin...
Radical Democracy
Lummis, C. Douglas
Book
1997
Lummis revives the meaning of democratic struggle and critques the economic and technological processes that have hindered its growth.
Radical Digressions 2
Diemer, Ulli
Website
1981
Radical Digressions 5
Diemer, Ulli
Website
2008
Relentless Persistence: Nonviolent Action in Latin America
McManus, Philip and Schlabach, Gerald (ed.)
Book
1991
There is in Latin America a tradition of "firmeza permanente," relentless persistence, which has enabled the people to preserve parts of their culture during five centuries of conquest and oppression.
Reveille for Radicals
Alinksy, Saul D.
Book
1946
Alinksy connects his theoretical notions on radicalism to practical movements and events.
Revolutionary Optimism: Journeys in Radical Politics Past and Present
Panitch, Leo; Jay, Paul
Film/Video
2018
On the "Reality Asserts Itself" program of The RealNews network, Prof. Leo Panitch is interviewed by host Paul Jay. Discussion topics include his political leanings, the rise of Jeremy Corbyn, the UK ...
Ruling the Void: The Hollowing of Western Democracy
Mair, Peter
Book
2009
Analyzes democratic trends over the last few decades in Europe and America.
The Russian Revolution
Luxemburg, Rosa
Book
1918
The basic lesson of every great revolution, the law of its being, decrees: either the revolution must advance at a rapid, stormy, resolute tempo, break down all barriers with an iron hand and place it...
Socialism and Revolution
Gorz, Andre
Book
1967
Representative democracy in every industrially advanced country is in a state of profound crisis. But we have been accustomed for so long to accept democracy in the form of its outward appearances and...
Socialism.ca
Website
2016
A gateway to resources about socialism, socialist history, and socialist ideas, compiled by Connexions.
Socialist Register 2018: Volume 54: Rethinking Democracy
Panitch, Leo; Albo, Greg
Serial Publication (Periodical)
2017
We have conceived this 54th volume of the Socialist Register on Rethinking Democracy as a companion volume to the 2017 volume on Rethinking Revolution. As we put it in the preface to that volume: ‘The...
SOS Alternatives to Capitalism
Swift, Richard
Book
2014
An investigation of the alternatives to capitalism, including socialism, anarchism and deep ecology.
SOS Alternatives to Capitalism: A discussion with Richard Swift
Bose, Rana; Swift, Richard
Article
2014
Montreal Serai had the opportunity to discuss SOS: Alternatives to Capitalism – a handy, slim compendium of vital, essential thoughts and discussions on the concept of an alternative economy and socie...
Street Level Democracy: Political Settings at the Margins of Global Power
Barker, Jonathan; Cwikowski, Christine; Gombay, Kathrine; Shettima, Kole; Sundar, Aparna
Book
1999
A wide-ranging book that traces the conflicts between global power and local action. People in farming communities, town mosques, city markets, and fishing communities suffer the effects of wrenching ...
The Struggle for Democracy
Watson, Patrick
Book
1988
A sweeping illustrated survey of the growth of democracy, its heroes and heroines, its enemies, its failures and successes. ...
The Struggle for Ecological Democracy: Environmental Justice Movements in the United States
Faber, Daniel (ed.)
Book
1998
Explores the ecosocialist perspective on the goals, strategies, and accomplishments of environmental justice. Faber also identifies the emerging principles of ecological democracy in the quest for a s...
Tactics of desperation: Using false accusations of 'anti-semitism' as a weapon to silence criticism of Israel's behaviour
Diemer, Ulli
Article
2009
The Israeli state and its defenders are increasingly attempting to silence critics because they are losing the battle for public opinion.
Thoughts on a Timely Narrative for the Left
Klein; Dieter
Article
2012
"Without a story every battle is lost”, formulated the authors of the Wu Ming group, whose name demonstrators in Rome had on their shields which protected them from the police clubs. With the naming o...
We Make the Road By Walking: Conversations on education and social change
Horton, Myles; Freire, Paulo
Book
1990
Horton, the founder of the Highlander Folk School, and Freire, a Brazilian education leader, are from two different backgrounds, but their shared views on the use of participatory education in bringin...
We must win back democracy, even if it takes Hedges' revolution
Fillmore, Nick
Article
2016
While the banks, elites, and the super-rich have been scrambling to try to hold onto their billions following the UK's shocking vote to exit from the European Union, the anger expressed by the leave s...
What Do We Do Now? Building a Social Movement in the Aftermath of Free Trade
Diemer, Ulli
Article
1989
We have the potential to create a social movement in this country that goes beyond single-issue organizing to work toward an integrated vision of a more just and caring society.
Zimbabwe: One state, one faith, one lord
Hove, Chenjerai
Article
The one-party system of Zimbabwe.

