Rise for Freedom - Session 1

Another good training this week. There were some participation activities, so I took some screen captures in case you don't want to watch those sections. I also tried out an AI-enabled meeting note taking tool. That summary is at the end.

How did we get here? Introduction to organizing under creeping autocracy.

Link to the video (They must have deleted the video as it's no longer showing up)

This resource was at the end, but it's pretty cool so I'm going to highlight it up front

https://choosedemocracy.us/what-can-i-do/

Rough time markers are formatted as: hour.minute.second

• Intro and Icebreaker

• 0.7.15. Question response: When you envision the democracy of tomorrow, what is one word that comes to mind and resonates?

  
  

  

  When you envision the democracy of tomorrow, what is one word that comes to mind and resonates?

  
  

• 0.10.10 SAVE Act call to action.

• 0.10:50 Aquene Freechild. Review of the timeline, goals and ethos of the training.

• 0.17.15 Rommel Sandino discussing the April 5th Hands Off protest

• 0.22.10 Outreach: Basically, please invite people to join the training.

• 0.32.20 digital hygiene tips. Explanation of 2-step verification or 2-factor authentication. How to set it up for your Gmail account.

• 0.39.15. Question: How did we get here?

•  0.44.15 – 1.02.10 Tarso Ramos of Future Currents. Where are we and how did we get here? Authoritarian attempt, breakthrough, and consolidation.

• 10 min cute animal break

• 1.13.15 – 1.53.30. Dr. Maria Stephan of the Horizon’s Project. How do Authoritarians get Removed?

  • 1.33.45 identify key pillars of support you think the movement should be focusing on. Discussion picks back up at 1.39.30

Which key pillars of support should we focus on moving towards supporting democracy?

• Question: What is one non-violent action that you have been involved in recently that has inspired your or that you thought was effective? (note, this was before the April 5th Rally)

What is one non-violent action that you have been involved in recently that has inspired your or that you thought was effective?

 In two words, what are you committed to doing out of this training?

What are you committed to doing out of this training?

AI-enabled Note Taking Summary of the Meeting (Amazing tool called Jamie that I'm trying out)

 Executive Summary:

• Aquene Freechild introduced the Rise for Freedom training series, aimed at equipping participants with skills to organize under advancing autocracy, emphasizing a big tent approach and joyful, love-centered organizing.

• Rommel announced the April 5th "Hands Off" day of action, with over 1,300 events planned nationwide, focusing on building a broader coalition and moving people from apathy to action.

• Tarso Ramos and Maria Stephan provided in-depth education on authoritarianism, fascism, and the power of nonviolent resistance, emphasizing diverse tactics and the importance of eroding pillars of support for autocratic regimes.

Meeting Notes:

Introduction and Overview

• Aquene Freechild welcomed attendees to the Rise for Freedom training series

• Kaden Quimet (Caden Wime) from Public Citizen introduced an icebreaker activity using Mentimeter

• Icebreaker question: "When you envision the democracy of tomorrow, what is one word that comes to mind and resonates with you?"

• Top responses included: equality, equity, justice, community, inclusivity, freedom

• Other notable responses: representation, accountability, transparency, dignity, human rights, sustainability, empowerment

Announcements and Logistics

• Londyn (London) provided a welcome and partner shoutouts

• Agenda overview:

  • Save Act announcement

  • Review of Rise for Freedom training goals and timeline

  • Discussion of April 5th day of action

  • Introduction to organizing under creeping autocracy

• Londyn announced the Save Act:

  • House expected to vote on voter suppression bill next week

  • Could prevent millions from voting by requiring passport or original birth certificate for registration

  • Call to action: Urge members of Congress to vote no on the Save Act

  • Call-in line: 833-346-1779

• Aquene Freechild explained Rise for Freedom training goals:

  • Provide training on organizing under advancing autocracy

  • Draw from global organizer knowledge

  • Encourage local training spaces

  • Big Tent approach welcoming progressive through conservative supporters of democracy

  • Love-centered, joyful, and focused on outreach and recruitment

• Rommel (Romel Sandino) from League of Women Voters US introduced April 5th day of action:

  • Over 1,300 events planned across the country

  • "Hands Off" theme addressing various issues

  • Poll showed 98% of attendees planning to participate

  • Emphasis on "building a bigger we" and organizing to move people from apathy to action

Cybersecurity Tip

• Will (Will Atler) presented on two-step verification:

  • Importance of two-step verification for personal cybersecurity

  • Explanation of how it works and why it matters

  • Encouraged attendees to enable two-step verification on Google accounts and other sensitive accounts

  • Recommended website for more tips: activistchecklist.org

Rise of Authoritarianism

• Aquene Freechild introduced the main training topic: "How did we get here? Global fascism and the rise of authoritarianism in the US"

