Understanding Economics as a Key to Climate and Justice Organizing
As we move into an increasingly uncertain future, we need to claim our right to think about economics. Last spring, I taught an online RC class series on understanding economics as a key to climate and justice organizing. I was assisted by Bo-Young Lim.
I wanted us to get more solid ground under our feet as we move forward in these challenging times.
More than a hundred Co-Counselors from around the world participated. It was an opportunity to combine everything I know about economics, RC theory and practice, what allows people to learn, community building, hope, and strategies for change.
These were the classes in the series:
- Introduction: Power, roots, and possibilities
- Class 1: What goes into an economic system
- Class 2: Producing and consuming
- Class 3: Money and finance
- Class 4: Wealth, control, and the commons [the resources held in common]
- Class 5: Economics, climate, and justice
- Class 6: New directions
The recordings and slides from the class are now available to the RC Community as a whole. A revised set of slides, with language accessible to non-RCers, is also available, as is a set of additional resources for each session.
You can access a link to these resources for a contribution of $0 to $25 to Rational Island Publishers. Just go to and search for “Understanding Economics” or “online recordings.”
The Rational Island website can’t handle a fee of $0—so if you want free access, e-mail litsales@rc.org and ask Hayden to send you the link.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Reprinted from the RC e-mail discussion list for leaders in the transformation of society
(Present Time 207, April 2022)