Dear ,

As we approach the end of 2024, we want to take a moment to reflect on this year, to express our gratitude, and to share some of the exciting highlights and hidden gems of our journey with you. This email is both a reflection on the work we have accomplished together and a foreshadowing of what lies ahead for 2025.

We find ourselves living in a world marked by increasing instability—politically, economically, and socially. A system that favors a few while placing most at risk has created a growing sense of scarcity and desperation. This year has brought us moments of heartbreak, with wars, genocide, oppression, and structural violence affecting countless lives. At the same time, we see choices being made every day that shape the trajectory of history.

Looking ahead, 2025 will be a critical year for social change, presenting significant challenges but also opportunities. In these times of crisis and uncertainty, it is easy to fall into habitual patterns—focusing solely on the internal without an external strategy, or settling for defensive measures instead of striving for revolutionary change. Some might isolate themselves or their families, but we believe that this is a time to build community, to awaken consciousness, and to fight for the radical transformations that our world urgently needs.

At the Ayni Institute, our mission has always been to hold onto the wisdom of elders and time, to weather storms together, and to remain rooted in a long-term perspective. As we reflect on this year, we feel immense gratitude for the many milestones we have achieved and for the continued growth of our community. Here are some of the key highlights that stand out for us:

Five Major Highlights of 2024 (Mountain Tops)

Celebrating Our 11th Anniversary and Opening Our Training Center 

This year marked our 11th anniversary, and we celebrated by inaugurating our new training center at 240 Harris Street, which we co-steward with Neighbors United for a Better East Boston (NUBE). In June, we welcomed many of you to join us in celebrating our history, and it was a joy to share this milestone with our community. This space is not just a home for our work; it is a resource for the broader community. If you are interested in using the space, please fill out this interest form.

Translating the Most Exciting Political Theory Work to Latin America 

In September, we had the honor of publishing the first Spanish-language edition of Structure of World History by Japanese philosopher Kojin Karatani. This project was made possible through the dedication of Yutaka Makioka, the translator and catalyst for this work, and our collaboration with Siglo XXI, one of Latin America’s most important political and philosophy book publishers. The launch event at UNAM University in Mexico City was a significant moment for us, as we introduced this transformative framework to Latin American movements. We believe this work has the potential to change how history is understood and engaged with across the region.

Hosting the First Movement Ecology Summit  

In early December, we brought together over 70 participants from across the United States and the world for the Movement Ecology Summit at our training center. This gathering marked seven years since we introduced the Movement Ecology framework, which has since been integrated into numerous organizations and movements. The summit was a powerful moment of community, reflection, and strategic conversation. If you missed it, we hope to host another in the future; here is the agenda from the Summit as well.

Screening Indigenous Wisdom in China  

In late October, Rodrigo, a member of our team, worked with partners in China to host a screening of The Mysteries of the Andes: Q'eswachaka at Tellhow Animation College. This event was attended by hundreds of people and focused on sharing indigenous wisdom and cultures from Latin America. This milestone reflects the international reach of our work and the growing global interest in the wisdom of elders and ancestral knowledge.

Releasing the Fist Videos in the Modes of Exchange Series

After years of hard work, we released the first two videos in our six-part animated series on the Modes of Exchange framework. These videos make this important material more accessible to a broader audience. We are thrilled to share these resources with you and look forward to completing the series in 2025. You can watch the first two videos here.

Hidden Gems of 2024

While the major highlights often take center stage, we also want to acknowledge the quieter, behind-the-scenes work that has been foundational to our mission:

Online Course & The New Craft of Coordination Course

Our online school continues to grow, offering courses like The Social Movements Course and Seeds Course. This year, we launched a new course, The Craft of Coordination, designed to support coordinators in turning visions into reality. This self-paced course is a labor of love, and we encourage you to explore it. As always, scholarships are available to ensure accessibility.

The Ayni Training Pool 

This year, we piloted a new approach to scheduling workshops based on popular demand. Through this process, we offered 9 workshops on topics like Introduction to Ancestral Wisdom, Movement Breakthroughs, and Alternative Institutions. We will be releasing a new workshop calendar in January 2025, so stay tuned!

Coaching and Organizational Support

We’re honored to support organizations around the world in their work. One standout collaboration this year was with the Beja Institute in Brazil, which is doing remarkable work to build justice and resilience in their community. To all the groups we coached and supported this year, thank you for your trust and partnership.

We are grateful to all our supporters and we ask for your contribution to continue our work. 

Looking Ahead

As we reflect back on what we accomplished and did this year, we also want to offer a glimpse of what is to come in the next year. There are two main offerings that are already open of next year:

The Seasons of Leadership Immersion Training (April 3-5)

This will be a deeper dive into the framework of Seasonality, or the ebbs and flows within your leadership. We will be gathering in-person to explore strategies and techniques to deal with the anxiety, stress, frustration, and the rollercoaster of emotions that we face while doing social change work. 

Whether you’re just starting or have many years of experience, we hope you can get an understanding or perspective that is based on psychotherapy, neuroscience, Indigenous wisdom, and community work. This training will help you navigate the ups and downs of your time in social change and leadership, so if you are traversing a difficult moment and need more support, or just want intentional time to reflect, build resilience, and create connections with others, join us! 

The Movement Strategy Advanced Training (June 2-7)

The Movement Strategy Advanced Training is an intensive, weeklong experience that will explore the frameworks of Movement Ecology, Seasonality, strategies for Civil Resistance, Decentralized Organization and much, much more. Together in community with other social change leaders, the Movement Strategy Advanced Training will take a closer look into how to get social movements to think more strategically, collaborate, and harness power to win on the issues our world so desperately needs.

As we prepare for 2025, we remain committed to awakening consciousness, building community, and supporting the movements that are shaping our future. Next year will bring new challenges and opportunities, and we invite you to join us in this work. Whether through participating in our workshops, engaging with our materials, or simply staying connected, your support and presence mean the world to us.

Thank you for being part of our journey. Together, we can continue to create the radical change our world needs.

In reciprocity, 

The Ayni Team