• Mentimeter poll initiated to gauge attendee opinions on authoritarianism:

  • "Authoritarianism is a new name for racism"

  • "Authoritarianism emerges from the wealth gap"

  • "We can defeat authoritarianism"

• Tarso Ramos (Tarso Ramos) from Future Currents presented on the global rise of authoritarianism:

  • Explained the current situation as the third global march of authoritarianism since the beginning of the last century

  • Highlighted that the US is experiencing both rising authoritarianism and a rising fascist current

  • Noted that the US is in danger of becoming an electoral autocracy

Definitions and Concepts

• Authoritarianism defined:

  • Power centralized around an individual or small group

  • Maintained through political repression and co-optation of institutions

  • Limited pluralism, unlike totalitarianism (zero pluralism) or democracy (unlimited pluralism)

• Fascism explained:

  • Revolutionary form of nationalism aiming to restore a mythic glorified past

  • Unites "real people" against perceived enemies around a dictatorial figure

  • Views violence as necessary for purifying society

• How democracies fail:

  • Often through slow corruption and erosion of democratic institutions

  • Authoritarians often elected before dismantling democracy from within

  • Can result in an electoral autocracy where elections still occur but are heavily corrupted

Tactics of Authoritarian Regimes

• Tarso Ramos outlined common tactics used by authoritarian regimes:

  • Directing investigations against critics and defenders of constitutional rights

  • Arresting people for expressing views critical of the regime

  • Pressuring news media, judiciary, and businesses to collaborate with the regime

  • Creating national security justifications for domestic policing and repression

  • Bending the judiciary to their will or refusing to comply with judicial orders

  • Concentrating power in the executive branch

  • Replacing professionals in military and civilian administrations with loyalists

Nonviolent Resistance

• Maria Stephan presented on the effectiveness of nonviolent resistance against authoritarian regimes

• Explained that autocrats can be removed through voting or nonviolent civil resistance, often requiring a combination of both

• Highlighted that autocrats try to cheat by tilting elections, changing rules, and keeping people fearful

Historical Examples

• Notable examples of successful nonviolent resistance movements:

  • Gandhi-led independence movement in India

  • Danish resistance to the Nazis

  • South African anti-apartheid struggle

  • Polish solidarity movement

  • Chilean movement against Augusto Pinochet

  • US civil rights movement

  • Orange Revolution in Ukraine (2005)

  • Otpor movement in Serbia (2000)

• Recent examples:

  • Farmers-led movement in India (2020-2021)

  • Burmese saffron revolution

  • Polish movement against the Law and Justice party

  • South Korean protests against martial law (2022)

How Nonviolent Resistance Works

• Explained two views of power:

  • Traditional view: power is fixed and held by elites

  • Alternative view: power comes from consent and cooperation of ordinary people

• Introduced concept of "pillars of support":

  • Organizations and institutions that provide sources of power to regimes

  • Examples include bureaucracies, economic institutions, police, military, unions, religious groups

• Emphasized that regimes fall when pillars of support withdraw their cooperation

• Discussed reasons why people support regimes: habit, self-interest, fear, lack of confidence, psychological identification, moral obligation, apathy, conformity

Tactics and Methods

• Presented Gene Sharp's 198 methods of nonviolent action, expanded by Michael Beer's framework

• Categories of nonviolent action:

  • Protest actions: rallies, marches, vigils

  • Non-cooperation: boycotts, strikes, walkouts

  • Disruptive intervention: direct action to prevent harm

  • Appeals and constructive programs

• Emphasized the importance of diverse tactics, including joy, humor, singing, and ritual

Interactive Elements

• Mentimeter used for icebreaker and opinion polls

• Breakout rooms encouraged for in-person groups

• Polls on hosting future training sessions and participating in the April 5th day of action

• Interactive exercise to text 2-3 contacts and schedule one-on-one conversations

• Participants identified key pillars of support for the current regime and discussed potential tactics

• Final interactive activity: participants shared commitments to nonviolent action

Resources and Next Steps

• Hands Off website for April 5th day of action information

• Google form and Mobilize for signing up to host training sessions

• activistchecklist.org for personal cybersecurity tips

• Encouraged outreach to friends and family to grow the movement

• Recommended resource: "What can I do to fight this coup?" by Daniel Hunter

Closing

• Next week's training to focus on in-depth outreach strategies

• Reminder to use Q&A feature for questions

• Future training sessions to continue on Thursdays, 8-10 PM Eastern time

• Participants shared commitments to various forms of nonviolent action, including:

  • Organizing in-person meetings

  • Completing trainings

  • Participating in boycotts and protests

  • Being a voice in their communities

  • Running for local positions

  • Staying engaged and strategic

  • Hosting potlucks and circle meetings

• Aquene Freechild closed the session with gratitude and encouragement for continued participation