Richard Hil, Mullumbimby
I (sort of) agree with Boyd Kellner’s assertion that ‘political education and activity remain vital to changing the system’.
It’s hard to envisage change without some sort of consciousness raising (old hat, I know!) – but it depends on what you mean by these things. One central aspect of galvanising people into informed political action (rather than reaction) is to engage them in meaningful conversations about how they are experiencing life and what can be done to change things.
The ‘middle class’ practice of conversation – aka dialogue, talk, engagement, discussion etc – appears pivotal to this process, as does good old-fashioned relationship building.
The thing is, Boyd, that people come to the point where they want ‘system’ change from many different angles. We can’t just tell people what to think, or bludgeon them with the right line, a single truth, or the correct mode of analysis.
The time is ripe to engage with people around climate change, inequality, debt, corporate greed and the ‘democracy recession’. I seek to build a broad-based global social movement blending thinking and doing, theory and practice.
I’ve got a suggestion Boyd, let’s get together and do something really radical – have a chat! I’m serious.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
