Intentionally Building a Network of Strong and Diverse Relationships
I have brought my counseling skills to the <choosedemocracy.us> project by helping the group come up with [think of] language—to use in articles, on the website, in e-mail messages—that is calm, hopeful, and non-inflammatory and that offers ways that people can become better informed and prepared to act without stoking fear or outrage. One of the things we suggest is that everyone start gathering a support group around themselves so that nobody will find themselves needing to act in a time of chaos and fear without support.
I have been delighted to support a friend who lives in a poor neighborhood of Philadelphia (Pennsylvania, USA) and has a vision of mobilizing her community in which voter turnout is often low. I met her in a faith-based conversation group on race and ethnicity. I have been listening to her, encouraging her, providing financial support, and sharing her vision with others in order to expand the pool of people that support her.
I’m also continuing to listen to climate activists in the Sunrise Movement. This morning I spent an hour with a lovely young woman. We shared “news and goods,” self-appreciations (so important for activists who are always focused on what hasn’t yet been accomplished), fifteen minutes each of discharge time, and then thinking and listening about the work. I know she always comes away from these times with a clearer picture of herself and her power, fresh perspectives on where she gets restimulated, and new ideas about how to tackle challenging issues at work. It’s always a delight. I know that her work will probably have more of an impact on the U.S. election than anything I could do myself.
A big lesson from these experiences is the importance of intentionally building a network of strong and diverse relationships around ourselves. Then more and more of our work can be done on the basis of relationships that are already there.
I like responding to these chaotic and scary times in ways that are deeply rooted in relationships.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Reprinted from the RC e-mail discussion list for USA political issues
(Present Time 202, January 2021)