#community organization

[jonairadreaming]

In the coming weeks, there are probably going to be more people with stories like this who begin to question and rethink their MAGA involvement, and who decide to leave it behind. I'd imagine that's a hard enough realisation to come to independently, even without the fear of having to face ridicule and non-acceptance by leftists and liberals once they do manage to get out. And ngl, there's plenty of moral high-horsing going on in the notes of multiple of posts after the election and most recently the inauguration, and while the anger is understandable, the "you made your bed now lie in it" attitude helps nobody. More likely, those former-MAGA-now-questioning individuals have more in common with the marginalized/poc/queer/neurodivergent/immigrant/financially struggling people in their immediate local communities who are actively threatened by this regime.

I'm seeing all these posts about building and organising community to withstand the next 4 yrs of the cheeto's presidency on my dash - and you just can't do that if you decide to punish members of your community/neighborhood/workplace/educational institution etc based on their past mistakes, and decide who's "pure" enough or who was always been anti-MAGA right from the start and thus good enough to join your silent/not-so-silent resistance efforts. Purity culture doesn't have a place in survival.

Like Rich Logis and others have mentioned, it seems that the most attractive part of MAGA was just having community to be a part of. Thus, it also seems that the way to get through the next 4 yrs would be to extend that inclusivity to these people who sought it before as well, but just in the wrong places. If you're going to make it through, it'll be because that ex-MAGA neighbour of yours howled "La Migra !!" at the top of their lungs when the ICE squad was coming around the block. They'll only do that if they feel like they're a part of your community too, that your struggles are theirs as well. You'll make it through because that ex-MAGA granny volunteered to babysit your kids while you worked 2 and maybe even 3 jobs to make ends meet.

Idk, I've just been seeing so much doom and gloom on my dash, people feeling so isolated and terrifed and angry - but there is also resistance. And you aren't alone in it. It's scattered, and seemingly welling up from the most unexpected places and people, but it's definitely there and that's a good thing, if only people on both sides are able to get over their respective prejudices and however justified anger.

So if you see a former Trump voter now wavering, questioning and uncomfortable, don't be cruel or mocking. The shit stinks for everyone. If you don't know how to (or more likely don't want to - that's valid too) reach out to them, maybe let some other ex-MAGA person speak to them in familiar language and terminology but with the direction now flipped 180°. You could direct them to this site

MISSION STATEMENT Empower others to leave MAGA and tell their stories. Foster reconciliation with their friends and family. Develop movement

MISSION STATEMENT Empower others to leave MAGA and tell their stories.

Foster reconciliation with their friends and family.

Develop movement leaders to help others leave.

"Dear MAGA Americans,

I was a devoted member of MAGA nation for seven years; it made me feel I was part of something important: a movement that was trying to save American democracy. But starting in 2021, I realized I had been mistaken. It took me a full year to finally break away. During that time, I came to understand that MAGA is sustained by a series of myths that are intended to create perpetual feelings of desperation and panic. Succumbing to these predatory myths does not mean you are unintelligent, weak, or lack good character and morals. I have a Bachelor’s degree; have been a working professional my entire life; am a family man; and consider myself a relatively honest and intelligent person. I think the same about you. I understand the reasons you have for supporting MAGA. And I know many of us traveled different paths to get there. I gravitated to Donald Trump because I have always been suspicious of our two-party system, and I saw him as the right man at the right time. I have a sense that some of you have quietly left MAGA already, or are increasingly regretful, confused and scared. All of this can be doubly upsetting, since some of your sincerely-held beliefs may have alienated you from friends and family. That certainly happened to me. It’s perfectly OK to feel this way; leaving MAGA was a tumultuous roller coaster of a process for me. It may be one of the most difficult endeavors you embark upon. In the end, it brought me an inner peace, and a newfound clarity about what is happening in our beloved country. I founded this organization, Leaving MAGA, because I wanted to create a safe, non-judgmental community for those who leave MAGA, as well as for those who are having doubts about, or remorse over, their devotion to Trump and MAGA. Our Leaving MAGA community will celebrate how acknowledging mistakes empowers you and America. It’s difficult for a democracy to function well when millions are estranged from those closest to them. You do not deserve to have your anxieties about change exploited. You deserve to know the truth. And with Leaving MAGA, you don’t have to feel you would be alone if you leave the movement. Leaving MAGA is possible. Recognizing that we were wrong, and acting on that knowledge, makes us all more invested in democracy and in the continued work of perfecting our union." - Rich Logis

