20250902 STAND Newsletter – A month of Peace
What’s new with STAND
STAND seeks peace through justice, equity, and the raising of all voices. We will celebrate that pursuit of peace on September 20th. Until then, we have work to do and we need your help. Please read below.
Action NOW!
Saturday night is documentary night! Come have a meal with your friends and neighbors, and lean into the power of non-violence in the face of global conflict.
Then we prepare to STAND for Peace on the 20th. Bubbles, music, and the stories of our neighbors. Volunteer needs coming soon!
Dear Friends,
Our plans for the coming 3 weeks are ambitious. On Saturday, our members gathered with other local activist organizations in solidarity with those who have been disappeared from our streets. This Saturday, we lean into community by gathering together, sharing a meal (please sign up to bring something!), and reminding ourselves what the pursuit of peace looks like in a fractured world. And then, two weeks after that, we celebrate the International Day of Peace by helping amplify the voices of those that are routinely silenced. I’ve told you how important that day is for STAND, but more importantly, for our community. Please keep your eyes out for ways to pitch in – we’re going to need the hands.
It’s a lot. We know that it’s a lot, and I know that you feel that it’s a lot. STAND is now privy to a lot of the organizing that happens around Atlanta, and I can tell you that there is something going on literally every weekend. Frequently twice a week. With infinite resources and an abundance of time, we could have mobilized following the CDC firings on Tuesday, protested at the courthouse downtown on Wednesday, remembered the disappeared on Saturday, rallied at the airport on Sunday, and then waved signs for Labor day on Monday. It’s a firehose, and if we stick our face in it too much, we risk drowning.
Our strategy so far has been to pick our spots, but where can we make the most impact? How can we most effectively leverage the resources we have? But the biggest question that we have to answer routinely is, is there an opportunity to build community with this?
The importance of that last one can’t be overstated. I know you’ve heard from me before on this, but building community is what we have. It’s the part of this that we can control. No one can force you to hate your neighbor, they can just ratchet up the pressure and hope that you do. Doing the opposite is resistance. That’s what the pursuit of peace looks like for STAND – we build bridges until there are no bridges left to be built. We pull people from the margins until there aren’t margins left to pull from. It’s a lot, but it’s also the work that needs to be done and we are in position to help do it. That’s what the 20th is all about, and I’m looking forward to celebrating that work with you.
STANDing with you,
Matt
