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A remilitarized Japan


At a time when public sentiment towards the U.S. forces in Iraq is turning increasingly sour, particularly with the recent incident in which American soldiers opened fire on an Iraqi family traveling in a car, Japan is sending forces to Iraq. Japan’s presence in the region is notable because this is the first time since the end of World War II that Japanese Self-Defense Forces have been ordered into a combat zone. The Japanese constitution prohibits the existence of a standing combat-ready army, just as it prohibits troops from being dispatched to a combat zone. It is thanks to a law that was enacted in the summer of 2003 that Japanese troops are legally able to enter non-combat zones in Iraq. As The Japan Times rightly notes, those critical of sending the Self-Defense Forces argue that no such non-combat zones currently exist in Iraq. While the war may officially be over, the deaths and casualties continue to mount.  

According to a poll published in The Japan Times, the residents in the city of Samawah, located in southern Iraq, may be very welcoming or very opposed to the Japanese troops, depending on their purpose.  Should the Japanese SDF aid in the reconstruction of Iraq, they will be welcome.  Should the Japanese forces appear to support and abet the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq, the welcome will be significantly more tepid.  

Given that many Japanese are wary, if not outright opposed, to the deployment of SDF troops to Iraq, the Defense Agency Director General Shigeru Ishiba would do well to consider the purpose and extent of the Japanese presence in Iraq.

—Mimi Hanaoka

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About PULSE


Welcome to PULSE. This space is devoted to an animated, ongoing discussion of contemporary politics, culture, and society. Hosted by InTheFray editors (along with a few guest bloggers on occasion), PULSE will bring to your attention news items concerning identity and community. We provide the incisive analysis and thoughtful insights; you provide the withering criticism and rigorous debate. The end product will, we hope, be a lively exchange among readers and editors that is a tad serious, and a tad not. The PULSE page will be updated on a daily basis, so please check back frequently.

To post an entry, visit the submission form on our site. Make sure you select PULSE" as the Topic. Alternatively, you can email your entry to pulse-at-inthefray-dot-org. In either case, the post should be no more than 1,000 words. We do not permit spam, libelous or defamatory posts, or other abuses. Please make sure that you are logged into the ITF website when you submit your entry. You may use a pseudonym, though we encourage people to use their real names.

To read the latest PULSE entries, click here.

—The PULSE staff

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Blog

Simply the Best (Best of In The Fray 2003)


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The black-eyed peas, streamers, and horns have all been put away. But we here at In The Fray continue to celebrate the advent of 2004 with reflections on our past and aspirations for the year ahead.

This month, we publish our annual Best of In The Fray. From Adam Lovingood’s commentary on the terrible irony of Lawrence v. Texas to Alejandro Durán’s photographs of workers and children along a Central American road, the stories featured here were chosen by readers and editors as the best of the year, and truly represent some of ITF’s finest work to date.

We know that New Year’s resolutions can be difficult to keep, but we at In The Fray are genuinely committed to improvement in the year ahead. Beginning this month, we are revamping our site’s blog, PULSE. The new PULSE will be updated several times every week by our staff, and it now allows readers to submit their own entries (replacing the Readers’ Forum on our site). In February, we will introduce a new channel, which will feature two regular columnists and an editorial cartoonist. And with more stories on music, food, film, and travel and a special issue on cross-category lovin’ on the horizon, readers have plenty of great content to look forward to in the coming months.

But that isn’t all. In 2004, we are also going to make a major push to expand our readership, make our website more user-friendly, and turn In The Fray into a print publication.

To this end, we will be conducting a major fundraising campaign during the next few months. Before we can do this, though, we need your input on what you like about In The Fray and how we can improve the magazine. Please help us—and yourself, dear reader—by taking a moment to fill out this completely anonymous survey.

We know that surveys aren’t always fun. But because we need your valuable input, we’ve made this one as painless as possible. Simply use the pull-down menus, fill in the blanks, and click “Submit” when you’re finished. The entire process should take you no more than one minute.