One might ask, 'how do i know whether they've actually left maga behind and aren't just pretending to in order to expose me as queer etc/ harm other marginalized people I know ?' I genuinely don't know how to answer that, and it's a very important and valid doubt to have, and a good idea to be cautious. From what I've seen of Rich Logis on Bluesky, he's willing to talk individually to people who have left/are in the process of leaving - if you're not sure if someone is for real, put them in touch with him I guess, or link them to the above website.

Also, look out for and try to follow independent journalism and unbiased news. I know people have their issues with substack, but that's where a lot of actual indie journalism is happening rn, and there are plenty of great free articles available. DON'T JUST STOP AT READING HEADLINES. Read fewer articles if you must, but read and understand them in their entirety. There are a few media collaboratives started up by senior journalists who've recently quit their positions within legacy media. These are some which I've either read myself (and found pretty comprehensive) or am currently in the process of reading news on.

The Contrarian:

Democracy faces an unprecedented threat from an authoritarian movement built on lies and contempt for the rule of law. The first and most critical defense of democracy—a robust, independent free press—has been missing in action. Corporate and billionaire media owners have shied away from confrontation, engaged in false equivalence, and sought to curry favor with Donald Trump. It is hardly surprising that readers and viewers are fleeing from these outlets. Americans need an alternative.

The Contrarian is that alternative: unflinching, unapologetic, and unwavering in its commitment to truth-telling. The Contrarian contributors may not agree on all issues (and, in fact, enjoy lively debate), but we share an unequivocal determination to defend our fundamental freedoms and the values essential to a pluralistic democracy.

2) Inequality Media (founded by Robert Reich, former US Secretary of Labour and Sam Reich of Dropout TV's father). Their Linktree

3) Democracy Docket: Democracy Docket is the leading digital news platform dedicated to information, analysis and opinion about voting rights and elections in the courts. Find case filings, news updates and analysis: democracydocket.com

4) MeidasTouch Network: Bio on Bluesky reads - "The fastest growing independent news network in the world. We cover breaking news, politics, law and more. We are unapologetically pro-democracy."

5) 404 Media (more for tech): 404 Media is a journalist-founded digital media company exploring the ways technology is shaping–and is shaped by–our world.

We're focused on investigative reports, longform features, blogs, and scoops about topics including: hacking, cybersecurity, cybercrime, sex, artificial intelligence, consumer rights, surveillance, privacy, and the democratization of the internet.

I'm not USAmerican and I don't live in the country, so please feel free to add on with more relevant useful information. (This is an incomplete list of resources, and call me an optimist but I also sort of hope it remains incomplete because more people speak up and organize, thus ensuring there are always more helpful organisations to add on)

Stay safe.

[dailyanarchistposts]

Organising requires getting together and making decisions, sharing information and organisational work. It only takes a few informal chats among any group of people before it becomes obvious that some structure is greatly needed in facilitating group functioning. Without structures and procedures people often forget what was agreed, what tasks were to be done and by whom, or when the next meeting is.

People often get frustrated that they never get to have their say, or that meetings go on for ages with no decisions made, not to mention people jumping from one topic to another. Fortunately a long history of activism and anarchist organising has led to the development of methods for dealing with these problems and arranging meetings so that they can be effective.

Whatever meeting process your group agrees on will probably naturally end up being tailored to your particular group. There are no hard and fast rules, just guidelines and suggested roles. One of the most important, that immediately begins to bring order to a group’s meetings is a rule that people raise their hands to indicate they wish to contribute, and then speakers are taken in order.

