For All of Us aims to create a mindset and culture in which all of us see that we are all working to create a better world for all of us.
We believe in standing up powerfully to SUPPORT progressive causes, and AGAINST those who bully and abuse, and who spread hate and foment fear and violence.
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But we understand that we will be most effective and most successful if we operate in ways that will create as many allies, from as many communities and constituencies, as possible.
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For All of Us is about HOW TO BE, HOW TO INTERACT, and WHAT TO DO in order to build bridges, create allies, and bring about lasting change
Our approach is to aim to deeply understand and support every individual's and every group's real needs, treating everyone with great respect, thoughtfulness, compassion, generosity, appreciation, acceptance, tolerance, kindness & humility, and without denigrating those with whom we disagree. Uniformly labelling groups of people, even those who might silently enable hurtful actions, as deplorable or worse, is both ethically and pragmatically questionable.
For All of Us has been inspired by practical philosophy, deliberative democracy, conflict transformation, nonviolent communication, immunity to change (understanding why change is hard), truth & reconciliation and restorative justice. Some examples of the value of this approach are the story of how Derek Black left the white nationalist movement, how Daryl Davis got 200 KKK members to give up their robes, and how the British Mineworker's Union came to support rights for Gays and Lesbians, as depicted in the 2014 film, Pride.
We also encourage you to read
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Beyond the Messy Truth: How We Came Apart, How We Come Together by Van Jones, for a more detailed exposition of a very similar perspective
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Thoughtful Citizenship, a non-partisan guide for having thoughtful conversations, even with those who disagree, so that "everyone comes out alive and maybe even learns something along the way"
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The goals of the Network of Spiritual Progressive, whose perspective and aims are also related
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Practice gratitude. Read the book Pronoia by Rob Brezsny.
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Stop judging, unless you want to increase ignorance and suffering for both yourself and the world
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Follow "The Four Agreements", by Don Miguel Ruiz (the audiobook read by Peter Coyote is particularly good): Be Impeccable With Your Word, Don't Take Anything Personally, Don't Make Assumptions, and Always Do Your Best (brief explanation of these)
The "For All of Us" Approach to BEING
The "For All of Us" Approach to INTERACTING
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Treat everyone with great respect, thoughtfulness, compassion, generosity, appreciation, acceptance, tolerance, kindness & humility
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Be open to the likelihood that everyone you encounter has something important to teach you
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Look beyond differences and separation to find similarities and connection
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Consider that disagreements about facts often reflects disagreements about the meaning or importance of events and situations
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Really listen. Stop talking and listen. Even when you are talking, listen.
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Listen in order to understand what is meaningful and important to others and why
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Listen to make connections with others, not to try to change their beliefs or attitudes, or show them why they are wrong
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Be interested and genuinely curious about other people's perspectives, especially when they conflict with your deeply held beliefs
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Identify and explore any places where other people's perspectives resonate with yours, even if you largely disagree with the implications and conclusions that they take from them
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Even when people accept/believe what you think is hateful, look at what is underneath their feelings
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Realize that if you look underneath feelings, you will often find unmet needs
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Each individual's and each group's real unmet needs deserves understanding and support
The "For All of Us" Approach to DOING
GROW:
Practice non-judgement, compassion, acceptance, and gratitude. Many spiritual and personal growth organizations can help guide you on this path.
EMBRACE:
Practice listening and problem resolution via NVC (non-violent communication), apology processes, problem-solving and agreement processes, and restorative justice.
INFLUENCE:
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Share the tenets of FOR ALL OF US with individuals and with organizations (especially political organizations) that you belong to.
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Encourage your friends and allies to not demonize individuals or groups at the other end of the political spectrum.
DEPOLARIZE:
Join/start groups that support reducing political conflicts and polarization, and working across the political divide. Explore the work done by Better Angels, Deliberative Democracy, Community Conversations, Watertown Community Conversations, FairVote, and RepresentUs.
CONNECT:
Join local (preferably neighborhood) groups working on non-political projects that have members with different political beliefs or from different racial, religious or class backgrounds.
BUILD:
Start projects that create or strengthen a sense of community and that cut across political, racial, religious and class divides. Read What I Found in a Thousand Towns by Dar Williams.
SUPPORT:
Get yourself or a group of friends and allies actively involved with and providing real help to worthy non-political groups/organizations whose members generally have politics that are largely different than yours.
BRIDGE:
Propose that progressive groups that you're involved with reach out to groups that have partially or even radically different goals or perspectives, and arrange to meet together to discover what you have in common, as a way of bridging differences, and seeking to find projects, even small ones, that you can work on together.