About Countercurrents.org

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Humanity is facing its greatest existential threat ever with climate change and resource depletion. This is not a crisis waiting to happen in the future, but it is already here and manifests itself in the many resource wars going on in  several parts of the world, rising food and fuel prices, growing hunger, natural calamities of horrifying proportions, water scarcity, debt crisis, unemployment, social tensions among communities, growing human rights violations and unprecedented ecological degradation. Unless we take urgent action to change the way we live, trashing our only home, this beautiful planet earth, this  crisis has the potential to wipe out the entire humanity and a majority of the other species from the face of this earth.

The objective of Countercurrents.org is to spread awareness about this crisis and search for meaningful solutions. We believe that energy intensive globalization should end and it must be replaced by a low energy, ecologically sustainable local economies.  If humanity is to survive, the destructive system of capitalism and consumerism must be replaced by an economic system which is based on just equitable distribution and need based use of resources.   We strive to reach this goal with our motto, which is “Educate! Organize! Agitate!”

Countercurrents.org publishes reports, analyses, experiences, academic debates and campaigns which take a side – the Side of the People! Our objectivity is people’s past, present and future. During 18 years of its existence Countercurrents.org has published over 50,000 articles, fact finding reports, research papers and news items on major social issues around the world.

Countercurrents.org brings news, views and analysis on Climate Change, Peak oil, Palestine, Iraq, Syria…… with an in depth and insightful analysis on all the important issues threatening the very existence of life systems on our mother earth. We relentlessly question the vertical and non-inclusive growth-based economy driven by capitalism that is destroying not only dignified human existence and the right to life of future generations but also the lives of all other species on earth. We stand for a sustainable ecological economy and equitable distribution of wealth!

We support the voices and initiatives that attempt to shape a world which ensure the dignified existence of future generations. Countercurrents.org stands for Democracy, Peace, Justice, Liberty and Harmony!

Countercurrents.org is read by about half a million people every month and about 1.5 million pages are read by our readers each month.

Countercurrents.org won 2018 Solidarity Media award for ‘its courageous interventions in upholding Human Rights and Citizen’s Rights’.

As future activities, we plan to  translate our articles, produce videos, facilitate screenings on several of the topics that Countercurrents.org deals with to reach out to people who are not active on internet.

Countercurrents has published three books

The Political Economy of Beef Ban

#MeToo – A Blow to Patriarchy

Connecting the Dots: An Anthology

Countercurrents co-produced K.P.Sasi’s documentary “Voices from the Ruins: Kandhamal in Search of Justice” on the pogrom against Christians in the Kandhamal district of Odisha

Countercurrents also acts as a News Agency for hundred of News Papers, Magazines, Websites around the world. Countercurrents acts as the voice of the global south.

Countercurrents.org  is founded by Binu Mathew.  The site came online on 27th March 2002.

Editorial Team

Founder & Editor

Binu Mathew

Binu Mathew is a journalist. [email protected]

Associate Editors 

Satya Sagar

Satya Sagar is a former journalist and now a public health worker

Ajith Kumar B

Ajith Kumar B is an award winning film editor

K.P Sasi

K.P Sasi was an award winning film director and a political activist . (14 March 1958 – 25 December 2022)


Reach us at

Countercurrents.org
PB No. 5
Kumaranalloor PO
Kottayam District
Kerala
India
686 016

Reach the editor: [email protected]


Testimonies


John Scales Avery, Nobel Peace Prize winner with Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs (1933-2024)

JohnAvery2Binu Mathew is the heroic and dedicated editor of the internet journal “Countercurrents”. He lives in the Kerala Provence of India, which has recently been hit by enormous floods, despite which he continues to publish his vitally important journal every day. An interview with Editor Binu Mathew, in which he describes his early life, his education, and how he became the founder and editor of Countercurrents, can be found here. I consider Countercurrents to be one of the most important and influential internet news journals, and I believe that Binu Mathew is today’s representative of the ideals and mission of Mahatma Gandhi. Today our world is threatened by catastrophic climate change, by the danger of thermonuclear war, and by the threat of a very widespread global famine. The political will to change our course and avert these dangers must be won in the court of public opinion, a court where Gandhi would be our advocate if he were alive today, a court where Countercurrents now stands as the voice of the world’s peoples.

Avery’s longer testimony can be found at “Countercurrents And The Ethics of Mahatma Gandhi


Admiral L Ramdas (5 September 1933 – 15 March 2024) – Former Chief of Naval Staff, India and Magsaysay Awardee

Lalita Ramdas– Activist. Former Chair of Green Peace International & Nominee for the 1000 Women for Nobel Peace Prize

Lalita-admiral-ramdasIt is rare to find a journal, writer and editor with the broad vision and courage to touch upon the extraordinary range of current debates, controversies, wide ranging perspectives and political positions that Counter Currents has chosen to provide space for and engage with through their columns in the past fourteen years since they founded this journal.

