Last Updated on October 6, 2013
Freedom is not a state project. Rather, it is a project of civil society networks–mostly in the form of non-profits and individuals involved in research, analysis and activism opposing state oppression. As evidenced by the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi Freedom Summer, as well as in the movement against South African apartheid, it was these civil society networks that overcame the power of the state that had long denied freedom to its citizens. Even after reluctantly supporting racial equality in Mississippi, the Government of the United States — along with the State of Israel — backed the apartheid regime in South Africa, a footnote to history the government would like us to forget.
With the mobilization of states against freedom on behalf of market interests worldwide, freedom is an elusive project, one that frequently involves intense psychological warfare aimed at co-opting civil society organizations and marginalizing individuals who exhibit leadership in the form of research, education or organizing skills. It is perhaps a sign of their success that state propaganda and market public relations has convinced many consumers of mass communication that states — through warfare — are promoting freedom, when nothing could be further from the truth.
With the advent of indigenous revolutions (like the Zapatistas in Mexico) that rely on civil society networks for protection from the aggression of market-oriented states, freedom is again on the horizon. Watching the student-led rebellions in Quebec and Chile, and the anti-austerity protests from Frankfurt to Barcelona, perhaps a new era of #Occupy will capture our hearts and imagination–propelling us to act on our conscience. Before we can live free lives, though, we must free our minds.
Across the world right now, Indigenous peoples are facing a renewed assault on their lands, rights, and ways of life.
From extractive industries pushing deeper into ancestral territories, to governments rolling back hard-won protections,
the threat is global—and it is growing.
What makes this moment especially dangerous is how little attention it receives.
Stories like this are disappearing in real time. Mainstream media
barely covers it and the coverage is fragmented. The public is left without the context
needed to understand what is truly at stake.
That is exactly why IC Magazine exists..
For more than 20 years, IC has reported on Indigenous struggles worldwide — consistently, independently, and without compromise.
We don’t follow news cycles; we trace patterns. We don’t sensationalize; we provide context.
And when the world looks away, we stay focused.
But this work is increasingly difficult to sustain.
We refuse to lock our reporting behind a paywall. We don’t sell access through subscriptions.
And we don’t answer to advertisers. IC Magazine survives solely because readers like you choose to
support independent Indigenous journalism.
Please donate today if you can. Every contribution helps us to continue this crucial work.
Thank you,
John Ahni Schertow
Founder and Editor in Chief
