Murmurations: Deep Democracy Strategy Sessions

12:00 3/20/25

Dear Ones,
Apologies for this last minute communication, but my capacity to host our group tonight is in conflict with being a finite human, so I am redirecting this Murmuration to an alternate space-time, see below... take notes, build relationships, use this opportunity to clarify what and where you want to plug in, or, rest, be still, quiet your mind, and tend to your own capacity. 
Either way, we will pick up the Deep Democracy Strategy Sessions work in April.

With intuition and humility - Leah

Thursday, March 20th
6:00 - 8:30pm
Freeport Community Library 

Sustaining ourselves and our squads through long-term activist projects takes some intention. Research on political burn-out and on burnout prevention can help us make individual and community choices that will allow us to participate more joyfully and with more endurance. In this workshop, sociologist Kimberly Simmons will share some of the findings from research and offer opportunities for reflection and conversation about how we can each find our own place in this everlasting work toward social justice. Kim will also share some 

We’ll also have time to connect and meet with one another who may have similar desires for personal action. 

We call these gatherings Murmurations inspired by the ability of Starlings to murmurate by tracking 7 other birds - so they know immediately when to change course.

Murmurations are a place to Resource and Regulate, then contemplate how/when/where you are willing to step into a local coordinating, organizing, communication & outreach role, whether large or small, visible or invisible, quiet or loud.  Murmurations are Strategy Sessions because we build skills and build relationship as the basis for knowing how to care for our community with the increasing likelihood that systems will begin to breakdown much faster than we originally thought. It is a place to begin the work of building systems of care that will function - close to adequately - when the bureaucratic systems can no longer be relied on. We will look to the leadership of people who have never been able to rely on care or support from these institutions.

There will be time for brief updates on where it makes the most sense to keep demanding accountability. But more importantly, we will do skill-building & relationship/trust building. We will begin the work of creating lines of communication that allow us to enact local mutual aid systems between and among other groups and organizers doing the same.

The gathering location has a parking lot, as well as street parking. Look for two glass doors right next to each other, the one on the left is 16 Vannah Ave, this group is meeting at 18 Vannah Ave, or the door on the right, up the stairs (note: second floor space does not have elevator. Let me know if someone would be willing to step forward to host virtual meetings, there is need). 

NOTE: Bring a pen and notebook with you everywhere important words may be spoken, everywhere organizing may happen, everywhere you might meet someone who you will want to stay in touch with, so basically 100% of the time. We take our work seriously enough to bring Organizing Tools - either snacks for those who haven't had time to eat, OR pen and paper for taking notes, OR a song to teach or a guided meditation, or even even sour candies for someone who is struggling with anxiety, because we understand ourselves as organizers of humans during urgent times. Think of yourself, at all times, as seeing to it that *some small detail* goes better than it might have gone if you were not there.

A question was asked at the last gathering, if a friend wanted to attend but did not did not feel comfortable filling out an online registration, could she still attend? Absolutely, bring a +1 who is not feeling safe about their online presence. We all have different risk thresholds currently, safety is not the same for all of us.

May The Force, The Ancestors, and The Arc of the Moral Universe be with us.
Leah

*Doing the Deeper Work of Democracy* means educating ourselves, overcoming our shortsightedness/blinders, making sense of the complex history fueling the breaking news, improving our leadership skills for sustaining real coalitions/relationships, and building the muscles of democracy in ourselves and our daily habits.