The Horizons Project

Do revolutions work without getting all shooty? Or even slappy? Do they work better? Author Maria Stephan has done ALL the research. And our favorite sailor comes ashore to host our favorite game - it’s “Land Ho! with Toni Anita Hull.” @mariajstephan.bsky.social

THE VISTA: November 2025 The political waters have felt especially choppy in November. The Associated Press provided a series of helpful charts to digest the results of the general elections; and although the government […]

#MAGA loyalty shifts, cross-racial and cross-movement solidarity, comedy as #Resistance and more. Check out what we're reading, watching and listening to this month! #Democracy
https://horizonsproject.us/the-vista-november-2025/

Shout out to @steadystatevets.bsky.social @npquarterly.bsky.social @22ci.bsky.social @pbs.org @legalafmtn.bsky.social and others for the insights and inspiration this month! Check out our November Vista. https://horizonsproject.us/the-vista-november-2025/

#Democracy

Unions Light the Candle of Democracy in South Korea Time Period: 2016-2017

In the mid-2000s, South Korea saw a democratic decline: oppression of political dissent, corruption, crackdowns on peaceful protest, outlawing groups opposed to the administration, and blacklisting authors.

Sound familiar? See how unions mobilized for #democracy.

Vermont Conversation: Maria Stephan on the 3.5% Rule and combatting authoritarianism - VTDigger “When you have 3.5% of a population, which in the United States is roughly 12 million people, that means a movement is representative. It's hard to ignore. It's highly disruptive."

What stops authoritarianism? @mariajstephan.bsky.social explains why mass, #NonviolentResistance is one of the strongest tools we have.
@vtdigger.bsky.social
https://vtdigger.org/2025/11/12/vermont-conversation-maria-stephan-on-the-3-5-rule-and-how-nonviolent-resistance-can-stop-authoritarianism/

Read the new @shankerinst.bsky.social blog by The Horizons Project's Adam Fefer and Maria Stephan breaking down how educators can and do resist censorship, disinformation and fear-based politics.

https://www.shankerinstitute.org/blog/when-educators-confront-authoritarianism

U.S. Catholics are facing an authoritarian threat. The church has been here before. The Catholic Church in the United States today is facing a crucial test. Will Catholic leadership accommodate and adapt itself to authoritarian power? Or will it offer leadership to give hope, oppose authoritarian abuses and defend human freedom?

Communities of faith have played a critical role in challenging state #authoritarianism around the globe. Check out the latest from Horizons Co-Lead Maria Stephan on the Catholic leadership the U.S. needs now.

Chicago Will Stop Investing in US Treasury Securities to Protest ‘Authoritarian’ Trump, Treasurer Announces Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin is running to represent Illinois’ 7th Congressional District and replace retiring U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis.

A great example of noncooperation from @chicago-city.bsky.social

"Extraordinary moments require extraordinary actions."
- Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin https://news.wttw.com/2025/11/12/chicago-will-stop-investing-us-treasury-securities-protest-authoritarian-trump-treasurer

The Superpowers of Arts & Culture and how they can supercharge the movement for inclusive democracy Artistic and cultural processes are uniquely well-suited to strengthen inclusive democracy and counter rising authoritarianism because they have the power to engage us cognitively, emotionally, sensor...

open.substack.com/pub/movement...

We are launching a new newsletter, "Arts and Culture: Movement Superpowers" to share strategies, celebrate successes, highlight current funding and training opportunities for creatives, and propose calls to action to make the movement against authoritarianism more effective and irresistible to join.

A growing team of artists, cultural workers, cultural strategists and culture bearers are collaborating to supercharge the U.S. pro-democracy movement with the unique superpowers of arts and culture.

We created the Faithful Fight series with @horizonsprjt.bsky.social to help religious communities continue their tradition as key defenders of democracy. Read and share: https://protectdemocracy.org/work/the-faithful-fight

YouTube video by PaxChristiUSA Maria Stephan opening plenary, Pax Christi USA 2025 national conference

Watch the video of Maria’s keynote address here: youtu.be/b0olBsE84ec?...

#mustread 🧵and download thanks to @mariajstephan.bsky.social @paxchristiusa.bsky.social #nonviolence #peoplespower #resistance

cc @peterdiganderson.bsky.social @robinpugh.bsky.social

National Hispanic Heritage Month | AFL-CIO

Happy #HispanicHeritageMonth!

America’s unions are proud to celebrate and honor the history, culture and incredible contributions Hispanic and Latino communities have made in our lives, our workplaces and our labor movement.

