The Revolutionary Demand of the Present Moment

Join the Festival of Revolutions: https://festivalofrevolutions.org

The world has been in a zombie state for years now - in the sense of the old refusing to die and the new struggling to be born. So much so it has become something of a cliché. And this zombie state becomes more extreme by the year - by the month even.

Next year the predictions are that the world will pass 1.7C, that the job market will start to collapse particularly for graduates due to AI roll outs, and the wild cards played by Trump will sooner or later drag us into some major international war scenario. The fact is the system now regularly plays Russian roulette with itself.

We need to be prepared and at present we are not. The default working assumption in the various movements and its organisations is that the present will continue forever. Strategy is stuck in the past, they remain atomised and stuck in silos. There is little to no coordination. This is no big plan. And we know what that means - the far right we step into power.

Those of you reading this, for better or worse have the responsibility to provide leadership - if not you then who? It is the vital question of our time. No one else is coming to save us. We have to realise this.

This means two non-brainer things.

First we have to realise we live in a singularity - a time defined by one thing: what happens when this system ruptures into collapse. We have to combine into one international movement. To concretely fuse our fundraising, training, and networking systems. This does not mean a return to the old rigid top down hierarchies of the past but rather a disciplined commitment of time and resources to create integrated strategies of mobilisation and planned responses to the cascades of coming crises.

Secondly, we require a proactive positive meta strategy that gives ourselves and our publics a system change vision and programme that is not fascism - that is something else. This something else has to be coherent, concrete and so credible. It has to be centred around a renewal of democracy based around citizens assemblies rather than political parties, in the context of a fusion of campaigning/street movements, the standing in elections, and mutual aid networks. It all has to come together as was the case with the great social and political movements before 1989.

This, then, is what the Rev21 festivals are helping to bring about. It’s not about lots of atomised bits and pieces - it's about creating this new singular project. Moves are already in motion.

On 9th May, from 8am to 8pm (GMT+1), online, the Festival of Revolutions will bring together people across movements to begin building this shared direction.

There will be a big gathering in Europe later in the year. Fundraising and training systems are coming together. There will be online meet ups after the festival. This is all part of an ongoing process. Details will be shared and built up at the festival.

This then is the new agenda. We stand together and work together - or we fail.

It’s no longer complicated.

Join the Festival of Revolutions: https://festivalofrevolutions.org