It’s no secret that resistance to industrial civilization isn’t winning. The planet is still dying, and injustice and oppression are rampant; you might say we’re getting our asses kicked.

In part, our struggles are due to the enormity of the problem, and our small numbers. We have no control over the former, but more over the latter. Consider these issues for a moment:

• Do we have problems with recruitment? Turnover? Commitment?
• Are we all on the same page regarding purpose, direction, and/or strategy?
• Do we experience ‘drama’ / horizontal hostility within our ranks, or across resistance collectives?
• Do you want comrades to struggle with you, to take risks, to actually take direct action, but find the response underwhelming?

It’s not a stretch to suggest that these questions can be addressed by more effective leadership among members of the resistance. It isn’t hyperbole to declare that the planet is crying out for leadership. From John Gardner: “we are anxious but immobilized” by immensely threatening problems. What’s needed is the capacity to focus our energies, and a capability for sustained commitment. This is a call for leadership, of course. We’re at war for the survival of the planet, and we cannot afford not to fight better.

 No one has yet figured out how to manage people effectively into battle; they must be led. John Kotter

The corporate world and the military invest heavily in leadership development, as they understand the payoff in competitive advantage that leadership capacity brings. They’re organized: we need to be, too. We have to compete and win without traditional leverage (rewards, authority) with others. Comrades need to be led, not managed or coerced.

What is leadership?

One challenge for us is to choose a conceptualization of leadership with which to work, because embedded in each are assumptions, about: agency with respect to followers or peers; relative worth of comrades vis a visleaders; acceptability of a hierarchy or power differential; and so on. One conceptualization that fits our requirements comes from Kouzes and Posner:

Leadership is the art [& practice] of mobilizing others to want to struggle for shared aspirations.

This form of leadership fits nicely for us in the resistance. Leadership here is not a position, or about power. This approach also suggests a process of mutual influence, not coercion or manipulation. For resistance members, this ‘egalitarian’ view should be more palatable than management-oriented approaches; at the same time, viewing leadership as a process shared by all avoids a tendency for resistance groups to devolve into cults of personality, which not only limit the existence of the collective to the lifetime of the cult leader, but also tend toward abuse and misogyny.

How then can we practice leadership in this way? By incorporating five “practices” that enable leaders to inspire their comrades to get extraordinary things done. 

Serve as a Model (Who are you and what are you all about?)

Effective leaders first “find their voice” – they discover, prioritize, and clarify their values, both personal and collective. They resolve potential conflicts between their values and those of whatever collective they are part of. Once they have found their voice, leaders ensure they speak in ways consistent with the values of the larger collective, by constantly engaging in dialogue with others concerning what is important, what is not, and why the shared values are necessary for the survival of the collective and realization of its purpose. Clarity and commitment to these values are essential prerequisites for leaders to establish core principles concerning the way comrades, constituents, and allies should be treated and the way goals should be pursued.

Leaders also set the example by behaving in ways that are consistent with shared values. By acting as an exemplar for share values, leaders help comrades see how the values play out in behavioral terms – they teach. By modeling and teaching, leader act to establish and maintain a healthy culture for the group. “Culture work” is a critical leadership function, and all the practices we describe here play some role in influencing the culture of the group. 

Inspire a Shared Vision (What do we want our world to be like?)

Resistance leaders need to answer the question, “What are we fighting for?” Collective struggle is fueled by a shared vision of the future – of a realistic, credible, attractive future; an ideal and unique image of the future for a group, organization or larger collective. Leaders envision the future and clearly paint a picture for the group to comprehend.

• Without a vision for a group, little can happen. If a leader is going to take people places they haven’t been before, constituents need to have a sense of direction. This is the function an effective vision provides.
• Leaders look forward to the future. But visions seen only by the leader aren’t enough to make things happen; effective leaders therefore show others how their values and interests will be served by a long-term vision of the future.

The visioning process is enabled by laying the groundwork of shared values.

A vision …doesn’t just reveal itself in a flash of light or a brilliant dream! It evolves from knowledge of ourselves, our values, and our desires.        Laraine Matusak

The process of creating a shared vision isn’t mystical or forbiddingly charisma-charged; it’s pretty straightforward.

• Know yourself & your community (or similar groups) – and know the past. Visit the past of your group or your movement to better understand the possible futures.
• Get in touch w/your collective’s values. Determine what you want to fight for. 
• Let yourself dream/ get creative.
• Enlist others in the vision – attract people to a common purpose (discuss it, articulate it, repeat it) by appealing to shared aspirations. Demonstrate your belief and confidence in it, and in the ability of your comrades to achieve it.

Just because your community or collective has a vision in place doesn’t imply you can’t undertake this important work for whatever part of the community you’re leading. Your comrades may be hungry for direction and meaning – feed that need.

Challenge the process (What should we do differently?)

We don’t have to tell resistance warriors they need to challenge the status quo Dominant culture), as that’s likely the path that led them to resistance work in the first place. Continue to do that! But it’s less likely these same advocates for fundamental, radical change in the world apply that analysis internally, to their own groups or organizations. Give yourself permission to voice the need for changes, wherever they might be needed. We doubt your group is perfect, so do yourself and them a favor and help them move in the direction of improvement and evolution.

Search for opportunities to change your status quo, because comrades do their best when there’s the chance to transform the way things are. Seek challenging opportunities to test your abilities, and motivate others to exceed their self-perceived limits. We’re not going to make a dent in the dominant culture by doing business as usual, in the larger society or in our respective groups. We must be vigilant for opportunities to change our comrades, our groups, and ourselves. Look for innovative ways to change, grow and improve. To maintain energy and momentum as part of the change process, one thing leaders can do is treat every assignment as an adventure, not just another routine. Even in the resistance world, there are lots of tasks that are less than romantic. Look for ways to keep yourself and comrades engaged as much a possible, and open to suggesting change.

Continue the drive to change and evolve by experimenting and taking risks, by trying new ways of reaching toward the mission and purpose. To that end, constantly generate small wins (incremental successes linked to innovations they or others are trying) and learning from the resulting mistakes, too. 

You don’t have to be the creator or innovator – you can recognize and support good ideas, and challenge the system to get them adopted; you can be a champion of risk takers. Create a climate for learning, taking risks, and changing.

Enable Others to Act (How can I help you resist?)

You may need to “decolonize” your mind. Effective resistance efforts won’t be led by the strong loners of our neoliberal movie mythology; they will be led by activists who encourage comrades to thrive in their work. Leaders can’t succeed alone (this is leadership, after all, not good citizenship). They create and maintain trustworthy relationships, and build cohesive teams that feel like family. But while good leaders don’t try to do everything by themselves, they don’t just delegate, either; they involve comrades in planning and give them discretion. 

