POWER

Power is a concept or phenomenon too amorphous, sprawling or chameleon-like ever to be amenable to exact identification. Where we are concerned with power, we must be satisfied to live with vagueness.*

Vagueness may be inherent, but we can’t be satisfied without attempting to make a dent in it.
We begin simply. Power is the capacity to get something done. The exercise of power often involves getting someone else to do it. How this gets accomplished is the nub. Persuasion, remuneration, guilt, obfuscation, legislation, coercion, force – the methods used suit the relationship. The ultimate goal is often obscured, it’s hard to see what is really going on. How to cooperate or resist effectively is the question, and in these times it is most often unsolved.

One small but telling indication of the current state of power relations is the fact that in this issue two of our contributors, writing about city planning and about the legal system, felt that they had to protect themselves by writing anonymously.

Power relations pervade our lives; we know we can only explore some. Here’s our start:

HYDRO: Getting the Power We Deserve

As we huddled under the covers in the dark and cold last December, the ice storm and its aftermath got us asking. Why was it such a massive outage? What was taking so long to fix it? Why is our system vulnerable? Who is responsible? How can we make sure this never happens again?

PROTESTING THE MEGACITY: The Activist Camera and Citizen Power

The 1990s saw widespread street protests as unions and community groups came together to fight against the cutbacks in social services that were made in a radical shift to the neo-conservative right.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE: Saving Wychwood Barns

Artscape Wychwood Barns is a community hub that includes arts and cultural activities, a food production and education centre, and environmental initiatives. Bringing this complex project to fruition was a long, challenging and often frustrating labour of love.