At its best, democracy represents a collective act of faith in one another. It is not just about casting individual votes; it is a way to build collective power and broaden the movements we are committed to. How we engage matters.
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In 2024, it can be all too easy to get embroiled in the negativity and fear dominating social media, the news, or even our personal interactions. But there’s another way to be: we have an important opportunity to abstain from the politics of division and show up as a proactive force in our democracy with vision, possibility, and grounded optimism.
As the U.S. presidential election approaches, it is an excellent opportunity to renew your commitment to your vision, purpose, and the spirit that lights you up.
Voting with a Commitment to Your Vision
When we vote, we’re not just selecting a candidate or marking a ballot. We’re breathing life into a collective vision and creating the conditions for that vision to unfold. It’s good to think of voting, not as the end of a political cycle, but the beginning of one. It lays the foundation for the ongoing work of community-building, social transformation, and activism that follows. As Brazilian popular educator Paulo Freire says, “We make the road by walking.” Voting is one step on that road that continues long after the ballot is cast. Every vote is a small but essential piece of a much larger puzzle.
A Politics of Pro-activism
It’s tempting to see elections as a battleground, where one side wins and the other loses in a zero-sum game. Creating a world of interdependence means bringing intention to how we engage with those we disagree with or who may vote for a candidate you don’t support. Is it possible to discern how to take a principled stand without demonizing “the other side”?
Pachamama Alliance co-founder Lynne Twist offers us a more regenerative approach: she proposes being a "pro-activist," which means standing in the light of what you support, not just in the shadow of what you oppose. Being a pro-activist means grounding your actions in the future you want to create, and using opposition skillfully, only when necessary, without allowing it to define you.
A pro-activist mindset makes finding common ground and building bridges easier while welcoming love back into the soul of society. It creates more space for deep listening, helping us to identify and address the deeper needs and values that we all share.
What Spirit are you Feeding?
In The Spirit of the Glacier Speaks, Indigenous ceremonial leader and spiritual advisor to Pachamama Alliance, Arkan Lushwala, reminds us of our profound ability to create spirits that shape reality by the power of our thoughts and actions. “As creators of spirits, we have an enormous responsibility. Thoughts and feelings, full of good intentions, expressed with words from the heart, consecrate kind spirits that help us, guide us, and protect us.”
During this election cycle, it's a good time to ask yourself: What spirit are you feeding? What is the vision you hold for democracy, for your community, for your watershed, for the children in your life?
With so much at stake, now is the time to practice cultivating a transformative vision for the world in which there is enough, for everyone, forever. If you have even a wisp of that dream—a flicker of belief in a world that is more equitable and more interconnected—then tend to it! Nurture it. For the sake of reciprocity with life, keep it alive.
Make Sure Everyone Votes—and Votes with Intention
Ensure you have a clear plan to vote and encourage others to do the same. Whether you're reaching out to friends, family, or neighbors, help them understand how critical it is to be engaged! The world needs us—engaged, informed, and full of hope–now more than ever. Together, let’s build a democracy that reflects the best of who we are—and make this election a turning point toward a brighter, more inclusive future.
Ways you can get involved:
- All Voting is Local Resources
- Register to vote.
- Check your voter registration.
- Request an absentee ballot or mail ballot.
- Find your polling location.
- Make sure everyone in your circle has a plan to vote!
- Sign up to be a poll worker to protect everyone’s right to vote.
- Give money to local GOTV efforts that target historically disenfranchised communities, especially in swing states.
- Mobilize the vote through canvassing, texting, phonebanking, letter writing, etc.
There are so many great Get-Out-The-Vote campaigns and tools to get engaged with. If you’re just getting started, we recommend exploring different options and then choosing what works best for you.
Some electoral organizing groups you might want to check out or share:
