Overview

As the world burns, wars are claiming thousands of innocent lives and governments do nothing, activism offers the antidote to our growing sense of hopelessness. But then why does it sometimes feel like direct action is hindering rather than helping? Shouldn’t people be addressing the climate catastrophe head-on, rather than gluing themselves to trains at rush hour or throwing soup at paintings? Anthea Lawson has been an activist for over two decades, campaigning for an international ban on cluster bombs and guerilla gardening in Parliament Square. This book will not tell you how to start a petition, devise a campaign plan or avoid getting arrested at a protest. What it will do is teach you how to improve the world… without alienating the very people you need to convince. Too often activists fall into old traps – setting impossible purity tests, forgetting the cultural baggage we bring with us, ignoring diverse perspectives – undermining their cause. Practical, candid and hopeful, How Not to Save the World puts forward a compelling ‘what not to do’ for direct action. Because, when we understand why activism fails, it allows us to campaign more effectively – and maybe save the world.

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9781836431756

Table of Contents

Reviews

'A wise, rich and crucial book, which is helping me to do better, and will help many others.' —George Monbiot

'A wise, rich and crucial book, which is helping me to do better, and will help many others.' —George Monbiot 'Read it and weep, laugh, cringe and sigh... It might support your work to be more effective, it might help you to understand yourselves (there’s more than one you!) and others better; ultimately it might bring more compassion and togetherness in a broken world.' —Dr. Gail Bradbrook, co-founder of Extinction Rebellion 'Campaigning always looks very ‘black and white’ – you're either for or against something. But it really isn't like that! With decades of hard-earned experience as a campaigner, with many highs and lows along the way, Anthea Lawson's provocative book provides us with deep insights into the tactical, emotional and ethical complexities of campaigning – and, in particular, of how best to set about saving the world.' —Sir Jonathon Porritt 'Anthea Lawson has written an urgent book, a scintillating call to match our outer activism with inner self-awareness. And this, not just to win campaigns, but towards the deeper transformation of the world.' —Professor Alastair McIntosh, author of Soil and Soul and Spiritual Activism

Author Information

Anthea Lawson is an activist and author. Over the past two decades she has campaigned on many issues – political and environmental – launching an award-winning campaign for transparency over company ownership at Global Witness, which resulted in changes to the law in dozens of countries, as well as spearheading successful campaigns for an Arms Trade Treaty, and the international ban on cluster bombs. In addition to Global Witness she also worked for Amnesty International and has been arrested with Extinction Rebellion.

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