Thank you for your time and for helping us make In The Fray even better in 2004. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to email us.

Happy New Year!

Laura Nathan
Managing Editor
Austin, Texas

Bryant Castro de Serrato
Marketing Director
New York

The Best of In The Fray 2003

The Battle after Seattle
BEST OF IDENTIFY (tie). Four years after the landmark 1999 protests in Seattle, times are tougher for the global justice movement. But activists are adapting by broadening their ranks, shifting their tactics, and envisioning an alternative world.
Written by Victor Tan Chen
Photographed by Dustin Ross
Published December 29, 2003

Bollywood Ending? Not Yet.
BEST OF IDENTIFY (tie). What digital video could mean in the world’s largest democracy.
Written and photographed by Nicole Leistikow
Published April 10, 2003

A is for Ambivalent
BEST OF IMAGINE (tie). The rise, fall, and pending resurrection of an Asian American magazine.
Written by William S. Lin
Illustrated by Marvin Allegro
Published February 10, 2003

Burning Man Lights a Fire
BEST OF IMAGINE (tie). The Nevada desert art event doesn’t just produce art, it produces citizens.
Written by Katherine K. Chen
Photographed by Heather Gallagher and George Post
Published December 22, 2003

The Other Side of Lawrence
BEST OF INTERACT. A Supreme Court victory may turn out to be the gay community’s death knell.
Written by Adam Lovingood.
Published September 29, 2003

The New ‘Crisis’ of Democracy: A Conversation with Noam Chomsky
BEST OF INTERACT (runner-up). The world today is witnessing an unprecedented level of popular protest — but watch out, the Empire is striking back.
Published October 27, 2003

Por Los Ojos
BEST OF IMAGE. Down a road in Central America, eyeing each other.
Photographed by Alejandro Durán
Published June 12, 2003

Fear Totalitarianism
BEST OF IMAGE (runner-up). Dodging rubber bullets at the Miami FTAA ministerial.
Photographed by Tom Hayden, Diane Lent, Toussaint Losier, Andy Stern, and Victor Tan Chen
Art direction by Maalik Ausar Obasi
Published December 26, 2003

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Blog

Readers’ Choice: Top ten social justice organizations in America


This month, we end our special issue, “Movements in a new America,” with your vote for the ten most influential organizations working for social justice in the United States.

This list is by no means exhaustive. As many readers told us when they wrote in to help us narrow the list of nominees, there are plenty of organizations working on behalf of social justice that are not well-known because of a lack of media coverage or the focus of certain organizations on causes confined to a particular locale. All the same, each organization on this list has affected countless people’s lives and played an important role in shaping a new America.

We invite you to join us in commending the organizations on this list for their work and their commitment to achieving social justice in the twenty-first century.

InTheFray READERS’ CHOICE:

THE MOST INFLUENTIAL SOCIAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATIONS IN AMERICA (1973-2003)

#1: ACORN

#2: ACT UP/NY

#3: Amnesty International

#4: The Center for Third World Organizing

#5: Human Rights Campaign

#6: Jobs with Justice

#7: MoveOn.org

#8: The National Organization for Women

#9: Rainbow/PUSH Coalition

#10: Third World Majority

Thanks to everyone who took the time to participate in our survey. And special thanks to those of you who have participated in the work of these organizations and so many others.

Laura Nathan
Managing Editor, InTheFray Magazine
Austin, Texas

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Says one militarism to another . . .


QUOTE OF NOTE

“It shows how frantically the ruling class is rushing toward a revival of militarism.”

A statement by the North Korean state radio agency, Korean Central Broadcasting, regarding Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s visit to Yasukuni Shrine on New Year’s Day. The shrine serves as a memorial to Japan’s war dead, including convicted World War II war criminals. While Koizumi has stated that this was a personal visit, various governments in East Asia have objected to the visit on the basis that the shrine celebrates Japanese militarism.

—Mimi Hanaoka

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Big plans for the New Year


In 2004, we have bold new plans to go print, expand our readership, and make ITF an even better magazine. To bring these ideas to fruition, we need your help.

