By Marisa Handler Foreword by Rebecca Solnit "You can change the world; you can accept the challenge injustice
issues. It won't make your life easier, but it might make it worth
living or let you live with yourself."
— Rebecca Solnit, from the foreword to Loyal to the Sky
As a 12-yr-old in apartheid South Africa, Marisa Handler wasn’t planning
on becoming an activist. But her course was set on a day in a South
African school yard when she defended her parents vote for the
Progressive Federal Party—Contact: the only legal party in the apartheid
state that advocated equality for all. Despite the condemnation of her
schoolmates, young Marisa stood her ground, declaring that, "a black
person could be president," of South Africa.
This schoolyard debate was the first step in a journey that would take
Handler all over the world. In Loyal to the Sky, a vivid mix of
personal memoir and political reportage, she combines the story of her
own coming-of age with a fascinating inside look at the global justice
movement.
Handler soon emigrated with her family to Southern California to escape
the apartheid system. At first, the teen-aged Marisa thought that the
egalitarian myth of America was also its reality. But over time she came
to the gradual realization that racial and social injustice existed even
in this more open, democratic society. In high school she experienced
racism and sexism firsthand. But these formative years also led to a
spiritual awakening in which Marisa embraced a progressive form of
Judaism, and later, Buddhism.
Handler vividly describes her work as an organizer and journalist in
Israel, India, Nepal, Ecuador, Peru and all across the United States,
both covering and leading protests. She sketches memorable portraits of
the people she encountered and the sometimes harrowing events that
changed and shaped her. Along the way she offers an insider’s
perspective on what drives the global justice movement and describes how
large-scale protests are planned and executed. She demystifies direct
action—the confrontational tactic the movement is known for—and
describes how she came to advocate a spiritually based, nonviolent
activism.
Part biography, part manifesto, Loyal to the Sky traces the arc
of one woman's life and her travels across the globe—drawing us in and
showing us how we all can contribute to create a better world for all.
****
Marisa Handler has written for Salon.com, the San Francisco Chronicle,
AlterNet, and Tikkun, Orion, and Bitch magazines. She has worked as an
activist with numerous organizations, including Direct Action to Stop
the War, United for Peace and Justice, and the Tikkun Community, where
she was National Organizer. Her Orion story was nominated for the
Society of Environmental Journalists’ Best Environmental Writing award.
BK Currents titles advance social and economic justice by exploring the
critical intersections between business and society. Offering a unique
combination of thoughtful analysis and progressive alternatives, BK
Currents titles promote positive change at the national and global
levels.
"For readers interested in liberal political activism in this new
century---this is a must-read. Most entertaining are the lively
descriptions of such groups as the “Knitters for Peace” and the “Dot
Commies,” and descriptions of behind-the-scenes encounters. A deeply
intelligent, absorbing call to action." — Booklist
“From assisting Amazon Basin communities threatened by oil companies, to
protesting at the 2004 Republican National Convention, Handler has put
her values into action with tenacious creativity. She ably conveys the
histories of places many people couldn't find on a map in a lively,
moving and funny voice." — Publishers Weekly
“Marisa Handler is a young activist who captures in this book the most
hopeful energies of her generation and will excite anyone who hopes for
a post-Bush world of peace and justice. Insightful and charming,
spiritually rich and emotionally honest, Handler's writing shows that
tikkun olam, the healing of the world, is not some outdated fantasy but
an ever-present possibility.” — Rabbi Michael Lerner, Editor, Tikkun, and author of The
Left Hand of God: Taking Back our Country from the Religious Right
“From apartheid South Africa to US militarism to Ecuadorian
indigenous rights, Marisa Handler weaves together her fascinating search
for a more caring, compassionate world. But no Kumbaya triteness
here--the author takes a brutally honest look at herself, the activist
community and the world. She writes with wit and beauty, preaches with
passion and love. Loyal to the Sky is an affirmation that mortal
humans, with all our foibles, can be powerful agents for change.” — Medea Benjamin, Cofounder, Global Exchange and CODEPINK
"Handler brings a unique wit, intelligence, honesty, and outsider's
skepticism to an insider's view of the global justice movement. Hers is
a welcome contribution to a history in the making—providing an eloquent
glimpse into who we are and what we may yet become." — Antonia Juhasz, Activist, Policy-Analyst, and author of The
Bush Agenda: Invading the World, One Economy at a Time
Loyal to the Sky: Notes from an Activist
By Marisa Handler
Published by Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
Publication Date: February 2007
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Loyal to the Sky: Notes from an Activist
by Marisa Handler ISBN: 9781576753927
"The spread of evil is the symptom of a
vacuum. whenever evil wins, it is only by default: by the
moral failure of those who evade the fact that there can be
no compromise on basic principles."
Ayn Rand
Activism
Issues