For many like us- not only has Counter Currents provided us with a valuable forum to be able to project points of view which most of mainstream media would reject; it also provides us with an invaluable window into a range of the most topical global debates and issues. We have watched with admiration their struggle to keep alive and afloat financially in a world where Media has infamously compromised on fundamental ethics to make money.

The world needs people of principle and journalism of courage – may your tribe increase! Most importantly – we urge all you right thinking people out there to dip into your pockets and wallets and contribute to keeping CC alive: any little amount towards this will help.

In today’s world where the freedom of speech, expression and even of thought is severely under threat – hats off to those brave few who are trying their best in tough circumstances to practice journalism of courage and integrity.


Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd, Author and Social Activist

Kancha IllaiahCounter currents is a well known alternative Web News Portal that publishers articles, reports and news items that do not appear in any other media. It serves the interests of Dalit/OBC/Adivasis/minorities and works as a mirror of their problems and prospects. I have an engaged friendship with this portal and its editor-in Chief Binu Mathew who works for disseminating truth as against Untruth that gets published in many other places. Some of my article would not have come out into public but for this portal. Its well wishers need to stand by it with all kinds of support possible. I wish Countercurrents a long life.


Prafulla Samantara, President , Lokshakti Abhiyan, Winner of  Goldman Environmental Prize or The Green Nobel

prafulla samantaraFor many years I have been looking to find out people’s journals which support people who are struggling for right to life and livelihood. Having failed to find one  in print media I found one online, Countercurrents! Countercurrents continues as one of my favourites which challenges the corporate owned and pro-corporate main stream media in our country.

It has reserved place for news and views of people’ s resistances against corporate loot of natural resources and state repression on democratic movements. Countercurrents has always stood with firmness for justice and democracy. It was possible because of strong committed and selfless leadership of the editor Binu Mathew and his co-fighter K.P.Sasi whose contribution through his documentaries of the commons and the causes of the marginalised people made this media more insightful for readers.

As an activist and a defender of Human Rights I am grateful to the editor and his team members for the messages of our democratic struggles like Save Niyamgiri , Anti-POSCO movements. Through Countercurrents we could reach  the people of many parts of the globe. Countercurrents  is a pioneer in reporting and creating public opinion on tribal community’s right to natural resources and their identy with nature.

Today the challenge before media like the Countercurrents is to sustain before the onslaught  on the freedom of the press and citizens by the state sponsered extra constitutional forces of fascist character. It is the duty of the concerned citizens to stand with and popularise such media like Countercurrents of conviction , courage and conscience. I wish its healthy growth to protect our secular democratic polity. Countercurrents.org is a crusader of people’s journalism with courage.


Dr. Andrew Glikson, Earth and paleo-climate scientist

ANDREW GLIKSONCountercurrents constitutes an effective venue for the communication of progressive ideas, human rights, social justice and the protection of humanity and nature from the currently rising existential risks. At a time of global climate crisis and increasing danger of deliberate or accidental nuclear war it gives voice to those who are trying to defend the enlightenment, humanism, social justice, nature and culture. The founder – Binu Matthews – is to be highly commended on the success of Countercurrents.


Dr. Ram Puniyani, Former IIT Professor and Social Activist

Ram PuniyaniHow does one act as a propagator of values of social change, provide a platform for values of human rights in times where the vested interests control the vast section media with vice like grip. Binu Mathew and his colleagues have shown the way in remarkable upright way through the practical engagement through Countercurrents. A daily digest of broad ranging subjects of importance to human society, in a consistent way has become a ‘views letter’ and has been doing the job days in and days out. The range of topics is amazing and the forthright nature of articles gives the true picture of global issues of serious importance, be it the question of global warming, the designs of imperialist forces, the deeper dynamics of control over oil resources or the issues related to defense of Human rights all over, it’s all there. A comprehensive selection of themes with the aim to promote a better world, a more peaceful and harmonious World is presented with conviction and commitment. It’s a unique platform for the voice of those longing for a just society. It’s a unique reading experience for those committed to a sane society.


Sandeep Pandey, Social activist, Magsaysay Awardee.

