Innovation in Activism
Innovation: a word that’s bandied about a lot these days, from cars to coffee. But innovation in activism? Bah, oui!
As an American, being away from home in political times like these can be a mixed bag. On the one hand, there is low risk of unwittingly running into someone wearing a MAGA hat. On the other, it can sometimes feel a bit…disempowering to be so far away from the center of activity.
All the more reason to get involved in activism from abroad through your Democrats Abroad France Chapter, or through other international and local organizations.
We recently watched a segment of The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC, where Rachel touted the Indivisible’s progressive approach to activism as “intensely pragmatic” in the era of Trump politics.
Indivisible was among the innovators in post-2016 presidential election activism. The Indivisible Guide was put up on the internet by two former congressional staffers, Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin. This handbook, “Indivisible: A Practical Guide to Resisting the Trump Agenda,” ignited a progressive movement of civic engagement for everyday people. Using a similar model to the conservative Tea Party movement, Indivisible emphasized (and continues to emphasize) grass-roots activism and attending local events such as congressional town halls.
There are now thousands of Indivisible groups in the US. Many prominent Democrats credit the activism inspired by Indivisible as contributing to the 2018 blue wave where Democrats took back control of the House. In recognition of the impact of Indivisible, Greenberg and Levin were named to Time's 100 Most Influential People List in 2019.
Up next for Indivisible? In preparation for 2020, they are launching a massive grassroots We are Indivisible 2020 Pledge campaign for people like you and me to:
1. Make the primary constructive
2. Rally behind the winner
3. Do the work to beat Trump
Take the pledge yourself, today. (There is a candidate’s version of the “We Are Indivisible Pledge,” which the majority of Democratic candidates have already signed!)
If there is one thing that we have learned from Indivisible, it is this...our vote counts to elected officials, but only if you vote in their state or congressional district. So, one of the frustrations of living overseas for many of us has been the fact that we can't go to the town halls to engage directly with our Members of Congress.
Enter Resistbot, another innovation in activism. Using Resistbot, you can write to your officials in under 2 minutes. According to Resistbot, "Text the word resist
to me on Messenger, Twitter, or Telegram and I’ll find out who represents you in Congress or your state legislature, turn your text into an email, fax, or postal letter, and deliver it to your officials. 1-2-3." We've tried it. It works! Resistbot will even turn a message into a letter to the editor and send it to your local paper!
A very recent addition to the list of activist organizations that we are watching with interest is Supermajority, led by the likes of Planned Parenthood founder Cecile Richards; National Domestic Workers Alliance director, Ai-jen Poo; Black Lives Matter co-founder, Alicia Garza; and others with impressive track records of organization and activism. Supermajority’s aim is to build a home for women’s activism by harnessing the collective involvement energy that surfaced following the 2016 election. They plan to train and mobilize “a multiracial, intergenerational community that will fight for gender equity together.” We are looking forward to see what they will do!
Know of innovative activism opportunities for Americans living in France? We’d love to hear from you.
For more ideas on activism from abroad, watch this space. We will be blogging about “Armchair Activism.” Curious? Stay tuned...