We know this is a stressful time, we hope that our resources are able to bring some comfort in this unstable time. We are experiencing this together!
Our message is simple, love and support one another as you would like to be loved and supported by your community. Peaceful Protest is beautiful and necessary, but the fight for human rights is ongoing. So we practice a way of life that is both rooted in the realty of life within the post-colonial age, and the hopes of a fruitful future of community. We want to make sure that each person has the resources to discover, create, and mobilize their community to provide for one another and remove the strain of individualism in our communities. We know that different ethnicities, nationality, religion, socioeconomic status, and many other separating factors -created by our current state of discrimination in our country (USA)- that challenge the ability for trust and community building within a set place. We hope that by learning our differences and similarities -beyond the physical/social differences we have- that our communities can begin to unlearn our biases and support one another in times of need. We can have public and private disagreements without losing the respect for the one another, as people and humans that dwell the same Earth as we do. We can use our collective beliefs and identities to change the way our societies are run, and better the lives of each of us by the equity of resources among all. It may seem difficult, but the more people you have in your life as a supportive community, the more people you have to call on in times of need (vice versa).
We believe in Radical Inclusion, meaning we are here to understand and hear out any and all stances a human could take on their journey here on Earth. However, we also don't tolerate language of hate or violence. It's also very important to us that when thinking about, and discussing, social issues that we do so with the appropriate and respectful language in mind. Taking time and space, and leaving space and time for other in conversations in key to finding out important things about one another, using the appropriate language in that space is just as important. When we conversate, addressing everyone as they choose to be addressed at that given time is important for the well-being and mindfulness of that person and yourself. We want to make sure when we do have conversation that we are being mindful of our experiences and our privlegdes and how our differences in our orientation can change our perceptions of any situation. It's definitely important that we connect on a personal level, but that we do so without comparing our experiences with other's.
We also uphold the ideals of Sustainability- Environmental, Social, & Economical Sustainability. The three components representing the ways in which we can respect nature and our placement with in it and around others, in all the aspects of our lives. This looks like a deep understanding of who and what dwells in your ecosystem -even with out you knowing- and how your living actions effect that ecosystem around you, and how it/they effect you.
We also believe in Critical Race Theory, Gender Theory, Queer Theory and Feminist Theory. We believe that looking to our philosphers about our condition of living is most important, when questioning our identities and how they intertwine into eachother differently between each person. Our identities should exist to bring us together, not separate us. It's important we remember that identifying differently, or have multiple orientations doesn't stop us from understanding eachother on a emotional and human level. All of us feel pain, all of us feel happy, all of us seek comfort, and all of us have gut feelings. We, at our bases are human, we may act and be certain ways due to our environment or social ecosystem. In many ways this also gives reason to the ways in which we can see one another for our desperate selves, and our selves at peace. This doesn't justify violence or abuse towards anyone, unless in danger. There is no reason to break somesones personal space, or emotional capacity in conversation or in action. We can work out complex issues with words that are respectful in their tone and delivery. Of course we know that our safety is not always a given, so taking your environment into account, and giving the space for respectful communication to be absent; is okay to understand even though it can oftten be traumatizing.
Building Communities to provide for each other and to work together to bring accessibility to everyone in the group/community. You can do this with friends, neighbors, people in the nearing community. In order for us to break down our individualistic nature of living, fueling capitalism and loss of our hard earned money and time. If we begin to have the space to share both goods and ideas with one another to take care of our community phsycially, mentally, and emotionally. Suicide and Mental Health Crisises happen often due to the instabilty of the wages and living wage needed, along with many other support factors being absent. Rebuilding our tighter knit community, it allows you to have options when you need help, whether its for the a ride to work, or food in times of need. Even sharing resources & goods, so we aren't buying them several times at the store, for one time use (Sustainability). We can share; -even if it seems you may need it back at some point- we can find solace in knowing its been getting uses in the time it would've sat in our homes. It would be cool to always text a group chat instead of going to the store to buy something, maybe someone can let you borrow, take, or even trade (barter) for it. It also allows us to hear whats going on in our communities by sharing information. If there is anything to know, the likelihood is that your neighbors or nearby friends will know. A large piece of activism is just talking to one another, getting to know your community and discussing its status of safety, happiness, etc. Building communities is easier than you think, and the hardest part is saying, "hello".
