“Spaces of liberation are, in a certain way, some kind of social spaces where people can not only get together and think about something else, but also act together. If you are thinking about an elemental solidarity, you are thinking about people acting together and taking decisions together, and thereby beginning to think about what sort of society they want to create. So, there is a need for liberated spaces; that is really difficult.” PeopleIfsThinkingWayWantNeedsKindTogetherCertainSocialDifficultSpaceDecisionActingLiberationSolidarityCan NotLiberatedGet TogetherElementalsActing Together Author:Nigel Gibson
“If you look at social movements in Latin America, there are spaces where alternative politics are thought about on the ground, at the grassroots level, but they are always under threat. The problem in North Africa and the Middle East is the politics of oil. It means that the spaces for truly grassroots politics, involving those masses of people excluded from high politics, are very quickly closed down. They are not really allowed any kind of autonomy to develop, and that seems to be the real problem, which gets us back to the neo-colonial relationship.” PeopleIfsLooksKindMeanRealProblemSeemsAmericaSocialSpaceLevelsMiddleMovementMassThreatOilEastAlternativesLatinMiddle EastAutonomyInvolvingLatin AmericaReal ProblemsExcludedGrassrootsSocial MovementsNorth Africa Author:Nigel Gibson
“What is interesting about the revolts is that they show that there is never anything purely spontaneous, and there is always some thinking and discussion, and thus some kind of organization involved in it.” ThinkingKindShowsInterestingInvolvedOrganizationDiscussionSpontaneousRevolt Author:Nigel Gibson
“The colonial power tended to be France or Britain, and the Soviets were proclaimed as anti-imperialists. So, if you align yourself with the Soviets, it fits nicely with that kind of rhetorical division, but in reality it does not get you anywhere.” IfsKindDoeRealityFitFranceBritainDivisionRhetorical Author:Nigel Gibson