Our Hipstory
Our roots stretch back into the early 1980’s,
when connecting with the dynamic punk, reggae,
and hip hop scenes
in Providence, Rhode Island.
We organized many events
including May Day, Peace and Freedom festivals,
and demonstrations.
when connecting with the dynamic punk, reggae,
and hip hop scenes
in Providence, Rhode Island.
We organized many events
including May Day, Peace and Freedom festivals,
and demonstrations.
In 1986, we printed the first issue
of the New World Rising magazine
as part of our “disrupt the war party” campaign in NYC.
During the campaign, we developed strong connections
with the anarchists and squatters in NYC.
In 1987, we connected with the Rainbow Family of Living Light
at the national gathering in North Carolina.
In 1988, we connected with the Grateful Dead tour
and did three tours a year until the death of Jerry Garcia.
We generally distributed from 10-30,000 copies
of the magazine per tour.
New World Rising magazine continued
into the late 1990’s,
with 30 issues and about 1 million copies
being created and distributed.
In 1992, Grateful Fred, the founder of New World Rising,
bought an abandoned house in the oppressed neighborhood
of South Providence, Rhode Island.
Over the years, we rehabbed Sassafras house a
nd developed an inner city cooperative living experiment.
Living together, we had activists, artists, musicians,
construction workers, mainly young people and also
many otherwise homeless people struggling to survive.
We had good times and we had plenty of bad times.
We all learned a lot from the experience.
We went into a dilapidated drug and violence
prone neighborhood and planted the Rainbow flag
of peace, love, caring, sharing and networking
together to make the world a better place.
We helped many of our neighbors fix up their homes
and shared many a spliff with neighborhood youth.
We made many friends from our “hippie house” base.
But throughout the project,
financial responsibility by most of the residents was lacking,
and this led to the end of that experiment in 2004.
Things have been relatively quiet
for our network since then,
as the many people and activists who we touched
have scattered and developed
their personal lives and missions.
As we enter 2011, we 're developing a re-activation.
Some of our current and developing projects include:
for our network since then,
as the many people and activists who we touched
have scattered and developed
their personal lives and missions.
As we enter 2011, we 're developing a re-activation.
Some of our current and developing projects include:
*Social media networking, including
our New World Rising F
acebook communities, through which we develop
consciousness, communications, and coordination
for development of projects.
our New World Rising F
acebook communities, through which we develop
consciousness, communications, and coordination
for development of projects.
*New World Rising paper magazine:
this is in the process of being
reawakened for annual publication.
The reawakening of our magazine
will play a major role in the
reactivation of our movement.
*Tours: along with the reawakening
of the magazine will be our reconnection
with music tours, to distribute publications,
perform community outreach, and
network to raise awareness,
and to assist people in finding answers
they need as they search
for community and home.
of the magazine will be our reconnection
with music tours, to distribute publications,
perform community outreach, and
network to raise awareness,
and to assist people in finding answers
they need as they search
for community and home.
*Internet radio and podcasts:
this is another area with good potential
for global communications.
We have had a great station on live 365,
and we plan to reactivate it this year.
this is another area with good potential
for global communications.
We have had a great station on live 365,
and we plan to reactivate it this year.
*There are cafe and info centers that we helped provide
initial financing for, and we are well connected with
a cooperative cafe and activist center in New Paltz, NY.
This type of center can be replicated in many other areas.
initial financing for, and we are well connected with
a cooperative cafe and activist center in New Paltz, NY.
This type of center can be replicated in many other areas.
Locally, in the Hudson Valley of New York,
we are still rehabbing houses as a way to earn a living
and finance expansion of our network.
Hopefully, we will also start another cooperative
living project this year.
We are also connecting with the new students
and antiwar movements and are still connected
with the local music scenes, and will hopefully
reactivate the Peace and Freedom Festivals here.
we are still rehabbing houses as a way to earn a living
and finance expansion of our network.
Hopefully, we will also start another cooperative
living project this year.
We are also connecting with the new students
and antiwar movements and are still connected
with the local music scenes, and will hopefully
reactivate the Peace and Freedom Festivals here.
More ideas for the future of the New World Rising
I think the idea of a crew of traveling activist builders
who can go in and lay the groundwork
for fledgling homesteads and communities is a good one.
Also the idea of buying cheap land
in a variety of places is good.
And helping grassroots communities
get established and thus developing a network.
And developing a revolving loan/investment fund.
And having an activist communications crew
doing the festival circuit with publications
such as New World Rising magazine.
These are all good ideas,
and we have the potential to get them all rolling this year.
