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NEW INTERNATIONALIST The New Internationalist workers’ co-operative exists to report on the issues of world poverty and inequality; to focus attention on the unjust relationship between the powerful and powerless worldwide; to debate and campaign for the radical changes necessary to meet the basic needs of all; and to bring to life the people, the ideas and the action in the f ight for global justice. The New Internationalist magazine was founded by Peter and Lesley Adamson in 1970. Together with a range of other publications it is published by New Internationalist Publications Ltd which is wholly owned by the New Internationalist Trust and co-operatively managed: Accounts: Samuel Gormley. Administration: Emma Blunt. Advertising: Michael York. Design: Andrew Kokotka, Ian Nixon, Juha Sorsa. Editorial (Magazine): Vanessa Baird, Kelsi Farrington, Dinyar Godrej, Hazel Healy, Yohann Koshy, Chris Spannos, Jamie Kelsey-Fry, Alessio Perrone, Nick Dowson. Editorial (Publications): Chris Brazier. Mail Order: Bev Dawes, Emma Dunkley, James Rowland. Marketing (Magazine): Amanda Synnott, Rob Norman, Holly Buck. Marketing (Publications): Dan Raymond-Barker, Natalie Taylor. Production: Fran Harvey. Web and IT: Charlie Harvey. SUBSCRIPTIONS Website: newint.org/subscribe Email: subscriptions@newint.org Phone: +44 (0) 1604 251 046 Phone (from Ireland): CallSave 1850 924 331 Fax: +44 (0)1604 251031 Post: New Internationalist, 3 Queensbridge, The Lakes, Northampton, NN4 7BF, UK . ANNUAL PRINT SUBSCRIPTION PRICES UK: £45.85; Institutions £70. Rest of World: Individuals £49.85/�59.85. Institutions £90. Despatch by air only. Subscribers in Canada, US, Australia and New Zealand should contact their local subscriptions office whose addresses can be found at newint.org/about/contact/ UK OFFICE New Internationalist, The Old Music Hall, 106-108 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1JE. Tel: +44 (0)1865 403345; Email: ni@newint.org Advertising (magazine & web): Michael York 01865 403339 michaely@newint.org Contract enquiries: ni_cg@newint.org Web queries: tech@newint.org Permissions & general enquiries: 01865 403345 office.manager@newint.org News trade distributor: COMAG Specialist Division, Tavistock Works, Tavistock Road, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QX, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1895 433800. Fax: +44 (0)1895 433801. The New Internationalist is published monthly except that the Jan/Feb and July/Aug issues are combined.
Resisting the squeeze on public space
It’s hard sometimes to get the balance right. At the New Internationalist we strive to tell the unvarnished truth which can be dauntingly negative. But we try to leaven it with positive news. When it comes to the subject of December’s Big Story on the authoritarian assault on democratic rights around the world, one is in danger of being swamped by negativity.
To balance, we sought out an example of a fertile political space with a record of creative alternative-building. Catalonia seemed to fit the bill perfectly. Then all of a sudden the determined but usually gentle Catalans became ground zero in the assault on democratic rights with bleeding senior citizens being dragged out of polling booths by Spanish police. Whatever the ultimate results of the current independence struggle, Catalans have a proud record of building radical democratic alternatives especially in their economic lives.
In this issue we make common, if informal, cause with the international NGO Civicus, which is leading the way in the fight to defend democratic space around the world. As the number of examples of state and corporate assault on the right to dissent mount it becomes crucial to build effective coalitions to defend our basic rights. This issue of the magazine is a contribution to the effort to do just that.
Elsewhere in this edition, we catch up with Pablo Beltrán, the guerrilla leader from the ELN at a critical point in the peace talks with the Colombian government; and we take a look at Port Augusta, the town in Australia that gave up coal for solar. n
Richard Swift for the New Internationalist Co-operative newint.org
This month’s contributors include:
Priti Salian is a Bangalorebased journalist who has written about social justice, healthcare and education, among other things. Her work has been published by the BBC, National Geographic, The Guardian and others.
Leny Olivera studied Sociology at San Simón University in Cochabamba. She is active in autonomous feminist groups, recently with a decolonial perspective.
Sian Cowman is a writer, researcher and journalist from Ireland. She is active in feminist and environmental justice groups and writes about grassroots environmental activism and eco-feminism.
Mandeep Tiwana is Head of Policy and Research at the global civil society alliance, CIVICUS. He specializes in legislation affecting the core civil society freedoms of expression, association and assembly.
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A special thank you to our Club of 500 investors! In April 2017, New Internationalist became reader-owned. We pledged to publicly list the generous co-owners who invested £500 ($650) in our community share offer: Alex Meehan Alison Page Andy Rutherford Ann Hillier Bernie Woods C. John Watson Charles Ainger Christine Reber Colin Muddiman
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Thank you
New I nter nat io nal ist ● DECEMBER 2017 ● 3
