Last year, we witnessed the near collapse of our collective systems—the systems that should be sustaining us when we need them most.
And the truth is, they’ve been failing us for generations. Today, amid a global pandemic, sustained violence against Black lives, brazen attacks by white supremacists, climate catastrophe, and pervasive economic injustice–we can see what Black and Indigenous folx have been saying for generations: these systems were not designed for us.
It is time they were.
We Govern is a roadmap for that creation. This foundational set of agreements were written by a group of predominantly Black, Indigenous, people of color across the US, to guide how we make the decisions that impact all of us–including how we choose to live together, use our resources, and build systems rooted in radical care.
It is an invitation to redefine governance.
Governance is the process by which we determine the norms and rules that guide everyday life and behavior, and we—all of us—have a role in it. Whether it’s through our personal lives as parents, friends, neighbors, caregivers, and stewards; or in our work as leaders and decision-makers—the choices we make each day determine our emergent future.
As our FAQ page says, “Whether deciding if it is worth it to struggle with a kiddo to eat broccoli, facilitating a healing conversation among friends, or creating a spending plan for clean energy in your town, the act of making choices for our collective wellbeing is governance.”
Governance is about making decisions together—at small and large scales—about the things that matter to us and impact our lives.
Today, together, we envision a more just, harmonious, and thriving future that refuses to leave anyone behind. We envision a world where we tend to ourselves and each other knowing that the choices we make each day add up to the world we’re building. We imagine systems of radical care in keeping with our sacred responsibility to care for future generations and the earth we share. The world we want is rooted in mutual care, deep relationship, dignity, and safety — for ourselves, for each other, and for the natural world.
Now, in the early part of 2021, we find ourselves still deep in a pandemic, clambering to stabilize the harms of last year, as we continue moving toward a still uncertain future. In this moment, a vision of another world is more urgent — and more possible — than ever.
By planting the seeds of commitment to collective care, we can create the world we want through the choices we make. WeGovern is an invitation to align our actions with our values—to commit to the foundational agreements we need in order to carve a path toward what’s possible.
The world we want — a world where all beings can thrive — begins with each of us. And it can start now.
To be counted among those who are embracing the sacred responsibility to take action and care for our collective wellbeing, sign on here.
Access the WeGovern Media Toolkit HERE or visit WE-Govern.org directly.
Resonance Network is a national network of people building a world beyond violence.
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