Leaders foster collaboration by promoting cooperative goals, facilitating relationships and building trust. 

Trust is a core component of collaboration and nurturing effective groups. ’We’ can’t happen without trust. It’s the central issue in human relationships. Without trust you cannot lead. Those who are unable to trust others fail to become leaders, precisely because they can’t bear to be dependent on the words and works of others. From the comrades’ perspective, why should a fellow resistance warrior work hard or take on risk for someone she or he doesn’t trust? Make sure you create a climate of trust – here are some tips:

• Be the first to trust. Model the way!
• Show concern for others (often, by listening)
• Share knowledge & information. Sure, information is power, so share it!

Another best practice for fostering collaboration is to promote joint efforts in staffing tasks or campaigns, and incorporate systems that enable fact-to-face interactions wherever possible. Resistance members are spread far and wide, so it’s difficult to implement these interactions physically, so use what’s available. Technology is evil, but let’s leverage it to build an effective resistance while we can.

Effective leaders continually develop comrades and cultivate their confidence and self-efficacy. They strengthen others by sharing power and discretion, and by delegating with development and challenge in mind. A comrade may not be as good as you in a particular area, but that doesn’t mean you can’t delegate that task to him! Let them do their best and grow from the practice and feedback. Sharing builds competence and confidence as well as trust. It’s a powerful practice.

Generate a learning climate and educate others in other ways, too. Be a coach. 

• Give constructive feedback, particularly when a comrade completes something you delegated to her or him.
• Probe a comrade for her understanding, reflection and learning following a challenge. Engage in Socratic questioning to further a comrade’s ability to reason and reflect.
• Teach.

Don’t try to do everything yourself – spoiler: you can’t. Develop others – while sometimes time consuming, it’s an investment in your movement that pays huge dividends. When leaders coach, educate, enhance self-determination and otherwise share power, they demonstrate profound trust in and respect for others’ abilities

Encourage and Uplift (What keeps us going?)

Activist work, particularly direct action, is difficult, isolating, stressful, and fraught with risks. It’s hard to maintain motivation, energy, and a sense of purpose. People need encouragement to function at their best and to persist. They need emotional fuel to replenish their spirits. At the same time, no one is likely to persist for very long when they feel ignored or taken for granted. Often the best, or only, way to keep comrades going is through your demonstrated appreciation, pride, and affection for them and what they’re doing. And when they experience wins small or large, these occasions should be all the more celebrated, given the challenges. 

Encouraging leaders recognize contributions individuals make. They communicate that they believe in the abilities of their comrades to help them achieve their purpose. Belief in others is crucial, because positive expectations influence comrades’ efficacy and aspirations. Don’t just tell them you believe in them, either – show them by how you behave toward them. And to do this well, get close to them; be out and about or at least in regular contact. 

Celebrate the values and hard-won victories, even if they are small wins. Create a sense of community: celebrations are among the most significant way people display respect and gratitude, renew a sense of community, and recall shared values & traditions. Celebrations are important ways leaders communicate what’s important to them and the collective.

Leaders can also provide social support, and champion systems that enable support for all comrades.Supportive relationships among comrades, characterized by genuine belief in and advocacy for the interests of others, are critical to maintain vitality. Social support networks are essential for sustaining motivation & work as an antidote to burnout. Keep your comrades on the road, as they say, by supporting them. 

Invest in fun.In a difficult climate for activists, people need to have a sense of personal well-being (which fun can contribute to) to sustain their commitment. And leaders set the tone. Be yourself, but build fun into the work itself, celebrations, or personal / team recognition.

Leadership as a role

It’s exceedingly difficult for resistance collectives or the movement writ large to function without a broad spectrum of individual activists taking on leadership roles. Characterizing leadership as a role is important, because such a representation emphasizes that anyone can assume leadership, depending on circumstance, task, and so on. This realization also de-emphasizes the importance of organizational position and hierarchy, to – in fact, our movement is more likely to be effective when leadership is widely dispersed. Then, we better leverage the diverse talents and experiences at our disposal. We also generate better ‘bench strength’ so when a leadership position or new role emerges, we have the capacity on board to meet that challenge. 

When we accept that leadership is a role, we free ourselves from the assumption (myth) that some people are ‘gifted’ with leadership ability, while others are not. Everyone possesses leadership potential, and as resistance warriors we are behooved to develop the skills and values to sharpen our capacity to lead. In this way, ‘leadership’ is wholly consistent with our collective identity. Anyone can take on the mantle of leadership, depending on the circumstances and the makeup of the group she or he find himself or herself part of. Depending on your task-relevant skills or passion, you may be asked to take the lead. And if you’re not asked, step up anyway. We need more of you to do just that. 

In case you think you can’t use these skills if you’re new to resistance/your group or not a top staff member, think again: You’re likely a member of some team, task force or committee that can benefit from leadership. You’re also part of some community that needs leadership to deepen, evolve, or thrive.

Don’t wait for an invitation to lead.

Becoming a better leader

Reading through this entry, and even checking out other resources, will not make you a better leader, any more than reading about becoming a better baseball hitter will get you to the major leagues. So how can you improve your leadership? Same way you get to Carnegie Hall.

We know leadership consists of observable and learnable behaviors. Even if you’re a highly experienced leader, you can improve your ability to lead if you commit to this process: 

• Adopt a model of leadership to aspire to, with a behavioral basis. Otherwise, you’re just guessing about what to observe and practice. You have that model – the one we introduced here.
• Observe positive models of those behaviors.
• Get feedback on your present use of the desired behaviors based on this model. This can be via             written feedback, discussions with peers, or working with a mentor or coach.
• Reflect on the results. 
• Set goals for yourself and/or build a development plan.
• Practice the behaviors.
• Ask for and receive updated feedback on your performance.
• Set new goals.
• Repeat.

You don’t need to take this trip alone, and in fact you’ll find it much easier with others. Consider getting a mentor or coach, or joining a leadership support group. You may have to recruit, perhaps with the promise that you are working to improve, but the results can be enriched substantially.

Final Thought

If your Mom was dying, you’d do anything to save her. Well, she is and you will. Resistance is risky, and direct action scary, but learning to be a better leader and maybe occasionally being uncomfortable? C’mon! You can do it. 

The seductive danger of the pandemic for communities

The 9/11 disaster produced, among other consequences, an outpouring of voiced solidarity among many americans, with cries to come together to heal and rebuild. Within three days, however, reports and footage showed the NYPD and FDNY in-fighting over who had jurisdiction over what aspects of the cleanup and such. So much for coming together.