We will be conducting a major fundraising campaign during the next few months, but before doing so, we need your input on what you like about InTheFray and how we can improve the magazine. Please help us — and yourselves, our loyal readers — by taking a moment to fill out this completely anonymous survey.

We know that surveys aren’t always fun. But because we need your valuable input, we’ve made this one as painless as possible. Simply use the pull-down menus, fill in the blanks, and click ‘Submit’ when you’re finished. The entire process should not take you more than one minute.

Thank you for your time and for helping us make InTheFray even better in 2004. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at fundraising@inthefray.com.

Happy New Year!

Bryant Castro de Serrato
Marketing Director, InTheFray Magazine
New York

Dear Reader, In The Fray is a nonprofit staffed by volunteers. If you liked this piece, could you please donate $10? If you want to help, you can also:
 
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ITF in the News


Last updated: 11/25/2006

InTheFray Magazine is becoming the talk of the Internet. The following sites have recognized ITF's work:

  • Parker Eshelman's photo essay In the shadows has been republished in Greener magazine. (11/25/06)
  • Emily Alpert’s story "Gender outlaws" has received second place in the online journalism category of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association’s 2006 Excellence in Journalism Awards. (First place went to an article by Newsweek.) Congratulations to Emily on winning this prestigious award for her eye-opening work on transgender prisoners! (11/9/06)
  • Catherine Hoang's article, "Choosing uncertainty" has been republished on MixEye.com. (10/7/06)
  • Two of Emily Alpert’s articles, “Gender Outlaws” and "Debajo del arcoiris" have been nominated for a Media Award (Best Digital Journalism Article) from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). (1/24/2006)
  • Ayah-Victoria McKhail's piece for THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, "Full disclosure", has been republished by the blog NaturistMusings. (11/7/05)
  • Laura Nathan's PULSE entry, “A Texas-sized constitutional mistake”, has been republished by Portside. (11/6/05)
  • Alexis Luna’s article, “The joy of six milligrams,” has been republished on AlterNet. (3/8/2005)
  • Emily Alpert’s article, “Rainbow and red,” has been nominated for a Media Award (Best Digital Journalism Article) from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). (2/26/05)
  • Laura’s Nathan's interview with Christi Lake (“Sexx, Lies, and Videotape”) has been republished on CounterPunch.org. (12/12/04)
  • Victor Tan Chen’s essay “Onward, progressive soldiers” was featured on the political listserv portside. (11/17/04)
  • Anthony Vaccaro’s piece “Who owns the forest?” was featured in Utne's Webwatch newsletter.
  • Laura Louison’s PULSE story “Democracy in action?” has been republished on Zogby International. (10/10/04)
  • Mimi Hanaoka’s PULSE story “Bollywood lesbians” has been linked to Utne's website.
  • Laura Nathan’s PULSE story, “Lessons from high school,” has been republished by AlterNet as “Can a movie ‘save’ America?”
  • Laura Nathan’s article, “Traversing Chisholm's trail,” was republished by AlterNet. (5/18/04)
  • Danielle Allen’s essay “A lackluster golden anniversary” was republished by Portside and listed on the site of the University of Chicago News Office. (5/17/04)
  • Laura Nathan’s interview with Rachel F. Moran (“Making a nation of difference”) has been republished on Alternet. (5/5/04)
  • Robert Jensen’s personal essay “Illusions of superiority” has been republished on Alternet. (5/4/04)
  • Dustin Ross’ photo essay “A walk in the dark” has been nominated for The Best of Photojournalism 2004. (4/11/2004)
  • Daniel Wolff’s “Spiral Railway” is linked on Counterpunch.org. (4/11/2004)
  • Tania Boghossian’s story “Left/right love” is linked to Political Theory Daily Review. (4/11/2004)
  • The latest issue of Utne online features a piece on Adam Lovingood's article “The Other Side of Lawrence,” which INTERACT featured in 2003. (2/22/2004)
  • Keith Porter, Globalization Guide for About.com, mentioned "The battle after Seattle" (ITF, December 2003) in his blog and newsletter: "In the four years since anti-globalization protesters made headlines in Seattle, the movement has matured both in focus and in organization. Victor Tan Chen has written a great summary of this effort in the new issue of In The Fray. The new movement is making specific policy proposals and turning some of its perceived weaknesses into emerging strengths." (1/14/2004)
  • The Moving Ideas Network, a project of The American Prospect magazine, is featuring ITF as this week's "Site to Watch." (1/9/2004)
  • Coolstop has added ITF to the list of "noteworthy cool sites" in Coolstop's Portal Cool Zone.
  • Google News now includes articles from InTheFray Magazine.

