Ajamu Nangwaya and Michael Truscello - Why Don’t the Poor Rise Up?

Organising in the Twenty-First Century

Why dont the poor rise up? This question evokes reflection and engagement from anyone concerned with the question of organization and transformation in a world inflicted with Capitalism and blighted by Im perialism.

The title is both challenging and provocative, in the sense that it is at once a question and an assumption. But is it true that the poor do not rise up? Or do we simply not recognize their resistance and re bellions?

This book, with contributions from all over the world grounded in activism, academia, advocacy, arts, culture, community-based organizing, education, grassroots politics, media, research, human rights, and unionism, provides us with a practitioners perspective on the range of issues that challenge us on this question.

In a world where the definition of poor and the erstwhile distinction between the working class and the poor has become merged in the working poor, we are confronted with the inferred frustration in the title.

Sometimes activists and organizers slide into apathy, especially when confronted with the daily challenges and frustration in trying to organize within our communities, constituencies, and countries. We often think that our situation is peculiar, and that the grasslands of struggle are greener and more fertile in oth er places.

As one who contends daily with the question and challenges of organizing, I believe this book offers serious analysis and deep insight on the trials and prospects of organizing in the twenty-first century. There is a dire need for books like this, which will hopefully develop into a series of organizers manuals on practic al themes.

In this anthology of radical perspectives on contemporary struggles from around the world, contributors offer cutting edge analysis and proffer radical possibilities from research, experience, and praxis. We are offered critical pathways in exploring new ways of thinking about organization, resistance, rebellion, and revolution. This book is a testimony to the fact that there is a universal narrative in peoples stories, and that our struggles are essentiall y similar.

The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed. Steve Biko

The question of the spiritual exploitation of the poor is very close to home, especially for anyone here on the Afrikan continent. In these times of mega churches overflowing with masses of poor folk desperately searching for salvation, the people are led to believe that salvation is lodged in a secure, albeit unidentified, location in heaven, certainly not here on earth, and therefore not worth fighting for. Thus, religion plays a critical role in subduing and demobilizing the poor into passivism and acceptance of their fate as destiny.

The constant and unrelenting peddling of hope for a better tomorrow while investing in heavenas opposed to organising for an earthly version of paradiseare the toxic ingredients of mind numbing propaganda unleashed daily on the masses. The lesson? That resistance and rebellion are ungodly activities that will not secure the golden one-way ticket to eternity!

The new prosperity preaching on the long-awaited treasures from heaven and the virulent demonization of poverty as an affliction from the pit of hell ensures that the poor are snared in a dual trap of aspiring to become wealthy like the preacher while temporarily tolerating poverty as an affliction from Satan, certainly no fault of capitalism or imp erialism!

The consequence of this religious tranquilizer is that people subscribe to the notion that it is not in their interest to rise up and smash the system; they only want a bit of the capitalist cake, rotten as it is. The icing on this spiritual cake is that suffering is a test of faith and endurance. So why struggle?