What are the shared principles that guide us?
The principles of unity that connect the members of the Southern Movement Assembly reflect many years of organizational partnerships and a synthesis of ideas based in collective practice and historical examples. The principles serve to name who we are, what we believe, and our purpose for working together to advance the Southern Freedom Movement in the 21st Century. These principles reaffirm the foundational belief that we are stronger together, accountable to groups/organizations, and that we work together as a formation because we know our struggles are connected and that our liberation is tied to one another. These principles will be evaluated and evolved periodically.
What is Our Accountability Process to Our Principles of Unity?
Southern Movement Assembly member organizations are committed to staying in right relation with each other, our shared practices and principles, and our movement legacies of collective work. We commit to accountability practices that uphold our shared commitments, and are not rooted in punishment or state intervention. We practice grace with consequences and commit to assessment and acknowledgment so that we move forward as a stronger collective. The SMA creates and implements De-escalation Processes with the Governance and Work Teams rooted in intention and reciprocal relationships. IF SMA PRINCIPLES ARE VIOLATED by individuals or organizations, they will be asked to engage in a principled dialogue to resolve and reconcile relationships. Organizational leadership with Governance Team members will be engaged directly to co-create a transformative and rigorous process that fits the situation.
If all else fails, individuals or organizations will be asked to remove themselves from the formation.
Conflict Resolution process will include: Direct communication
Collective process (we will not move unilaterally to solve problem) Organizations will be engaged based on representation.
We will practice care and intention to support resolutions
We believe that remembering, learning, and growing from revolutionary social movement history is critical. We are committed to inter-generational organizing, recognizing our legacies, and preserving the stories from movement elders and memory stewards.
We believe in the self-determination of all oppressed peoples. We organize with the people most affected by oppressive systems and injustice—Black people, Indigenous people, queers, trans, women, migrants, working class and poor people. We believe that People’s Movement Assemblies create opportunities to practice governance and decision-making within our communities and on frontlines of struggle.
We recognize and respect the autonomy of each Southern Movement Assembly (SMA) Member organization/formation, understanding that we engage in a multitude of strategies toward liberation. Our diverse backgrounds, values, traditions, and experiences are strengths not hindrances.
We value relationships, grassroots governance, movement infrastructure, and practicing new ways to protect and defend the ground we’ve gained through movements and to care for and transform ourselves, our people, and the land.
We believe there are many ways to do this work. We respect diversity of tactics and strategies that work towards and practice collective liberation.
We respect and support locally-based leadership that is accountable to a base. Place and space matter, and we recognize the unique histories of sites of struggle across the South.
We value and practice transparency, honesty and disagreement that builds alignment and power. We strive to distinguish between perception and reality. We engage each other directly when disagreement or conflict is a barrier to collective action and do not engage in shaming, rumor, or innuendo.
We engage each other with respect and dignity by prioritizing collective well-being and accountability without engaging state intervention. We practice communal care over individual interests.
We believe political direction is determined by big picture analysis informed by our collective experiences to dismantle white supremacy, economic exploitation, patriarchy, imperialism, and colonialism while simultaneously building the web of infrastructure we need for the liberation of all people.
The Southern Movement Assembly (SMA) is a formation of organizations and groups that have come together to build movement, infrastructure, and power.
Initiated in 2012, the SMA organizes Peoples Movement Assemblies to gather our people based on geography or frontline to analyze the situation, create a vision, and commit to a plan of action.
We believe that we are stronger together, and that we cannot fundamentally transform systems of oppression as individuals or singular organizations.
Together, we will grow Southern people power!
In view of an ongoing capitalist collapse, intensified by white supremacy, climate crisis, and rising fascism, the function of the SMA is to converge Southern frontline assemblies to collectively develop SHARED ACTION PLANS rooted in political alignment. The role of LEADERSHIP is to practice bottom-up, grassroots governance to build the infrastructure to carry out the plan.
The Southern Movement Assembly consists of member organizations across the South who have made a commitment to building power to transform economic, social, and ecological systems. We are committed to developing movement governance from the bottom up. Our political alignment includes accountability to Southern frontlines and local leadership, legacies of U.S. South and Global South movements, a shared commitment to the Principles of Unity, and a shared political vision of collective liberation for all people.
SMA members represent groups and assemblies who are doing base building work and share a commitment to political education and organizing from the bottom up. To be in right relation with the membership requirements of the Southern Movement Assembly: members participate on SMA Work Teams; commit to preparation through orientation, engage in political education, training and monthly landscape assessment opportunities; practice accountability to a group/assembly/organization/formation; and commit to communicate back with our organizations and frontlines.
Our strategies are straightforward. Through our local-based leadership, we are a community of change-makers working together to:
• Build shared power
• Expand democracy and community control
• Defend our communities from violence
Together, we are called to take action against all forms of injustice and increase resources that our communities control. Throughout history, grassroots organizers have been at the forefront of social change. SMA builds on that legacy by organizing our communities to build infrastructure for long-term liberation.
We build solidarity economies, including new community-owned institutions like cooperatives and practices of community-based agriculture, land trusts, and participatory budgeting. We are unapologetic in our demand for resources we self-determine and systems that guarantee our safety. Together, we will not stop fighting until SMA communities get the economic, education, health, and justice resources we deserve.
We organize Peoples Movement Assemblies and build coordinated local community governance for movement power. We expand democracy to shift decision making power to everyday people, expand civic engagement beyond the vote, and organize political education.
We work to eliminate state violence in all its forms, including incarceration, social control, medical violence, and military violence that displaces people globally and locally. We coordinate community resistance to violence, rapid response to crisis, and disaster preparedness.
Participating Organizations align with the Principles of Unity, participate in Southern Movement Assemblies, the annual Organizing Intensive, and participate in Work Teams that facilitate Community and Frontline Assemblies and support the overall organizing efforts. Over 100 organizations have participated in SMAs and have signed on to Southern Peoples Initiative since 2012.
Anchor Organizations have worked with the SMA for at least a year, align with the Principles of Unity, meet weekly and provide strategic direction, accumulate political analysis, initiate rapid response when needed, and coordinate the annual SMA, Organizing Intensive, and Work Teams.
Alternate Roots | Atlanta, Georgia
Black Workers for Justice | Raleigh, NC
National Council of Elders – South | Regional
Project South | Atlanta & Regional
SpiritHouse | Durham, NC
Stay Together Appalachian Youth Project (S.T.A.Y.) | Regional | LA & VA
TapRoot Earth | Slidel, LA | Regional
Women Watch Afrika | Clarkston, GA