Want to help spread the news about ITF? Then add the ITF banner to your site!

Email us at editors-at-inthefray-dot-org if you need help posting this banner. Also, if you know of a site that you'd like to see feature ITF, please let us know!

—The Editors

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Searching for an elusive Christmas


My parents and I just took a walk around their southeastern Virginia neighborhood and I was struck by the excess of everything that this holiday generates. Yes, I realize this isn’t at all a new cultural phenomenon, but I feel I’m seeing the situation with fresh eyes since I spent the last two Christmases living in a country without a Christian majority. In my parents’ neighborhood dozens of homes are dripping in millions of — admittedly dazzling — lights. I like those lights, I do. But I even saw a brite-lite-looking Santa Claus perched from a basketball hoop. Funny, true, but is that really necessary? Every trash can and recycling bin is stuffed with paper, boxes and ribbons. A sign the economy is recovering? We can only hope. Anyway, from discussions with friends I get the feeling that every generation thinks the one before it experienced more meaningful Christmases. Reading at least to the middle of this article and you’ll see it just ain’t so.

—Laura Pohl

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Waiting for word from the Beagle


As we all celebrate the holiday season with our friends and families, let’s not forget the holiday news sent from out of this world. The European Space Agency continues to wait for a signal from the Beagle 2, the British-made spacecraft meant to analyze the surface of planet Mars. Although the Beagle has yet to make contact with planet Earth, scientists from around the world continue to hope for a holiday gift from outer space.  

—Helvidius

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Political Prose

Nurturing another Islam

Shirin Ebadi, the Iranian lawyer and human rights activist who won this year's Nobel Peace Prize, gave a speech this week in which she criticized the Bush administration's foreign policy — more or less in its entirety.…


Shirin Ebadi, the Iranian lawyer and human rights activist who won this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, gave a speech this week in which she criticized the Bush administration’s foreign policy — more or less in its entirety. Some states have violated the universal principles and laws of human rights by using the events of Sept. 11 and the war on terrorism as a pretext,” she said. A adapted version of the speech was published inThe Globe and Mail, a Canadian newspaper.

Here’s one particular quote from Ebadi’s essay that deserves re-reading:

I am a Muslim. In the Koran, the Prophet of Islam has said: “Thou shalt believe in thy faith and I in my religion.” That same divine book sees the mission of all prophets as that of inviting all human beings to uphold justice. Since the advent of Islam, Iran’s civilization and culture have become imbued and infused with humanitarianism, respect for the life, belief and faith of others, propagation of tolerance and avoidance of violence, bloodshed and war … The discriminatory plight of women in Islamic states, whether in the sphere of civil law or in the realm of social, political and cultural justice, has its roots in the male-dominated culture prevailing in these societies, not in Islam.

Commentators like to blame Islam for creating suicide bombers, oppressing women — even, as bizarre as it might seem, encouraging pedophila. As is the case for most religions, of course, Islam the faith is a lot different from Islam as the faithful practice it. After all, Christians found ways that the teachings of the great pacifist, Jesus Christ, could be used to justify burning alive thousands of Jews and Muslims during the Spanish Inquisition — it doesn’t take many aspiring demagogues before a religion of peace starts spawning legions of hatemongers. Thankfully, questions are beginning to be raised these days about the un-peaceful practices of certain religious extremists (during the Cold War, the United States found it useful to ignore the Muslim ones). Scholars are even questioning whether conventional translations of the Qur’an, Islam’s holy book, are accurate about some rather important points — is it seventy-two “virgins” or seventy-two “fruits”? (Not to be outdone, scholars of the New Testament are also raising some crucial questions.)

