• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Horizons Project

Horizons Project

  • About
    • Mission, Vision & Values
    • Our Approach
    • Our Team
  • Our Work
    • Bringing Together Movement Actors
    • Catalyzing Change through Learning
    • Leveraging Research for Collective Action
  • Initiatives
    • Big Tent Democracy Organizing
    • Block, Bridge, Build
    • Making Political Violence and Repression Backfire
    • Nonviolent Action 
    • Pillar Shifts
  • News & Resources
  • Connect

Sensemaking

Posted on: August 31, 2024

Addressing complex challenges like authoritarian resurgence, political violence, and systemic racism requires multiple approaches and learning across communities and disciplines. The Horizons Project is committed to curating and synthesizing insights and tools that can help practitioners make sense of the wider ecosystem and see the relationship between what they are doing and what others are doing. If democratic movement-building can be likened to an orchestra, we are helping to better harmonize amongst various instruments while calling out where there may be cacophony or dischordance.

By bringing together cutting-edge research and practical tools to grapple with shared challenges, we are curating insights and key lessons to be easily digestible and actionable. Our gatherings and partner engagement inform our research areas; with continual feedback loops well-established to share new insights and resources throughout our networks to then explore and refine together.

Follow the links below to learn more.

Race and Democracy: Breaking down the silos between racial justice and pro-democracy agendas.

Understanding Pillars of Support: Providing a framework by which to understand the groups supporting authoritarian governments.

Good vs. Toxic Polarization: When polarization leads to constructive change vs. when it leads to dehumanization and harmful othering.

Calling In and Calling Out: Addressing harm in ways that center relationships and belonging.

Trauma Healing: Approaches to addressing traumas that are causing pain and inhibiting effective organizing.

Narrative Competency: Framing the challenges we face and ways forward in ways that call more people in and inspire collective action.

Restorative Movement Building: Challenging injustices in ways that promote healing, belonging, and societal transformation.

Authors: The Horizons Project
Resource Types: Recommended Readings
Area Of Work: Bringing Together Movement Actors, Catalyzing Change through Learning
Initiatives Category: Big Tent Democracy Organizing
Resource Keywords: Authoritarianism, Democracy, Movement Organizing

Footer

Stay informed. Stay connected. Stay in the work of strengthening our democracy with updates from the Horizons Project. Sign Up for Emails!

  • fb.pngFacebook Link
  • yt.pngYoutube Link
  • in.pngLinkedin Link
  • IG.pngYoutube Link
  • BlueSkyLogo.pngBluesky Link
  • GET IN TOUCH

Copyright © 2026 Horizons Project