Here, we engage in open dialogue to understand, explore, and bring Social Ecology to life together.
New: Agora’s public forums are now accessible without registration.
You can view discussions, respond to existing topics, or contribute new ideas under the “guest” designation. In this case, new discussions are subject to moderation before publication to ensure the quality of the exchanges and protect us from bots. Those wishing to participate under their own name or a permanent pseudonym can also create a free account by registering.
The Agora is a space for exchange, reflection, and research inspired by social ecology and communalism. Its aim is to bring together those who wish to contribute to the emergence of societies that are more just, more ecological, and based on direct democracy, mutual aid, and collective autonomy.
The two public forums—one French-speaking, the other English-speaking (shared with the Transnational Institute of Social Ecology – TRISE)—are designed to foster the sharing of experiences, resources, and reflections on the ecological, social, and political challenges of our time.
Whether you are an activist, researcher, student, or simply curious about these issues, feel free to join the discussions or start your own topics. Together, let’s foster a space for dialogue and mutual learning to imagine and build alternatives capable of asserting themselves outside state and capitalist structures.
What Is Social Ecology? — By Mason Herson-Horvath of the ISE
The ISE, founded by Murray Bookchin, poses a simple yet radical question: What if the ecological crisis were not a problem between humanity and nature, but a problem within our societies themselves? Racism—including environmental racism—colonialism, patriarchy, capitalism, and the state—Mason Herson-Horvath shows how these systems of domination, together, bring about the destruction of life. His conclusion: the ecological crisis is a social crisis. And if the problem is social, so is the solution—direct democracy, confederalism, and a break with the state and capitalism. In solidarity with our U.S. comrades in the ISE, I am sharing this clear introduction to social ecology—a movement that continues, on both sides of the Atlantic, to equip our struggles and to prepare here and now so that another future is possible.
[ L'ISE, fondé par Murray Bookchin, pose une question simple et radicale : et si la crise écologique n'était pas un problème entre l'humanité et la nature, mais un problème au sein même de nos sociétés ? Racisme y compris racisme environnemental, colonialisme, patriarcat, capitalisme, État — Mason Herson-Horvath montre comment ces systèmes de domination produisent, ensemble, la destruction du vivant. Sa conclusion : la crise écologique est une crise sociale. Et si le problème est social, la solution l'est aussi — démocratie directe, confédéralisme, rupture avec l'État et le capitalisme. En solidarité avec les camarades états-uniens de l'ISE, je relaie cette introduction limpide à l'écologie sociale — un courant qui continue, des deux côtés de l'Atlantique, à outiller nos luttes et à se préparer ici et maintenant pour qu'un autre futur soit possible.]