Rural communities and human dignity leaders have organized for decades to build safe and welcoming communities for all. We won a huge victory in 2021 when we passed the Sanctuary Promise Act (SPA) through the Oregon legislature to expand our decades-old Sanctuary Law. Oregon now has the strongest sanctuary policies in the entire country. They […]
Read MoreAnti-White Nationalism
Taking Legal Action for the Promise of Sanctuary
Today the Rural Organizing Project and Community Alliance of Lane County (CALC) filed a lawsuit against the City of Cottage Grove and its Police Department for violating Oregon’s Sanctuary Promise Act. With Oregon Law Center’s legal representation, ROP and CALC are asking a judge to order Cottage Grove to stop using local resources to assist […]
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The Town That QAnon Nearly Swallowed
We’re collecting Valentines to Rural Organizers to create a record of the creativity and care that flows through this web of organizers! How does it work? The ROP Staff team will gather notes, poems, recordings, or artwork from you and then share them back out over ROPnet. Share your words of encouragement with fellow organizers […]
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Crisis Averted in Klamath – For Now
Last month we sent out a Kitchen Table Activity about the water crisis in the Klamath Basin and the ways that national far Right movement leaders were considering making Klamath their next big national stand. Luckily, things have cooled off some in Klamath, and it’s in no small part because of the response of the Klamath […]
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Lessons From 30 Years of Fighting the Right
ROP recently experienced a new round of harassment and threats to our building and staff, which we believe to be tied to right-wing elements that oppose our goal to build equitable and welcoming communities for all across rural Oregon. While, thankfully, that harassment has eased in recent weeks after a strong show of solidarity by […]
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Broken Glass, Broken Trust
We were struck by Douglas County’s Robert Leo Heilman’s latest essay: Broken Glass, Broken Trust, published at The Daily Yonder. Robert eloquently describes what it’s been like living in Douglas County through the “Timber Wars” through now, when he recently had his home vandalized in the middle of the night in response to one of his […]
Read MoreWhen the Proud Boys Go Marching In
Summer is the time when rural communities and small towns gather together for the traditional farmers markets, community festivals, and county fairs. After the COVID-19 shutdown, communities and fair boards have been grappling with whether it’s safe to gather, whether they can even get the required insurance to hold their events, and so on. Two […]
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Behind the Scenes with Rural Race Talks
If you tuned into Rural Roots Rising last month, you know that we created our first Community Media Spotlight, a series we plan to continue throughout this season to highlight folks working at the intersections of rural organizing and media making! This two-part episode features LaNicia Duke, the host of Rural Race Talks on Coast Community Radio! If you missed the […]
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Build, Grow, Fight: A Rural Movement Strategy Session
When rural Oregon is in crisis, we gather to work together. In light of the insurrectionist events on January 6th and the looming threat of further violence this upcoming weekend through Inauguration Day, ROP is convening Build, Grow, Fight: A Rural Movement Strategy Session Friday, January 15th at 6:30 pm. Join us to think together […]
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You all are the best – thank you!
Thank you to everyone who was able to send a gift to ROP and those who helped us to meet our Collins Foundation match for new and increased donations in November and December! Thanks to you, we did it–hooray! It takes all of us doing what we can to build and sustain this vibrant and […]
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