The Roots of the Climate Pledge of Resistance
What’s a Pledge of Resistance?
During the 1980’s a solidarity movement against the US involvement and support for wars in Central America emerged with a very effective national campaign whose structure supported autonomous grassroots nonviolent direct action and rooted itself in direct democracy. The campaign was for people to publicly commit to engage in acts of legal protest or nonviolent civil disobedience to prevent a US invasion of Nicaragua or more significant escalation in Central America. It was believed that if enough people publicly announced their intent it would be a powerful deterrent.
Mainstream groups like the American Friends Service Committee and the United Methodist Church were key partners along with solidarity networks, policy organizations and anti-intervention groups. By 1985, 50,000 had signed the pledge. By 1987 over 100,000 had signed. The network lasted for years and in all likelihood prevented an invasion of Nicaragua.
The Pledge Campaign had a unique structure that used a people-powered strategy to prevent war. By rooting the work at the local level, organizations, individuals and groups of friends formed affinity groups, spokes councils and coordinating committees that would engage in local campaigns. These local pledge groups formed regional councils for action coordination. The whole network was supported by a national clearing house that provided information, resources, media work and coordination of national calls to action.
We’re now proposing a similar campaign and organizing model for the climate justice movement.
To make the Climate Change Pledge of Resistance successful, we need groups of organizations to adopt the campaign, provide some resources and set clear goals, demands, dates and an escalating calendar of action toward Copenhagen and beyond. All of the ingredients for success exist now.
Thousands of people are paying attention to the climate and are very concerned. It is a key issue of the Obama Administration and Congress (both of whom need a major push), there are successful and vibrant struggles at the grassroots level, there is strong Indigenous leadership in this movement, and there are a number of global meetings which are key moments for action. The global struggle to stop climate change is target-rich: the Obama Administration, Congress, and state governments; energy companies and the banks that fund them; urban corporate offices and resource extraction sites. All of these and more are possible places for action.
About
Building off the rich tradition of resistance from cultures around the world, we have been called to action to engage in CPR for the planet. Our effort has emerged from collaboration among many groups, and this website was originally designed by the Yes Men to correspond with G20 Summit in London in April 2009.
To stop climate destruction we must start at home in our own local communities opposing those who seek to profit at the expense of our communities, our rights and our planet.
We are seeking to ensure that the voices and views of those most greatly impacted by climate change are not lost in the shuffle of politics and the corporate economy. We are beginning to feel the full impacts of climate change and we have a collective responsibility to take action. Don’t agonize, organize!
Thank you for joining us in this effort to turn our communities, our political and corporate leaders, and the world around.
