One Million Rising

Seattle Unity’s first One Million Rising meeting was held 8/10.

I didn’t know how our church community would react, but watching 28 people trickle into the Conference Room was exciting. There was the desire, as expressed by Michelle Obama, to “do something,” combined with the enthusiasm for finding community in a difficult time.

We began by going around the room and listening to each person’s hopes and fears, and their reason for coming to the meeting. That served to bond us in the Unity principle of zeal.

We talked about the One Million Rising movement and how the No Kings Rally on June 14 got momentum going with 70,000 marching here in Seattle, and 5,000,000 worldwide. We looked at the ways that authoritarian regimes gain and consolidate power and we discussed how these tactics are not just used here in the U.S., but are becoming more common around the world.

At that point, we watched video on the “Pillars of Power” in our country, such as businesses, the military, faith communities, the civil service, labor and the media, and how they can be influenced to support or be the downfall of authoritarianism.

Finally, we brainstormed how we each interact with those pillars and the actions we can each take to influence them. Some of us are already active in this, and others are eager to get started.

After our discussion Reverend Diane led us out with prayer. Our next meeting will be on Sunday, 9/7, at 11:30am. We’ll be talking about actions we can take as a church community. I hope you will join us.

​​-Carl Woestwin and Donna Hutchinson

What is One Million Rising? 

from NoKings.org/Rise

From the No Kings national mobilization to local organizing, millions have already taken defiant action and joined the movement against authoritarianism. Our next step is to direct that momentum into mass, decentralized pressure that compels key institutions to defect from Trumpism. We have to strike while the iron is hot—before the regime locks in even more power.

Fortunately, based on the academic research and analysis of experts of pro-democracy movements, we know the playbook that works. We have examples of powerful, successful campaigns–both in the US historically, and internationally–to bring societies back from dangerous spirals of democratic backsliding. But it’s going to take large numbers of us all taking action, pressuring the key institutions and sources of power that enable an authoritarian to cement their power.

Our goal: reach one million people by asking everyday people to host in-person community gatherings with their friends and family to continue to bring people into the movement, to step into our power together, and build impactful campaigns to stop this descent into authoritarianism.

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