In spite of what the fundamentalists (of all faiths) might say, religion is a quite malleable thing — the devil, so to speak, is in the details, and who decides those details matters a great deal. The face that Islam will show in this new century will depend on which leaders take power in Muslim countries. Which brings me back to Shirin Ebadi. She is the kind of leader that Western countries should be encouraging — a Muslim feminist who implores other Muslims to remember their faith’s humanitarian spirit, its vision of global unity that the Iranian poet Rumi once described in this way: “The sons of Adam are limbs of one another/Having been created of one essence.” If Ebadi and other like-minded Muslims can gain power in their countries, they could do much more than the hordes of CIA agents and Special Forces commandoes embedded abroad presently seem capable of doing — that is, sweeping away the terrorist-inspiring hatred that has become America’s bugbear ever since it clawed its way across the ocean on September 11. Even the more neoconservative figures in the Bush administration — Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, for instance — are finally coming to the view that, in addition to dropping bombs, it might be a good idea to start peddling a “kinder and gentler” Islam abroad.

The problem is, of course, that even liberal-minded Muslims like Ebadi are being alienated by the “shock and awe” foreign policy of the Bush administration. Ebadi asks: “Why is it that some decisions and resolutions of the UN Security Council are binding, while other council resolutions have no binding force? Why is it that in the past 35 years, dozens of UN resolutions concerning the occupation of the Palestinian territories by the state of Israel have not been implemented — yet, in the past 12 years, the state and people of Iraq were twice subjected to attack, military assault, economic sanctions, and, ultimately, military occupation?”

These are troubling questions — for the extremists, without question, but also for those Muslims who want to see an end to the fanaticism. If the United States truly wants to stop terrorism, it needs people like Ebadi on its side. But as long as the Bush administration stubbornly clings to its current policy of hyper-aggressive unilateralism — a policy that has created only more enemies in the Muslim world — liberal Muslims will have a hard time convincing anyone in their countries to listen to them. And that does not bode well for the sanctity of Islam, nor for the security of Americans.

—Victor Tan Chen

Victor Tan Chen is In The Fray's editor in chief and the author of Cut Loose: Jobless and Hopeless in an Unfair Economy. Site: victortanchen.com | Facebook | Twitter: @victortanchen

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Making a list, checking it twice …


issue banner

It’s that time of year again … time to drink some eggnog, make your New Year’s resolution and then promptly break that New Year’s resolution, and, of course, rock the vote — the ITF vote, that is.

There are two parts to this year’s vote: (1) your picks for the Top Ten U.S. social justice organizations (choose from eighteen), and (2) your favorite ITF articles of 2003 (pick one article for each of the four channels of the magazine). We’ll publish the results in the January “BEST OF InTheFray 2003” issue.

Please email your votes to vote@inthefray.com NO LATER THAN MONDAY, JANUARY 5. Feel free to cut and paste the list below in the text of your message.

READERS’ CHOICE: TOP TEN SOCIAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATIONS

Now that you’ve helped us choose our top ten activists in America, we need your help again. Choose ten picks from the following list of eighteen. The question is: “Which ten organizations working on social justice issues in the United States have had the most influence over the past three decades?”

[ ] ACORN

[ ] ACT UP

[ ] The American Lung Association

[ ] Amnesty International

[ ] Center for Community Change

[ ] Center for Third World Organizing

[ ] Environmental Justice Fund

[ ] Green Party

[ ] Human Rights Campaign

[ ] Jobs with Justice

[ ] MoveOn.org

[ ] National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

[ ] The National Organization for Women (NOW)

[ ] Public Citizen

[ ] Rainbow/PUSH Coalition

[ ] Reform Party/Independent Party

[ ] Schools of the Americas (SOA) Watch

[ ] Third World Majority

Optional: We’d love to hear why you chose the ten organizations that you did. Make your case for your picks in the Forum or email them with your votes. We’ll publish your comments (without your name if you prefer) in the next issue of the magazine.

