Sudan. Hong Kong. Lebanon. Ecuador. Iraq. Chile. Algeria. Haiti. Egypt. We are currently witnessing the largest wave of mass revolt and public outrage since the Arab Spring. While the sparks that lit the flames of rebellion are unique––public transit fare hikes, extradition bills, fuel prices, corrupt leaders––these popular movements all assert the common desire for democracy and justice in the face of capitalism and authoritarianism. Here on Turtle Island, struggles against capitalism, colonialism, and white supremacy continue in their fight for a better world. Striking teachers in Chicago, land defenders on Wet’suwet’en territories, migrants resisting militarized borders, and millions participating in the #GlobalClimateStrike are all capturing the public imagination. This is not to mention the countless hours activists spend doing direct support work, community organizing, prisoner solidarity, harm reduction, and mutual aid that––while sometimes less visible––ultimately sustain and deepen our movements.

Our knowledge about global movements is increasingly structured by corporate media, “fake news,” and, of course, numerous hot takes from liberals and progressives alike. There is, however, a clear consensus that the planet is already hot enough as it is. Therefore, Upping the Anti believes it’s more important than ever to publish sustained, reflexive, and provocative engagements with the social movements, mass revolts, and pockets of resistance that are collectively working toward building a new world within what the Tricontinental Institute calls “the ruins of the present.”

Upping the Anti: a journal of theory and action encourages activists, organizers, and scholars engaged in movement-relevant research to contribute to our next issue. As activists and scholars ourselves, we at Upping the Anti understand that cultures of reaction-based, crisis-to-crisis organizing can make it difficult to take the time to reflect on our strategies, tactics, and movement histories. The goal of our journal is to create a space for contributors to carefully and critically engage in this much needed process of reflection, theorization, and strategy building.

In the spirit of thinking and writing with social movements, we invite contributions in the form of articles, roundtables, interviews, and book reviews. While our issues do not have specific themes, we encourage pieces that document the work of movements, both past and present; reflect on strategies, tactics, and principles used by activists and organizers; and/or offer analysis and critique in the spirit of deepening the Left’s political positions and strengthening our movements.

The deadline for submissions is December 15, 2019. Interested in submitting to Issue 22? Check out our page for contributors here.