Indivisibles, 

Have you had a chance to pick up your copy of “The Persuaders” by Anand Giridharadas yet? If you have, join us on Thursday January 25, 2024 at 4pm ET for a discussion of the book with author Anand Giridharadas.

This event is just the beginning of our Powering Progress campaign’s new 5-part communication skills training series, Persuasion to Power. 

As Indivisibles gear up for a big season of building power and achieving progressive wins, it’s important that we focus on the conversation and messaging tactics that can help us cut through the extremist noise, energize our base, and persuade the uncertain.

“The Persuaders” helps us do just that. At its core, the book advocates for creating accessible pathways for folks on the fence to engage with progressive issues. It emphasizes the power of pursuing shared objectives rather than fixating on our differences. 

This approach not only strengthens our movement but also opens up opportunities for massive mobilization and education nationwide. Our goal is to focus on further enhancing and applying our persuasion and communication skills so that we can bring more people into our shared vision for the future. 

With this in mind, we have three small asks of you to officially kick off our Persuasion to Power series: 

1. Join us on January 25 at 4pm ET for an event featuring “The Pursuaders” author Anand Giridharadas in conversation with Indivisible co-founder Ezra Levin as they discuss the book's core ideas and navigating the stakes of persuasion. 
2. If you’re currently reading the book and have questions, jot your questions down on this form, and the author, Anand Giridharadas, will try to answer them at the book discussion. 
3. Host your own book club to discuss the book (The first 25 groups who register an event get customized Powering Progress Book Club shirts!). We have created this book club toolkit that has all you need and more to host a successful event. If you want to host an event in person and rent out a meeting space with snacks, use this reimbursement form and we will cover up to $200 for your contributions to the book club. 

We hope you’ll join us as we become stronger, more confident messengers with persuadable individuals who align with Indivisible's values but are vulnerable to right-wing narratives, including racialized dog-whistle rhetoric that can sway them away from progressive ideals.

Wondering what other educational opportunities we’ll be offering? Here is an outline of how we plan to use our Persuasion to Power series:

• Part 1: The Big Picture of Persuasion: Author Anand Giridharadas will join us for a talk about the core ideas of his book and the ways we can grapple with the stakes of persuasion at a big picture level, hosted with Indivisible co-founder Ezra Levin.
• Part 2: Know Your Audience: Join us for a conversation on how to assess and adjust our communication approaches based on the person we’re talking to and how closely they already align with our goals.
• Part 3: Combating Disinformation through Education in Persuasion Conversations: Do you find yourself often struggling with how to effectively push back on the spread of disinformation? Join the Truth Brigade community to learn pragmatic, evidence-based strategies for effective disinfo-busting conversations, both casual and intentional, and leave with the confidence to bring people along with us.
• Part 4: Move Them to Your Side -- Intro to Deep Canvassing: Deep canvassing is a proven, research-based method for organizing conversations that persuade people and create long lasting change of hearts and minds. Join Indivisible for a training on the basics of this conversation method.
• Part 5: Use Words That Win: Learn about the ongoing work of the Research Collaborative, who study the most effective framing on progressive issues to ensure the most people will listen. 

We are super excited about Persuasion to Power, and we hope you’ll join us on this adventure as we dive into the world of persuasion and communication to shape a future that aligns with what we all believe in. We need your help, and we can't wait to see you on January 25 for our first event!