In these dark political times — with war clouds swirling and repression rising — we don’t often have much to celebrate. But please raise a glass with us today: rabble.ca is one year old!

rabble launched just two days before the historic confrontations in Quebec City. The world was watching, and we knew that activists would need reports they could trust.

You see, our name is our vision. If corporate media present the world from the perspective of the elite, we do it from the perspective of engaged citizens: the rabble.

We wanted to create a space for irreverent, high-quality journalism. A portal to social justice groups across Canada. A forum for lively and difficult debate. Your overwhelming response as readers tells us we’re on the right path.

At 68,000 different moments in March, one of you decided to visit rabble.ca. Together, you read almost one million pages. That’s our busiest month ever — a fabulous birthday present!

Looking Back

After Quebec City, rabble was on the ground for major protests in Genoa, Ottawa and New York City. And we’ll be there again in Kananaskis this June.

After September 11, rabble staff and babble members worked hard to collect alternative news and views from far and wide. We even managed a little humour in those dark days. People appreciated the effort: readership rose dramatically.

This February, appallingly, corporate media ignored the inspiring World Social Forum in Porte Alegre, Brazil. Of course, rabble reporters were there, sending back highlights and images.

Our writers have offered fresh perspectives on hundreds of developments since April 2001. Take a quick tour through some rabble news highlights from the past year — check the left-hand column.

Experiment

Who were we to attempt a daily publication with such high standards — without big-dollar advertising support?! rabble has always been an experiment. A big part of that experiment is about blending several media products into one. We do news, but we don’t just do news.

Our “content co-op,” in cahoots, aggregates news from more than 40 social justice partner groups. From the International Fund for Animal Welfare to the Canadian Auto Workers … from the Council of Canadians to the Childcare Resource and Research Unit … from Democracy Watch to Amnesty International … rabble‘s partners are a steady source of content as well as financial support.

Walking where angels fear to tread, auntie.com has answered 135 (!) pleas for advice on everything from workplace etiquette to street-demo decorum. Our what’s up calendar keeps you clued into events happening across Canada. Mike Constable’s cartoons from the edge delight and sometimes shock.

And then there’s babble! In this monument to constructive chaos, more than 2,500 people debate everything from the Middle East crisis to their favourite film line. Often erudite and always energetic, babble is a news source in its own right. (It’s often the first place I hear about things like the almost-shredding of Michael Moore’s book, Stupid White Men.) And I’m often laughing out loud at our babblers’ wicked humour.

Evolution

We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished in one year. It hasn’t always been easy. In October, when some of our funding sources dried up, we turned to readers for support. You came through. Big time.

rabble owes its success to many people and groups: donors, writers, babblers, partners, artists, readers. Special thanks go to the Atkinson Charitable Foundation, whose support was key to getting us off the ground. And huge kudos to the rabble staff, past and present — the most dedicated and talented (and somewhat twisted) people I’ve ever worked with.

We are in a transition now. Judy MacDonald, our editor-in-chief, has just moved on, and we are searching for a new editor. Judy was behind so much of rabble‘s energy, and we’ll miss her terribly. Join us in wishing her well, especially, with her own fabulous writing projects.

Administratively, rabble is ending its run as a project of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Our new administrative steward will be Alternatives — one of Quebec’s most dynamic NGOs. The CCPA has been an amazing supporter of rabble, and will stay on as a key advisor.

Moving to Alternatives is the next step in our project to co-develop OneWorld Canada. This new Canadian edition of the popular OneWorld service will be a bilingual portal to a wide range of social justice groups. Stay tuned!

Party!

If you’re in the Toronto area, we hope you’ll join us for rabble‘s first birthday bash. Expect great music, dancing, food, laughs … and an auction featuring items donated by some top artists. It’s happening this Saturday, April 20, 8 p.m., at the Cecil Street Community Centre.

For everyone who can’t attend, you can bid on selected auction items online. And please raise a glass to toast a job well done by contributors, partners, staff and you — rabble-rousers all.

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....