Welcome to Dispatch #26! This week let’s dive into some psychology and figure out why it’s so hard to have political conversations, and what we can do about it. We’ll explore the Moral Foundations Theory, it’s practical uses, and examples of how it has helped activists in the past. Plus, more calls to action and resources to help you stay involved!
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Easy Actions to Take
Why: The Global Sumud Flotilla is a historic coalition of over 40 countries to bring an end to the siege on Gaza and deliver vital humanitarian aid. The Israeli government has a history of attacking and harming activists doing this so you can pressure your government to ensure the safe passage of their citizens. Organized by Global Sumud Flotilla
⏱~3min | (UK Only) Send a message to your MP to help incoming Gaza students get their visas processed so they can reach UK universities.
Why: Why: The UK government can open a route for safe passage of over 40 incoming students from Gaza so they can begin study this year. Help them escape Gaza faster! Organized by Newscord
⏱~3min | (US Only) Call your representative to demand an investigation into Abuse and Disappearances of ICE Detainees
Why: Hundreds of people have disappeared from ICE custody after ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ was shut down, in addition to many human rights abuses. It is the bare minimum to demand accountability for this abuse from our representatives. Organized by 5Calls
Little (Movement) Wins
Looking for actual effective ways to push back against attacks on the people and ideas you care about? The Center for Artistic Activism is hosting a free workshop, Anti-Authoritarian Artistic Activism: What We Can Learn & Do, to help you boost your political effectiveness when under authoritarian control.
It's a 60-minute, fast-paced workshop designed to give anyone ready to stock up on some creative tools and inspiring ideas to level up their activism, because authoritarianism doesn’t stand a chance against collective joy, stubborn hope, and a little weirdness.
🗓 Wed, Oct 15 @ 3pm US Eastern Time on Zoom
How Sex Work Took Center Stage
Activist History
SWEAT (Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Task Force) is a South African organization dedicated to advocating for sex workers' rights and addressing the stigmatization and criminalization sex workers face. In 2016–working alongside the Sisonke Movement of Sex Workers in South Africa–SWEAT mobilized to put sex workers' issues on the agenda at the 21st International AIDS Conference (IAC) in Durban, South Africa. Historically, these conferences are often dominated by healthcare professionals, scientists, and policymakers, leaving the voices of sex workers completely cut out, despite them being one of the communities most impacted by AIDS.
In the past, SWEAT’s tactic was simple: charge the stage and demand attention. It would often disrupt the conference momentarily before they were kicked out and it continued as planned. In 2016, after partnering with the Center for Artistic Activism, they came up with a new tactic. They walked around the conference room quietly, holding a "count-up clock" that tracked how long speakers avoided mentioning "sex work" during their presentations. When a speaker finally used the term, the person holding the clock (accompanied by a red umbrella, the international symbol of sex worker rights) would celebrate and cheer. After walking around through multiple speeches with no success, someone finally mentioned “sex work” and the crowd roared with applause. From then on, every speech made sure to mention sex workers.
The new tactic proved hugely successful in amplifying SWEAT's message about decriminalizing sex work in South Africa. Their persistence resulted in gaining support from high-profile allies including celebrities Charlize Theron and Sir Elton John, as well as Constitutional Court Judge Edwin Cameron, who invited them to share the stage. By gamifying their action and appealing to the egos of the speakers, SWEAT was able to stay in the room, achieve their goal, and finally get sex work on stage.
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The Implied Truth Effect
The Conscious Citizens Dictionary
The implied truth effect is what happens when something false is perceived as accurate just because it hasn’t been corrected yet. It was coined by scientists Gordon Pennycook, Adam Bear, and others in their research about the psychology behind misinformation. They found that by attaching fake-news warnings to certain headlines and not others–like we often see in social media–people were more likely to perceive headlines or posts without warnings as more accurate by default, especially if they were shared by influencers or journalists that are widely trusted. Because information spreads so quickly online, this means that misinformation can take root extremely quickly if we aren’t vigilant and critical of what we see.
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The Moral Foundations Theory
Connecting the Dots
How can otherwise “good” people still support, or overlook, things that are so obviously wrong? And when we talk to them, why does it often feel like we’re talking to a wall? It’s not that other people are objectively “good” or “bad.” It’s a bit more complex than that. While it may appear like we agree on basic morals on the surface, there is actually a lot more variation in how we figure out what’s right or wrong than you might think, and these differences are often why it feels like we’re on two different planets when discussing politics.
In our (first!) YouTube video, we’re diving into the Moral Foundations Theory to help us figure out how we can break through psychological barriers in order to have political conversations and design direct actions that can actually be effective in getting our message(s) across.
For us, this theory has been transformative in how we think about communicating with others.
Whether you’re an activist, educator, or just someone struggling to connect with your friends or family - we’re sure you are going to find use out of this one! Since this video signifies the official launch of our YouTube channel, we’d LOVE if you could share, like, and subscribe to help us out in these early days! ❤️
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Conscious Creatives: Ash Lukashevsky
Ash Lukashevsky (she/they) is a Los Angeles and Hawaii-based illustrator and visual artist, illustrator, and activist originally from Honolulu. They often work with grassroots organizers focused on issues like immigrant rights, racial justice, LGBTQIA+ equality, and gender equity to find more visually engaging ways to bring people into their movements. Rather than depicting people facing hardship and oppression, Ash's illustrations center around hope, acceptance, and community in order to highlight people coming together to create the change they wish to see. Ash believes art can be both a form of personal expression and a tool for collective liberation by helping us envision a better world beyond our current harmful systems, and we couldn't agree more.
➡️ Visit Ash’s Website | Shop Their Store | Follow Ash on Instagram
Resources & Tools
Please share these links with anyone that might find them helpful:
- 🤝 Methods for Winning Over an Opponent | Learn 2 different effective approaches to help you win over people with opposing views.
- 📓 Critical Media Literacy Tips for the Digital Age | A collection of media literacy tips and frameworks to help you determine what is true, different types of truth, and what is mis/disinformation in the modern media landscape.
- 📓 Positive Tipping Points Toolkit | A toolkit to help others facilitate positive change by walking you through how change happens, how to help create conditions for change, and how to facilitate change when conditions are ripe towards something new–whether it be a new behavior or new policy.
- 🖥 Easy Opt Outs | The most affordable removal service on the market ($20/year) to help protect yourself from hacking, phishing, doxing, and stalking.
SUBMIT A RESOURCE!
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Till next time, do what you can. Care for yourself and the people around you. Believe that the world can be better than it is now. Never give up. And remember, you're not alone. We always have each other.
Onward to the World We Deserve,
Elisa & Ray
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