The same sort of thing occurs with nearly every disaster. “<City name> Strong”becomes the de rigeur branding in the days following natural and man-made calamities. But we know how these work out in the long run; petty differences arise again, self-interest rules, and neoliberalism, racism, misogyny return to their positions of influence. 

We’re seeing the same phenomenon play out in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re awash with calls to pull together, and many people are. “America Strong” and its associated sub-brands crowd out everything but commercials and ads in our mass media. Mutual aid networks are springing up faster than bluebonnets in the Texas foothills. And most of them will fade away just as quickly.

This pull to join together, to view positively others who’re sharing misery, is natural. Numerous studies in the field of Social Psychology show enhanced attraction for others under aversive conditions. For example, air pollution increased attraction for another who might be experiencing the same disagreeable situation. This is known as the “shared stress” phenomenon. 

We can wistfully or earnestly applaud this coming together, and cross our fingers that these times signal a new form for our society to manifest. We can declare that the communities of the future will be more humane, protect us from the threats we’re surrounded by, and usher this Millennium’s Age of Aquarius. The industrious among us can even try to capitalize on this wave of mutual attraction by forming our own mutual aid networks with the hope of changing the future to be more humane. 

But this isn’t likely to succeed. Community builders take note, because if you’re banking on a crisis to galvanize or solidify your community’s relationships and cohesiveness, you’ll be building on a foundation of sand. Beware – a community thrown together this way is not likely to last, as your fundamental social cohesion is a false solidarity. When this crisis passes, members (and often leaders) will drift away, your mission and/or vision (if you have one) will drift, too, and while something that vaguely resembles your community remains, if anyone is left, will likely will be irrelevant, shallow, or passé.

Kazimierz Gozdz (1993) has seen a similar phenomenon play out. In his experience, “community occurs briefly [italics added] because of a crisis or at least a strong necessity” (p. 109) OK so far. The problem for Gozdz, though, is that once the crisis is weathered, the sense of community disappears. 

Community builders can’t afford to capitalize on crisis or disaster without incorporating something more durable into their collective. 

Why? Because from our perspective, the challenge to building Community is not just about surviving the pandemic (the most proximal danger), or even defending ourselves from global warming – it’s about dismantling industrial civilization, the fundamental cause of these and other ills. You thought surviving COVID-19 was tough? Well, our Communities need to be more resilient, focused, if we’re going to Protect and Resist the dominant culture, and outlast it.

We don’t need to sound so bleak (although things aren’t exactly rosy), since there is a way forward. So what to do? For us, this involves building Community on a sturdier foundation – one based on shared fundamental values and purpose, and a deep commitment to each other, to the living world, and to justice and real sustainability. It involves building a collective with a shared consciousness and worldview that reflects an open-eyed sense of reality. It involves Community builders decolonizing their minds, and revising the essential meaning of the commons, while discarding neoliberal toxins. The real world isn’t “dog eat dog”; the real world is not “red in tooth and claw” – industrial civilization is. 

It involves building Communities that Protect and Resist.

References

Kazimierz Gozdz (1993). Building Community as a Leadership Discipline. In M. Ray & A. Rinser (Eds.). The New Paradigm in Business: Emerging Strategies for Leadership and Organizational Change. New York: J.P. Archer / Perigee.

James Rotton, Timothy Barry, James Frey, & Edgardo Soler. Air Pollution and interpersonal Attraction.  First published: March 1978 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1978.tb00765.x

We’ve been exploring the notion of Community as a way of understanding this critical component of resistance to the dominant culture. One outcome of these explorations is that we Community builders better understand where our collectives are – see our earlier post describing Functional vs. Conscious vs. Deep Community, and the notion of Radical Community. 

A more important outcome of these explorations is that Community builders can determine whether there is a gap between where their collective is now and where the collective aspires to be, and to then craft a plan to move forward. 

It’s challenging enough for a Community that Protects and Resists to function as an intentional collective. The challenge is even more profound when we struggle to achieve a Deep Community, in which the attitudes and behaviors associated with maintaining and improving internal processes “have become so internalized they are second nature” (see our Characterizing Community post). To then progress to a radical, oppositional Community and continue to exist and thrive while beset by isolation, oppression, and repression, takes something special. We need commitment. And commitment takes several forms.

Commitment to coexist

In its most basic, commonsense conceptualization, commitment to Community involves a willingness to coexist; a promise, articulated or implied, to share in the development and maintenance of the Community, and to share whatever bounty it holds. Commitment is more than this, too – it is a wholehearted offering to guarantee others’ safety, survival, and ability to thrive. 

For a radical Community, commitment also involves a duty to shield the collective from the invasive, destructive forces of the dominant culture and industrial civilization, to replenish and replace damages as they occur, and to ensure others understand the history and context surrounding the threats as well as the values, purpose and capacities critical for the Community to protect, resist and survive (see our post on Community Consciousness).

Commitment in a radical Community also means guiding or contributing to the Community’s evolution, beyond merely appositional to oppositional, for example. In an earlier post, we discussed the importance of cultivating a deep community (and alluded to it above). Community builder Kazimierz Gozdz (1993): 

“Community, in its basic form, involves a group of people who have committed themselves to a process of ever-deepening levels of communication. Such a group becomes capable of learning, self-reflective behavior, and the capacity to balance individual and group needs.” (p. 111)

A Community does not evolve, deepen, or successfully resist by dint of some collective magic: it does so because its members are committed to each other, and to the Community, and to make things work.

Commitment to exercise discipline

Willingness to coexist, to share in the development and maintenance of the community, and to accept the obligation to shield others are critical oaths and aspirations. To execute on these obligations, though, Community builders need more than a sense of obligation – they need the discipline to prepare and follow through on their obligations. We alluded to this responsibility in our Community Protector essay. 

Gozdz (1993) expands: “…community is a process rather than a state… commitment must be mustered in order to maintain it; only through purpose and discipline will the community process be maintained….

Anyone who has been involved in building a Community or even an effective team understands that success (by whatever measure) doesn’t happen magically; conflicts, changes to the mission or vision, external developments and sheer exhaustion all throw up roadblocks which must be overcome, and inertia itself is never enough to see Communities through. Elders, leaders, and ‘rank and file’ members need to internalize the discipline to maintain movement.

In this regard, commitment means viewing Community building as a discipline, and willingness to see the process through its inevitable challenges, downturns, frustrations, and reversals of fortune. “[Builders] have to hold the commitment and keep the process going, even though some in the group may become complacent.” (p. 114)

Gozdz’ comments are borne from a business perspective, but they generalize behind his intentions. He also views this commitment as it pertains to the organization’s leadership, but clearly, to us, commitment must be dispersed throughout the Community. Leaders in a Community need to have demonstrated commitment as a prerequisite to being chosen to guide the collective; on the flip side, wise Communities need to ensure their ‘leadership development system’ doesn’t just provide skills work, but nurtures a love for the collective and a commitment to all in its embrace.

