Personal Democracy Forum: What We Do Now

Post-traumatic growth (PTG): The positive psychological change experienced as a result of adversity and other challenges in order to rise to a higher level of functioning.

The idea of PTG was introduced as part of Jessy Tolkan’s talk at Personal Democracy Forum 2017. It was a talk about personal trauma, struggle, optimism, and the ability to move through hard things to get to something else, something better. It was also the story of this country right now.

How are we going to get somewhere else — not where we’ve been— but where we need to be? And, what’s the role of tech in getting there?

Here are some of the thoughts shared that stood out most to our team in getting closer to answering those questions.

Rashad Robinson of Color of Change

Power

• We often mistake presence for power. Power is the ability to change the rules.
  - Rashad Robinson, Color of Change

Collaboration

• How can we create a culture of trust to build collaborative relationships?
  - Rapi Castillo, Progressive Coders Network
• Tech does want to be a part of the solution, and most people who work in this industry want to be a part of an industry that promotes growth. We need to establish an ethos of citizenship in the tech sector by bringing tech to the table.
  - Catherine Bracy, Techequity Collaborative

Madeleine Ellis of Planned Parenthood and Arisha Hatch of Color of Change

Accessibility

• We need to transform bills into something digestible and accessible to common people on their phones.
  - Bart Myers, Countable
• People are willing and ready to engage. We have to meet them where they’re at. Right now, we’re reaching them via text message with Hustle.
  - Madeleine Ellis, Planned Parenthood

Activism

• We need 21st Century abolitionists. We need to demand digital sanctuary.
  - Malkia Cyril, Center for Media Justice

If we get this right, technology has the potential to transform our current version of democracy. In thinking about a way forward, I think Rashad Robinson posed the most critical challenge to meet:

“It’s going to take people with power to make change. We need to make us all powerful. Black people, women, immigrants. When oppressed people win, they win for everyone.” -Rashad Robinson, Color of Change

Let’s win.