This requires someone to take on the role of facilitator and bring those whose turn it is to speak into the discussion. In meetings of 8 or more people it’s very useful to have the queue of speakers’ names visible (on a whiteboard or similar) so that everyone knows when their turn is coming and how long they’re likely to be waiting.

The facilitator’s role is to help the group have a well run and inclusive meeting, encouraging similar levels of input from everyone, keeping the meeting focussed on one item at a time until a decision is reached by the group. The facilitator does not direct the group or make decisions for them, and the role should be rotated through all group members, it is a skill that almost anyone can learn.

At the beginning of a meeting, figuring out what points are to be discussed and writing up the agenda in a prominent place creates a very useful tool. It gives the group a good idea of the scope of the meeting, of how long the meeting is likely to take, and allows the items to be discussed to be ordered in a way that makes sense — usually moving the weightiest, most time consuming items to the end, and trimming some items if it looks like the meeting will run too long.

The facilitator should ensure that the outcome of each agenda item is recorded, this can be done by a separate minute taker, to relieve the facilitator of some of the effort of running the meeting. Each agenda item will probably lead to a decision by the group.

How decisions are made is something that should be explicitly agreed upon by the group, most groups use consensus-based decision making (where all decisions are agreed to, or at least not disagreed with, by all members).

The outcome of each decision should be recorded by the minute-taker, this is quite likely to involve an action (i.e. a task to be carried out by one or more members of the group) and/or an agenda item at a later meeting — if further discussion or a report-back after an action is required.

If meetings tend to run too long, adding a time limit to each agenda item can help meetings to run to schedule. Time limits do not have to be rigidly adhered to but it will help the group to be aware of how long the meeting will take, and decide whether or not to continue on a point if it’s likely to make the meeting run longer.

As agenda items are discussed and dealt with, the facilitator should try to regulate the flow of conversation to ensure roughly equal participation from all members. Quieter members should be encouraged to participate in discussion, with no individual being allowed to dominate and more vocal members asked to hold back.

There are many tools available for aiding with this, the use of hand signals (see end of this article), a conch or talking-stick, if the group is large, breaking it up into smaller discussion groups, using go-arounds (i.e. taking input from everyone in turn) to get each attendee to express their thoughts on a point or issue.

As proposals are made the facilitator should summarize them for the group and make sure everyone agrees with what is proposed. It can be useful to write proposals up where they can be seen by all meeting attendees. If agreement hasn’t been reached after a reasonable amount of time and discussion the item may be tabled until the next meeting.

The facilitator should try to keep the meeting moving forward but make sure each item is sufficiently discussed , ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to input, and not mistaking silence for agreement.

Vibe-watching is another important aspect of facilitation. Meetings are necessary for getting things discussed and agreed upon but also for group-maintenance — ensuring everyone feels fully involved and empowered in the group and encouraging solidarity and connection between group members.

Vibe-watch includes keeping an eye on the atmosphere of the meeting, helping the groups deal with conflict and distress, and watching for members being affected. If the group is becoming restless, bored or tired, the facilitator (or vibe-watcher if the role has been assigned to someone else) can call for a break or run a quick energising activity.

After all agenda items have been covered it’s common practise to have an AOB section, where people can bring up brief items that either have come up during the meeting or were not thought of in time to make it onto the agenda. Before the meeting ends the date, time and location of the group’s next meeting should be decided on, along with who will take on the facilitation role(s).

There are some people who, for one reason or another, do not find they can participate well in meetings, or group settings. If this is the case in your group efforts should be made to ensure they are included in other ways.

Someone attending the meeting can make sure any points or proposals the person would like discussed are brought up at the meeting. They can be given the opportunity to have a say in decisions made at the meeting and can be briefed afterwards, along with having the minutes sent to them.

Meeting facilitation can be difficult and demanding, particularly with large groups (anything upwards of 10 or 12 people). The role of facilitator should be rotated through the group with everyone who feels they can taking turns facilitating. External facilitation training is often a good idea, groups like WSM, Seeds For Change and others are open to providing such training.

