It feels like we're powerless. We're not.

It is difficult to bear witness to the injustices at home and abroad. The constant barrage of violence and destruction is overwhelming and difficult to face. So, we numb, we dissociate, we distract, we despair.

But the powerlessness we feel is a part of the problem. It assumes we are mere spectators to this invasion. We’re not. For Americans, our addiction to same-day delivery service and mobility at the click of an app makes us pawns in Putin’s game.

We - all of us who benefit from the fast paced culture of convenience - have a stake in this war. The consequences of our “luxury” lifestyles (one dependent on the petrol state) are not hidden but brutally apparent.

We must begin to reckon with our role in extraction economies not just to curb off the climate crisis but to protect the world from tyranny. We must lean into solidarity practices that build community care and capacity. We must see that what is happening “over there” is because of what we are doing “over here”.

We must own are part in this mess. And we must do whatever it takes to repair it.

Kerri (she/her)

1. Americans may think we are powerless as we bear witness to Putin’s war and the bravery of the Ukrainian resistance. We’re not. How fossil fuels beget dictators. [click to tweet]

2. President Zelensky is fighting for the survival of his country and has rightly become an inspiration to many around the world. @AnandWrites asks how to do what's right without starting World War III? [click to tweet]

3. Republicans in the Senate, and a handful of corporate Democrats, are hell-bent on grinding the gears of government to a halt. This is the real reason Congress gets nothing done. [click to tweet]

4. We have been provided conflicting stories—you are accepted and loved, but you cannot speak about it, ever. I know what it's like to be a Florida teen who can't say gay. I was one. [click to tweet]

5. Violence against Asian Americans—particularly Asian American women—continues to rise. A year after the Atlanta shootings, Asian American women grapple with continued violence and how to heal. [click to tweet]

While it may seem like the issues we are facing are too big, too complex, too late, Alice Waters reminds us that “the most common way people give up their power is thinking they don’t have any”. Here’s what’s needed to play out part:

ELECT GREEN NEW DEAL CANDIDATES: If Congress is truly serious about lasting energy independence and finally decoupling US foreign policy from our oil and gas appetites, the easiest and quickest thing to do is pass the climate and energy provisions of Biden’s Build Back Better agenda. But to do that we need to elect climate champions that can get it done in Congress. Here’s how to swing.

TAX THE RICH: You’re either on the side of corporations and billionaires. Or you’re on the side of the people. All of the crises we are facing right now are because America has chosen profits over people since the beginning. Its time to tax the rich and fund our communities.

MAKE DIFFERENT CHOICES: Instead of calling an Uber, consider taking the bus. Forgo the latest upgrade to your smartphone or computer. Transition your home to renewable energy by adding solar panels to your rooftop and replacing your methane gas stove with an induction range. Share a car. Interrogate your energy practices and make bold choices for our collective survival.

Art by @ctznwell, Words by Alice Waters

Last week we had a juicy teach-in with our friends at Beautiful Trouble, who reminded us what’s possible when we come together in collective power. Beautiful Trouble “believes in people power and the game-changing role that creativity, humor, joy, and mischief can play in the struggle for a better world”. Here are five ways to get in good trouble.

1. Disrupt. Injustice is often happening in wherever we are (and especially in wellness). What are creative ways you can use your voice and power to expose unhealthy or harmful practices in your community or work spaces?

2. Organize. The only way to stand up to systems of power is to build collective power. Who are your people? How can you bring them together in shared values and practice? Where can you plug into larger organizing networks so that we can build together?

3. Take risks. While risks are not the same for everyone, they are an essential part of disrupting the status quo and choosing new ways of being together. What risks can you take for justice and collective liberation?

4. Take care of yourself. We must sustain ourselves to sustain the movement. What is the self care you need to keep going?

5. Get creative. Art, music, joy and pleasure are essential components of change making. Check out the Beautiful Trouble toolkit for more ideas creative action.

Join us NEXT WEEK for our monthly CTZN Meet Up as we talk about what’s needed in this moment and how we can create #goodtrouble together. Register here.

Image by @IndependentSector

Let that shit go. Old fear cannot see new things.

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