大象传媒

Resistance alone is a losing strategy. You have to have a positive alternative鈥攕omething to move toward, instead of away from. This founding principle of 大象传媒 Media has guided our coverage for the past 25 years. Since 1996, we鈥檝e published stories about positive alternatives, solutions that can help us to achieve the better world we know is possible, albeit in the silos in which they exist.  

But 2020 jolted us all: Movement spaces, grassroots organizations, activists and non-activists alike鈥攅ven governments, corporations, and philanthropic spaces鈥攈ave responded to the needs of the people. That jolt thrusted us together in a way that we鈥檝e not experienced in recent history. The calls for reparations, the redistribution of land, defunding the police and investing in public safety, prison abolition, an end to fracking, a universal health care system, and universal services have not only grown louder, but also collective.  

We鈥檝e known for a long time that our now-crumbling political and economic systems are insufficient for staving off climate disasters and ending state violence: Of course, corporations are not 鈥渢oo big to fail,鈥� and our government is in place to help us, not to control us. We鈥檙e now learning that our siloed people鈥檚 movements focused on their own agendas are also not sufficient to meet this moment. Civil society鈥檚 global response to the pandemic as well as its rise against racism showed a new way to make just, equitable, and compassionate change: collaborate, intersect, move together.  

We鈥檝e been seeing this cross-pollination happening not only among movements and community organizers, but also foundations, corporations, governments, and individuals who鈥檝e amassed generational wealth through the exploitation of others. It needs to happen more. We need radical inclusivity to move toward the great transformation that is possible. We need resistors, yes, but we also need reformers, builders, and healers.   

Alienating sectors as evil is part of the old social justice movement. A new social justice movement organizes and mobilizes with those sectors and influences those spaces鈥� healing and rebuilding to transform a new way of being.  

The鈥痺inter 2022 issue鈥痮f鈥�大象传媒 Magazine鈥痺ill explore these spaces and collaborations and share the stories of where this is working, how, and if it鈥檚 not working, what needs to be done to make it so.

Reporters, what鈥檚 happening in communities near you? Send us your leads and pitches for reported stories on initiatives or groups that鈥痗ultivate鈥痗ollaboration. 

All of the stories we seek will be examples of excellent journalism and storytelling: stories鈥� with鈥� compelling characters that are well-researched, and demonstrate struggle and resolution. Hurry and send your pitches to鈥�[email protected]鈥� by鈥疉ug. 9 鈥痶o be considered for the winter issue.鈥�(After that, you can continue to send them to 鈥�[email protected].)鈥�聽