Communities that Protect and Resist

Our Vision

Our Mission

Welcome to Communities that Protect and Resist!

CPR strives for a planet of resilient, self-directed, self-governing communities thriving in mutually regenerative relationships with their landbases; a planet without empires; a planet where inhabitants are Bonded (by healthy interrelation among other community members), not Bound (by constraints, restrictions, or controls imposed by others in service to the dominant culture); where work is meaningful and jobs are meaningless; where the sights, smells and feelings enrich, instead of toxify.

These communities, as diverse as the lands that give rise to them, recognize and guarantee the rights of all creatures of the living world (including air, rocks, bodies of water, and soil) to exist, thrive, evolve and flourish.

A support group, clearinghouse, resource bank, facilitator of and for activists who want to build, then leverage strong communities to pursue sustainable, just lives, we resist dominant culture, including the forces destroying the planet:

Patriarchy/Misogyny
Capitalism/Consumerism
Racism
Militarism
Environmental Destruction

Our communities are able to resist, protect and persist, to maintain their integrity and autonomy, because they cultivate:

Capacity

Knowledge, skills, values and cultural practices that allow them to thrive among their constituent members, in concert with their land, and to resist efforts from within and without that threaten their justice, sustainability and distinctive character and relationships with the land and each other.

Confidence

Clarity and commitment to their identity and purpose. Conviction regarding their ability to self-sustain and oppose threats to their existence, way of living, and land.

Continuity

Systems, roles, rites and rituals that maintain their:

~ Culture and relationships with the past and future generations

~ Values emphasizing deep relationships to each other and the land

~ Hard-won assets (skills, trust, values, nurturance, etc.) needed for resistance and prosperity.

Premises

CPR as Resistance Collectives – Communities provide a fundamental unit of opposition, based on shared interests, identity, and/or a common landbase. Dominant culture has atomized our collectives/families and blunted joint resistance efforts by invoking the guileful, divisive ideology of neoliberalism. We advocate for a return to class consciousness, collective struggle and the wielding of power available only to united groups committed to each other.

CPR as Survival Platforms – One myth of neoliberalism is of the strong, independent actor who survives on her own wits and strength. Rarely, though, does one survive without the help and support of others. Communities may be the primary mechanism of survival during collapse and after. As critical resources disappear, as corporate-governmental power continues to be a threat to both freedoms and protections, as global climate change continues to exacerbate resource wars and social chaos, only those embedded in strong communities will survive. Redoubts and bomb shelters provide temporary safety, but are likely targets for desperate survivors.

CPR as Viable Alternatives – Industrial civilization is just one form of society. It is killing all life on this planet. As that culture dies, new ones will replace it that reflect the needs of their members and landbases. Communities serve as alternative societies to help create just and sustainable cultures. We do not dictate the particular characteristics of any new communities; we exist to facilitate them.

CPR as Resistance Support – Resistance movements are difficult to instigate and difficult to maintain because many, if not most, activists so engaged then disengage in the face of financial hardship, familial responsibilities, or both. Communities provide a liberating base of support to free front-line activists and resistance warriors for resistance work. In strong communities, these needs are met by the collective. Frontline activists can then pursue the warrior role as necessary.

CPR as Sustenance – Activism is stressful, isolating, and fraught with danger. Even the most steadfast resisters can become drained, despondent, and distrustful of comrades. Communities serve as a support groups for activists and warriors experiencing burnout. They recognize these risks, the danger signs their warriors might exhibit and are quick to provide the social support (or rest) resisters need to continue the struggle for the survival and independence of their community.

CPR as Natural Order – Industrial civilization doesn’t only destroy the physical world; it destroys the spirit. Communities are the natural order of things. What indigenous cultures know is that communities enrich and heal. The effects of industrial civilization manifest as stress, illness, and addiction, among others. These infirmities affect all inhabitants of a community: air, soil, rocks, water, animals, plants, fungi are compromised, stressed and weakened. Communities offer the intimacy, camaraderie, nurturance, support and the structure needed to thrive.

Our work is made possible through elbow grease, precious spare time, dedication, your participation and last, but not least, your contributions. Thank you to all of our students and teachers! Your support means the world to us.