Commitment to the long-term well-being of all

Undertaking the hard work of creating or revitalizing a Community and dedicating efforts toward helping it evolve set the foundation for success (a Community epitomized by Capacity and Confidence, as we outline in our Mission Statement). Missing to this point is the third facet, Continuity. Communities that Protect and Resist must also focus on the long term.

“Lastly, the only way a community will succeed is if everyone involved is committed to the long term wellbeing of the health of the group over an extended period of time. When I talk to individuals who are part of a healthy community they always express that preservation of the community and its continued wellbeing is their biggest commitment.” https://www.womenlivingincommunity.com.what-is-community/

To take the strong view, we assert that a successful community is by definition committed to the long term. “Successful communities think as much about tomorrow as they do about today.” (Morse, p. 234) 

Commitment to the long term is especially important to the planet, and not just to the Community. CPR collectives will serve as alternatives so the dominant culture, and will populate the planet with just and sustainable forms of coexistence in natural communities. To do that, they must outlast the dominant culture. And to do that, they must be oriented toward the long term. 

Indigenous societies understand and appreciate the long view. The Seventh Generation notion describes just how “long-term” works.  

The Seventh Generation takes its name from the Great Law of the Haudenosaunee, the founding document of the Iroquois Confederacy, the oldest living participatory democracy on Earth. It is based on an ancient Iroquois philosophy that: “In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.”

… In all of your deliberations in the Confederate Council, in your efforts at law making, in all your official acts, self interest shall be cast into oblivion. Cast not over your shoulder behind you the warnings of the nephews and nieces should they chide you for any error or wrong you may do, but return to the way of the Great Law which is just and right. Look and listen for the welfare of the whole people and have always in view not only the present but also the coming generations, even those whose faces are yet beneath the surface of the ground — the unborn of the future Nation.”

This philosophy is not unique to just the Iroquois nation. Many Native American nations, tribes and other indigenous people around the world have and still live by this philosophy. 

Today, The Seventh Generation Principle usually applies to decisions about the energy we use, water and natural resources, and ensuring those decisions are sustainable for seven generations in the future.

We should apply the Seventh Generation Principle to relationships – so that every decision we make results in sustainable relationships that last at least seven generations into the future. http://7genfoundation.org/7th-generation/

This is long-term thinking and commitment. Our challenge is to put aside the short term, quarter-to-quarter orientation the dominant culture presents as ‘strategic thinking’, and consider how our actions, systems and decisions will effect our Community long into the future. You might guess, rightly, that this is easier said than done. In fact, it can’t be done at all by single individuals – we have to rely on the collective wisdom and experience of elders and respected allies to guide Communities this well and truly.

Commitment to the development of young people

Effective Communities ensure young members internalize the values, history, and skills shared by all, and essential for the continuance of that Community. John Gardner: “…mature members ensure that the young grow up with a sense of obligation to the community.” (p. 118) 

Of course. It’s cliché to the point of ridicule that youth are the promise of the future, but it’s true. For Community to achieve Continuity and a capacity to endure, it must be able to revitalize and renew itself. Our Communities will never replace the dominant culture if they can’t provide a continuing source of lifeblood: the renewal of a population committed to the Community and ready and willing to place collective interests over individual concerns. 

The Community must be a place (material or virtual) where the young are nourished, guided, informed and bounded, by the members at large and not only by the nearest relatives, acquaintances or friends. They must be ready and willing to take on the mantle of builders and elders when their time comes to move the Community forward.

Building commitment

• Be direct. Build your Community directly. There’s no need to finesse the building of commitment. As with building effective teams, Community builders can ask new members (in new and virtual Communities especially) to pledge to a social contract outlining roles, norms and expectations regarding how the collective operates and maintains order, justice, and sustainability. While this technique lacks romance, it can be effective. Don’t ignore the obvious in building commitment.

• Do your culture work. Social contracts can be an effective tool for guaranteeing commitment, but they often rely on a degree of monitoring and enforcement that may be inefficient or distasteful to some. Instead, you might rely on a more robust tack. From Shaffer and Anundsen: “Chief among these [timeless qualities of communities] is commitment. Commitment…requires that community members embody … timeless values as trust, honesty, compassion and respect.” (p. 10)

• We’ve talked in previous posts about the critical lever role a Community’s culture can play in, e.g., its consciousness. Pay constant attention to cultivating a strong culture, centered on your core values. Rites, rituals, heroes, myths, and stories all reinforce your values and culture. Don’t relegate them to afterthoughts – use them as ‘frontline’ guardians of your Community building.

• Do your vision work. Gozdz p 115: “A commitment to community … has to be reflected in the framework that defines the very reason for … existence. Some call this framework a ‘purpose’; others call it … ‘mission’; still others, a ‘vision’. (p. 115) 

• By its very nature, an effective vision can attract commitment and energize people (Kouzes and Posner). People are eager to commit voluntarily and completely to something truly worthwhile, something that will make life better for others, or that represents a significant improvement for their community or landbase. This commitment arises in part because an effective Community vision creates meaning in people’s lives. Individuals see themselves as part of a something unique, special, and valuable to the land. And they are more likely to commit to helping that succeed and endure.

• The vision for your Community should of course tap into core values shared by members. Incorporating the long view into the development of your vision is also critical. For one, it helps craft an effective, galvanizing vision. Second, this process supports the commitment to the long term survival among Community members. How is this done? Through utilizing what’s known as the Janus effect (Kouzes and Posner): 
  
  • Looking into your past can reveal much about the future. … executives who were asked to think first about things that had happened to them in the past—before they thought about future possibilities—were subsequently able to extrapolate significantly further into the future than those who were asked to think first about things that might happen to them in the future. As a Community Builder, your ability to look both to your past and your future for guidance opens up more possibilities than doing one or the other alone. When you gaze first into your past, you essentially elongate your future. You enrich your imagination about the future and give it detail as you recall the richness of your past experiences. Looking back enables you to better understand that the central, recurring themes [in your Community] didn’t just materialize this morning. It’s been there for a long time. Another benefit to looking back before looking ahead is that you gain a greater appreciation for how long it can take to fulfill aspirations. You also realize that there are many, many avenues to pursue. (Adapted from p. 107-108)

• Prepare the next generation(s) / develop your youth. One way to start is ‘unschooling’ – removing youth from the toxic propaganda and obedience-oriented fire hose that passes for education. Instead, use schooling at home (or in the Community, even better) to reinforce a material history of the Community, its values, and to build skills necessary for the Community.
  • Provide Community youth with real opportunities to build skills, learn leadership and teamwork, and express Community values through practical tasks, duties, and roles. You might think of these as ‘Internships’, or more prosaically, chores!
  • Broaden the developmental experience beyond immediate family. Youth are better prepared by being exposed to (and mentored by) the Community as a collective, with its greater wisdom and experience, and greater capacity to monitor and guide. 

