Today marks the end of an era – as the current Mayan calendar ends – and a new era begins. Mayans did not predict the end of the world for December 21, 2012, but rather the end of one cycle, and the beginning of a new, transformed era in the world. The 21st is the last day of the current cycle, and the 22nd marks the beginning of the next, and what many Mayan elders and experts say will be a positive era for humanity.

Think of it as the marking of a transformation of ‘human consciousness.’ Surely, few would argue that humanity is in desperate need of this. I find it helpful to think of the long history of humanity as if we imagine ourselves as individuals, looking back upon our lives, how we have learned from our past mistakes (or not), how we have adapted and evolved (or not), and how we direct our paths from the present into the future. In this sense, think of humanity as preparing to leave adolescence, where we have been confined to the dictates of others, told what to do, what to think, what to be, what to believe, what to want, and how to act; like children living under their parents’ roof. Now, it is time for humanity, like the young adult, to discover the world and their place within it, for themselves, to grow up, move out, and reach for that ever-elusive sense of autonomy. Humanity now must mature into adulthood, and just as it is with each individual, so shall it be with humanity as a whole: tumultuous, frustrating, problematic, not shy of challenges and frustrations and failures along the way, but ultimately worth the effort, and requiring of it if we are to ever reach self-actualizing, autonomy, and freedom.

Appropriately, on the 21st of December 2012, it was Mayan descendants and other indigenous people who are showing the path into the future. In Chiapas, Mexico, the Zapatistas who first emerged in opposition to neoliberalism on the day that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was implemented in 1994, have again resurfaced, peacefully marching in the thousands. In Canada, indigenous peoples who have mobilized a mass movement – rapidly spreading across the nation and even internationally – have organized a day of mobilization against the Harper regime and the destruction it is bringing to people, peace, and the environment. The movement, referred to as ‘Idle No More‘, is leading the way for other Canadians and people around the world to oppose the rapacious policies and ideologies of those who rule over us. Indeed, the phrase is apt: the world, and its population, is “idle no more.”

Humanity is interconnected like never before, and in this interconnected and interactive world, those who rule over humanity are themselves more interconnected than before, with more power and destructive potential than history has ever witnessed. Our fates are collectively entwined: we face the greatest threats to peace, freedom, and the future, yet, we simultaneously hold the greatest potential to create meaningful peace, freedom, and a future worth struggling for. We have no other option other than to try our best to make this a better world. We have no other means than to work together, struggle together, think together, and act accordingly. The diversity of thought, purpose and action will be nothing less than astounding.

The People’s Book Project is my own small attempt to contribute to change: trying to compile massive amounts of information in an analysis which is comprehensible to everyone, to try to understand the world better, and thus, to encourage people to act accordingly, to chart their own ways forward. The Book Project itself only exists because of the efforts and support of many: those who contribute ideas, spread information, and make donations, which all allow the Project to continue. In the past several weeks, progress on the first volume has been accelerating, researching and writing about the sociopathic nature of elite circles, from the psychology of serial killers, to sex rings, human trafficking and the culture of criminality. I have been writing a great deal about free trade, resource wealth, and the great global land grabs, where international investors are essentially stealing the world’s land and resources, most notably in Africa. I have been preparing the research for my chapter(s) on imperialism in the age of Obama, the nature and structures of the American Empire and its global protectorates, the Arab Spring; the global economic crisis, anti-austerity movements, resistance and revolution.

We do, indeed, live in interesting times, and as Charles Dickens once wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” So as the new calendar begins, marking the beginning of a new era, and with the New Year just around the corner, my hope is that I will be able to make significant near-term progress on the first volume of the People’s Book Project. For that to happen, like for all good progress, the efforts of many are required. I cannot complete this book without support from readers and others, no more than their support can complete the book without my own research and writing. I am only able to do what I do because others do what they do, and have done, and hopefully, will continue to do.

Please consider making a donation to The People’s Book Project, and I will continue putting my time and effort into producing the best results I can.

Thank you kindly, happy holidays, and may the new era and New Year bring you as much tumult, challenge, hope and progress as it brings to the world.

Sincerely,

Andrew Gavin Marshall