By Chris Tittle, Director of Organizational Resilience

Community -

Even before the outcome of this year’s elections, we knew that for far too long our dominant political and economic systems have served the very few while driving us toward climate chaos, wealth inequality, war, and social injustice.

We also knew another truth: that in communities around the globe, people have been coming together to create and control their own economies, to generate people-powered solutions to the many threats posed by an extractive economy and an unresponsive political system. Whatever happens next, this is still true.

When we can’t trust our dominant institutions, it’s up to us to build new ones. Will you join us? On November 17th, we gathered together with our community to share a collective vision for an economy rooted in justice, sustainability, and democracy; to reaffirm our commitments to mutual aid and solidarity; and to acknowledge the work that’s already been done and that still needs doing. See photos from our 2016 Annual Fall Celebration and Showcase below!

The great community organizer, public intellectual, and American revolutionary Grace Lee Boggs wrote in her essay “These Are The Times to Grow Our Souls”:

“To become truly human...we need to summon up all our mental and spiritual resources, constantly expanding our imaginations, sensitivities, and capacity for wonder and love, for hope rather than despair, for compassion and cooperation rather than cynicism and competition, for spiritual aspiration and moral effort.”

These words are truer now than ever before. This is the time to grow our souls, grow people-powered economies, grow self-determined communities, grow our commitment to local, living, loving economies.

With no illusions about the new threats that our movements for justice and democracy now face, we stand firmly in our vision and we invite you to come stand with us by becoming a member or making a one-time donation today. We need to raise $20,000 this December to build momentum going into 2017, a pivotal year for communities everywhere and our shared planetary home.

We know there are many important places to put your money (we highlighted a few of them here and here). We also can't continue to do the important work of localizing livelihoods, creating permanent housing and farmland, bringing our money home, and building power for everyone without YOU. Join us today. 

Love,

Chris Tittle