Connexions Directory of Groups & Websites

Against the Current
Bi-monthly magazine oriented toward movements for social and economic justice; radical, socialist and feminist in orientation.
Alternatives - Action & Communication Network for International Development
Alternatives, Action and Communication Network for International Development, is a non-governmental, international solidarity organization. Alternatives works to promote justice and equality amongst i...
Bureau of Public Secrets
Articles from a Situationist perspective.
Capitalism, Nature, Socialism: A Journal of Socialist Ecology
CNS is a journal of ecosocialism. We welcome submissions on red-green politics and the anti-globalization movement; environmental history; workplace labor struggles; land/community struggles; politica...
Connexions Information Sharing Services
Connexions provides information and services for advocacy groups, voluntary and non-profit organizations, and individuals, who are working for social and economic justice, environmental responsibility...
Democracy in Action
DemocracyInAction.org believes technology can be a decisive force for social change. We exist to empower those who share our values of ecological and social justice to advance the progressive agenda. ...
Dr. Homa Darabi Foundation
A nonprofit organization concerned with all violations of human rights focusing on defending the rights of women against religious, cultural and social abuse.
Fair Vote Canada
A multi-partisan citizens' campaign for voting system reform. Canadians from all points on the political spectrum, all regions and all walks of life are joining FVC to demand a fair voting system - a ...
NormanFinkelstein.com
The website of Professor Norman Finkelstein.
Marxism.ca
A gateway to resources about Marxism compiled by Connexions.
New Internationalist
New Internationalist reports on issues of world poverty and inequality. We focus attention on the unjust relationship between the powerful and the powerless worldwide in the fight for global justice.
News and Letters
An organization of Marxist-Humanists standing for the abolition of capitalism, both in its private property form and ins its state property form. We stand for the deveopment of new human relations; wh...
North-South Institute/L'Institut Nord-Sud
Provides policy-relevant research on the North-South issues of relations between industrialized and developing countries, in particular monitoring Canada's foreign policy role and its relations with t...
Radical Digressions
Progressive comment and analysis by Ulli Diemer, featuring articles, letters, photos and the Radical Digressions Blog.
Red Menace, The
The online archive of the libertarian socialist newsletter The Red Menace. Articles on socialism, Marxism, anarchism, work, popular education, organizing, wages for housework, Leninism, bureaucracy, h...
Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan
RAWA, the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan, was established in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1977 as an independent political/social organization of Afghan women fighting for human right...
Socialism.ca
A hub featuring links to selected resources about socialism, as well as other progressive sites of interest to socialists and activists.

Sources Experts & Spokespersons

Sources Library

An Experiment in Democracy - Book Review
La Botz, Dan
1999
Organizing Dissent: Unions, the State, and the Democratic Teachers' Movement in Mexico by Maria Lorena Cook. (University Park, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1996). Photographs, ap...

From the Connexions Archives

Against the Current
Serial Publication (Periodical)
1986
Bi-monthly magazine oriented toward movements for social and economic justice; radical, socialist and feminist in orientation.
Bureau of Public Secrets
Website
Articles from a Situationist perspective.
International Forum on Globalization
Website
An alliance of activists, scholars, economists, researchers and writers formed to stimulate new thinking, joint activity, and public education in response to economic globalization.
New Democracy Internet site
Website
Supports a democratic revolution to overthrow corporate capitalism, but opposes socialism. Features short articles on labour issues, the deficit, education.
New Internationalist
Serial Publication (Periodical)
New Internationalist reports on issues of world poverty and inequality. We focus attention on the unjust relationship between the powerful and the powerless worldwide in the fight for global justice.
News and Letters
Serial Publication (Periodical)
Articles from a Marxist-Humanist perspective.