For many, the current pandemic reveals not only the dismal state of a privatized health care system, but the cruelty of capitalism, and global damage caused by industrial civilization (note how pollution has waned and wildlife has begun to reestablish itself in just a few weeks, without the crush of humans). The Trials have also revealed the lingering curse of neoliberalism (hoarding, blatant disregard for safety precautions, and the like). Also highlighted, though, is the restorative power of true Community (mutual aid networks, rescue initiatives, etc.). 

Uncertainty and anxiety abound. We wonder how we will survive the Trials, and we obsess speculatively on what will come after.

CPR contributors offer thoughts on these themes. We don’t do this from a stance that we have the answers; we do this to begin a conversation about Community and what that means, and how we can contribute to building something larger than ourselves to survive and thrive now and beyond the Trials.  

What do we make of this moment. And what do we do? Here are perspective, reflections, and humble suggestions.

In Part 1, Ani detailed a narrative, local-focused reaction to the Trials, and strategies for responding in a land-based way. In Part 2, we take a “life-cycle” and big-picture approach based on CPR principles.

First, Survival

[CPR Premise 2] Communities are a primary mechanism of survival during Collapse and in the times beyond. Rarely does one survive without the help and support of others. As critical resources disappear, as the corporate-governmental axis of power continues to threaten freedoms and protections, and as global climate change continues to exacerbate resource wars and social chaos, only those embedded in strong communities will survive. Redoubts and bomb shelters will at best provide only temporary safety, and in fact are likely to be high-priority target for desperate bands of survivors.

• Ask for what you need. Screw neoliberalism and the rugged individualism bullshit.
  • Find and join a Community, or help create one
• Revive the commons, and eschew the tragedy of the commons
  • Offer a space
  • Look in on at-risk neighbors
  • Help local wildlife threatened by recent events
  • Share what you can, and look for ways that others can do the same
• Build or contribute to a mutual aid network. Develop a phone tree. Systematize checking in among members of your Community. Amass food and supplies.
• Make two promises to yourself and to your Community:
  • Don’t forget (what got us here. Industrial civilization, patriarchy, and neoliberalism)
  • Don’t go back. The Trials are an absolutely golden opportunity for us to hit the reset button.  We won’t get another chance like this to rewire our society. 

Next, Resistance

[CPR Premise 4] Communities provide a liberating base of support to free front-line activists and resistance warriors for resistance work. Resistance movements are notoriously difficult to instigate, and even more difficult to maintain, in great measure because many if not most of the activists so engaged feel the need to disengage in the face of financial hardship, family responsibilities, or both. In a strong Community, these needs are met by the collective, and frontline activists can pursue the warrior role when and as necessary.

[CPR Premise 5] Communities serve as a support groups for activists and warriors experiencing burnout. Activism, particularly radically oriented activism, is stressful, isolating, and fraught with danger. Even the most steadfast resisters can become drained, despondent, and distrustful of comrades. Communities that resist recognize these risks and the danger signs their warriors might exhibit, and are quick to provide the social support (and rest) resisters need to reenter the front lines and continue the struggle for the survival and independence of their community.

• Look at the larger picture with respect to why we’re here (climate change, industrial civilization). 
  • Read up on ways to respond – Decisive Ecological Warfare; Communities that Protect and Resist.
  • Teach others what you know
• Build a Community that Protects and Resists
  • Read our essays about characteristics of effective CPR collectives
  • Identify, train, and sustain your Leaders and Defenders
  • Implement a strategy to defend your Community, and to allow it to survive and thrive

Later, the Future

[Premise 3] Communities serve as forms of viable alternative cultures and societies to populate the planet after collapse, with just and sustainable collectives. Industrial civilization is just one form of society, and it’s killing all life on this planet. As the dominant culture dies off, new ones will replace it, that reflect the needs of their members (human and otherwise) and their respective landbases. 

[CPR Premise 6] Communities are the natural order of things. Industrial civilization doesn’t only destroy the physical world; it destroys the spirit and soul of all who are subject to its poison. What indigenous cultures and wise elders know, too, is that communities enrich and heal the body, and spirit. We know the disastrous effects of the dominant culture manifested in stress, poor health, mental illness, and addiction among other ailments. Communities, in contrast, offer the camaraderie, near-unconditional support, intimacy, emotional outlets, sense of identity, nurturance, and structure needed to survive, grow and thrive.

• Help your Community that Protects and Resists to evolve toward a Deep Community.
  • Ensure it is just and sustainable, and would serve as a healthy replacement for the dominant culture you’re helping to dismantle
• Develop your Community’s Continuity, to continue beyond your tenure and existence.

For many, the current pandemic reveals not only the dismal state of a privatized health care system, but the cruelty of capitalism, and global damage caused by industrial civilization (note how pollution has waned and wildlife has begun to reestablish itself in just a few weeks, without the crush of humans). The Trials have also revealed the lingering curse of neoliberalism (hoarding, blatant disregard for safety precautions, and the like). Also highlighted, though, is the restorative power of true Community (mutual aid networks, rescue initiatives, etc.). 

Uncertainty and anxiety abound. We wonder how we will survive the Trials, and we obsess speculatively on what will come after.

CPR contributors offer thoughts on these themes. We don’t do this from a stance that we have the answers; we do this to begin a conversation about Community and what that means, and how we can contribute to building something larger than ourselves to survive and thrive now and beyond the Trials.  

What do we make of this moment. And what do we do? Here are perspective, reflections, and humble suggestions.

I am alarmed by the behavior of people overreacting due to fear for themselves or their loved ones at home. It’s understandable, but we can’t forget to be mindful and compassionate to people around us. Let’s not give in to the 24-hour cycle of fear mongering in the media – that’s what they thrive on for their ratings – they don’t have our best interests in mind. 

When I interact with a freaked-out individual I try to put myself in her shoes. It’s not always easy when you have someone yelling at you, “STEP BACK!” and you might not get an equally understanding response but I like to think of exhibiting empathy as planting seeds (maybe one day they’ll find themselves in a similar situation and think back to this moment). 

