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Niki Ashton debates with other NDP leadership contenders in Ottawa on March 13, 2017. (Photo: Alex Tetreault/Canada's National Observer)
After Weekend With Bernie, Niki Ashton Talks Progressive International: 'Our Movement Is a Global Movement. It Must Be.'
No longer can progressives afford to work only in silos
Dec 08, 2018
The time to act is now. No longer can progressives afford to work only in silos.
We must be unafraid of big, bold ideas for change. To work with, and learn from, communities already on the front lines organizing against neoliberal austerity measures. And to act now in the face of catastrophic climate change, and hold corporate greed to account.
That's why I joined Jane Sanders, David Driscoll, Renata Avila, Yanis Varoufakis, and many others in launching Progressive International, a call for a grassroots movement for global social, environmental and economic justice.
This call came at The Sanders Institute Gathering in Vermont last week, which brought together progressive leaders, activists, and movement builders from communities across the globe. I was on the panel with Sen. Bernie Sanders that preceded the call to create Progressive International.
I spoke of the crisis our generation, the millennial generation, is facing in Canada. I shared how young people are facing economic precarity in a way that hasn't been seen in generations. How our federal government continues to fail Indigenous peoples. How white supremacy and the rise of violence and hate has demanded we be ever more uncompromising when it comes to upholding the values of dignity, respect and justice.
When GM is threatening to shut down plants in Oshawa and Detroit, when hate and fascism is on the rise in the United States, Hungary, Brazil, and here in Canada, when climate change is wreaking havoc on our coasts and our forests--it is clear that our challenges do not stop at borders.
Those that consolidate wealth and power, those that exploit fear and desperation to justify fascism, those that ignore climate change, are already working together. We must as well.
We must be unafraid of big, bold ideas for change. To work with, and learn from, communities already on the front lines organizing against neoliberal austerity measures. And to act now in the face of catastrophic climate change, and hold corporate greed to account for the damage it continues to cause.
Progressive International calls on us all to put people before profits. My generation and those coming up have little choice but to act now.
We need to join together to build a movement for global justice.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Niki Ashton
Niki Ashton was first elected as MP in Canada for Churchill-Keewatinook Aski in 2008 when she was 26, and lives in her hometown of Thompson. She serves as the NDP's Critic for Transport, and Deputy Critic for Women and Gender Equality.
The time to act is now. No longer can progressives afford to work only in silos.
We must be unafraid of big, bold ideas for change. To work with, and learn from, communities already on the front lines organizing against neoliberal austerity measures. And to act now in the face of catastrophic climate change, and hold corporate greed to account.
That's why I joined Jane Sanders, David Driscoll, Renata Avila, Yanis Varoufakis, and many others in launching Progressive International, a call for a grassroots movement for global social, environmental and economic justice.
This call came at The Sanders Institute Gathering in Vermont last week, which brought together progressive leaders, activists, and movement builders from communities across the globe. I was on the panel with Sen. Bernie Sanders that preceded the call to create Progressive International.
I spoke of the crisis our generation, the millennial generation, is facing in Canada. I shared how young people are facing economic precarity in a way that hasn't been seen in generations. How our federal government continues to fail Indigenous peoples. How white supremacy and the rise of violence and hate has demanded we be ever more uncompromising when it comes to upholding the values of dignity, respect and justice.
When GM is threatening to shut down plants in Oshawa and Detroit, when hate and fascism is on the rise in the United States, Hungary, Brazil, and here in Canada, when climate change is wreaking havoc on our coasts and our forests--it is clear that our challenges do not stop at borders.
Those that consolidate wealth and power, those that exploit fear and desperation to justify fascism, those that ignore climate change, are already working together. We must as well.
We must be unafraid of big, bold ideas for change. To work with, and learn from, communities already on the front lines organizing against neoliberal austerity measures. And to act now in the face of catastrophic climate change, and hold corporate greed to account for the damage it continues to cause.
Progressive International calls on us all to put people before profits. My generation and those coming up have little choice but to act now.
We need to join together to build a movement for global justice.
Niki Ashton
Niki Ashton was first elected as MP in Canada for Churchill-Keewatinook Aski in 2008 when she was 26, and lives in her hometown of Thompson. She serves as the NDP's Critic for Transport, and Deputy Critic for Women and Gender Equality.
The time to act is now. No longer can progressives afford to work only in silos.
We must be unafraid of big, bold ideas for change. To work with, and learn from, communities already on the front lines organizing against neoliberal austerity measures. And to act now in the face of catastrophic climate change, and hold corporate greed to account.
That's why I joined Jane Sanders, David Driscoll, Renata Avila, Yanis Varoufakis, and many others in launching Progressive International, a call for a grassroots movement for global social, environmental and economic justice.
This call came at The Sanders Institute Gathering in Vermont last week, which brought together progressive leaders, activists, and movement builders from communities across the globe. I was on the panel with Sen. Bernie Sanders that preceded the call to create Progressive International.
I spoke of the crisis our generation, the millennial generation, is facing in Canada. I shared how young people are facing economic precarity in a way that hasn't been seen in generations. How our federal government continues to fail Indigenous peoples. How white supremacy and the rise of violence and hate has demanded we be ever more uncompromising when it comes to upholding the values of dignity, respect and justice.
When GM is threatening to shut down plants in Oshawa and Detroit, when hate and fascism is on the rise in the United States, Hungary, Brazil, and here in Canada, when climate change is wreaking havoc on our coasts and our forests--it is clear that our challenges do not stop at borders.
Those that consolidate wealth and power, those that exploit fear and desperation to justify fascism, those that ignore climate change, are already working together. We must as well.
We must be unafraid of big, bold ideas for change. To work with, and learn from, communities already on the front lines organizing against neoliberal austerity measures. And to act now in the face of catastrophic climate change, and hold corporate greed to account for the damage it continues to cause.
Progressive International calls on us all to put people before profits. My generation and those coming up have little choice but to act now.
We need to join together to build a movement for global justice.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.