Frances Moore Lappé
Frances Moore Lappé is the author of nineteen books, beginning with the acclaimed Diet for a Small Planet. Most recently she is the co-author, with Adam Eichen, of the new book, Daring Democracy: Igniting Power, Meaning, and Connection for the America We Want. Among her numerous previous books are EcoMind: Changing the Way We Think to Create the World We Want (Nation Books). She is co-founder of the Cambridge-based Small Planet Institute. Follow her on Twitter: @fmlappe
Articles by this author
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Views Friday, January 04, 2019 What Could the French “Yellow Vests” Teach Us about Ourselves? Most coverage of the Yellow Vest movement in France—lasting seven weeks and drawing hundreds of thousands onto the streets—misses a key question, and one at the heart of our own nation’s journey. We’re told the diesel tax hike was the “last straw” for the rural, working poor unable to make ends... Read more |
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Views Tuesday, December 11, 2018 Courage Is Contagious No matter how many times we hear of one person’s act of conscience igniting sparks that light up the sky, too many of us hold tight to the notion that our own acts don’t mean much. Aren’t we the proverbial drops in the bucket, nice but never spectacular? Or, as it dawned on my daughter Anna and me... Read more |
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Views Monday, December 03, 2018 The Opposite of Evil Is No Longer Goodness My headline is provocative, so let me quickly explain, starting with a huge claim about what’s unique about our world in this moment. Then I ask, What, right now, is most required of our species? Our era has been dubbed the Anthropocene because for the first time we humans are making our mark on... Read more |
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Views Monday, November 19, 2018 What Is Courage? Tough, brave, fearless. Don’t these words capture what courage means? Maybe not. For me, courage is simply doing what I thought I could not do. It’s acting for what I care about most, not because I’m fearless but despite my fear…fear that my action isn’t enough, that I’ll be alone, or that it’s all... Read more |
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Views Monday, October 22, 2018 Are Humans Actually Capable of Democracy? Elsewhere I’ve made the case that democracy isn’t a choice. It’s our only pathway forward, but my claim can provoke some pretty charged challenges. I can hear the fears of the discouraged asking, “Is democracy even possible? Do we humans actually come equipped for it?” With democratic norms of... Read more |
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Views Thursday, October 18, 2018 What Is Democracy, Anyway? Let’s Talk With our democracy in free fall, many are terrified, but I’m convinced that there is one thing with the power to turn the tide. And what is that? At the risk of sounding corny, or even ridiculous, I believe the one force with the power we need now is “falling in love with democracy.” I know love... Read more |
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Views Thursday, October 11, 2018 Why We Can’t Give Up on Democracy Trust in democracy is tumbling. In 1995, one in fifteen Americans said they’d approve of military rule. By 2014, the share had swollen to one in six. Note this frightening crash of confidence preceded the compromised 2016 election and a president who seems particularly fond of autocrats. Whoa. It... Read more |
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Views Thursday, September 27, 2018 Hope’s 3 Essentials, and All Are Present In earlier reflections on hope, I’ve declared that hope isn’t an assessment, it’s a stance toward life. Now I want to convince you that in this stance I’m on really solid ground. I start with an observation about our species. We humans have been around long enough to know one thing for sure about... Read more |
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Views Monday, September 17, 2018 Amid Our Nation’s Mounting Democracy Crisis, Hope Is Power Yeah, I know. “Hope” gets shoved into a corner called “nice” where weaklings huddle who can’t face hard realities. In fact, hope and power don’t often show up in the same sentence. Truth is, though, hope is a tap root of power. First, note that the word power derives from the Latin, posse, “to be... Read more |
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Views Monday, September 10, 2018 What is Hope? I’ve been called a hope fiend, and I cop to it. More than ever, hope isn’t just a “nice” feeling we’re lucky to experience from time to time. No, hope has become a requirement, as despair is our worst enemy. So, let me share a few things this fiend has learned about hope. First, it’s work. Yes, I... Read more |