My biggest message would be to think for yourself; don’t follow rules because your boss, the TV talking head, internet pundit or government lackey told you to. Research the reasons for the actions and policies you hear about, and use common sense. For example, if Personal Protective Equipment such as gloves or masks is not used properly it will not work; if you touch any surface with your gloved hand and then touch your mouth, nose or eyes you are transferring anything on that surface to those orifices. Skin is actually an amazing protective layer, which if not compromised (by wounds or scratches), doesn’t allow viruses or bacteria to enter your body. I don’t wear gloves but I wash my hands before eating and in general after I leave a public area – this is a not a public announcement, just my own practice. 

So, educate yourself the best you can and THINK FOR YOURSELF. That’s always been the best way to protect yourself from viruses, like the dominant culture. As a start, put down your phone, laptop, or remote. Go outside, breathe and let your eyes, soul and mind rest surrounded by nature – it’s soothing and healthful but not pacifying. There’s a good reason we feel on edge but let’s use this energy to engage in a change we want to see.

I very much worry that this medical martial law is a test run for more permanent government-imposed restrictions and a way to get us accustomed to that repression. I truly hope that these Trials will be a major wake up call for people to start building resilient homes and communities around them. What I don’t want to happen is that these Trials become one of those inconveniences that, after it’s over, is gone from our minds and we continue blissfully living in the dominant culture. I have seen that happen before; for example, during the blackout of 2003 on the east coast it was shocking to me to find out there’s no water supply without power. We all wished we had filled our tubs beforehand or had some emergency water containers. After the power came back on we all did that for a couple of weeks but then everything went back to “normal” so we all forgot. Bad on us. The point is not to prepare for every potential scenario – it is to analyze the situation and address it at the root cause; fill your bathtub with water vs. seek out a dwelling with a well.

Another worrisome behavior that might be normalized even more than it already is (or ever should be) is social distancing. The increase of use of remote technology catalyzed by mandatory isolation might lead people more and more to see distancing as a super convenient way to interact, seek out entertainment, and live vicariously while never leaving the couch. This social distancing in an already disconnected society is just moving us farther and farther away from our true nature of being deeply tapped into everything that’s alive around us, including each other.

The members of the rural area I live in display some of those distancing behaviors, but also there’s an incredible mobilization to collaborate on gardening projects, seed swaps, and eventually produce sharing with people in need or for barter. We have donation systems set up at the food hub for local farmers to make food boxes for people in need. We are organizing help for elders. Our organizing is mostly happening on local Facebook message boards, which were always active but definitely become more used now. There are online educational videos from local herbalists and farmers, homeschooling, book readings and mediation for kids, too. 

However, this is not to say the recent interactions are anonymous or removed like internet can be; most people know each other in “real life.” People are cooking at home more but also want to support local restaurants (that already see fewer customers in the colder season due to less tourism) and in turn the establishments are providing take out and curbside pick-ups to accommodate people who want to follow the “social distancing” rules. 

In general, I see a rural area more resilient when it comes to produce than a city would be, although processed foods are in short supply (that’s a good thing if you ask me). Some adjustment is needed of course in terms of eating seasonally, if you haven’t been doing that already; for example, you might not find tomatoes or cucumbers in March but all winter root veggies are there and extra sweet after the frosts, not to mention all the delicious hardy greens. 

I hope people are seeing this pandemic more as an opportunity than a disaster. I acknowledge the widespread loss of friends and loved ones due to the illness and my heart goes out to all. At the same time, we need to take these hard lessons to heart and look for solutions, which cannot include a return to the status quo. 

• Build resilient homes with reliable clean water supply, renewable efficient heating and cooking sources.
• Find or create a walkable (or bikeable) place to garden and forage for wild edibles, or to hunt.
• Create a neighborhood garden network to share and exchange an abundance of produce.
• Gather recipes that use seasonal ingredients and be creative with them.
• Learn how to preserve food without refrigeration.
• Implement a closed cycle of nutrients in your homes with composting and reusing of materials.
• Contribute to a local market with produce and dry bulk goods.
• Form a supportive, intimately connected community with built-in reliance on one another – self sufficiency is an illusion.
• Build a true trusting, solution-based community, willing to step up to the plate no matter how uncomfortable the action may be – a radical community.
• Build a culture of accountability and responsibility that doesn’t shy away from calling out and shaming “officials” in public – they live here and should be facing our anger and dissatisfaction with every attempt to sell us out, use us or repress us.
• Build social and environmental awareness by organizing community discussion forums with set guidelines of effective and compassionate communication skills, therefore empowering people to believe that it doesn’t take a politician or an “expert” to make a good decision or a good plan.

Maureen

One day when I was about 12 years old, playing outside, my mother called me to tell me she didn’t know where my sister was, and we needed to find her. This was the early 1960s, so the first thing we thought of was not that she had been kidnapped or anything, but we were anxious to find her. I started biking around the neighborhood calling out here name. Soon, all our friends and neighbors were doing the same, looking high and low for my sis. No one had to be asked to do this; it was just the kind of thing one did. WE were going to find my sis.

This is quite a narrow, focused example, but it does seem to exemplify basic notions of what a community is about. As we’re committed to building communities, it behooves us to at least explore what the concept means, so let’s take the lay of the land.

Why is it important to understand what Community is?

Philosophers often resort to a dirty trick when debating a point – defining terms. Despite the often maddening trips down rabbit holes that this practice sometimes entails, I can see the point. If we’re to become the most effective practitioners of building Community, we need to have a realistic, rigorous definition and model with which to work. It’s like wanting to be an effective leader without referencing a relevant, supported definition and model of leadership, including the values embedded in the definition in question. The landscape of the ‘left’ is littered with these constructs – ‘radical’ and ‘feminist’, e.g., are so often misunderstood, misused, and abused that the left (hell, even that term has lost its meaning!) has confused these notions as conceptual touchstones for important movements. Let’s not let this happen to us who would build Community. If we want to engage in this work, we can’t rely on vague or inconsistent notions of what we build.

Despite my impassioned plea for intellectual rigor, and although “Community” is often discussed in the popular media, social sciences, and elsewhere, there is not nearly as much effort spent in pinning down the construct in a useful way. Carolyn Shaffer and Kristin Anundsen (2005) offer that because the term ‘community’ can take on so many forms, it “resists being pinned down by definitions” (p.10). Of course, it might well be that “Community” seems to take on so many forms precisely because it has not been rigorously defined.  Be that as it may, we attempt to do just that, recognizing that we’ll eventually have to rely on a discussion of community’s characteristics to flesh out our understanding of what this means.

Community, then as a first approximation:

A collective of interrelated, interdependent entities (“members”) who interact with each other in such a way as to maintain their common good. In the process, members create an entity greater than the sum of their individual contributions and relationships.