BEST OF InTheFray 2003

Choose your favorite article in each of the four channels below:

IDENTIFY

[ ] Genocide is not a spectator sport
Exploring the roots of ethnic violence in Gujarat. By Anustup Nayak.
February 12, 2003

[ ] Bollywood ending? Not yet.
What digital video could mean in the world’s largest democracy. By Nicole Leistikow.
April 10, 2003

[ ] Driving us into the ground
The debate over the true cost of cars. By Nick Hoff.
June 9, 2003        

[ ] Southern hospitality
Mourning a lost home, refugees from Vietnam start over in North Carolina. By Krista Mahr and Lissa Gotwals.
September 29, 2003

[ ] The end of old-school organizing
How United for a Fair Economy is reaching across lines of class and race in the fight for economic justice. By Victor Tan Chen.
October 27, 2003

[ ] The revolution will be emailed
Can a widespread, loosely knit organization — connected only through email — make the American mainstream media take notice of the Palestinian perspective? By Tamam Mango.
November 13, 2003

[ ] The battle after Seattle
Four years after the landmark 1999 protests in Seattle, times are tougher for the global justice movement. But activists are adapting by broadening their ranks, shifting their tactics, and envisioning an alternative world. By Victor Tan Chen.
December 26, 2003
        
IMAGINE
    
[ ] A is for ambivalent
The rise, fall, and pending resurrection of an Asian American magazine. By William S. Lin.
February 10, 2003

[ ] From sparks to full blaze
Reporting Civil Rights traces the evolution of a movement and its coverage. By Andrew Curry.
April 9, 2003        

[ ] Breaking the celluloid ceiling
Asian Americans embrace the bad-boy characters of Better Luck Tomorrow. By Gavin Tachibana.
April 10, 2003

[ ] The painted ladies of Queens
When Matisse and Picasso visit Long Island City, it’s their mistresses who take center stage. By Maureen Farrell.
June 9, 2003

[ ] Not on my watch
Can A Problem From Hell make stopping genocide a priority? By Jal Mehta.
September 29, 2003

[ ] Elisabeth Leonard, Raging Granny
Faith, righteousness, and the march to stamp out war. By Henry P. Belanger.
October 27, 2003

[ ] Where give meets take
Sharing a house, a shower, and a meal at the Catholic Worker. By Maureen Farrell.
November 13, 2003

[ ] Burning Man lights a fire
The Nevada desert art event doesn’t just produce art, it produces citizens. By Katherine K. Chen.
December 22, 2003

INTERACT
        
[ ] Crying wolf
A television journalist decries bias in media coverage after 9/11. By Hari Sreenivasan.
February 12, 2003

[ ] ‘Mother-guilt’
The unscientific progress of a psychiatric resident. By C.T. Kurien.
April 10, 2003

[ ] Free at last
Saying goodbye to that nettlesome question: Is it the French Quarter, or the Freedom Quarter? By Judith Malveaux.
June 9, 2003

[ ] The other side of Lawrence
A Supreme Court victory may turn out to be the gay community’s death knell. By Adam Lovingood.
September 29, 2003

[ ] The new ‘crisis’ of democracy
The world today is witnessing an unprecedented level of popular protest — but watch out, the Empire is striking back. A conversation with Noam Chomsky.
October 27, 2003

[ ] ‘Assault on the very basis of life’
In an age of unprecedented corporate power, social movements offer the greatest hope for humanity’s survival, says Vandana Shiva. A conversation with Vandana Shiva.
November 13, 2003

[ ] It’s lonely at the top
Every generation likes to think it stands at the end of time. But there are good reasons for activists to remember their history — and remember their humility. By Larry Yates.
December 24, 2003

IMAGE

[ ] Kids in color
Nurturing the adults of tomorrow. By Lia Chang.
February 10, 2003

