Matt York

As part of a renewed interest in prefigurative politics evident in contemporary activism, important critical work is being undertaken that focuses on the temporal structure of such prefigurative action. The central problem this article therefore takes as its starting point is the nature of our current political utopias-that they are transcendent rather than grounded, or put another way-rather than here-and-now they are nowhere-in an ever-receding future/past, or otherwise in an alternate reality altogether. They are impossible. The paper will argue that if we are to move beyond our current states of bewilderment, disorientation and denial, we will need to establish new (and learn from existing) grounded utopias which rather than being notnow and nowhere, are co-imagined and lived right here and right now. Drawing on classical and contemporary anarchist theory, and from a recent collective visioning project involving a global cross-section of anti-capitalist, ecological, feminist and anti-racist activists, the anarchist concept of permanent revolution will be examined as a way to confront such concerns. The temporal gap between current struggles and imagined futures will be problematised, prefigurative praxes critiqued, and a politics of immanence explored in remedy.

As we witness the collapse of the neoliberal consensus and the subsequent rise of authoritarian 'strong men' and xenophobic nationalisms across the globe, the capitalist hegemony that was consolidated by the neoliberal project remains very much intact. In pursuit of a sane alternative to this post-neoliberal world order this article proposes love as a key concept for political theory/philosophy and for performing a central role in the revolutionary transformation of contemporary global capitalism. Through a close reading of the works of Emma Goldman and Michael Hardt, and specifically their own pursuit of a political concept of love I draw on, and make links with contemporary ideas of love as a political concept for radical social transformation in the twenty-first century. I argue that new love-based political subjectivities, practices, and group formations offer exciting opportunities for a reimagining of the frame within which an alter-globalisation can occur, and link theory to praxis by introducing an ongoing Collective Visioning project which illuminates a new post-capitalist, post-patriarchal, post-colonial, and post-anthropocentric synergetic politics grounded in revolutionary love.

Neoliberal globalisation has increased inequalities, injustices, and violations of freedoms on an unprecedented scale, whilst creating a fertile environment for the rise of far-right xenophobic nationalism and authoritarianism. In parallel, the emergence of the alter-globalisation movement has responded with a growing popular resistance to neoliberal policy and practice. The experience of social movements over the last century confirms the pressing need for a framework of unity within this current movement wave which avoids the dominations and hierarchies of previous structures, maintains its constituent diversity and yet allows for the construction of a cohesive collective identity.

This article positions love as a key concept in political theory/philosophy and for performing a central role in the revolutionary transformation of contemporary global capitalism, exploring how new love-based political subjectivities, practices, and group formations might emerge via a more than human material-psycho-socio-affective commons, with opportunities for a re-imagining of the frame within which an alter-globalisation might occur.

Rapid changes in the control of health and social services have led to the increased adoption of narrow practice approaches driven by contemporary funding priorities, often running contrary to the wisdom, accumulated knowledge, experience, evidence and ethics of social and community development approaches.  The Primary Healthcare Programme (PHCP) for Travellers has been developed nationally over the past two decades with the aim of improving the health of the Irish Traveller community.  A particular emphasis has been placed upon the provision of health promotion, information, support and outreach through a range of peer delivered community based approaches.  This study took place within one such PHCP for Travellers in County Offaly which found itself under increasing pressure from funders to prioritise nationally driven programmes over locally driven community-responsive work.  Specifically, questioning the value of more supportive, relational interventions such as emotional support whilst encouraging the delivery of interventions which produced statistical information aligned to national health operational plan targets, which the funding officers were in turn under pressure to provide to national offices.  This study aimed to explore the value of emotional support, relationship building and trust building in relation to the provision of this Primary Healthcare Programme for Travellers, from the perspective of the community members engaging with the programme.  The study reflected the value of emotionally supportive relationships expressed by service users and the importance placed upon the subsequent building of trust.  Multiple occurrences of positive shifts in health related behaviours, significant benefits to the mental health of respondents and uptake of appropriate support services are reported and discussed.  The study suggests that the increased pressure being placed upon social and community practice by  management control mechanisms introduced by funding bodies is rapidly eroding the hard earned experience and knowledge accumulated through decades of social and community work.  A particularly negative impact upon marginalised groups such as the Traveller community who experience a complexity of health needs is found.  Recommendations include a re-investment in relationship and trust building, and in flexible, responsive, community driven responses to achieving national health priorities within marginalised communities.

A growing number of innovative gender transformative programmes targeting men and boys are currently being developed across Africa south of the Sahara.  One such initiative is the Khanyisa programme in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa which utilises the concept of Ubuntu as a lens to explore subjects such as masculinity, inequality, gender, violence and HIV/AIDS.  Based upon original qualitative research which follows a Khanyisa group of eight young men over a 12 month period, this paper examines the use of indigenous knowledge approaches to transformative education in relation to masculinities.  Focusing through transformative learning theory, this paper then explores how socio-cultural processes construct societal patterns of masculine domination and related individual masculine identities, and examines the use of gender transformative programmes towards the reconstruction of new, more equitable gender identities. 
Data collected through focus groups, semi structured interviews, subjective outcome evaluation and a diary project was interpreted using thematic analysis.  The research shows the programme to produce a reduction in gender based violence and risk taking and an increase in self-esteem, communication and domestic and parental responsibility.  Culturally appropriate pedagogies are found to be central to successful interventions, and a learning cycle which supports the internalisation of new, more equitable masculine schemas has been developed.  In order to avoid social pressure to revert to default communal gender norms post intervention, the paper suggests adopting a ‘whole community’ approach to transforming societal gender systems into more equitable models.

Based on award-winning research, Love and Revolution brings classical and contemporary anarchist thought into a mutually beneficial dialogue with a global cross-section of ecological, anti-capitalist, feminist and anti-racist activists – discussing real-life examples of the loving-caring relations that underpin many contemporary struggles.

Such a (r)evolutionary love is revealed to be a common embodied experience among the activists contributing to this collective vision, manifested as a radical solidarity, as political direct action, as long-term processes of struggle, and as a deeply relational more-
than-human ethics.  The theory developed in this book is brought to life through the voices of Tom at the G20 protests in Toronto, Maria and her permaculture community in Mexico, Hassan on the streets in Syria, Angelo and his comrades occupying squares in Brazil, Dembe and his affinity group in Kampala, and many more.

Love and Revolution provides an essential resource for all those interested in building a free society grounded in solidarity and care, and offers a timely contribution to contemporary movement discourse.

This chapter positions love as a key concept in political theory and philosophy and for performing a central (counter hegemonic) role in the revolutionary transformation of contemporary global capitalism, isolating a distinctive lineage of revolutionary love from the early twentieth century to the present day which has acted to animate a radical political culture aligned to the pursuit of freedom. Focusing through anarchist, autonomist and feminist critiques of love, it explores how new love-based political subjectivities, practices, and group formations might present opportunities for a reimagining of the frame within which an alter-globalisation can occur—drawing on, and making links with contemporary ideas of love as a political concept for radical social transformation in the twenty-first century.