The pandemic has made clear what many rural folks have known and organized around for years: access to affordable broadband internet is a necessity for all. From online school and working from home to telehealth, folks without consistent access to high-speed internet are unable to access the resources, services, and education they need. The ROP […]
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We ALL help Rural Oregon Thrive!
Wow. We couldn’t have anticipated all that 2020 would ask of us, but we are incredibly proud of the way thousands of rural people across Oregon took action even when facing threats, violence, and the health risks that come with working together to take care of our most vulnerable community members in the midst of […]
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Hindsight 2020: Telling Rural Stories
Over a year ago, when ROP committed to making 13 monthly radio show and podcast episodes to share organizing stories from across rural Oregon, we had no idea all that 2020 would hold…A pandemic! Wildfires! A renewed movement for Black liberation that is winning major victories! What a year! What we did know is that […]
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Defend Democracy Hotline Round Up
As we take a moment to celebrate both local and national wins and catch our breaths after an anxiety-inducing election season, we are also keeping a watchful eye on the upcoming transition of power and Georgia Senate runoffs that will shape the national balance of power over the next four years. On the local level, […]
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Strategy Sessions: Elections, Black Lives Matter, COVID-19, and More!
ROP convenes statewide strategy sessions for rural organizers across Oregon and the country to grapple with the multiple overlapping crises that our communities are facing. This page will continue to be updated with registration information for upcoming strategy sessions, recordings of past strategy sessions, and instructions on how to host your own strategy session with […]
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Rural Roots Rising: Taking Risks
In rural Oregon, we know that building a better world together is only possible through forging strong community relationships, building networks, breaking isolation, and Taking Risks. In this month’s episode of Rural Roots Rising, you’ll hear from Suzanne Pharr, a movement elder and the founder of the Arkansas Women’s Project, and Zachary Stocks, an organizer, […]
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Fighting for Rural!
Fighting for Rural, the ninth episode of Rural Roots Rising, is available now! The Madras Key Club is more than a community service club at Madras High School; it’s a multiracial, multicultural group focused on making sure every person feels welcomed and included in Jefferson County. In this episode, you’ll hear from Kim Schmith, Kelsey Olivera, and […]
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Remembering Kent State
As protests of police violence against Black Americans continue across the country, we have witnessed large scale police and National Guard deployment, many outfitted with intimidating and sophisticated warfighting gear. Countless videos have shown police officers and the National Guard using batons, tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets on protesters, bystanders and journalists, often […]
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Powerful Rural Organizing During Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic exposes gaps in social safety nets that leave rural communities without reliable access to emergency resources, food, housing, healthcare, childcare, and more. In response, rural Oregonians are hard at work setting up dozens of mutual aid networks that are feeding up to hundreds of neighbors, sharing health and safety information, and making […]
Read MoreFeeding Our Communities
The latest episode of Rural Roots Rising, ROP’s radio show and podcast, is available now! Listen to Feeding Our Communities to hear how Harry MacCormack in Benton County, OR and Martina Leforce in Madison County, KY are organizing to bring quality food access to their communities and adapting to meet the changing needs during this […]
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