Feels like the world’s on fire half the time, but workers keep showing up. We are the backbone holding communities together, and that’s why our fight for fair pay and dignity can’t be ignored.

No Kings October Mobilization Kick Off Call · No Kings The No Kings Coalition is proud to announce the kick-off to our October 18th national protest! Join us to learn more about the vision, urgency, and strategy behind this national day of action. Wheth...

We’re kicking off the next #NOKINGS day of action with a national call on Sept. 18.

Hear from AFT President @rweingarten.bsky.social & others about the vision, urgency, and strategy behind this movement.

Get details & RSVP here ⬇️

ART CULTURE & DEMOCRACY RESOURCES Artistic and cultural processes are uniquely well-suited to counter rising authoritarianism and strengthen inclusive democracy because they have the power to engage us cognitively, emotionally, sensor...

🖼️ What role can artists and cultural organizers play in the fight against authoritarianism? A powerful one.

🎨 We've launched a new tool that showcases the transformative power of art & culture in the movement for inclusive democracy. Explore how creative practice can strengthen democratic futures →

Lessons on Broad Based Organizing from the Utah Compromise: A BOLD Case Study

We unpacked the behind-the-scenes organizing that made it possible:
🫂 Years of relationship-building laid the groundwork for unlikely coalitions.
⛪️ Framing around faith, family, and fairness made space for real compromise.
📌 Tension, discomfort, and honest negotiation were all part of the process.

Lessons on Broad Based Organizing from the Utah Compromise: A BOLD Case Study

🚨 Our latest report explores The Utah Compromise—one of the most compelling case studies of recent memory: a red state, a deeply conservative legislature, and a powerful faith institution working across their differences to secure historic LGBTQ+ protections.

Here's what we learned:

Forging Effective Corruption Narratives to Counter Democratic Erosion Harnessing public concern over rising corruption makes sense for U.S. democracy advocates—but doing so can fuel apathy and authoritarianism unless corruption narratives also cultivate hope.

Effective stories:
📌 Focus on lived experiences of injustice than abstract anti-corruption pledges
📌 Connect corruption to everyday harms like public health, education, and safety
📌 Emphasize accountability and possibility to counter fatalism and build public trust

Forging Effective Corruption Narratives to Counter Democratic Erosion Harnessing public concern over rising corruption makes sense for U.S. democracy advocates—but doing so can fuel apathy and authoritarianism unless corruption narratives also cultivate hope.

Corruption narratives shape how people understand democracy and whether they believe change is possible.

📌 This new piece from @carnegieendowment.org (which features The Horizons Project) unpacks the stories that work (and don’t) when fighting democratic erosion.

Check our @mariajstephan.bsky.social's full keynote presentation →

Songs in the Key of Resistance: A Movement Songbook - Kairos Center We Rise: A Movement Songbook draws on a rich history of social movement music, both old and new.

🎵 Songs in the Key of Resistance (from @kairoscenter.org ):

📖 Our case studies & analysis on faith and resistance: horizonsproject.us/tag/faith/

The Faithful Fight: Toolkits for countering authoritarianism - Protect Democracy The Faithful Fight brings together strategies from religious leaders across denominations to help communities mobilize against authoritarian actions.

She also lifted up tools for action:

🧰 Our Faithful Fight Toolkits (in collab with @protectdemocracy.org): protectdemocracy.org/work/the-fai...

Some key insights:

📌 Faith communities are essential to organizing - providing sanctuary, holding symbolic power, & building bridges across movements.
⛪️ Authoritarianism thrives on co-opting religion. Faith leaders must reclaim moral clarity & resist scapegoating and nationalist frames.

🕊️ What does nonviolence look like in the face of authoritarianism?

At the @paxchristiusa.bsky.social Annual Conference, The Horizons Project's Co-Lead Maria J. Stephan delivered a powerful keynote on reclaiming the strategic and moral power of nonviolence in this moment.

THE PILLARS PROJECT: Labor Unions Why should labor unions and professional associations care about authoritarianism?

📌 Looking to organize within your union or professional association? This toolkit has stories, case studies, and strategies for shifting power and defending democracy from the inside. →

Unions Join Unlikely Allies to Defend American Elections On Election Day 2020, The AFL-CIO and US Chamber of Commerce, amongst other partners, released a statement calling for the respect of election results and the peaceful transfer of power. The notable c...

📌 When democracy was under threat, labor unions teamed up with business and faith to defend our vote. In 2020, @aflcio.org, @seiu.org, @aft.org , @unitehere.org, and a few unlikely allies stood in solidarity to ensure every vote was counted and every official stayed safe. #LaborDay #LaborMovements →