Self-Reform and Political Action
Political organizations don’t encourage members to engage in self-reform to undo divisive social conditioning, including the desire to dominate and the willingness to submit. And personal- and spiritual-reform organizations don’t nurture political action to help change oppressive public policies. If these two communities made simple shifts in their approach, they could come together and build an independent social movement powerful enough to persuade Washington to respect the will of the people, transform social structures throughout society, and support compassionate personal growth.
The first step is to agree on a shared worldview rooted in compassion. Americans for Humanity: A Declaration indicates the kind of affirmation that could provide this common ground. The support it’s received so far (more than 100 signers) suggests it’s on the right track. However, we don’t offer this statement as the final word. Organizers of a new movement might amend it or start from scratch with another affirmation.
After endorsing shared points of unity, organizations could join this effort with an easy modification in their activities. For instance, once a month, at the outset of committee meetings, political organizations could have each member “check-in” with a brief report on their recent self-improvement effort(s). Personal- and spiritual-reform organizations could have their members report on their recent political activity, such as sending an Action Alert on the internet. And members of other groups such as book clubs could endorse the principles and briefly report on their personal and political efforts.
A more substantial step forward is to form small teams, an Adaptive Action as proposed on the Americans for Humanity website that involves more time commitment. These teams, whether in-person or Zoom-based, would support each other with their self-improvement and political action — while attracting new members with the contagious celebration of life in all of its richness.
Some of these supportive groups and holistic teams could affiliate with a loose network of similar teams. As we see it, this network could counter isolation, help sustain commitment, increase understanding of key issues and current events, and serve as a reliable communication channel for new ideas and information. Occasional regional, national, and international gatherings could enable members to celebrate and publicize their activities.
As the Declaration states, these efforts could help “transform the United States into a compassionate community.” This effort does not envision a Utopia. Many imperfections will persist; progress is never-ending. Nor does it envision changing everything, destroying the world as we know it, or waiting for “the system” to collapse. Rather, these changes would build on current positive elements, reform social structures, alter society’s principal outward form or appearance and its character, and help individuals liberate their “higher angels” as they shift to a better balance between self-care and service to others. As such, these changes would constitute a transformation.
How to identify this movement is unclear. At the moment, we suggest “the Moral America movement.” However, we welcome other suggestions and will add them to our public list of options. If this movement develops, other proposed names may emerge and at some point, participants might formally adopt one.
A lasting transformation will be both systemic and holistic. It will be systemic because it will involve mutually reinforcing, synergistic cultural, social, personal, economic, environmental, and political changes — deep improvements in how we, the people, treat each other and how we treat ourselves and the planet. These changes will involve structural reform — how we organize our activities — throughout society.
This transformation will also be holistic because it will affect the whole society and the whole person. It will cultivate democracy throughout society and impact who we are deep down, our spiritual health, how we live our daily lives. It will require individuals to unlearn and undo divisive and domineering habits, and control the instinct to dominate or submit that the System inflames by amplifying fear and hate.
Rarely do politicians, commentators, and activists address how activists treat each other, how they treat those they aim to persuade, and the need to be more respectful and better listeners in our daily lives.
If and when organizers initiate an independent social movement dedicated to holistic and systemic transformation, Americans for Humanity will support it to the best of our ability.