Dear Community,

Last week, we came together to mark the launch of Kazu Haga’s Fierce Vulnerability—and what happened was more than a book launch event. It felt like a moment to breathe together. People showed up with open hearts, honest questions, and a shared longing for movements that can hold both resistance and repair.

There was laughter. There were hard truths. There were pauses that let us feel the weight of this moment we're living through. And in all of it, there was a sense of possibility—of showing up in new ways, with each other, to address what affects all of us.

This isn’t a one-time thing. It’s the beginning of a longer conversation, and we’re grateful to be in it with you. In the weeks ahead, we’ll be gathering again— virtually this time with folks like James Hayes and Stuart McIntyre on Political Realignment and Justine “Taz” Moore on Participatory Defense as part of our 12th Anniversary Speaker Series. 

We hope that you can join us - you can learn and sign up to the events below.

P.S. The Participatory Action Research Workshop with Alexandra and Tom Piñeros Shields is available to watch on Youtube.

Living in Populist Times

with Stuart McIntyre and James Hayes

We’re looking forward to welcoming James Hayes and Stuart McIntyre for a timely and thought-provoking session on political realignment in the U.S.

Over the past decade and a half, we’ve seen a growing crisis of legitimacy—deepening mistrust in institutions, the breakdown of traditional party affiliations, and the emergence of new political formations. With Trump’s 2024 return to office, the rightward drift of Silicon Valley, and the evolution of MAGA 2.0, the terrain has shifted dramatically.

Join us for this important conversation:
📍 Virtual Workshop: May 6th 6PM-8PM EST

This session is especially valuable for organizers, activists, and anyone seeking to engage with this political moment with clarity, strategy, and purpose.

Participatory Defense

with Justine "Taz" Moore

We’re honored to welcome Justine “Taz” Moore—cofounding member of The National Council for Incarcerated Women and Girls and founder of Empowerment: Before, During, and After—for a virtual workshop on Participatory Defense.

Taz brings years of experience and testimony on how communities can organize to shape legal outcomes and transform the court system from the ground up.

We at at Ayni see Participatory Defense as a powerful model of bottom-up organizing that empowers communities to collectively confront the vast and oppressive criminal legal system. 

Join us for this important conversation:
📍 Virtual Workshop: May 15th 6PM-8:30PM EST

This is for anyone committed to justice, healing, and collective power in the face of the criminal legal system.