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The world needs an actual popular elected response to US aggression against the world’s poor and the earth’s climate.
David Swanson
Films For Action is a library for all the best social change films on the internet, cataloged in one place. But because there is so much to cover, and films can’t cover it all — we also curate a ton of articles too.
So this is our invitation to all of the social change...
This collection of 122 documentaries is a map for navigating the 21st century. It is guided by the premise that we are facing a planetary emergency, and the primary role of schools today should be to prepare students to become active participants in designing the transition...
53 min
Catalonia is at the forefront of new economic thinking. They are a region rich in social currencies and in projects and people creating functioning post-capitalist societies. In June 2015, while in the midst of arranging the launch of the Exeter Pound, a local currency for...
Shorter workweeks could help reduce accidents, combat climate change, make the genders more equal, and more, contends historian and author Rutger Bregman.
Rutger Bregman
Storm clouds gather for a future that will be turbulent and dangerous. We need designers ready for this future.
Joe Brewer
The ‘Santiago Theory of Cognition’ proposed by the Chilean biologists and neuroscientists Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela offers a scientific way of understanding the process by which living systems engage in ‘autopoiesis’ (self-creating or self-generating) through...
Daniel Christian Wahl
6 min
How did he do it? And what led to this incredible victory for humanity? It's a story for the ages...
Intrigued? This clip is just an excerpt from the full movie. If you want to take things back to the very beginning, you can watch the full 30 minute movie here.
“In Wildness is the preservation of the World.” Thoreau says it in “Walking,” and Jack Turner, in his exquisite collection of essays, The Abstract Wild, questions how many of us have any idea what it means. Pe
Carol Black
I was around 14 when I heard about Concentration Camps for the first time.
Dieter Duhm
Many of us have difficulty explaining the concept of unschooling, life learning, or self-directed learning to those who are unfamiliar with it. In an attempt to help unschoolers communicate their way of looking at things to the wider community, we have come up with the...
Carol Black & Neal Marlens
6 min
From our fellow change agents at United Earth….
A new generation of designers are applying ecologically inspired design to agriculture, architecture, community planning, cities, enterprises, economics and ecosystem regeneration. Join them to co-create diverse regenerative cultures in the transition towards a regenerative...
Daniel Christian Wahl
70 min
Award-winning filmmaker Jesse Borkowski delivers a refreshing meditation on how business can be used to create value beyond profit; connecting motivational stories from social entrepreneurs working in agriculture, apparel, insurance, and biofuel, with the captivating science...
After a year of disheartening setbacks, many activists and change-makers may feel that the critical goal of transforming capitalism is slipping out of reach. Yet, having just returned from a four-week trip to many sites and gatherings working on social, economic, and...
Otto Scharmer
120 min
What if telling a story that gives hope by pointing out solutions was the best way to solve the ecological, economical and social crises that shake our world?
We can do so much better than this.
As we have entered a new century we face great crises both in society and in the natural world. Today we are not only still witnessing poverty, hunger and devastating wars: enormous environmental dislocations even threaten the stability of the planetary climate and vital...
Eirik Eiglad
La Casa de los Ningunos is an experimental community in the Bolivian capital city of La Paz, 12,000 feet up in the Andes Mountains. In a recent piece on the Casa, Sian Cowman explained the inspiration for the name, which also elegantly describes the Casa’s mission, “…Los...
Planet Local
All that is sacred in this world has become threatened by a pathological cultural system of wealth extraction and hoarding... Awaken and take a stand for life on Earth.
Joe Brewer
“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.”
Henrik Edberg
87 min
A Quest for Meaning is an inspiring journey that connects personal growth and social change. It tells the story of two friends, Marc and Nathanael, who leave everything behind to go question the workings of the world and look for alternative ways of thinking and living...
For most of the last decade, I’ve been a reporter, covering stories on how technology is reshaping public life, from debates about God to protests in the streets. One thing I’ve noticed is that Internet culture has an odd way of using a really important word: democracy. When...
Nathan Schneider
The “21 Theses,” dated July 2014 and published in November 2015, marked the birth of the Social Ecology Cooperative in Paris.
In May 2016 I had the opportunity to ask Patrick Farbiaz, one of its founders, what the cooperative meant by social ecology. He explained that it...
Janet Biehl and The Social Ecology Cooperative in Paris
The Power of Humility, Forgiveness, Gratitude and Love
Jacob Devaney
It’s November 9 2010, and I’m one of many students that have surrounded and taken over the Conservative Party headquarters at Millbank Tower in London. I’m angry, we are all angry, because the government is trying to triple the amount of money we have to pay to learn, develop...
