Dear John,
You are invited to participate in the next Rural Defender Training Series.
We are looking for small town organizers who are building power and defending their communities against authoritarian threats. People like you. Sign up at this link for any (or all) of these trainings:
I. White Nationalism 101 - Presented by Western States Center (Wednesday, September 25, 3-5pm EST)
II. How to Counter Political Violence - Presented by HOPE-PV in partnership with 22nd Century Initiative and the Horizons Project (Tuesday, October 1st, 7-9pm EST)
III. Fundamentals of Community Organizing and Base-Building - Presented by People's Action (Thursday, October 10th, 7-9pm EST)
IV. Building Safe, Lasting Institutions of Belonging - Presented by Hoosier Action (Wednesday, October 16th, 3-5pm EST)
These trainings will take folks on a journey from learning about authoritarianism and its tactics, to tapping into the organizing traditions that can help us build something better... something that lasts.
In small-town and rural communities across the United States, many of us have experienced the last 30 years as a painful struggle and decline. Family farms have been decimated, factories and rural schools shut down, and both capital and young people have fled town. So many of our neighbors have fallen into resignation, despair, and substance use, unable to envision a future for themselves and their hometowns.
Others have been enticed into authoritarian mindsets, choosing to blame democracy itself and scapegoating immigrants, people of color, and LGBTQ people for what has happened to their communities. This dangerous and false explanation for the state of small-town America has spread more and more rapidly as our communities have become increasingly isolated. We’ve lost local newspapers, basic civic infrastructure, and third spaces where people come together across their differences toward achieving shared goals.
But from the Mine Wars to Selma to Standing Rock, we know that real change is possible when it is led by the people who are most targeted, in the places where our opponents are most powerful. We are on the lookout for Rural Defenders: people from small-town places with the big courage to build collective people power and stand up to authoritarian forces.
Those forces often look different in different places - from incidents of political violence; to white nationalist and hate group demonstrations; to attacks on free speech, voting, libraries, and public education; to authoritarian take-over of local government; to the criminalization and persecution of vulnerable people; and more. No matter what you are up against in your hometown, this training series is for you.
Attend all of them, or just the ones you want. Once you've registered, share with a friend or ally who might be interested. This series is presented by RuralOrganizing.org, in partnership with the Rural Defenders Union and some terrific training partners: Western States Center, People's Action, HOPE-PV, and Hoosier Action. WV Can't Wait is proud to present this opportunity to our allies.
Sincerely,
Stephen Smith
Co-Chair, WV Can't Wait
PS If these dates and times don't work for you, or if you are looking for other training topics, don't worry. There are more resources out there. For folks interested in faith organizing, democracy, and elections, check out this free on-line training program offered by the Faith Election Sabotage Response Network (ESRN). For folks interested in top-notch safety and de-escalation training, check out on-going offerings from Vision Change Win. For folks who are interested in digital security and trainings related to attacks on free speech, check out PEN America for their latest offerings. Here too is a great library of rural organizing resources from Western States Center. Finally, for folks who want to become a trainer on issues of political violence, this Train the Trainers application is due at the end of this week. Feeling stuck, or not sure where to get started? Don't hesitate to hit reply and let me know what you're interested in.
