PILLARS OF SUPPORT
These are institutions and sectors that, when engaged responsibly, reinforce democratic values instead of undermining them
Each authoritarian requires support.
This ends when enough of us say NO.
The Pillars of Support are the organizations and institutions in society that can provide the administration with the power they need to implement policies and wield control.
When these pillars cooperate with justice, transparency, and accountability, they strengthen democracy.
When they comply blindly with abuse of power or authoritarian pressures, they inadvertently support authoritarianism.
compiled by Indivisible Oregon
MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS
Providing independent reporting, fact-checking, and holding power accountable
BUSINESSES AND CORPORATIONS
Operating ethically, protecting workers’ rights, and resisting corruption
CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS
Organizing citizens for voting, advocacy, and community action
FAITH AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS
Promoting inclusion, justice, and civic participation
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
Teaching critical thinking, civic engagement, and human rights
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND CIVIL SERVANTS
Enforcing laws fairly and transparently
JUDICIARY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
Upholding the rule of law and protecting rights
OTHER GROUPS
Think about other groups or identities you can leverage, then gather your people
Our Mission: Building Community, Strengthening Democracy
Indivisible SouthCoast New England is dedicated to building a resilient, democratic community
through mutual support and focused action.
We organize our work into three broad categories of actions:
1. Growing Community and Mutual Aid
The Goal: To counteract forces of division, fear, and hate by fostering genuine connection and building robust local support networks.
Why It Matters: We believe mutual aid creates a strong social fabric, enabling neighbors to support one another fearlessly and potentially sustaining our community during extended periods of collective action, like a general strike. This involves ensuring people have access to shared food, housing, healthcare, childcare, and transportation and other necessities to one another for an extended period of time.
Actions (How We Do It):
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Skill & Resource Sharing: Repair cafes, time swaps, gardening/farming instruction, and mutual transportation programs.
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Social Connection: Hosting inclusive social events that intentionally bring diverse communities together.
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Creative Resistance: Resistance knitting and other group-based creative activities.
2. Building & Eroding Pillars of Power
The Goal: To actively support entities that uphold democracy while weakening the local institutions and organizations that collaborate with or consolidate anti-democratic power.
Why It Matters: In response to the rapid consolidation of power and attacks on democratic norms, we focus on where our local leverage can make the greatest impact. We strengthen those who refuse to "bend the knee" and challenge those who undermine democracy.
Actions (How We Do It):
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Targeted Protests: Organizing protests against corporate or public entities supporting problematic actions (e.g., Protest Avelo).
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Political Accountability: Supporting primary challenges against politicians who capitulate or actively work with the regime.
2. Non-Cooperation, Disruption, Direct Action, and Civil Disobedience
The Goal: To actively support entities that uphold democracy while weakening the local institutions and organizations that collaborate with or consolidate anti-democratic power.
Why It Matters: When systems fail to uphold justice, we utilize proven methods of non-cooperation and direct action to refuse compliance, slow down injustice, and disrupt the status quo.
Actions (How We Do It):
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Economic Pressure: Organizing boycotts and supporting strikes.
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Workplace Resistance: Implementing "slow downs," "call-ins," and "malicious compliance," and conducting 4th Amendment workplace trainings.
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Direct & Visible Action: Holding sit-ins, using light projection, chalking sidewalks, and generating noise outside of places harboring unjust agents (e.g., hotels with ICE agents).
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Community Safety: Distributing and utilizing whistles to alert people to the presence of federal enforcement agents.
Turning a Pillar Towards Democracy
Courage Collectives unite people inside the Pillars of Support to refuse cooperation with authoritarian power and move our institutions to defend democracy.
How it works:
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Gather people who share your pillar identity (teachers, union members, faith congregation members, etc.)
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Map your leverage (associations, employers, boards, etc.)
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Pick a target
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Run noncooperation actions
Are you already in an Indivisible group?
Either create a pillar sub-team, or launch a separate Collective.
🌟 Community Together, Change Forever 🌟
Every voice matters—and so does every dollar.
Your donation helps us create powerful protest posters, secure meeting spaces, print vital informational flyers,
and even design unity-building t-shirts.
When we come together, we can create lasting change.
Will you stand with us?