Rhiannon Colvin
60 min
We have created this series of films to celebrate and interpret intervention, undertaken by individuals and communities, to shift our food and farm economy. These episodes each address a major systemic failure of the old food economy: toxicity, monoculture, monopoly...
By redistributing economic and political power from corporate monopolies to millions of small businesses, localization has the power to revitalize the democratic process, re-rooting political power in community.
Helena Norberg-Hodge
In this article, Smucker reveals how radicals can pursue a revolutionary horizon that "delivers the goods." The key is to arm ourselves with the strategic knowledge and orientation to start building the future we want now, in the shell of the old.
Jonathan Matthew Smucker
3 min
"So much in society we are bombarded with a competitive approach and it is about reimagining that and reworking it!"
A glimpse into the working lives of people from the Leeds Bread Co-op who can't imagine having a boss and are bringing the values of democracy, equality and...
4 min
Sikh-American civil rights advocate Valarie Kaur's plea to her country in the times of Dona
When I lived in San Francisco, I often would marvel at the movement of goods through the ports across the bay in Oakland. Full container ships would enter the bay one after another and unload their cargo, which ultimately would be making its way to the many big box stores...
Chris Agnos
In mid-November of 2016, I was a Water Protector at Standing Rock. At first my goal was to play investigative journalist; documenting then writing about every detail for my article readers and online followers. However, by the time I actually got there, all my goals had changed.
Last week I had two brushes with the mainstream of American culture and politics. The first was an appearance on a PBS television show, the Tavis Smiley show. As far as I can remember, this was only the second time I’ve been on a national TV program. The other time was in...
Charles Eisenstein
A tweet moves Rob Hopkins to share a personal experience from his family’s life.
Rob Hopkins
Habari Gani! (What's the News in Swahili, the greeting during Kwanzaa)
Christmas Day in Willingboro, South Jersey - right outside of Philadelphia - was spent recovering from the road trip from Lawrence, Kansas and gearing up for the first day of Kwanzaa, the Principle Umoja...
Tai Amri Spann-Ryan
“There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly.”
― R. Buckminster Fuller
Martin Winiecki
4 min
This is exactly what we all need right now. Here is a great secret of life that you can use to change the hearts and minds of everyone in your world.
Speech by Garret John LoPorto
It is getting harder to keep a secret these days. The collective shadow of our society, once safely relegated to the dark basement of the unmentionable, is now exposed to daylight, forcing us to face our contradictions. I’ll offer three examples: Donald Trump’s leaked...
Charles Eisenstein
He who fights too long against dragons becomes a dragon himself; and if thou gaze too long into the abyss, the abyss will gaze into thee.
—Nietzsche
Charles Eisenstein
Compassionate activism is activism that is rooted in an underlying compassion for all beings. It is an activism that resists the strong urge we all face to dehumanize our opponents, as they often do to us, and we often do to them. This collection of articles and videos...
I am told by Native American friends active at Standing Rock that the elders are counseling the Water Protectors to undertake each action prayerfully and to stay off the warpath.
Charles Eisenstein
When you find yourself in a suddenly darkened room, what do you do? Some rush blindly to where they think the door might be. Others stand still, let their eyes get adjusted to the different environment, re-orient themselves, then cautiously and sensitively, move forward. ...
Bill Quigley
1 min
This is why we are here. And this is what we need to remember.
Normal is coming unhinged. For the past eight years it has been possible for most people (at least in the relatively privileged classes) to believe that society is sound, that the system, though creaky, basically works, and that the progressive deterioration of everything...
Charles Eisenstein
It's hard to believe Films For Action has been around now for 10 years. From our early years focusing on local film screenings to our more recent years, focusing on raising awareness globally via our website and social media, our mission has been to provide a DIY alternative...
Anarchism : The word “anarchy” comes from Greek and means “no rulers”. As a political philosophy, anarchism is based on the idea that organization does not require rulers—that people can get together and deal with all the problems facing them, without an authority directing...
unknown
On August 1 the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL), a coalition of over sixty organizations, rolled out “A Vision for Black Lives: Policy Demands for Black Power, Freedom & Justice,” an ambitious document described by the press as the first signs of what young black activists...
Robin D. G. Kelley
Dallas, Ferguson, Nice. Turkey, Trump & Brexit. The simultaneous rise of global terrorism, of authoritarian strongmen and the far-right are the twin faces of our current moment. Even though Trump-type politicians and terrorism pretend to fight each other, on a deeper level...