To have the opportunity to understand the reasons why we as humans express our existence the ways in which we do today, and the education that got us there.
To better the understanding of what is and is not appropriate in terms of regular communication between people; Personal or Professional.
To build strong communities that can provide and show up in support for one another in ways that remove the individualistic nature of our daily lives.
To have the knowledge of activism in its history and presence, so that if mobilization is needed, our communities can come together.
We hope to bring awareness to a lot of the concerns surrounding activism in our day and age, but since we directly work with those organizing in our community, we know a lot about the challenges that can arise. It's important that no matter the group you are working with, you question their motivations, values and boundaries. Every organizing group should be able to discuss these without concern, but that is not always the case. We know that when we curate a space to hold people who are vulnerable, that predators are attracted to those places. That does not mean we don't curate that space, it means we create a strong set of values and boundaries to properly hold the community that we are creating accountable for their actions. This includes, properly informing the community on how to report unwanted or predatory behaviors, and how the people organizing plan to handle these types of behavior. We've listed ours below (note these are for the website creators, and are not written for a group of activists.)
To provide the access to information that we did not have access to when we were making decisions that impacted our lives.
To encourage people in their activism, while also keeping us grounded in the goal.
To provide a space where uncomfortable questions are answered without assumptions.
To call attention to predatory behaviors in all aspects of our lives, so we can better combat and discuss them.
Holding our community accountable for their predatory and manipulative actions and seeking reformative justice.
Setting forth a social contract, not defined by one's set of beliefs, but by the congruency of those beliefs with the people around you.
Goal of Creating Positive Change: to have a positive social impact on our community. Something that adds access, and does not take it away.
Creating Access to Resources that are not readily available, we believe that good resources shouldn't be hard to find, so are goal is to put them all in one place.
Growth can't happen all by itself, we must work together in order to grow. When we do things that only work to benefit ourselves, we only have the effort of ourselves; however, when we work towards a common goal with those who benefit, we have a team of people who can create positive change.
Consent, whether through prior knowledge, explicit language, or social justice. Consent is often remarked in relationt to sexual actions, but consent is everywhere, and revolves around everything we do in society. There are many harms and predatory behaviors that rely on taking away consent, often times in the way of knowledge.
Societal Constructs, set forth by Colonialism and White Supremacy, should be well understood and actively avoided, so that they are not upheld or replicated in our community. Creating a New Social Contract that prioritizes consent.
Working against Social Oppression Systems, Discrimination systems, requires effort all the time. People of all kinds benefit or suffer from these system, sometimes without our consent. When we are able to choose differently, we make that choice, so we don't benefit from others suffering.
Sustainability is important in all aspects from community care to environmental safety, in order to do that we must decolonize our way of thinking. (no white-veganism)
Expanding our education and understanding of the world starting with our bodies. We deserve to have knowledge on how our bodies work and what they can do. Without that information we are more likely to experience physical abuse, predatory behavior, and physical disability.
Expanding our awareness of what we consider to be differences or disabilities, and how we can better hold space for them. We also nkkow how important disabled people's work is to the activist movements.
We do not socially uplift violence. That is not because we believe revolutions happen without violence, but because it's not safe to make a claim like that publicly or to be associated with people who do. We always promote a safe and consensual revolutionary environment for people to get involved in activism.
We do not uplift or hold space for continuous predatory behavior, and people who replicate dangerous oppressionary systems in our community.
There is a difference in the ways that people are treated by society due to their intersectional identities, and we will not ignore those truths, and continue to hold space for the effects. Privilege is often based on factors that we do not choose, but that doesn't mean that we have to use that privilege when given the choice.
The intersection of identities is important, but can sometimes be co-opted to become a shelter for predatory behavior. We've known for a long time that identities get misrepresented, but its important that we remember each person is their own, they do not represent a group. (White queer groups that foster an unhealthy and dangerous environment for BIPOC people.)
We are always hoping that people feel comfortable to criticize us and the way we do things, if you have any opinions on what we could do better we would love to hear.
If you would like to help us write about commonly silenced areas or personal experiences you may have with these topics, contact us at thisisactivism2023@gmail.com or fill out our Comments page. We want our website to be a continuous growth of knowledge to share with each other in a positive way. There are so many things we don't talk about and we should!