Webs of Power

Book excerpt: Webs of Power is a call to reconceive our political and economic systems at the very deepest levels. Writing from the front lines, Starhawk chronicles the global justice movement sparked by Seattle's 1999 anti-World Trade Organization protest. An activist in many of the major peace and justice movements of our times, Starhawk is deeply involved as a direct action participant and trainer in the anti-globalization movement.The book is divided into "Actions" and "Visions." In Part I, Starhawk begins with a direct-action perspective of what really happened in Seattle and provides an overview of the complex political and economic powers that the anti-globalization movement opposes. Recounting the blow-by-blow events of the critical confrontations faced by the anti-globalization protestors after Seattle-Prague, Brazil, Quebec, Genoa-Starhawk discusses police brutality, the Black Bloc versus the pacifists, and the magic of solidarity.In Part II, Starhawk spins a vision of the future of the anti-globalization movement. Drawing on her twenty years of experience as an activist, ecofeminist, and witch, she explores the debate between violent and nonviolent tactics; the definition of an economy of true abundance; and how we can transform our rage and despair, face our fears, and renew our spirits while acting to change the world.