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

At this time, the work of weaving together solidarity in our local community is more important than ever. It is hard to overstate the sense of a federal government in crisis, with crippling consequences and a profound impact on all levels of our country’s ability to provide a stable, safe, equitable ground on which we can all stand. We must face the reality of what’s happening and support each other to remain grounded, secure, and active. 

In this monthly forum, we:

• Learn about, share, and process what is happening at the national level and how our local communities are impacted
• Have a chance to hear from each other, voicing our feelings and insights in a facilitated circle
• Engage and share opportunities to move towards Good Work and solidarity

“Do not obey in advance. Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given.”

– On TyraNny, Timothy Snyder

Why did we start these gatherings? 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. Our purpose is to hold space, 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.

Yes, Project 2025 is in full effect. The result is a bewildering sense of chaos. We know the damage being done is real and lasting. The 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? Let’s come together to process and respond to the real and lasting damage that is the result of this aggressive and regressive regime. Join us to build grassroots power and community-led mutual support to ensure we stand in resistance and in solidarity.

Resources

Take a look at the resources below to ground you in the specifics of the implications of Project 2025, if you want to. 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.

Project 2025, Explained, from the ACLU
People’s Guide to Project 2025, from Democracy Forward: https://democracyforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-05_Peoples-Guide-Pro-2025.pdf And their updates
Council of NonProfits Overview of Executive Orders
Actions to Take