Citizens of Nowhere: How Europe Can Be Saved from Itself

From austerity to climate change, the slogan "not in our name" has become a rallying cry for protest movements around the world. But in what name are we willing to act, if such movements are ever to move beyond indignation to effecting meaningful change?

In a text that is both manifesto and blueprint for change, activists Lorenzo Marsili and Niccolo Milanese argue that we are in the middle of a great transformation, one which is fundamentally redefining the nature of both the economy and political participation. But our democracies have so far failed to keep pace with the impact of globalization and technological change, creating a profound sense of dislocation, which has left many of us feeling like "citizens of nowhere."

Drawing on the experiences of activists and movements across Europe, and offering practical lessons on how change might be effected, Marsili and Milanese show that it is possible to conquer widespread disillusionment and energize a new generation of activists. In the process, they outline a new and rejuvenated vision of democracy, one which transcends national borders, and in which the citizens of nowhere are transformed into citizens of the world

Lorenzo Marsili is the cofounder of the transnational NGO European Alternatives and one of the initiators of the pan-European movement DiEM25. He is also a founding editor of Naked Punch Review. Niccolo Milanese is a director of European Alternatives.