Sandeep PandeyIn the difficult times that we’re living in when the mainstream media blacks out any voice of dissent or what is not convenient for the government, it is refreshing to see countercurrents.org becoming a platform for all alternative views. We’re fortunate that platforms like countercurrents keep us informed of the reality around us in a suffocating atmosphere where distorted pictures are presented to suit vested interests of the powerful. It is fulfilling the role perceived for media in a democracy as its fourth pillar faithfully for which it may even have had to suffer. If democracy in India will ultimately survive the onslaught of fundamentalist forces it will be because of fora like countercurrents. It has stood upto the fascist regime courageously and become the conscience of society. We wish it the best to carry on with the very important task of keeping our democracy alive which will continue to breathe life into a lot of us.


Kathy Kelly – Peace Activist, thrice nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

kathykellyCountercurrents helps us “build a new world in the shell of the old.” We learn from people in other lands about the consequences of war and greed. Some would have us believe that people who already have so much should be entitled to get more. But Countercurrents challenges us to find our security in building sturdy relationships between people based on readiness to live simply, share resources and prefer service to dominance. We need the stories that Countercurrents makes available to us. We need accounts from people who understand all too readily that where you stand determines what you see. Those who stand under the bombs or inside prison gates, those who try to shelter children traumatized by war and hunger, those who believe in a border free world unencumbered by elites who plunder the environment and ignore human needs — these people will be helped to find one another and, through posts at Countercurrents, to radicalize their love and commitment to justice.


Dr P S Sahni, Activist and Orthopaedic Surgeon

p s sahniIn January, 2017 I suffered a life threatening heart attack but managed to survive. Now my heart functions at 45% capacity. During my stay in intensive care unit and later in general ward at the hospital my colleague and close associate Shobha Aggarwal would smuggle in her smart phone. The only thing that I have learnt on this gadget is doing ‘Google search’. I would browse through articles in CC. This reading brought sanity to my heart which would otherwise at times go berserk into ectopic beats. Up to 9000 heart beats would become irregular in a 24 hour period; the risk being of heart beating extremely fast (ventricular tachycardia) and then eventual death.


Dr. Ramzy Baroud, Palestinian-US journalist and author

ramzy baroudCountercurrents understands that making real, tangible difference in the world can only happen through a deep, inter-sectional understanding of all conflicts and challenges around us. The diversity of the topics covered by Countercurrents and its capable editors are a reflection of this astute understanding, which is always missing in corporate media coverage, ever self-serving, ever restrictive. Here, you will find more than diversity of topics, but real wisdom and true knowledge in how these topics are deciphered and deconstructed. The editors of Countercurrents have done us all a great service in maintaining this important and independent media platform, and they deserve our full and constant support.


Ron Forthofer, Retired Professor of Biostatistics at the University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, Texas; Former Green Party candidate for Congress and for Governor of Colorado

Ron Forthofer 2017Countercurrents provides a forum for getting an alternative perspective out on the internet. Countercurrents and its writers challenge the fake news of the corporate-dominated media. Many of the articles on Countercurrents are not available anywhere else and the provision of these pieces is a great service. The information on this site informs activists about what is going on and it enables them to challenge those in power based on facts.

In this time of multiple challenges, the wide ranging articles found on Countercurrents are more important than ever. It has taken me some time to learn that the journey is more important than the destination, no matter how much I want to reach the destination. What Gandhi, King, abolitionists, etc. have taught us is to keep on keeping on even when the time is dark. The presence of Countercurrents and many other alternative progressive media is crucial.


Floyd Rudmin, Professor Emeritus, Social & Community Psychology University of Tromsø, Norway

FloydRudminWe live in a world of multiple crises.  Climate change looms as a relentless and growing threat.  The national banks of the major economies are printing money and adding immense debt.  Wars of choice now burn on several continents resulting in failed states and mass migration.  Trade treaties and corruption have helped corporations to control or over-power national governments. The liberal, democratic states are all building the legal, financial, and spying infrastructure for future fascism.  Our world hangs by threads, and one of threads giving us some hope of recovery, progress and justice is CounterCurrents.  CounterCurrents is a global platform for grass-roots reports on our many chronic crises, and for sharp critiques of government policies that cause these crises.  It is the only progressive voice I know of that speaks from, and to, the less powerful nations as well as those nations consumed with power.


Mitali Chakravarty, Poet

mitali chakravartyIt is from journalism like Countercurrents — selfless, forward thinking and above board and one that regards all humans as members of the same family — that gives us hope for a better world in the future. Countercurrents stands for a borderless world where humans are the colours of the rainbow, not fighting over differences but existing in peace and harmony as part of the same white light, under a peaceful blue sky — devoid of mushroom clouds. This is rare and wonderful in a world that thinks it is moving towards dystopia!

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