From Resistance to (R)evolution. Ten Roads Towards a New World
One of the Netherlands’ most prominent voices on enacting change
‘What can I do?’ It’s a question millions of people are asking themselves as the world burns. For years journalist, documentary maker and community organizer Clarice Gargard has wrestled with how to best fight systemic injustice and oppression. In this book, based on her research, experiences and inspirations, she lays out ten paths that we can walk towards a personal and societal (r)evolution.
Martijn Prins
m.prins@singeluitgeverijen.nl
For Gargard, change is about imagining an alternative future, crafting new narratives, caring for the planet and daring to hold up a mirror to ourselves. ‘You don’t lay siege to empire by appealing to its sense of morality,’ she writes. ‘You lay siege to empire by becoming more human and asking others to do the same.’ The road to change can be a difficult one, and knowing how to care for and love ourselves and each other is essential. Gargard writes from experience, recounting moments of pain, exhaustion and hard-won success, as a Black woman in the public eye.
Gargard was born in the United States to Liberian parents. After having to flee from the Liberian civil wars at four years old, she ended growing up between the Netherlands and the United States. Her global and diverse education and upbringing have added to her unique perspective on society and the challenges we face today. She argues we have more power than we think and provides advice on how to, for example, organize within our communities and why it’s important to let love guide our activism.
Toxic systems can’t be upheld if we choose to stop upholding them within ourselves – at work, at school, in public and our personal lives. Gargard pulls from renowned thinkers like James Baldwin, bell hooks, Octavia Butler, Arundhati Roy, Carl Jung and Ama Ata Aidoo. But also from Sufi and indigenous African practices to offer insight on how more authentic living can lead to an inner and outer (r)evolution.
While looking at global injustice it seems like things are getting worse and can’t improve; Gargard reminds us that change is a gradual process, and each generation brings us a little closer to the freedom we desire. The old world is dying because a new one is looming on the horizon.
Highly anticipated in the Netherlands
A more practical guide to change making and activism, including the work of countless artists, writers, thinkers and indigenous groups
Full English text available
Owing to her sharp style, the book exudes urgency and strength. It is, after all, the result of the hard lessons Gargard learned from her extraordinary past… From Resistance to (R)evolution can also be read as a manual for activists, written by someone with first-hand experience.
NRC
Clarice writes with a similar unyielding passion I’ve witnessed in her activism throughout the years. A courageous being writing courageously. Clarice doesn’t just reflect a world only meant for the brave, she invites us to imagine bringing about a revolution even when we are scared to do so. Clarice reminds us that there is space for each of us in this paradigm shift and it’s beautiful to read.
Kelechi Okafor, author of 'Edge of Here’
Sometimes you read something that is soft and radical at the same time. That shakes you up but also comforts. This book is about (r)evolution, our place in nature and about love. Not just for those who call themselves activists. But especially for those who doubt and are afraid. A rich and courageous book. Chapeau.
Carice van Houten
