Connexions Other Voices - June 18, 2016 - Homophobia, Cultural Appropriation, Liberation Theology

June 19, 2016

The June 18, 2016 issue of the Connexions newsletter, Other Voices, is now out.

This issue of Other Voices features a wide range of issues. The topic of the week is homophobia, the hate that led to 49 deaths in Orlando last week, but which is present in greater or lesser form in every part of the world.

We are always concerned, not only with what is wrong with the world, but what to do about it.

This issue carries an excerpt from Umair Mohammed’s book ‘Confronting Injustice: Social Activism in the Age of Individualism’ in which he warns against the pitfalls of individualist and consumer-oriented approaches and argues in favour of collective action to build an effective movement.

Derrick Jensen considers some of the arguments in favour of pacifism and finds them wanting. He agrees that creative approaches to social change can oftentimes make violence unnecessary, but that sometimes violence is a necessary response to violence.

Another article looks at the decline of liberation theology, targeted as a threat by both the Vatican and secular power structures.

Kenan Malik considers the issue of “cultural appropriation” and asks why so many on the so-called left are more interested in criticizing Justin Bieber’s hairstyle than in fighting capitalism.

From the Archives we present ‘Suffragetto,” a 100-year-old board game from Britain, which allowed players to imitate real-life battles between suffragettes campaigning for votes for women, and the police.

The book of the week is “Canada Since 1960s: A People’s History” which presents a left perspective on 50 years of politics, economics, and culture, seen through the eyes of contributors to Canadian Dimension magazine.

Other Voices is available as a free email newsletter. To view it online, see http://www.connexions.org/Media/CXNL-2016-06-18.htm


For more information contact:
Ulli Diemer
Connexions
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Website: www.connexions.org