[ ] The peace series
Because no one wants to shoot a teddy bear. Illustrations by Genevieve Gauckler.
April 8, 2003

[ ] The propaganda remix project
Somewhere, Norman Rockwell is rolling over in his grave. Posters by Micah Wright.
April 8, 2003

[ ] The oxymoron
A war that the whole family can enjoy. Posters by John Carr.
April 8, 2003

[ ] On the front lines
Images of anti-war. By multiple contributors.
April 8, 2003

[ ] Guerilla banner drop
5:30 a.m.: We drop the flag on Union Theological Seminary. Photos by Dustin Ross.
April 8, 2003

[ ] 911: State of Emergence
Ride the Saturation Engine. Multimedia immersion courtesy of 47.
April 8, 2003

[ ] I love war!
Print them out and share the love. Stickers by DesignBum.
April 8, 2003

[ ] Por los ojos
Down a road in Central America, eyeing each other. By Alejandro Durán.
June 12, 2003

[ ] A walk in the dark
Photographs and notes from a long walk home during the Blackout of 2003. By Dustin Ross.
September 29, 2003

[ ] World trade barricade
Puppets and protests galore at the World Trade Organization’s Cancún ministerial. By Dustin Ross and Victor Tan Chen.
October 27, 2003

[ ] Fear totalitarianism
Dodging rubber bullets at the Miami FTAA ministerial. By Tom Hayden, Diane Lent, Toussaint Losier, Andy Stern, and Victor Tan Chen.
December 26, 2003

Optional: Please tell us what you think about any or all of the articles you voted for. You can post your comments in the Forum or email them with your votes. We’d love to hear what you think about the magazine in general, too — constructive criticism is always welcome.

The articles that receive the most votes will be featured in the “BEST OF InTheFray 2003” on Monday, January 12. We’ll publish readers’ comments along with the winning articles. If you don’t want your comments or name published, please let us know.

Finally, please submit your vote NO LATER THAN MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2004 to vote@inthefray.com.

It really is that easy … no hanging chads, no confusion about whether Jewish Floridians actually voted for Pat Buchanan — just your voice and your vote.

Happy holidays, happy voting — and don’t forget to check your lists twice!

Laura Nathan
Managing Editor, InTheFray Magazine
Austin, Texas

Dear Reader, In The Fray is a nonprofit staffed by volunteers. If you liked this piece, could you please donate $10? If you want to help, you can also:
 
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Readers’ Choice: Top ten activists in America


Last month we asked you which ten activists and organizations working on social justice issues in the United States have had the most influence during the past three decades (1973-2003), and now the ballots are in. The vote was incredibly close, and there were even a few irresolvable ties. (In fact, the vote for the most influential organizations was so close that we need your help in whittling the list of eighteen organizations down to ten — click here to help out.)

The list that our readers came up with is by no means exhaustive. As one reader explained, “We probably don’t know many of the most important activists by name because they’ve been busy cultivating other leaders. It’s sort of weird to lionize an individual activist since activism is a group effort by nature.” Other readers made it a point to mention that activism isn’t always characterized by a liberal slant.

That said, the ten activists selected represent a wide array of accomplishments, causes, and political strategies. They have transformed the lives of countless people around the world. And they continue to challenge and inspire future generations of leaders and activists. We hope you will join us in recognizing the importance of their work.

Laura Nathan
Managing Editor, InTheFray Magazine
Austin, Texas

TEN MOST INFLUENTIAL ACTIVISTS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE IN THE UNITED STATES
(1973-2003)

#9 – Oprah Winfrey

#9 – Barbara Ehrenreich

#8 – Bono

#7 – Jimmy and Roslyn Carter

#5 – Jesse Jackson

#5 – Edward Said

#4 – Gloria Steinem

#3 – Ralph Nader

#2 – Noam Chomsky

And the Readers’ Choice for the MOST INFLUENTIAL ACTIVIST FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE IN THE PAST THIRTY YEARS:

#1 – Cesar Chavez

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