Bristol University Press

Why are liberation and independence movements often betrayed when their leaders get into government? This question has haunted Peter Hain for decades. A lifelong activist and politician, Hain has over 50 years’ experience of battling corruption, from his early days as a freedom fighter against apartheid to his time as a UK Labour MP, cabinet minister, and sitting member of the House of Lords. He offers a gripping exploration of why movements born from the ideals of justice and freedom often succumb to bad governance and corruption once in power. Combining rigorous analysis with well-sourced evidence, this book examines global examples ranging from Africa to Latin America, Russia, the Caribbean, China and India. With the unique perspective of having navigated both the streets of protest and the corridors of power, Hain reflects on the challenges of staying true to the values of liberation struggles while confronting their disappointing outcomes. Thought-provoking and accessible, this book is an essential read for anyone engaged in the fight for a better world.

Ageing is a timebomb. We celebrate our greater longevity, yet few of us consider its consequences. This book is an important warning that unless Europeans defuse its explosive force, within two decades our societies will be devastated by it. The hard fact is that because our political economies have been built around shorter lifespans, they risk being blown apart by ageing. The pressures exerted by the over-60s, who are increasing from today's quarter of the population to a third, will upend our politics and impoverish our young. Millennials and Gen-Zers are already saddled with their elders' runaway pension and healthcare costs, but are themselves poorer and less privileged. Merritt, a veteran analyst of the European scene, traces the demographic projections that politicians of all persuasions have long ignored, and shines a harsh light on policy shortcomings that must be urgently addressed. For anyone wants a stake in our future, this book is essential reading which clarifies the political choices to be made if comparatively prosperous Europe isn't to die of old age.

Basic income can no longer be dismissed as a utopian idea — it’s being tested worldwide. But can it truly transform economies and societie? his book dives into real-world examples, revealing how basic income reshapes lives. It explores the ripple effects of financial security—better health, stronger communities, more education, meaningful work, and engaged citizenship. By breaking the cycle of poverty, basic income unlocks access to essentials like food and housing, empowers people, and fuels long-term thinking and entrepreneurship Tying together theory with groundbreaking evidence from real-world trials, this book shows why basic income isn’t just possible—it’s the vital solution to our age of crisis, paving the way for a fairer society.

In a world facing multiple intersecting crises, the push for healthier, more resilient societies has never been more urgent. This timely book reveals how empowered and organised communities can lead this change. It offers policy makers, academics, and activists research-driven insights, decolonial perspectives and real-world examples of organising and collective actions from across the global North and South. By centring on the power of community development, participation, and social movements, the book delivers actionable frameworks to tackle inequality and advance the right to health, making it an essential resource for anyone committed to health justice and for building equitable and sustainable health systems worldwide.

This book provides an up-to-date account of New Zealand public administration, including insider stories of leading reform. Hailed for its distinctiveness and high performance, New Zealand’s radical public service reforms of the 1980s were studied, praised, criticised, and emulated around the world. However, New Zealand has not stood still. The 80s model had tremendous strengths, reducing some problems but also creating new problems and exacerbating others. More recent reforms layered cultural and behavioural approaches on top of earlier changes. This book, co-authored by the former head of the New Zealand public service, describes decades of change, what worked, what didn’t, and what challenges remain.

Philanthropy has become a staple of American society and culture. Associations, endowments, foundations, and limited dividend companies have funded education, culture, healthcare, religion, and social welfare. Yet American philanthropy is not as exceptional as it appears to European observers. American philanthropy was built upon European and Mediterranean precedents and evolved through the constant influence of philanthropic practices in other parts of the world. This book explores how philanthropic practices and institutions were introduced into American society and how they were Americanised during the 19th century. It provides a comprehensive history of American philanthropy and positions it within its wider global context.

In March 2022, following the invasion of Ukraine, Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe after 26 years as a member. This timely and in-depth analysis explores Russia's tumultuous relationship with the Council of Europe and European Court of Human Rights. It examines Russia’s membership record and the profound impacts of its expulsion for Europe’s human rights system. The authors provide valuable insights for future policy to safeguard the integrity of international human rights institutions. The book fills an important gap in legal scholarship by exploring the legality and legitimacy of Russia’s membership and expulsion, and represents a key reference in understanding the challenge of protecting human rights in the face of rising authoritarianism.

