Radical Action Circles
By: Abby Twyman | January 7, 2021
Welcome to 2021 Change Catalysts... are you ready to act fearlessly?!? Well then you are in for a treat because our power-word for the year is FEARLESS (inspired by a sweet gift we received recently) and we're ready to take on this year fueled by the motivation to relentlessly pursue what sets our soul on fire: the radical transformation of our world to one that is truly just and equitable for all.
In the Radical Action Circle, we fuel genuine heart connections amongst beautiful creatures (aka Tipsy Unicorns) who are motivated to take action to create a more just, equitable, and peaceful world. We do this by providing a vessel in which emerging activists and self-proclaimed change catalysts can learn and grow.
The Mission of Action for a Peaceful World (AFAPW)
The mission of AFAPW is to #FuckingListen to stories of oppression and liberation (Tipsy Unicorns Podcast), #BeRadical in our development as accomplices (Radical Action Circles), and #TakeAction in the service of dismantling systems of oppression (Radical Action Plans) that meets the quality expectations of established activists and their communities in an efficient way.
The Values of AFAPW
We are dedicated to dismantling systems of oppression including racism, classism, colonialism, white-saviorism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, xenophobia, and religious discrimination, through our actions. The stories we hear influence the conversations we have which drive the actions we take.
January 2021 - National Mentorship Month - Preparing for Collective Action
Dates: 2/6/2021 - Join us for our introductory gathering of the circle to learn more!
February 2021 - Black History Month - Centering Black Stories
Take a few minutes to read the blog which resulted from our February Radical Action Circle cycle, and then listen to the podcast we did with honored guest Cammie Morgan!
March 2021 - Womxn's History Month - Centering Womxn Stories
Take a few minutes to read the blog which resulted from our March Radical Action Circle cycle, and then listen to the podcasts we did with honored guests LeAsia Leach-Thompson, Denise Ross, and danyelle beal!
April 2021 - Autism Acceptance Month - Centering Autistic Stories
Honored Guests: TBA
Dates: 4/10/21, 4/17/21, 4/24/21, and 5/1/21
May 2021 - Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month - Centering Asian-American and Pacific Islander Stories
Honored Guests: TBA
Dates: 5/8/21, 5/15/21, 5/22/21, and 5/29/21
June 2021 - Pride Month - Centering LGBTQIAP2+ Stories
Honored Guests: TBA
Dates: 6/5/21, 6/12/21, 6/19/21, and 6/26/21
July/August 2021 - Summer Break
September 2021 - Hispanic Heritage Month - Centering Hispanic Stories
Honored Guests: TBA
Dates: 9/4/21, 9/11/21, 9/18/21, and 9/25/21
October 2021 - Diversity Awareness Month - Centering Neurodiverse Stories
Honored Guests: TBA
Dates: 10/2/21, 10/9/21, 10/16/21, and 10/23/21
November 2021 - Native American/Alaskan Heritage Month - Centering Indigenous Stories
Honored Guests: TBA
Dates: 10/30/21, 11/6/21, 11/13/21, and 11/20/21
December 2021 - Winter Break
Below is an overview of the Action Circle Cycle model:
Gathering #1 - Setting Intentions
- Stories from honored guests about personal experiences, fears, and values
- Generation of key questions and lines of inquiry for further exploration
Gathering #2 - Exploring Possibilities
- Discussion of key questions and lines of inquiry from the previous gathering
- Exploration of potential actions and resources required to act effectively
Gathering #3 - Making Decisions
- Identification of possible individual and collective actions to address concerns
- Analyze the alignment of potential actions with shared goals and values
Gathering #4 - Taking Action
- Share and discuss individual plans of action and recruit feedback/support
- Update collective action plans based on key discussion points
If you are interested in joining our collective as an Honored Guest willing to share your story or a Tipsy Unicorn ready to listen and contribute to our collective action, please sign up here! All gatherings of the Action Circle will be held on Saturdays 10:00AM-12:00PM Alaska Time (11a-1p PST/2p-4p EST).
For more information or to get more deeply involved in this work, please email Abby at contact@afapw.com.
Resources
- Ardila Sánchez, J.G., Cihon, T.M., Malott, M.E. et al. Collective Editorial: Ten Guidelines for Strategic Social Action. Behav. Soc. Iss. 29, 15–30 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42822-020-00038-8
Featured image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