Otto Scharmer
It is a delicate balance to know how much the world is messed up and still be hopeful about the future. This is something I dance with on a daily basis — while writing about systemic corruption, the angst that arises from&nb
Joe Brewer
Focusing on media activism with Films For Action, it’s easy to get swept up in promoting a thousand different messages, leaving me sometimes feeling like I've gotten off track with my core message and purpose.
Tim Hjersted
Finding and connecting with your soul tribe is more important than ever—not just for connection but also to thrive in our modern society
Al Jeffery
Let’s say you’ve found a new sense of awareness or elevated consciousness — suddenly you feel connected to the beauty of the world, you understand yourself better, and you’re filled with a drive to become better, to nurture yourself and the world around you.
Marc Angelo Coppola
Let’s jump off the train and build a boat.
Tim Bennet
1 min
Take 60 seconds to learn about one Māori tribe's struggle to reclaim their ancestral land from the government. In New Zealand, division of land between #Māori and European settlers is a complicated issue.
Regardless of the outcome of November’s U.S. elections, what will count most is what happens in the streets. As Frederick Douglass put it plainly a century and a half ago, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did...
Pete Dolack
Bringing together the inner and outer aspects of transformation may be the revolution of our times
Kavita Byrd
Charles Eisenstein is one of the first people I heard talk about the "new story," synthesizing a diverse movement that has been emerging for the last several decades. When I go back far enough, I first heard about these ideas from reading Ishmael by Daniel Quinn when I was...
One of the downsides of presenting such a visionary solution to our global crisis is that it's hard to know where to begin, beyond raising awareness. The gap between where we are now, and where we'd like to go appears so great that it is not at all obvious how the transition...
When Donald Trump gets more air time than Bernie Sanders, the media misses the mark on grassroots change.
Sarah van Gelder
The belief that what currently exists must necessarily exist is the acid that corrodes all visionary thinking. - Murray Bookchin
Marcus Amargi and Stephanie Amargi
6 min
Tom, Sarah, and their daughter Neesa all live in a tiny 20sqm off grid cabin on a property on the Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand. Instead of paying rent, they share the work of looking after the land with the owners and both families share in the farm's abundant produce.
We live in the beginning phase of a global revolution which will turn societal conditions upside down. We cannot stop this transformation, but we can influence where it will go. Will the disintegration of the globalized systems lead to fascist violence and molecular civil...
Martin Winiecki
62 min
Non-stop war-making, climate chaos, lost harvests, poisoned seas and bodies, refugees in the millions pouring over borders while millions of Americans are locked in prison... How do we relate to such immensities of suffering?
When attending meetings with peace and justice activists, I often find myself the only business person in the room. Inevitably, someone makes a comment about the evils of business, or greedy capitalists, or some other negative comment that implies business people are the...
Judy Wicks
I recently attended a ceremony at the Tamera village in Portugal in which the officiant invoked “the healing of money.” Immediately a vivid image popped into my head of a man, vast and muscular, bound to the earth with stakes and tethers, straining with every atom of his...
Charles Eisenstein
I received the following email from a young woman, a student at an elite law school. I want to quote it in full, because it cuts so deep to core issues so many change agents face.
Charles Eisenstein
The novelist Terry Pratchett once wrote, “people think that stories are shaped by people. In fact, it’s the other way around.” However it seems these types of dichotomies are often both/and more than they are either/or. It is true that we are shaped by the stories that we...
Tommy Lehe
In any great adventure, there are always obstacles in the way. The first hurdle is just to be aware that we, as a civilization and as a species, are facing a crisis point. When looking at the mainstream of our society, and the priorities expressed or goals pursued, it is hard...
Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone
2 min
Oscar Nominated director Josh Fox (Gasland) continues in his deeply personal style, investigating climate change – the greatest threat our world has ever known.
My interview with Tiziano Bonini has ben published in Italian at Che Fara. Here is the English version:
John Thackara and Tiziano Bonini
The modern era is built on a theory of the Universe as a giant mechanical clock — dead matter with gears and springs.
Joe Brewer
104 min
United Natures explores the rights of Mother Earth, environmental philosophy, wisdom, spirituality, and the potential for a neo-indigenous future for humanity.
Lucy Purdy explores how the concept of ‘rewilding’ could be applied not just to the natural world, but to ourselves
Lucy Purdy
2 min
This documentary closely follows the eco-village Cabrum, a recent community in northern Portugal; Cooperativa Integral Catalana, in Barcelona, which practices self-management with its own coins, the Eco; and finally, the self-sustaining community Tamera also in Portugal. The...