Anarchist meeting facilitation can be used effectively with groups of any size, even up to hundreds of attendees. It should be kept in mind that the larger the group the more time will probably be required for each agenda item, and the longer it will take for the group to reach consensus on decisions.

Facilitating a large group is more difficult and the responsibilities can be shared among several members. Some possible roles and the usual duties associated with each are provided below.

Your group may choose to adopt some or all of them, combine some of them, or think of new ones of your own that suit your group. However your group decides to organise your meetings it is most important that each member feels meetings are an effective and useful endeavour.

Roles: Facilitator, Queue Keeper, Time Keeper, Minute Taker, Vibe-Watcher, Attendee

Equipment: Meeting room with seating, heating (if needed), whiteboard(s), markers & wipers, pens + paper and/or laptop

Facilitator

Prepare the agenda before the meeting

Make sure the meeting location is appropriate for all attendees: accessibility, temperature, etc

Send around any pre-meeting material you have

Explain at the beginning what the meeting is about and how it will run

Do a go-around to have everyone introduce themselves to the group (usually called a check-in)

Have the minutes of the last meeting with you (or get someone else to have them)

Look for agenda items from attendees at the beginning of the meeting

Organise agenda items into an appropriate order

Add a time limit/guideline for each agenda point

Keep the meeting running smoothly and on-agenda and try to keep agenda items to their stated time limits

If non-agenda items come up in discussion they may be added to the agenda, or moved to AOB

Make sure one person at a time speaks (back-and-forths can be ok sometimes but they should be the exception rather than the rule)

Point at and call the name of the person whose turn it is to speak

Discourage people talking out of turn

Encourage people to speak who haven’t spoken or have been speaking less than others (or ask more vocal attendees to hold back)

Get the queue keeper to write down all proposals on a whiteboard

Engage the meeting on said proposals and try to get to consensus

Make sure people feel ready to make a decision on a proposal, they made need some more time

Use go-arounds where appropriate to get discussion flowing

Keep the numbers of direct responses down, 3 per person per discussion is a good rough limit

Ensure the minute taker has noted all decisions and actions and anything else that needs to be noted

At the end of the meeting check to see if the group would like any of the agenda items or decisions revisited at the next meeting

Have a closing go-around (a check-out) to check how the group feels the meeting went, if aims were reached, actions apportioned fairly, and everything discussed thoroughly

Time Keeper

Keep track of the time spent on each agenda item and alert the group, or facilitator, when the time limit allotted to an item is approaching

Negotiate extra time for agenda items or the whole meeting, if necessary

Queue Keeper

Write down the names of people who put their hands up to speak.

Cross/rub out the names of those who have spoken.

If you wish to speak yourself add your name to bottom of the queue.

If someone has a direct response or a technical point and the facilitator hasn’t noticed, alert them

Write down any proposals that are announced (can also be performed by the agenda keeper)

Agenda Keeper

Write the agenda items up as they are announced.

Cross/rub out agenda items once discussion has finished.

Write down any proposals that are announced (can also be performed by the queue keeper).

Minute Taker

Write down the start and end time of the meeting.

Take down the names of attendees.

Record action items, proposals, decisions, agenda items for the next meeting, and any other important points such as volunteers or interesting bits of conversation

Minuting everything that’s said is very difficult and is probably unnecessary, if this is required, consider recording the meeting, otherwise just write down the topics discussed

After the meeting distribute the minutes to group members

Vibe Watcher

Pay attention to the group dynamics and emotional atmosphere, listening carefully and observing body language.

Intervene, if it seems necessary, in situations of distress or conflict, perhaps suggesting one-on-one time-outs or smaller discussions

Suggest breaks or energising activities where they seem appropriate or required, meetings should be fun and enjoyable where possible

Attendee

Send around any pre-meeting material you have.

Put your hand up when you wish to speak, you will be called upon by the facilitator.