Thanks to Shaffer & Anundsen for the last element of the definition. 

Note: Earlier conceptualizations of Community emphasized a focused geographic area. We, and many recent scholars, agree that virtual communities are rising in prevalence and relevance, and we include them in our view.

Dimensions of Community 

“Community” though, is not an all-or-none notion. One way, for example, to examine your group as a potential “real” community is to see how well it stacks up along three dimensions, described by Shaffer & Anundsen:

Were you a participant in the No DAPL protest at Standing Rock? If so, you may have experienced a profound sense of community with your comrade protestors. And while there may have been a wide range of people at Standing Rock (save for Right-Wingers), the depth at which you shared your feelings, for example, other than with respect to environmental and social justice issues, likely was lacking. More telling, even the most dedicated Standing Rock protestors were present for days, or perhaps weeks, and then moved on, even if they were to continue their good work. 

On the other hand, maybe you’re a member of Wild Cooperative, a self-proclaimed community:

We are a community that cultivates cooperative and facilitating relationship with nature and each other and that shares the knowledge of our regenerative and responsible living experiences. We are focusing on changing our life’s perspective from human-centric to bio-centric where all life is part of our family and relatives. We are creating a natural and regenerative ecosystem that energizes all life, allows for individual growth, and shares and returns the surplus of energy and knowledge. This healthy village with resilient social, cultural, economic, educational, and ecological guilds is a building block of a biotic culture.
https://wildcooperative.wordpress.com/mission-statement/

Given Wild Cooperative’s mission, it’s fair to say they share a wide range of facets of life. What we don’t know is the diversity of people involved, although they are clear that community members do not include just people, and in that regard are pretty diverse. Conversations with members of this group indicate they also participate in deep conversation and sharing with each other. While Wild Cooperative is a recent development (less than 5 years), they stack up impressively in the other dimensions.

So what? 

Why is it important to engage in this reflection, this audit of community dimensions? Because your community may not be a community at all. A group that is only together for a short time, and does not meet the other dimensions of breadth or depth, is more likely a Proto-Community. While groups like these “provide great opportunities for experiencing mutual support and connection” (Shaffer & Anundsen, p 13), and while they might serve as platforms to practice community-building skills, they do not serve a wide range of functions, and in general do not last as long as true communities. (Think also of a group of people who band together to help after a flood, or a support group.) Because of these limitations, community builders may seek to move beyond the temporary, less durable form of the Proto-Community.

Functional vs. Conscious vs. Deep Community

In the communities we’re generally most familiar with and maybe grew up in, survival and well-being were primary. Members mutually looked after the physical and social welfare of the members. In the example at the top, our neighbors looked for Maureen to attempt to assure her (and our family’s) safety. We were a Functional Community, in Shaffer & Anundsen’s taxonomy. Functional Communities traditionally ensured members were afforded the essentials (foods, shelter, education, etc.) so they could “be productive and maintain the social order” (p10). However, our neighbors generally did not know a lot about each other’s private lives, and we didn’t do much ‘emotional labor’ concerned with our internal dynamics.

More recent, although less popularized as yet, is the Conscious Community. While Conscious Community maintains the survival and social control aspects of the Functional Community, this form seems influenced by the neoliberalism rampant in the dominant culture. In that regard, Conscious Community also emphasizes “members needs for personal expression, growth, and transformation” (S&A, p 11). Despite the individualistic identity orientation, however, Conscious Community exhibits a redeeming feature or two. For one, members reflect on their common purpose, internal processes, and group dynamics. In this sense Conscious Community evokes qualities of an effective team. Shaffer & Anundsen point out, promisingly, that Conscious Communities incorporate a “systems understanding of reality” (p 11). While the systems they describe are mostly internal, likening members to components of a living body, there is some recognition of the importance of avoiding isolation from the human and natural systems the community is part of. This interdependent focus keeps Conscious Communities flexible and wiling to embrace new people and ideas. Despite a nod to the external world, this is clearly not a dominant focus of this model of community building.  

As a Conscious Community matures, its members might aspire to becoming a Deep Community, in which the attitudes and behaviors associated with maintaining and improving their internal processes “have become so internalized they are second nature” (p 13). Shaffer and Anundsen declare, “members easily and naturally attune to what is best for themselves and the group” (p 13). Deep Community doubles down on the internal focus, on the individual, and leaves a bit of space for the group. And for many community builders, Deep Community is a laudable goal; community members absolutely should know “how to lead, follow, listen, speak from the heart, and mediate conflicts, and perform these functions spontaneously whenever a situation calls for them” (p 13). 

But CPR followers and friends understand more is needed from communities. The forces of the dominant culture are too powerful, and the dangers to life on this planet, clear and present, necessitate more of us. Radical Community is the necessary critical response. We love our sister and brother Communities focused on healthy relationships with each other and the land, and want them to succeed. However, our situation is desperate enough to ask them to reflect on moving their focus to a more radical orientation, or to incorporate a radical ‘arm’ into their existence.

Radical Community

First, we reassure the weak of heart that Radical Community is distinct from a community of radicals (not that there’s necessarily anything wrong with that). What we aspire to is not merely a collection, a herd; it is Community much as it has been described here. We respect and seek to achieve Deep Community, but we aim for more.

Melissa Merin (2019) provides a useful starting point:

In the world we currently inhabit here in america, community is often a loose concept that is devalued or destroyed altogether by the need to create and maintain material possessions and capital. People don’t have time to build, nurture and grow their communities…. I add “radical” to community. Radical community is here defined as a group of people who intentionally come together and are unified toward common goals outside of acquiring property and material wealth. Those goals can be food, shelter, self-governance, public education – all of these things and more happen toward a common purpose which is betterness. Betterness is what we build and who we become out of the ashes of oppressive institutions…

(p 20)

The Radical Community (that Protects and Resists) indeed comes together for a common purpose outside the capitalist norm of acquiring property, and in pursuit of our own notion of ‘betterness’, which is encapsulated in our Vision. We are intentional. 

Sure, our orientation is part internal, and we aspire to aspects of Deep Community. Who wouldn’t want to be part of a community that emphasizes healthy, open and honest internal processes? 

But as a Radical Community we also maintain focus on the external. The forces of the dominant culture infiltrate all living systems, commoditize and destroy them in part and in whole. We are morally obligated not merely to escape their influence, but to oppose them. Radical Communities are oppositional: we’re not content merely to rise from the ashes of oppressive institutions; we actively oppose them in all their forms. An example of a potential oppositional Community is Women’s Liberation Front (WoLF), a radical feminist organization dedicated to the total liberation of women. WoLF fights to end male violence, regain reproductive sovereignty, and ultimately dismantle the gender-caste system (http://womensliberationfront.org). WoLF is also an example of a virtual community, focused on protecting women regardless of physical location.

