We're excited to announce the launch of our second Films For Action city chapter representing Kansas City, KS/MO. There are so many forward-thinking groups in KC that are doing amazing things, we can't wait to see the vision of this project start to take off.
Below is our mission, goals and vision for the chapter, as well as several ways to get involved. Join us!
Mission:
Our Kansas City chapter website aims to provide a definitive web-based resource for the activist community of Kansas City. By providing a robust set of information and communication tools geared to amplify the impact of local efforts, the website serves to build synergy and momentum to affect dramatic and radical change at a city-wide level. We believe an informed, well connected, and engaged local community is the first step to creating a just and sustainable society. To achieve this end, the website includes:
A unique sub-domain (KC.FilmsForAction.org) for Kansas City to create a completely tailored and dedicated place for people in the city to stay informed, get involved, and network and organize with others in the area.
A calendar of events, detailing all of the progressive activist events happening in and around the city at any given time. A daily snapshot of the week's events is displayed prominently on the homepage, allowing awareness of our events to reach hundreds and eventually thousands of more people.
A directory of local activist groups, united by our common vision of a more just, sustainable and democratic future, detailing who they are, what they do, and how those interested can get involved. Each page features associated resources, a bulletin board for people to stay current on recent updates, and a subscription form to sign up for the group's email Newsletter or list-serve.
Member pages for all of the activists, progressives, 'cultural creatives' and other people in the KC community, detailing their interests, skill-share resources, and other information tailored to help foster stronger, real-world community development and support networks.
Local news and articles written and contributed by local residents in the spirit of democratic, participatory journalism.
A constantly growing learning library full of online viewable documentaries, short films and videos hand-picked to change the world.
News headlines republished from independent and alternative news sites.
A "Take Action" section providing a wealth of practical action ideas for individuals or groups to draw inspiration from. Accompanying each "Action" are supporting articles, how-to guides, related websites, media tools, videos, and other learning materials to help carry out the action.
Community powered content. All members of the site can add videos, news headlines, original articles, actions, events and groups.
Goals:
These features have been implemented to achieve several goals:
- To provide a local online news and organizing hub that is dedicated specifically to supporting movements for social justice and sustainability
- To make activism more accessible to a wider demographic of people
- To be an attractive and welcoming place for people new to activism to get informed, find other people in the area of like-mind, and get involved with local activist groups
- To help strengthen the city's activist community, and to help it grow in both number and effectiveness
- To keep people informed on important local and global issues not adequately covered by the mainstream press
- To reduce the amount of promotional work groups must do to ensure a strong turn out at events
- To reduce "duplicate" efforts where it improves efficiency, and to expand duplicate efforts where it increases positive change
- To strengthen the solidarity of all the different people and groups working together in this wide movement for a more just, democratic and sustainable future
- To make much of the invisible work of local groups visible to the wider community, and to other activist groups, so we can gain a better sense of our collective efforts and find areas of convergence and synergy
Vision:
We believe we have a historic opportunity to develop the foresight and vision necessary to make Kansas City a sustainable, thriving, ecological city. We believe that the leadership for this movement will come from the bottom up, and that the solutions necessary to make this happen already exist. Whether here in Kansas City, Portland, or in Samso, Sweden - eco solutions already exist. They are in development all over the world, by millions of people and thousands of organizations.
Indeed, we are a movement millions strong, but this movement has no name, no "ism" to tie us all together. There is no single manifesto that articulates our vision in a single language. In its place we have a thousand different ways of articulating this vision, spoken in the words of every language. However, the vision we share of a better future is common. We just need to connect the dots.
Independent media like Films For Action is not the solution itself. It is the means to help realize this vision in tangible form - here in our own city, in our own particular place. It is the compass, the binoculars, the hiking shoes, and the walking stick that will help us get there.
Compass: Philosophy of guiding principles. Strategy for course of action.
Backpack: Full of knowledge, resources, action ideas, articles, and documentary films.
Binoculars: Vision of a sustainable, just paradigm that we want to create for ourselves and future generations.
Walking Stick: Support Network and Activist community (Activist groups and members).
Map: The landscape of society, giving us perspective on the "Terrain of Problems" that will be faced on the journey towards our goal. (Online Films and Independent News)
Boots: Action and engagement with problems, creating and working on solutions. Day to day activism, projects, and campaigns. (Everything in the Take Action and Events sections)
Get Involved:
If you live in the Kansas City area and would like to get involved in the project, here are several ways you can plug in.
Become a Member on the site. It's quick and easy to join, and after you create an account you'll be able to freely add videos, independent news headlines, original articles and actions. We recommend joining with Facebook if you have an account. Check our guide to adding content for more details on the sort of perspectives and content we're looking to bring to the site.
Tell like-minded groups you know of in KC about the project, what its mission and goals are, and encourage them to add their events and group to the site.
Add Local Events: http://kc.filmsforaction.org/Events
Add a Local Progressive Group to the Group Directory: http://kc.filmsforaction.org/Groups
Join our KC Blogging Team. Send us a sample writing via our contact page and we'll get you set up.
If you're on Facebook, we have a KC group here.
Spread the word.
If you'd like to know more, here are a few of our essential readings:
Films For Action Launches New Website, a "Learning Library for People Who Want to Change the World"
The Root Problem is the Root Solution: How We Can Fix Our Democracy and Create a Sustainable Future
Raising Awareness: Why We Shouldn't Take It For Granted