Movement for a New Society

A chart representing ideas from the very useful and insightful conclusion to Andrew Cornell's new book, Oppose and Propose!, on the Movement for a New Society

Movement for a New Society (MNS) was a national network of feminist radical pacifist collectives that existed in the US from 1971 to 1988. They pioneered forms of consensus decision making, communal living, direct action, and self-education that shaped and are central to many current struggles. Although they decided to "lay the organization down" in '88, many of MNS' former members continue to be active. The history, recent interviews, past documents and (especially) conclusions that Cornell draws from his "militant coresearch" with MNS in the newly released Oppose and Propose! provide us with much needed lessons for how we think about and do leadership, movement building, counterculture, and prefigurative politics today.

If you haven't already ordered or otherwise acquired a copy of the book, and aren't yet convinced you should, check out this article Cornell wrote on MNS while doing his research. I breezed through this book and look forward to discussing it with my closest compas. Highly recommended!