Moving from one social justice initiative to another in the same day can feel exhilarating and exhausting, especially if you bring spiritual eldership to your groups. An alternate way to support organizing is accompaniment.
Accompaniment is what guided my steps when I was supporting activists in Ferguson, MO after Michael Brown, a black teenager, was killed by the police in 2014. I was tasked with training new organizers, but much of what I did was accompaniment work.
I listened to people’s stories, I showed up every day, and helped them clarify next steps that were life-giving, strategic, and sustainable. This meant sticking with the same people during direct actions, city council hearings, mass meetings, and meals on the go. And saying no to other opportunities to support change in the region.
My work didn’t create a bevy of new organizers, as was my initial goal, but it did slow people down. In the slowness, people stopped reacting to all the stimuli around them, and instead they were able to process their trauma, heal and recover, and then start looking ahead toward proactive strategies.
Accompaniment is the process of staying present with people over time, to help them through the highs and lows.
We live in an age where our people's attentions is pulled in many directions. And yet, stillness remains a powerful tool.
Our movements need anchors as chaos increases globally. And you can provide an anchor for your community.
Instead of staying actively involved in 5 groups. Try choosing 1 or 2 where you will focus your energy this year. Your people will appreciate it, and you will create space for leaders to enter.
Unitarian Universalist minister Elizabeth Nguyen has called for more people to provide spiritual eldership alongside social justice movements. She calls them movement chaplains.
I echo her call, and I believe the effectiveness of movement chaplains is only enhanced by limiting the number of projects you take on. Focus gives you time to make intentional interventions that will have a lasting impact.
It’s the difference between being a surgeon and a primary care doctor. A surgeon makes a quick cuts to initiate a healing process. Primary care doctors assist someone’s growth, healing, and heath over time.
If you give all your energy away, you choose the role of the martyr instead of the comrade. We need you in this fight. We need you to last. So take a page from the book on accompaniment.
Slow and steady will get you the change we need.