At the end of July 2024, the fatal stabbing of three young girls at a dance class in the North of England triggered a spate of racial violence across the UK that was fuelled by online misinformation and anti-immigration rhetoric. The unrest made global headlines.
What was far less reported however was the wide-reaching wave of anti-racism protesters who took to the streets in the aftermath of the riots to peacefully protest. And the extent to which local communities mobilised to clean up civic damage and demonstrate inter-racial solidarity.
In Citizens, Jon Alexander and Ariane Conrad document the emergence of citizens across the world who are taking action to address pressing societal and environmental challenges. They explore the essence of citizenship - not which country we each come from, but the extent to which we see ourselves as active change agents within interconnected human systems.
After decades of austerity and underinvestment, across the global North many of our social systems show fracture and decay, leaving individuals and communities increasingly vulnerable. In the absence of government action, citizen action is proving an invaluable source of societal resilience. Distributed decision-making, collective intelligence and the remarkable capacity of humans to cooperate, co-create, collaborate, innovate and inspire are proving to be the antidote to societal decline.
Showcasing powerful examples of citizen government in Taiwan, citizen assemblies in Ireland and more, Citizens has us thinking more deeply about the power of mass participation. And indeed, how we might ignite and leverage this as we problem solve within our own organisations.
