None

Despite a reputation for passivity, Canadians have a long and storied history of activism. From suffragette Nellie McClung's efforts in the first half of the 20th century to environmental organizations like Greenpeace and anti-smoking groups like the Nonsmokers' Rights Association in the last half, private citizens have been both vocal and organized enough to successfully affect change. In Watchdogs and Gadflies, a book as heavy with acronyms as it is with activists, freelance journalist Tim Falconer charts some of these more recent successes. Through interviews with both veterans and relative newcomers, he explores the grassroots community and individual agendas motivating people to work for what they see as the greater good. What he finds is that, far from the "left-wing nuts" label critics would pin on them, activists come in all shapes, sizes, and political stripes: from lawyers like Craig Jones (who first came to prominence during the APEC demonstrations) to scions of respected families like Duff Conacher (whose grandfather "was selected by reporters as the country's male athlete of the first half-century") to privileged housewives such as Priscilla De Villiers (who pushed for gun registration after her daughter was shot). All have one thing in common--the desire for change and a concern for what they see as injustice in the world. The broader picture is looked at in chapters about globalization, methods of communication and publicity-grabbing, and the demonization of activists.