Four Holiday Gift Ideas for Progressives

by: David Sirota

Sun Dec 21, 2008 at 18:35


If you're a procrastinator like me, then you are frantically scurrying at the last minute to pick up holiday gifts for friends and family. So let me suggest four great gifts for you or any progressives you know - gifts that make great presents and that also help build and support the progressive movement. Here they are in no particular order:
David Sirota :: Four Holiday Gift Ideas for Progressives
1. A SUBSCRIPTION TO IN THESE TIMES: For more than three decades, In These Times magazine has been a leading independent progressive voice, featuring news, reporting and analysis from a constellation of progressive movement stars. As Cornel West says, "In These Times is the most creative and challenging news magazine of the American Left." A one year subscription to this monthly magazine is just $24.95. Subscribe here.

2. THE UPRISING OR HOSTILE TAKEOVER: Forgive the shameless self-promotion, but I wouldn't be doing my job as a writer if I didn't suggest my books, The Uprising and Hostile Takeover, as solid holiday gifts. The Uprising, just released this summer, looks at the populist uprising on both the right and left that clearly impacted the 2008 campaign and promises to shape our politics in the next months and years. The Rocky Mountain News calls it "the perfect tome for rebels of all persuasions." Hostile Takeover, released in 2006, examines the corporate forces that still have a stranglehold on our government and that threaten to crush this potential era of change. The late great Molly Ivins says the book provides "handy weapons for progressives to fight back." You can order both books at your local bookstore, or online.

3. THE PROGRESSIVE BOOK CLUB: For an ongoing stream of progressive books at discounted prices, join the new Progressive Book Club, or give a gift membership. You can join online here.

4. SALON.COM PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP: Salon is one of the best progressive publications out there and it's premium membership gets you its full content. Get a premium membership here. It's worth it.

In these difficult economic times, it is more important than ever to build and support a strong progressive movement that helps move our country in a different direction. These are four different ways to give gifts and support the movement at the same time. I hope you'll consider them - and pass the ideas on to your friends. Happy holidays!

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Four Holiday Gift Ideas for Progressives | 15 comments
JustGive.org (0.00 / 0)
My husband discovered this site and is giving gift cards from there to some of his family. The recipient can use the card to give to any of a large number of charities in the JustGive database. Tons of environmental, human rights and other progressive groups are listed on the site.

Join the Iowa progressive community at Bleeding Heartland.
on a related note (0.00 / 0)
I wrote a piece at Bleeding Heartland about no-clutter holiday and birthday gift ideas:

http://www.bleedingheartland.c...

Join the Iowa progressive community at Bleeding Heartland.

thanks desmoinesdem, (4.00 / 1)
I got my parents a gift cert. to Donorschoose.org

http://www.donorschoose.org/ho...

And if you give $100 or more you get a lot of cool feedback/thank you notes from the students you help :)

[ Parent ]
I Like Your List A Lot (0.00 / 0)
It is very practical.  I like the music or theatre ticket idea - it would work well with my family which votes progressive but isn't very political.

[ Parent ]
When… (0.00 / 0)
...did it become not shameless to plug your own work? Geez, David. You did your job as a writer by, er, writing those books.

"This ain't for the underground. This here is for the sun." -Saul Williams
Does one ignore posts like this, or rebuke? (0.00 / 0)
[ Parent ]
Nah, that's what you don't get (0.00 / 0)
That's what you don't get. If you don't get your own work out there, nobody will do it for you. I make no apologies.
[ Parent ]
Real Progressive Gifts (4.00 / 1)
Forget the tired books and lame gifts.  Give a truly progressive gift that creates action and brings about viable change.  No matter whether the people on your list are on the left or the right, young or old, everyone will enjoy receiving these gifts.  And they make great stocking stuffers:

A DonorsChoose.org Gift Card:  A tax-deductable gift card from DonorsChoose gives the recipient the opportunity to help fund specific classroom projects and purchase needed supplies requested by public school teachers in your community and across the country.  Not only is this a unique and fun way of giving, but it's quite rewarding hearing back from the class that you've helped.  http://www.donorschoose.org/  

Kiva.org Gift Certificates: The recipient of the Kiva gift certificate can lend funds to an entrepreneur of their choice in the developing world, empowering them to lift themselves out of poverty. And when the loan is repaid, you can re-lend to others in need. http://www.kiva.org/

Donation to St. Jude Childeren's Hospital  Honor someone special by making a donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in their name.  Your gift will be making a real-time impact on the lives of the patients and their families.  And St. Jude will notify the recipient of your generosity.  http://www.stjude.org/  

The following are great orgs, from what I know: (0.00 / 0)
Doctors Without Borders:
http://www.doctorswithoutborde...

Greengrants Fund
http://www.greengrants.org/

American Friends Service Committee
http://www.afsc.org/

It's always nice to take the consumerism out of Christmas, especially if you're giving the gift to someone who would appreciate that :)  But a good book never hurt :)

Happy Hanukkah to David also (0.00 / 0)
We don't give gifts because that's only a minhag.  

Darkness has a hunger that's insatiable, and lightness has a call that's hard to hear.  
Four Holiday Gift Ideas for Progressives | 15 comments
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