“Strategies for resistance under Neoliberalism: Lessons from the Zapatistas and the Landless Workers’ Movement”

“Although we are now seeing social movements rise again, the era of neoliberalism has been the deathbed of many movements. In order for these new movements to not fall into the same traps that have destroyed the organized left over the last several decades they should look to the lessons of the Zapatistas and the MST for examples of how to surpass some of the limits that have been placed on organizing under these conditions. Global networks are essential but so is basing movements in grass roots community and land based struggle. Mobilization of specific identities is crucial for building a base of support for a movement but without broader solidarity with other marginalized groups facing similar and interrelated problems these identities can be pitted against one another. Likewise, it is necessary to improve the material conditions of those marginalized by the neoliberal order in the here and now but it must do this as part of an explicit challenge to this system and as a strategy for a new one or it will easily be funneled back into the very system that created those poor conditions in the first place.”