Last year we asked you “who are the rabble rousers to watch?” Readers responded with vigour! So much so that we dedicated a series to profiling many of those nominated.

There is a wealth of inspiration to be found in Canada’s many communities. 2021 has been full of collective tragedy, pain and daunting challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped much of what has been taken for granted by many — from our own health, to how we interact with one another, to the economy. Black and Indigenous workers continue to be disproportionately affected by COVID in Canada, serving as a brutal reminder of just how class, race and gender continue to intersect and just how far the racial justice movement still needs to go. 

Yet, amidst the shared grief this year, social movements have been a force. New forms of resistance and organizing have emerged, driven by activists who have found renewed purpose, or joined in the movement for the first time.

rabble’s Lynn Williams Activist Toolkit works to amplify the work of activists across Canada — those who demonstrate the same commitment to social justice as its namesake, labour and social justice organizer, Lynn Williams. rabble was created by progressive journalists and activists. We understand that activism requires amplifiers to help build movements and create change — that is why we founded the Activist Toolkit as a core element of our non-profit journalism.

Over the past months, we’ve amplified the work of the Care Economy; the continued fight by the Wet’suwet’en First Nation against the Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline, and stories you will not find elsewhere — like the ongoing struggle against extradition of Hassan Diab, or the Kafkian Canadian surveillance regime endured by Mohamad Harkat. As we ring in 2022, we want to continue to deepen our efforts to share the work of activists across Canada. There are so many amazing activists and organizations that our audience needs to learn about — and so we are turning to you, our community, for feedback. 

We want to hear from you. What are the organizations that inspire you? Who are the activists leading progressive change in your community? Who are the rabble rousers to watch in 2022? 

Please use this form to nominate activists who have made a difference, and whose work you think rabble should be covering. To celebrate the amazing work these activists achieved in 2021, and to energize their efforts to build forward in 2022, we’ll be highlighting the individuals and organizations you select at the beginning of the new year.

In 2022 and beyond, we want to continue to support the movements that make Canada and our planet a better place.

Please let us know who you think the rabble rousers to watch in 2022 should be. Nominations are open until midnight, December 31. As a special thank you, we are giving away 10 copies of The Big Stall: How big oil and think tanks are blocking action on climate change in Canada, by Donald Gutstein. All participants will be entered into a draw to win a copy in the new year.

kim

Kim Elliott

Publisher Kim spent her first 16 years on a working family farm in Quebec. Her first memories of rabble rousing are of strike lines, promptly followed by Litton’s closure of the small town...