A Companion Handbook: The Fierce Vulnerability Network Handbook

The Beloved Community Circles (BCC) has been inspired and supported by folks who have helped to create a sibling action team network called the Fierce Vulnerability Network (FVN). That initiative began in 2015; BCC began in 2020. After 7 years in development, the FVN has produced an excellent handbook to guide their movement. It is deep, broad, detailed, far-sighted, and radical in its analysis and critique of our current eco and racial crises. It is clearly grounded in integral nonviolence and has the sensibilities and values of a beloved community vision, without using that particular image.  It is substantially aligned with the values and intent of the BCC Handbook, but more elaborated. And it is beautifully written–190 pages, plus 80 pages of curated and relevant appendices and resources. 

Since the FVN friends have been engaged in the development of their project for many more years that the BCC effort, their FVN Handbook has thought through and experimented with many areas of BCC functioning that the BCCs have not gotten to yet, that their handbook clearly articulates in way that we probably could not improve upon. For example, here are some topics in the FVN Handbook that BCC Handbook does not include or barely mentions:

·       Toward collective liberation from patriarchy, racism, climate suffering
·       Highlight “vocation”—members gifts and talents, and when to use 
        them for what
·       Local and regional onboarding in lieu of a centralized onboarding|
·       Direct action issues–definitions, frontlines, relations with police, arrest 
        considerations
·       Much more on gift economy and “relational economics”
·       Clear recommendations for Circle decision-making
·       Fuller description of conflict resolution processes with a Circle
·       More clarity describing information flow; how Circle members
        communicate tips on giving and receiving feedback, for health of 
        the Circle
·       Trauma and conflict; restorative justice processes
·       Perspectives on reparations and money flow
·       Individual vs collective decisions—when and how to use each
·       A process for an individual leaving a Circle
·       A process for a Circle disbanding

Therefore we are collaborating with the Fierce Vulnerability Network by asking members of the Beloved Community Circles to go to their website (www.thefvn.org) and order their handbook ($16). Doing this offers a bit of financial support to the FVN, our sibling network, and delivers to BCC members an invaluable resource to augment the BCC Handbook.  A win-win.  (Since FVN operates on a “gift economy” model, if someone does not have the means to purchase their handbook, that person can download a pdf version for free, a book paid for by someone in their network.)

Below are a few touchstone essays, websites, videos, and resources that inform the view and approach of Beloved Community Circles work at the intersection of racial and environmental justice, healing, and transformation. For a more robust and comprehensive listing, please see the treasure chest in “Appendices” and “Additional Resources” sections at the end of the Fierce Vulnerability Network Handbook. 

Books

1. Healing Resistance. Kazu Haga

2. The Gandhian Iceberg. Chris Moore-Backman

3. FVN Handbook. The Fierce Vulnerability Network

4. This Changes Everything. Capitalism and the Climate. Naomi Klein

5. Unbroken Wholeness: Six Pathways to the Beloved Community. 
     John Bell

6. Emergent Strategy. adrienne maree brown 

Articles

1. “Racism is Killing the Planet.” Hop Hopkins

2. “Understanding Patriarchy.” bell hooks

3. “On Colonialism.”  Rupa Marya

4. “Let Them Drown”. Naomi Klein

5. “Developing a Mindful Approach to Racial & Climate Justice: 
   
   Six Part      Framework.”  John Bell

6. “3.5% Rule: On the Success of Nonviolent civil disobedience.” 
     Erica Chenowith’s research on the efficacy of nonviolent civil
     disobedience.

7. How to find joy in climate activism. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson.

8. Action Planning Sweet Spot Diagram

9. “Buddhist Diagnosis of the Climate Crisis.” Bhikkhu Bodhi

10. “Simple Practical Steps to Address the Climate Crisis.” Bhikkhu Bodhi

11. “How to Bring Our Planet Back to Life.” Paul Hawken

12. Do Individual Climate Actions Matter?

13. A dedicated group of climate activists curate a very valuable online
        resource called “What’s Happening with the Climate.”  They update 
        this weekly, the “good news” and “bad news.” A very easy and quick
        way to stay up-to-date with a summary of information about key
        climate emergency events around the world.

Websites

1. East Point Peace Academy. Based in Oakland, CA, doing amazing
     movement-building work. 

2. Necessary Trouble Collective. An anti-oppression, anti-racism, whole
     human center for training and resources.

3. Climate Justice Alliance. BIPOC-led front line organization with a solid
     intersectional analysis. 

4. Indigenous Environmental Network. An alliance of grassroots
     Indigenous Peoples whose mission is to protect the sacredness of
     Mother Earth.

5. Climate Forward. Weekly climate new summary from the NY Times.

6. “Climate and White Supremacy,” reading list compiled by Kritee Kanko

7. Project Drawdown

8. Truthout, “Climate Disruption Dispatches”

9. Sustaining All Life
   
   

Videos

1. Leah Thomas on Environmental Justice. A young person makes the
     links beautifully. 6 min. 

2. How to Find Joy in Climate Action, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson 

3. Arkan. Indigenous writer, healer, on renewing right relationship with 
     Mother Earth. 5 min 

4. “The Most Important Thing You Can Do to Fight Climate Change: Talk     about It.”
    Katherine Hayhoe, climate scientist. TED talk. Good example
     of mindful effective communication. 

5. “What Is Environmental Justice?”  NRDC 2 min video