Revolution of Care Manifesto
The struggle against patriarchy, white supremacy, colonialism, imperialism, climate change, and our corrupt economic system can feel overwhelming. It’s not a struggle we can take on alone. That’s why the Social Justice Co-operative is building a grassroots movement centred on creating caring communities and fostering friendships between activists based on caring for each other. We believe in the dignity and value of every human being. We call this movement a “Revolution of Care” because revolutionary care is the antidote to capitalism, and it is capitalism that has made our society sick. Where capitalism relies on greed to function, the antidote must be generosity. Where capitalism relies on individualism, the antidote must be community.
By capitalism, we mean the global intersecting systems of oppression that impoverish billions to make a handful of people rich, the systems that co-opt democracy to protect the rich, and the systems that make all of us complicit in the destructive exploitation of our land, water, and communities in the service of profits for the rich. Our affluence in Canada is built off of poverty here and elsewhere. We do not live in isolation. Our local choices affect lives internationally. All beings on earth, human and non-human are linked in a web of relation.
Care, like capitalism, can be applied as a way of life, as a system to uphold rule in society and our communities, and as a guideline by which all decisions are made.
Capitalism encourages taking advantage of every situation for personal gain, focusing our attention inward, and creating a competition out of life itself. Revolutionary care encourages the exact opposite: to seek to provide for the needs of all those around us, in every situation, creating a sense of community and belonging. Revolutionary care uses empathy as a means of knowledge and understanding; this knowledge is the basis for all decisions, with the ultimate goal of meeting the needs of all. Where capitalism applies value to how much an individual can take, the revolution of care calls for our values to be shifted based on how much care one gives back to their community and each other. Where individual wealth is multiplied by the greed of capitalism, collective wealth is multiplied under the revolution where care is placed as the centre.
Revolutionary care, when applied on a larger scale, has the potential to collapse hierarchies by giving consideration and a voice to all. It prevents the elevation of the few above the many by illuminating our world with the views and emotions of those around us, creating empathy, and, ultimately, generosity. It elevates the importance of the community as a whole creating a sense of belonging and trust. It decentralizes decision making by creating fluid governance based on current needs and giving space to all who wish to participate. Revolutionary care has the potential to crumble capitalism by creating communities that care for their people rather than their profits. The SJC intends to grow this movement, and spread the Revolution of Care as a way of organizing, a way of decision making, and as a way of life.
A “Revolution of Care” means reclaiming care, by building a movement centered on compassion and kindness that gives space to heal, learn, and grow.
By strengthening relationships and ensuring that everyone feels welcome, we are connecting community members and shaping our own system, one that can end the exploitation of people and the destruction of thriving ecosystems for profit and build communities where everyone feels loved and respected.
Therefore, the Social Justice Co-operative commits to the following principles of revolutionary care:
- ensure anti-racist decolonization;
-- anti-racist decolonization, at its very core, is a care building movement based on Indigenous feminism which includes radical love and acceptance. Indigenous feminism places care at the centre of decision making and ensures that all community members have their physical, spiritual and emotional needs met;
- radical inclusivity: everyone is given an equal opportunity to join our movement by addressing barriers; creating welcoming environments, especially for members of traditionally marginalized and neglected groups;
-- a revolution of care requires us to have patience for all people as they learn and make mistakes;
-- recognize that we have all been socialized in inherently racist, classist, sexist, cis-heteronormative and ableist systems and that it takes time and patience to understand and unpack this socialization;
- all voices are heard, marginalized and most impacted voices are amplified, and all experiences are valued and considered;
- a collaborative, cooperative, consensus-based, decentralized approach to decision-making;
- intentional relationship and community building, recognizing the need for social spaces in addition to organizing spaces;
- promotion of worker-owned co-operatives, a strong union movement, and international worker solidarity;
- intentional care for all of humanity, our environment, and the other species with whom we share the earth by resisting wasteful, hazardous, and unsustainable patterns of consumption and destruction;
- intersectional approach to a just transition from an extraction economy to a society that cares for the land and for each other.