“Only two years old?” said a surprised friend. “rabble’s been such a part of my life, I thought it was much older than that.”

In the two intense years since our launch on April 18, 2001, rabble hasbecome home to thousands of progressive thinkers and doers across thecountry and beyond.

Our audience has grown to more than 100,000 unique visitors a month — making rabble the highest circulation progressive publication in the country. And our readers spend a long time on the site, too, reading about two million pages a month.

We’re proud of the original anti-war coverage we’ve provided leading up to and during the war against Iraq as well. rabble has been a welcome refuge from the pro-American boosterism of much mainstream media.

rabble has also been a place to discuss the war with like-minded andsometimes not-so-like-minded people in our vibrant discussion forum, babble.There are now 4,000 registered babblers who share information and resources oneverything from activism to music to gardening. It’s also a great place to discuss and debate current events as they happen.

We asked babblers what rabble means to them. Here are a few of their comments:

  • “rabble.ca is more than just an independent progressive medium, it’s a community, a true resource and a learning tool.”
    — Meades, a sixteen-year-old activist from Sault Ste. Marie who has been babbling since almost the beginning
  • “rabble permits many of us who would otherwise seethe quietly on the inside to argue, scream, debate and sometimes agree on issues of importance. It is the great equalizer and a tremendous stress reducer.”
    — Mishei, an enthusiastic debater in our Middle East forum
  • Mohammad Kahn says simply “rabble: Keeping me sane since September 11th.”

You can read more thoughts about rabble or post your own here. It’s one of the unique and exciting qualities of rabble that you can read what we write and then write about what you read. The power of the Internet as a medium isthat it is interactive and immediate, and we think that rabble is one of the few sites that has successfully integrated a provocative, lively discussion boardwith a professional, alternative news site.

We couldn’t have done it alone.

rabble is also a portal to many of Canada’s most active progressive organizations. Our in cahoots section brings you the latest from unions, environmental organizations, think tanks, women’s groups and more.And in cahoots will soon merge with the (bilingual!) OneWorld Canada service — a Canadian addition to the international OneWorld network. This will help us provide you with an even greater connection to social movements struggling for a better world.

And then of course there is auntie.com, an advice columnist foractivists. Over the last two years, auntie has sparred with questionerson issues from love to lawns; from protest etiquette to family conflict.How can you fight the good fight with decorum? Just ask her. (You can discuss her answers in babble too.)

Our small staff works way longer than they are paid to with anenthusiasm and creativity that is rare. Keeping a progressive publication alive is never easy and rabble has had a lot of help from our friends. We have formed a unique partnership with Montreal-based NGO Alternatives who offered rabble a welcome home and organizational support when we were in dire straights. They must be the only Quebec-based organization with an English Canadianwing. And the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has also been anamazing support, especially in our first year.

There have been many organizations and individuals who providedfinancial support, and then there is you, our dear readers. rabblehas made it this far because of your support.

And it’s you who can help us keep growing.In celebration of our second anniversary, please consider becoming a monthly donor to rabble. We have eighty such crucial supporters now, and we hope to double that in our third year. Think of it as a voluntary subscription. Monthly donors are rabble’s backbone — our core support that keeps us strong. (Here’s how you can donate.)

rabble is a new kind of publication that lives online and through thecontributions of our vast network of writers, partners, babblers andreaders. In the spirit of the new forms of organizing, like the WorldSocial Forum, rabble provides a space for readers to truly engage with the information they receive, to expressthemselves while they read and enjoy a wealth of information and analysis that’s hard to find anywhere else.

rabble is unique — not just a newspaper or amagazine. In fact, we have never really figured out what to call it. We hopethat you will call it home.

Judy Rebick

Judy Rebick

Judy Rebick is one of Canada’s best-known feminists. She was the founding publisher of rabble.ca , wrote our advice column auntie.com and was co-host of one of our first podcasts called Reel Women....