19 min
This is a shortened version of the award-winning feature-length documentary film, The Economics of Happiness. Cut down from 68 minutes to less than 20, it provides an introduction to the concept of localization - a systemic alternative to corporate capitalism - and shows how...
In facing up to the many profound crises of our time, we face a conundrum that has no easy resolution: how are we to imagine and build a radically different system while living within the constraints of an incumbent system that aggressively resists transformational change?...
David Bollier
My first impression at OuiShare Fest was a weird utopian blockchain mania: a poorly understood but massively hyped technology that will somehow fix all our social, political, and economic inequities. As I got to know some of the people here though, I started to see through...
Richard D. Bartlett
I’m dealing with massive cognitive dissonance right now. Multiple, contradictory beliefs and perceptions inhabit my mind, each compelling on its own terms. How do I choose?
Charles Eisenstein
Progressive renewal lies in a deep recognition that we are not choosing our current lives.
Ronan Harrington
Many changes happening around us remain unclear. We need better names and stories for them.
Joe Brewer
French logging company and official partner of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is deforesting a huge area of rainforest in southeast Cameroon without the consent of local Baka who have lived there and managed the land for generations
Survival International
68 min
RE-LEARNING THE LAND is the story of a Blackfoot community in southern Alberta, Canada, and how they have re-taken control of their education system within Red Crow Community College. The film traces the decolonization of their learning and the development of an innovative...
19 min
In September 2015 the BBC recorded an interview with Hamsa, a Syrian mother and refugee, as she neared the end of a desperate four-year journey from Homs, Syria to Germany. Her determination and spirit caught the attention of thousands of people around the world, including...
18 min
Millions of migrants seeking asylum in Europe face hostility, racism, and red tape. John Oliver does one admittedly tiny thing for one of them.
90 min
"Class Dismissed shows parents a glimpse into the future of education. Everyone concerned with education would benefit by watching this film." - John Taylor Gatto, Former New York State Teacher of the Year and author
Rather than waiting for society to all agree how we need to live in a different way, by focusing here in the suburban household, people can actually get on with making changes… a lot can happen right where people are. – David Holmgren, co-founder of Permacul
Chip Richards
20 min
Own the Change: Building Economic Democracy One Worker Co-op at a Time is a short documentary meant to give an overview of what a worker co-op is, how it can transform lives and communities, and the realities of starting one. Watch as we go through concrete steps for building...
101 min
“Once in a while a film comes along that has profound impact – this is a delicious taste of what can be.” - Polly Higgins
77 min
A perfect storm is brewing as agriculture pioneer Cary Fowler races against time to protect the future of our food. Gene banks of the world are crumbling, crop failures are producing starvation inspired rioting, and the accelerating effects of climate change are already...
The intersection of Central and Lowry Avenues in northeast Minneapolis is bustling. On the northwest corner is a trifecta of local businesses: A bike shop, a cooperative brewery, and a bakery, in buildings with eye-catching exteriors of rough-hewn wood and silvery porcelain...
Olivia LaVecchia
People are beginning to understand that something is fundamentally wrong, and that minor tinkering with the current system is not the answer. A critical mass is ready for fundamental change: what they need is a clear explanation of the root cause of the crises we face, and...
Helena Norberg-Hodge
Let me tell you a story about how the world began. I promise you the story is not completely false.
There’s a wonderful phrase for how capitalism works in the real world (I’m not sure who first came up with it, but I associate it with Noam Chomsky): “The socialization of risk and cost, and the privatization of profit.”
Kevin Carson
At a conference a couple weeks ago an activist who does work in Africa recounted an encounter she had with the minister of agriculture of a certain African country. The minister spoke with excitement about the high-tech agricultural technologies he was bringing into the...
Charles Eisenstein
The arrests at the end of Flood Wall Street may have been the only reason the mainstream media paid attention to the several thousand people who parked themselves next to the Charging Bull for the better part of eight hours. But, although no station covered it, what happened...
Kristen Steele
The first thing we heard when we pulled into the Finney Farm was the clattering of drums, followed by a high-pitched howling noise.
Allyce Andrew
5 min
Want to change the world? Show people that it is already happening. (An inspirational primer on how to get started.)
185 min
The Basics of Nonviolent Communication with Marshall Rosenberg, Phd, is a recorded presentation of a 1-day workshop held in San Francisco, CA in April 2000. "The purpose of Nonviolent Communication is to help you learn what you already know how to do... but forget ...
7 min
One no, many yeses. Look to join and grow the movement for localization where you live.