Fiscal welfare (or social tax expenditures) is a policy instrument associated with Liberal welfare states that has been on the rise across many European welfare states. This book sheds light on the use and effects of fiscal welfare in France and Sweden. Focusing on the introduction of a 50% tax deduction on domiciliary care and household services, it explores the politics behind this scheme, its effects on care provision as well as on labour market dualisation, highlighting how fiscal welfare contributes to structuring both a social division of welfare and a social division of labour. This ground-breaking book opens a new field of research by exploring fiscal welfare, the political uses of this policy instrument, the patterns of inequalities it gives rise to and its policy feedback effects.

With over five billion internet users globally, it is crucial to understand social media activism and legal change for women and girls. This insightful book examines the impact of international Twitter (now X) campaigns on domestic laws affecting women and girls. Exploring the complexities of legal change for women and girls across seven countries from Latin America to Middle East and Africa, the book offers empirical insights into the effectiveness of hashtag advocacy and sheds light on the role of social media in shaping different outcomes. This is a key resource for understanding the dynamics driving social media activism and its potential impact on the rights of women and girls worldwide.

Available open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence. Pathways to Sustainable Welfare critically examines how cities can address the dual challenges of climate change and sustainability while ensuring the welfare of their populations. Focused on three Swedish cities, it explores the integration of environmental and welfare concerns in local policies, urban movements and public opinions. Based on theories of inertia, emergence and transformation, it identifies factors driving or obstructing sustainable welfare advancements. This book is a crucial resource for scholars interested in sustainable transformation, urban governance and social policy. It offers frameworks and empirical evidence relevant to academics, policy makers and practitioners seeking to understand and engage in urban sustainable welfare development.

In the context of sustained economic and environmental crises, marked by extreme inequalities of wealth, rising xenophobia, racism and precarity, never has the need for a radical change of system been so pressing. This book is an invitation to think the world otherwise. The author breathes new life into socialist thought through the deployment of an intersectional lens, bringing diverse struggles for emancipation both within and outside the Global North into dialogue with one another. In doing so, he offers the kind of bold and holistic thinking the present situation calls for.

EPDF and EPUB available open access under CC-BY-NC-ND licence. Civil society organizations (CSOs) and non-governmental organizations have increased at the United Nations (UN) since the 1990s. Yet few studies discuss the notion of inclusion and what it entails in intergovernmental negotiations. This book delves into the UN’s relationship with CSOs, exploring who participates in negotiations and how their input is integrated into ratified documents. Drawing on ethnographic research, the author uncovers the complexities of accreditation, participation, and the interpretation of CSOs’ contributions. Offering a sociological analysis, she highlights the increased exclusion of CSOs despite their apparent inclusion in institutions of global governance unbounded to public accountability. Leah R. Kimber examines the practices of exclusion CSOs are subjected to in UN negotiations by opening the machinery of intergovernmental negotiations in light of the UN’s future and legitimacy.

Billionaires are an ultra-elite social class whose numbers are growing alongside their obscene wealth while others struggle, suffer or even die. They represent a scourge of economic inequality, but how do they get away with it? A set of dangerous and deceptive inter-connected myths portrays them as a ‘force for good’:- the ‘heroic billionaire’ asserts they are gallant protagonists of the American Dream gone global - the ‘generous billionaire’ pretends that their philanthropic efforts and personal good deeds should be lauded for generosity and benevolence - the ‘meritorious billionaire’ insists that extreme wealth is a worthy reward for individual hard work and talent - the ‘vigilante billionaire’ claims to be able to solve the world’s biggest problems where bureaucrats and politicians have failed. Each of these myths enables billionaire wealth and power to set us back to old-style feudalism and plutocracy. Offering a trenchant critique, this incisive book testifies to the growing international political will to take concrete actions in supporting economic justice and democratic equality.

This book explores the relationship between the state and war within the context of seismic technological change. As we experience a fourth industrial revolution, technology already exerts a huge impact on the character of war and military strategies in the form of drones and other types of ‘remote’ warfare. However, technological developments are not confined to the defence sector, and the diffusion of military technology inevitably also affects the wider economy and society. This book investigates these possible developments and speculates on their ramifications for the future. Through its analysis, the book questions what will happen to war and the state and whether we will reach a point where war leads to the unmaking of the state itself.

Crafted for those who dare to challenge the status quo, this is a radical guide for activists. Drawing from frontline experiences in trade unions, environmentalism, animal rights, and social justice movements, the book explores essential themes from leadership to the art of negotiation. It asks crucial questions about organising and social movements in the 21st century. Avoiding easy prescriptions, the authors uniquely guide readers to where theory meets practice. Written by two experts in activist education and community organising, this is a refreshing take on movement building, empowering changemakers of today to forge new paths towards a more just world.