We believe it also true that a Radical Community need not have been formed with radical or oppositional intent; rather, many traditional, geographic-based communities might shift to a radical focus as they recognize the threats to their existence and that of other communities or classes for whom they care. Alternately, it may be that a traditional Community finds it necessary to maintain their original focus and to incorporate a (possibly covert) radical feature to their organizing. Our work is dedicated to them, too.

A Radical Community is not necessarily an effective one, though. We hope we’re not putting too fine a point on things, but we distinguish between the (radical) orientation of a community, and its effectiveness in either managing relationships internally or pursuing its radical orientation externally. On one hand, maybe your community emphasizes internal (process) focus over external, or vice versa. Or perhaps it’s just not coming together well, or is ineffective in realizing its intent, whether stated or implied, of protecting and resisting. What the world needs is Community that is not only committed to internal process as well as radical orientation, but strives for effectiveness in both aspirations. Stay with us, and together we’ll work to figure out how get to where we need to go.

Maureen redux

Did you make it this far, and are you the slightest bit curious? Maureen was up in her bedroom the whole time. She got sleepy and went for a nap.

We celebrate our Community Protectors and you who want to be one. We praise your devotion to the land, life, and the space you and your community need to live in justice. 

Unless you’re experienced and reflective, though, the Protector notion might seem theoretical or vague. We don’t claim to know the answers, or even to have considered the right questions, but we offer our perspective on what being a Protector might entail, in hope that clarity will lead to commitment. And we all will grow when you share your perspectives. Together, let’s build the communities we need, to resist and dismantle the systems and forces that threaten us all. 

As context, we recognize the separation that exists (and is cultivated by industrial civilization) between ‘civilized’ humanity and the natural world. This estrangement results in humans treating the land as a shopping mall, a factory, a playground, and a dump, which in turn leads to abuse, destruction, and depletion. This estrangement and subsequent abuse work exactly the same when we substitute ‘women’ or ‘oppressed class’ members for ‘the natural world.’ Take a moment to do that substitution and see for yourself the truth in this, and the horror. For us in the deadly serious business of defending the natural world, women and oppressed classes, and of reversing the dominant cultural psychopathy, it’s critical to explore our adopted role as Protector. When we engage in this exploration with fellow Protectors, we’re struck by the mutual discovery that the role is comprised not only of a motivational component, but emotional and spiritual aspects too. Protecting our communities emerges as the highest imperative we can respond to.

So, let’s start a conversation about what a commitment to protecting a community means, conceptually, and then in practice, and the implications for your respective personal development and paths.

When we introduce ourselves to comrades, we take pains to point out the indigenous land we inhabit. No matter where we are on this continent, we are on stolen land. We acknowledge this legacy because the long, brutal history of colonization sometimes makes us forget about whose land this is, and the true nature of our relationship with it. Most of us are settlers or visitors in some sense. And yet, our sense is that comrades, certainly those who attend our programs or work with us on campaigns, feel the land is ‘home’. Colonization and civilization induce a similar great forgetting concerning egalitarian relationships between men and women, and concerning times when there were no ‘classes’ in communities. 

So we ask:

What does ‘home’ or ‘community’ mean to you?
Do you identify with the land or community? Is this 
part of your identity?

Invariably, we hear that the land / community is where you Protectors are most yourselves; where you are able to make meaning of the world and your place in it; where your relationships are clear and nurturing; and where you partake, without struggle or competition, of the elements that allows you to live and flourish. No wonder our comrades are committed to protecting these places. 

Yet we’re often labeled “eco-terrorists,” “feminazis,” “tree-huggers” and “race traitors” among other slurs to dismiss what we feel compelled to do, in order to demonize and marginalize our work. Of course we’re painted with these brushes – as Protectors we stand by nature (in both senses of that phrase) in opposition to the dominant culture destroying the planet. To counter doubts or insecurities these labels might engender, we at CPR work with Protectors to explore and validate / reinforce their authentic role with respect to their community. Reflecting on the meaning of “Protector” now will ideally shelter us from doubts, and strengthen the clarity about and commitment toward our Protector calling.

What does it mean to be a Protector of your community? Do you resonate with:

Visitor?
Mistress / Master?
Manager / Administrator?

Of course you don’t. At best, these functions are disinterested, dispassionate, and disconnected relationships regarding a community. At worst, they can be exploitative. No wonder the Protectors we interact with don’t subscribe to them. Instead, the roles our comrades advocate without exception denote an entirely different dynamic, such as:

Protector
Defender
Warrior
Member

(ideally, Protectors enact these roles based on their status of belonging, of ‘being within’ the community)

These are the roles – multiple faces of one role, actually – that we in CPR view as essential to build and maintain sustainable, just communities in the face of omnipresent threats. To this profile we humbly add only ‘Organizer’. This Protector profile is what we hope to develop in our comrades, with your partnership. 

How can we prepare ourselves for bearing this heavy mantle? Let’s start by reflecting on the traits associated with a Protector: 

• A deep connection with the land or those you commit to protecting. Placing significance on discovering who you are and your relationship with the land and your community.
• Love of place / community, that comes from that deep connection.
• Commitment to your community, which comes from your connection to and love for it. 
• Dedication to preparing yourself for the Protector role, which comes from your commitment to your land/community.
• Readiness to Sacrifice, which comes from your commitment to preparing yourself for the Protector role.

Protectors are connected, loving, and committed. No doubt you are too, or you would not be joining in this conversation. Our challenge is to embark on the preparation journey. What are the aptitudes of a successful Protector we can point to, to focus our development paths?  

A de-colonized mind
Leadership skills
Community organizing
Strength (physical strength / fitness; emotional 
resilience; moral strength; steadfastness)
Discipline, integrity, loyalty 

The list seems challenging, and we’ll talk more about those traits in later conversations. Here’s a spoiler, though: if you love your land, if you love your community, you’ll have little difficulty screwing up the strength, courage, and so on needed to protect them. 

Still, this is a daunting list, and the Protector ‘profile’ illustrates the grave nature of the threats posed to our communities by the dominant culture. How do you view such a responsibility? Our hope is that this space is used to explore this notion more thoroughly, and to share plans and resources to prepare all of us more fully to protect our communities. As CPR organizers, we vow to establish long-term relationships and alliances with you. It’s our plan to work with Protectors everywhere to mutually develop paths, skills and resources with which we can assume the mantle we’ve claimed for ourselves as Community Protectors.

Do you identify yourself as a Protector, or do you aspire to be one? The planet depends on as many of you as possible saying, “YES”.