If someone has their hand up but the queue keeper or facilitator hasn’t noticed, point at the person.

Similarly, if a proposal is made and neither the facilitator nor the queue keeper have noted it, indicate that you have a technical point and point it out.

Try to self-facilitate as much as possible: if you have been speaking often or for a long time try to let others in ahead of you, if you are called upon to speak but you don’t think it’s your turn point it out.

Where you feel it is necessary, you can actively participate in facilitation by making a technical point, e.g. when you don’t think enough time has been given for discussion of a proposal.

Use the hand signals:

hand up = add me to the queue please

wavy hands pointing upwards = approval

wavy hands pointing downwards = disapproval

wavy hands pointing out from the body = ambivalence or not sure

T-sign = technical point — not related to the discussion but to something ancillary

two hands up (or a finger on each hand) = I wish to jump the queue to give a brief response to something just said

Further Reading

WSM, How to avoid Bad Meetings and hold a Conversation about Anarchism, www.wsm.ie

Seeds For Change, Facilitating Meetings, www.seedsforchange.org.uk

[croutoneater69]

Everyone on Twitter is shitting on that one infographic but nobodies gonna be able to build a communist milita if we don't start going outside and talking to each other first

[b-morevony]

This is an amazing program in Baltimore City. It does so much for our community. Please sign the PETITION and share! We try so hard for our community, they should be providing more funding, and not evicting this program!

Sign the Petition

Eviction of The Food Project Baltimore

"The Food Project located out of a surplus school in SW Baltimore is a lifeline for the underserved in zip code 21223. While at times bodies literally lie in the street from murder or drug overdose, the youth are safely inside The Food Project being trained, mentored, and working. The youth are hired to cook and deliver over 500 hot meals a week and distribute tons of produce to the community each month. This has been a space that has supported countless grassroots initiatives, John Hopkins Public Health initiatives, site for Health Departments sessions/flu shots/ safe sex discussions, access points for IPV and homeless services and the collaborative effort of changing lives and inspiring youth to believe.

The Food Project has launched a social enterprise, Seedy Nutty, out of the kitchen which provides additional jobs and entrepreneurial experience. This process has been production certified and FDA approved out of this kitchen. Moving to another space would mean starting over again. These and many other services The Food Project provides are invaluable in this community where there is little else. The Food Project not only feeding the hungry, but also giving the youth of 21223 hope for a better life. The community will be devastated if The Food Project is taken from them. The youth said “they will have nothing if TFP leaves.” 

If you believe in The Food Project's value and impact in this underserved community and it's ability to redefine the narrative of the youth on the streets please sign the petition and help push back on this!!!"

[oupacademic]

Youth social entrepreneurship (YSE) occupies that sweet spot between youth development and community organization. By empowering young people to act as leaders of social change, the movement gives them control of both their social and economic lives.  YSE can take on many different forms and missions:

More Than Words Bookstore in Massachusetts provides business management opportunities to youth in the foster care system

SOUL Sisters Leadership Collective offers programs that provide a community of mentors to support and encourage young women and gender non-conforming youth of color

Cookie Cart in Minneapolis provides youth between 15-18 with employment readiness skills in its urban nonprofit bakery

Old Skool Café in San Francisco is a fully operational, youth-run restaurant in the supper-club tradition

Graphic made by Sarah Butcher for Oxford University Press. 

[goodblacknews]

] (via Nipsey Hussle’s Puma legacy lives on with new co-branded collection)

[townpostin]

Mukesh Mittal Re-elected as East Singhbhum Marwari Sammelan President

Secures Victory with 413 Votes in Peaceful Election for 2026-28 Term Key Points: Mukesh Mittal wins presidential election with 413 votes against two rivals Total 1148 votes cast in peaceful polling held on Sunday Re-elected president pledges continued focus on community development and unity JAMSHEDPUR – Mukesh Mittal secured re-election as president of East Singhbhum District Marwari Sammelan…

Mukesh Mittal Re-elected as East Singhbhum Marwari Sammelan President