How do we build a lasting movement of resistance in the age of compliance?

Join us in a conversation with Samia Khan-Bambrah as we explore how compliance impacts our lives, the stories we tell, and our larger communities. All our lives we’ve been told that compliance is a good thing. Comply with the law. Comply with the hierarchy. Comply with the order.  And yet, it’s our non compliers who are our idols. What would the world look like if we didn’t have the rebels of Jim Crow? The rebels who formed a human barricade around immigrants in Los Angeles? Who said “Yes I will wear cone shaped bras on Prime Time”! Compliance keeps us small. And it’s supposed to. Because if we all took up all the space that we deserve, we wouldn’t unwittingly comply with narratives and policies that ultimately cause harm–harm for our bodies, our souls, and our communities. To be in solidarity with ourselves and the most vulnerable in our communities, we must first identify where we are in compliance, in spite of ourselves. 

Let’s discuss how to identify compliance in our own personal lives, our bodies, and how that ripples out into the collective. 

Samia Khan-Bambrah is a multi hyphenate artist, organizer, advisor, and thought leader. She is a Sundance Fellow and was recently named by Forbes Magazine and the World Economic Forum as one of the top filmmakers creating compelling character-driven films on climate change. She partners with brands, celebrities, political agencies, production studios, and publications to create films that inspire,  entertain, and inform. Her work has been featured on Amazon Prime, the New York Times, The New Yorker, and festivals around the world. Samia also works with individuals and organizations as a mentor and advisor to develop their work and create new brand strategies.

Samia’s storytelling perspective is critically informed by her experiences as a Pakistani immigrant who grew up around the world. She speaks Urdu and Spanish and lives in the woods of the Hudson Valley.

About Solidarity Civics:

“The flood of 200+ executive orders in Trump’s first days exemplifies Naomi Klein’s “shock doctrine” – using chaos and crisis to push through radical changes while people are too disoriented to effectively resist. This isn’t just politics as usual – it’s a strategic exploitation of cognitive limits.”- Social post, sociologist Jennifer Walter

As we witness the speed and ferocity of the executive orders that have poured out of the White House, we might feel overwhelmed, shocked, and scared. “Project 2025”- the ruthless blueprint for dismantling civil rights and empowering the executive branch to serve the purposes of a right-wing agenda, spearheaded by The Heritage Foundation – is in full effect. The result: sweeping directives have plunged us into a bewildering sense of chaos. 

A raft of lawsuits has emerged as part of the resistance, as institutions scramble to protect programs and people, and expose the illegal nature of some of the executive orders. But still, the immediate suspension of funding, jobs, and programs across the federal government have put immigrant rights, abortion rights, LGBTQIA+ rights at risk and have started the project of rescinding commitments to social equity, racial justice, free speech, and environmental repair. Headed by an autocrat, a surveillance state that claims to be acting for efficiency’s sake is on the move.

What can we do? How can we come together to process and respond to the real and lasting damage that could result from these regressive actions? How can we build grassroots power and community-led mutual support to ensure we stand in resistance and in solidarity?

“Do not obey in advance. Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given.” – On Tyranny, Timothy Snyder

We believe that it is more imperative than ever that we emerge from our individual attempts at staying grounded (as important as they are) and join forces. We invite you to a gathering. Our purpose is to hold space, a forum, for us to strengthen our understanding of what is happening and cultivate a collective sense of focus and action. We are joining the chorus of voices calling for local, regional, and state-wide networks to rise up to fill the gaps, to resist a narrative of helplessness, and to promote instead a tangible alternative to the chaos. We want to support and encourage a community response – with deep democracy at its core – exercising our ability to work collaboratively together, to make decisions through a lens of wisdom and care, and move into action. We will not be obeying in advance.

Take a look at the resources below to ground you in the specifics of the implications of Project 2025, if you can. But there is no homework here. You can also just come, to stand in a circle with all of us, as we process this moment and replenish our selves and minds for the work ahead.

Resources:

• Excellent summary of all the Executive Orders to date, with legal actions pending also listed: Trump Administration Executive Actions Tracker_Sheppard Mullin
• Project 2025, Explained, from the ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/project-2025-explained
• People’s Guide to Project 2025, from Democracy Forward: https://democracyforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-05_Peoples-Guide-Pro-2025.pdf
• Council of NonProfits Overview of Executive Orders: https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/files/media/documents/2025/chart-executive-orders.pdf
• Actions to Take: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16VS2gwvnhmR0zmz83caUwuBtTjTWvHPTpKUZXuLZkeM/edit?usp=sharing