The Rural Defenders Union is seeking 25-30 rural and small town organizers who are facing down local authoritarian threats at their school boards, city councils, counties, or states.
These local organizers, or Rural Defenders, will receive top-notch training and coaching, $2,000 to support their organizing, and a support network across the country.
If you’re interested, get your applications in by July 15th at bit.ly/RuralDefendersUnion.
“The recent news is as bad as it looks, but in small-town and rural communities across the United States, many of us have been coping with the political fallout of struggle and decline for decades. Family farms have been decimated, factories and rural schools shut down, and both capital and young people have fled town,” said Shawn Sebastian, Director of Organizing for RuralOrganizing.org.
“Some of our neighbors have been exploited by authoritarian forces, blaming democracy itself and scapegoating immigrants, people of color, unsheltered people, and LGBTQ people for what has happened to their communities. While the national political picture is changing rapidly, at the local level, incidents of political violence, attacks on free speech, and the criminalization of vulnerable people are on the rise. This is one important reason why we want you to apply to become part of the Rural Defenders Union by July 15 at http://bit.ly/RuralDefendersUnion,” he said.
We are inviting you to apply to the Rural Defenders Union — a program by and for small town organizers that includes:
- Six 2-hour on-line trainings with topics including: 2025 Scenario Planning; Strategies for Responding to Political Violence; How to Build Small Town “Bomb Shelters”; and more
- Access to one-on-one coaching and office hours provided by other experienced rural organizers
- An award of $2000 to support your work
- A community of other “defenders” to lean on, and learn from
- Spots are limited, and we really hope you will apply by July 15.
We especially want to hear from people and communities who are directly under threat — Black leaders, immigrants, people in religious minorities, the LGBTQ+ community, people who use drugs, people with criminal records, indigenous and tribal communities, and members of unions or worker centers. Please apply by July 15 at bit.ly/RuralDefendersUnion.