This is our moment.

If ever we needed forward thinking and urgent action, it's now.

For the first time in decades, progressives have a mandate. We overturned the previous powers in Washington, but our new leader has not lived up the the expectations we placed on him.

We have the power now - and a moral obligation - to challenge the political ideas and governing structures that long ago stopped serving the common good.

It's power only if we exercise it.

We must stay true to our ideals, and hold our leaders accountable.

Every human being on this planet - regardless of race, gender or status - shares in the common dreams of peace and justice, equal opportunity, and meaningful participation in society.

Yet those dreams remain out of reach for vast numbers of individuals and whole segments of our global society.

It's no secret why. Almost every system we need is broken or has been sold to the highest corporate bidder.  Healthcare. The economy. Education. Our courts. Our infrastructure. Our environment.

It's time to fix them.

This is a make-it-or-break-it moment in our history.

We must set the progressive agenda ourselves. Our administration has not seized the moment.

The next wave of politicians is already trying to set its own agenda, with the help of corporate crooks, unlimited money, and an army of special interest groups.

Where do we start?  By rejecting the inevitability of the same old regressive politics of the past. By rising up in numbers never before seen. As others have around the world in recent days.

By engaging in the political process as if our lives depended on it.

Because they do.

Common Dreams is your community, your movement, your platform for civic participation.

We provide the Internet meeting space, the news and views, the tools.

You bring your creativity, your energy, and your passion for the progressive ideals that are at the heart of all of our hopes and dreams.

Please become part of the future of progressive politics!