Acting Here and Now

With the Social Ecology of Murray Bookchin

Floréal M. Romero

Driven by endless growth and the commodification of all living things, capitalism is propelling humanity towards ecological collapse and social disintegration. But this is not a time for despair: it is a time for action.

In Acting Here and Now, Floréal M. Romero draws on the legacy of Murray Bookchin - pioneer of social ecology and communalism - to imagine real, transformative alternatives. Moving between political theory, personal history and contemporary struggles, Romero explores how social ecology can help us understand the roots of domination and ecological destruction while pointing towards new forms of collective power.

From the revolutionary traditions of Spain to the struggles of Rojava, Chiapas, Notre-Dame-des-Landes and municipalist movements in Europe, the book highlights concrete examples of resistance and renewal. Against both resignation and abstract radical rhetoric, Acting Here and Now argues for rooted, democratic and ecological forms of organisation capable of building a free society here and now.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Floréal M. Roméro is a writer and activist based in Andalusia. He has been instrumental in promoting social ecology across both Spain and France. He is the co-author, with Vincent Gerber, of Murray Bookchin et l'écologie sociale libertaire.

Foreword to the English edition

Outside of the spectacle – Foreword to the French edition

Introduction

The genesis and relevance of Murray Bookchin’s thought (1921–2006)

His life and struggle
His intellectual path: the gradual elaboration of social ecology and communalism

What to do here and now?

Two attempts amid the chaos of the periphery
Looking inward from the “pedestrian zone” of capitalism
Landing here and now: building our way out of suffering
Beyond ready-made vectors: situating our action so that we can land
Building the social ecology project: tactics, priorities and strategy

Conclusion

Roadmap for the Social Ecology and Communalism Network (SEC)

Notes

"The strength of this book lies in the intelligence with which it constantly connects theoretical analysis with practical examples, the necessity of struggle with the construction of alternatives."

— Michel Bernard, Silence

"Romero precisely traces the political trajectory and implications of Bookchin’s thought, relating them to a reflection on the great failures of the twentieth century."

— Guillaume Fondu, Le Monde diplomatique