Tag: Political Violence

A groundbreaking initiative to address the growing threat of political violence in US communities is making its national launch. Because political violence poses a significant threat to democracy, security, and the values of our country, the 22nd Century Initiative (22CI) and the Horizons Project launch their new initiative: Harnessing Our Power to End Political Violence (HOPE-PV).

“The HOPE-PV initiative will stop the normalization of political violence in our country, shining a light on the anti-democratic aims of those who use threats and violence to achieve political ends, and on the courageous efforts of community members who are taking collective action against violence and threats,” said Scot Nakagawa, Executive Director of the 22nd Century Initiative.

Political violence is a direct assault on the US Constitution, democracy, and the rights and freedoms of people across the nation. It’s not a new concern for racial, ethnic, and religious minority groups, as well as immigrants and LGBTQ people, especially those who live in rural communities, but these acts have grown more visible and frequent in recent years - government leaders from both parties have been targeted with a former president being one of the most recent victims.

Despite this growing threat, research has shown that the vast majority of the public opposes violence to settle political disputes. “The very small minority in the US who incite, threaten, and enact political violence won’t stop on their own. We, the vast majority, must take action to stop them by imposing costs on their actions,” said Hardy Merriman, author of the HOPE-PV guide.

Over the next 12 months, 22CI, Horizons, and their core team of grassroots organizations and researchers will educate and train 50,000 community leaders to help move at least 500,000 people to take courageous actions to make political violence backfire in their local communities. Through organizing, unity, and nonviolent mobilization, we can end the culture of violence in this country and build a backfire wall against future threats.

“We know that political violence is not a new issue, especially for Black and Brown communities and in the South, but our training and framing can bring new people into the work to end this violence. It’s time we all step up—we keep us safe,” said Naomi Washington-Leapheart, Strategic Partnerships Director at Political Research Associates and HOPE-PV training leader.

On the new HOPE-PV website, endpoliticalviolence.org, download the guide that lays out the threat of political violence and how individual and collective action can counter it. Request a training session for your group or organization to learn the strategy and tactics to organize your community to make political violence backfire.

“Just as there is a long history of political violence and authoritarianism in this country, there is an even longer history of communities using the skills and strategies of nonviolent organizing and resistance to make violence and injustice backfire,” said Maria J. Stephan of the Horizons Project.  “Our movements - from abolition to suffrage to civil rights to labor rights and environmental protection - have confronted political violence with organization, discipline, joy, humor, and resilience. HOPE-PV draws on this legacy and taps into its practical wisdom.”

About 22CI and Horizons:

22CI’s mission is to create an effective, culturally diverse mass mobilization against authoritarianism and for democratic inclusion. 22CI does this by investing in the capacities and infrastructure necessary to win an inclusive and people-centered democracy in this century and the next.

The Horizons Project is dedicated to building a broad and powerful movement to challenge rising authoritarianism and advance an inclusive, pluralistic, multi-racial democracy in the US, while strengthening global democratic solidarity. We are committed to organizing across lines of difference while supporting research and training that strengthens our collective work to build a just, equitable, and peaceful society

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Contact: Tony Eskridge, Communications Manager, [email protected]