Options for Civil Resistance

As a small, trust-based group, a circle has unique power. It can move faster than large organizations, go deeper than public campaigns, and act more creatively than top-down efforts. Civil resistance does not only mean confrontation. It also means building the world we want and refusing to comply with systems that cause harm.

This document outlines four major categories of action that a circle can take as part of a broader movement for justice and liberation: Community Building, Educational and Persuasion Work, Mutual Aid, and Civil Disobedience.

Community Building

Community building lays the foundation for all other action. It is how we build trust, belonging, and political imagination. This work helps create the conditions for sustained resistance and collective care.

• Bringing people into circles. Invite friends, neighbors, coworkers, or others into your circle or help them form new ones. This expands the network of support and solidarity.
• Hosting social events. Organize potlucks, movie nights, hikes, art nights, or skill shares to build strong relationships and make movement work enjoyable and sustaining.
• Creating workshops or retreats. Offer opportunities for connection and alignment across circles and broader movement spaces.
• Holding space for emotional needs. Use listening circles, ceremonies, or healing practices to process grief, joy, and transformation together.
• Building ties in your local area. Engage with neighbors, tenants, or coworkers to strengthen bonds and grow relational power.

Educational and Persuasion Work

Educational and persuasion work focuses on raising consciousness and shifting people’s understanding of power, justice, and collective struggle. Circles can help make political education personal, grounded, and engaging.

• Organizing study groups. Read books or articles together and help each other connect the dots between lived experience and systemic conditions.
• Hosting teach-ins. Lead public conversations about topics like housing, labor, policing, climate, or racial justice.
• Flyering and postering. Use public spaces to share messages, connect people to actions, and spark dialogue.
• Using art and storytelling. Create zines, performances, banners, or chalk messages that shift public narratives.
• Practicing relational organizing. Have one-on-one conversations to build trust, share stories, and invite people into action.

Mutual Aid

Mutual aid is a form of resistance grounded in care, survival, and solidarity. It responds to immediate needs while building alternatives to systems of neglect and control.

• Sharing resources. Distribute food, transportation, funds, medical supplies, child care, or housing support.
• Offering emotional support. Set up peer listening partnerships or regular check-ins to reduce burnout and isolation.
• Providing emergency response. Support people facing eviction, arrest, climate crisis, or personal emergencies.
• Building infrastructure. Create systems like tool libraries, protest safety teams, or solidarity funds that increase community resilience.
• Responding to solidarity requests. Join coordinated efforts to support targeted communities or frontline actions.

Civil Disobedience

Civil disobedience involves intentionally refusing to comply with unjust laws or systems. It can take many forms, from quiet acts of defiance to public disruption.

• Taking direct action. Organize sit-ins, blockades, banner drops, or other disruptions targeting harmful institutions.
• Supporting strikes. Show up for workers on strike with material support and physical presence.
• Providing sanctuary and protection. Offer shelter and support to people targeted by law enforcement, including immigrants, trans people, or abortion seekers.
• Withdrawing participation. Coordinate boycotts, divestment campaigns, or work stoppages from systems of exploitation.
• Engaging in mass refusal. Join efforts such as rent strikes, student walkouts, or collective non-compliance with unjust policies.

Choosing the Right Action

There is no single best tactic. Some circles may focus on deep mutual care. Others may take on educational work, direct action, or solidarity organizing. The most important thing is to be in relationship with local movements, to choose actions based on your circle’s energy and capacity, and to stay flexible and reflective as things evolve.

Circles are strongest when they act with intention, build trust internally, and stay connected to the broader work for justice.