WHY THIS ACTIVITY?
Do you feel like there’s so much being thrown at you that it’s the most you can do to respond to whatever feels most urgent in the moment? If so, you’re not alone! In this moment of attacks on basic rights and the foundations of our democracy, it’s all too easy to find ourselves chasing the (horrific) headlines. We know that to have a chance at preventing authoritarianism from fully taking root, we need to build something bigger together. That bigger something is a mass civil resistance movement that not only undercuts the authoritarian regime but also works toward a new economic and political system that works better for everyone.
WHAT IS THE ACTIVITY?
So, where do we start? By identifying the pillars of support for this authoritarian regime and how we can remove them. This video does a great job explaining what we mean by pillars of support and why they’re so important. We’ll be diving much deeper into the strategies and tactics needed for this work in our upcoming Zoom, so…
This month’s KTA is to participate in an ROP Meeting the Moment virtual gathering on the evening of September 24th! We’ll be joined by Hardy Merriman, who studies and supports movements to advance human rights and justice globally, focusing on how civil resistance and non-cooperation can counter authoritarian rule.
HOW TO COMPLETE THE ACTIVITY
- Forward this email to your group and make a plan for who will be attending (the more the merrier) and when and where you will be debriefing as a group.
- Register in advance here, and mark your calendars.
- Join the Zoom on September 24th.
- Debrief at your next group meeting: What are you taking away from the conversation with Hardy? What does it mean for your local organizing? Let your ROP organizer know what resonated with your group!
Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) is a monthly activity by the Rural Organizing Project. The idea is that small actions can lead to powerful collective results when groups of people gather to complete the same action across the state of Oregon. ROP works to keep each KTA easily achievable so that groups with other projects or groups with limited immediate energy can still complete the KTA each month.
