SouthWest Organizing Project is an Unstoppable Voters Project – a series of Center for Artistic Activism supported works that ensure every vote is counted in the 2020 U.S. election, relieve tension, and build healthy institutions in the aftermath.
SouthWest Organizing Project
Anticipating mass confusion, SWOP will create Social Emergency Response Centers (SERCs) in Albuquerque to provide election information, healing, self-care, and protection to local communities. A mural will also be created post-election, reflecting the community’s hopes for the future.
The SouthWest Organizing Project was founded in 1980 by young activists of color to empower our communities in the SouthWest to realize racial and gender equality and social and economic justice. We seek to redefine power relationships by bringing together the collective action, talents, and resources of the people within our communities. We work primarily in low-income communities of color to gain community control of our land and resources.
We are a multi-racial, membership organization with a Board of Directors that is elected directly from our membership. We’re intentional about ensuring that the composition of our staff, membership, and Board represent the communities with which we work. SWOP acts as a vehicle for those directly affected by the decisions of governments to have a greater voice in the process.
Unstoppable voters projects throughout the country relieve tensions and look to the future as every vote is counted
Experts predict that election returns will be slow and chaotic. Artists are preparing by answering critical questions: How can we counter tension, fear and potential violence? How do we inspire resilience and hope to defend the basic tenets of democracy? How do we respond with so many unknown factors?
The Center for Artistic Activism’s Unstoppable Voters Project has gathered a group of artists and culture makers who know how to transform emotions and support a weary nation through early voting and the transfer of power during a challenging election season. As the nation awaits election results and their aftermath, projects will help folks relieve tension on the streets, at counting sites and in their homes, with Counting Cheerleaders, the creation of Social Emergency Response Centers, of-the-moment songs created and distributed by the Peace Poets, and continued performances by Emergency Circus and dancing mailboxes Delivering Democracy, among other projects.
This post was originally published on News – The Center for Artistic Activism.