Transformational Activism, Regenerative Resistance
Crisis always comes paired with opportunity. As the crisis gets clearer, the opportunities do as well. The organized resistance to the violent lawlessness of ICE and Border Patrol raids is a great example. Communities all across the country saw the need and came together in solidarity. The allies and inspiration showed up and it’s no stretch to imagine that many individual lives and entire communities will be permanently more empowered as a result.1
Nonviolent resistance to brutality and injustice is beautiful. As a parallel to the self care that is so foundational now, healthy forms of activism are part of our soul care. As I wrote in Active Peace:
Because of interbeing, true healing doesn’t happen in isolated bubbles, but in the context of the world and the relationships that surround and penetrate us like the air we breathe. Activism pushes us to see the big picture and know as felt sense and lived experience that everything is connected. We come alive to ourselves and everything that supports life.
Activism that doesn’t deepen the illusion of separateness is personally empowering and collectively healing. Researchers use words such as wellbeing, vitality, and flourishing to describe the greater sense of aliveness they see and measure in activists. And it probably goes without saying that every meaningful social gain has been hard won through bottom up organizing and agitation.
Regenerative Resistance
Our current predicament is way bigger than Donald Trump and that’s a tough message to take in. But once we do, the pathways to deep levels of personal and collective transformation become clearer. Trump has exposed the cynicism and violence at the core of the hegemonic project—a project long destined to get increasingly destructive and depraved because of its ultimate futility.2
The insatiability of globalized capitalism, working in tandem with an increasingly compromised political system, is leading us toward environmental and social disaster. The rise of fascist authoritarianism adds fuel to that fire. Premised as it is on lies that destroy the foundation for rational discussion, on demonizing and punishing opposition, on weaponizing government power, and upending the rule of law, fascism must be resisted.3 Nonviolent resistance is therefore an essential part of the overall shift from what is life-denying and degenerative, to that which is life-affirming and regenerative. Thus the concept of regenerative resistance.
When resistance aligns with wholeness and the relational, reciprocal nature of reality, it is regenerative. When it aligns with the depth of the transformation needed, it can represent both the NO and the Yes, clarifying what we don’t want, while contributing toward what we do want. I strive to think along these lines in the context of protests such as the No Kings rallies and activism in general. It pushes me to be as creative and constructive as possible.
The challenge inherent in co-creating a relational paradigm in the midst of the Great Unravelling is substantial and multifaceted.4 So much needs to change. A focus on process rather than ultimate outcomes makes it less overwhelming. I’m choosing to put my focus on our human-to-human relationships. I do that because I see them as both the foundation for, and the weak link in, moving forward in transformational ways. Prioritizing relationships is also very doable and the payoffs are huge. That’s not to say that I or anyone else really wants to do that work. As sad as it might be, it seems that something as extreme as the Great Unravelling was needed to inspire us to rise to the challenge. These are all themes addressed in my forthcoming book, The Relationship Revolution: Weaving Wholeness in the Great Unravelling.
Tax Resistance
Apropos regenerative resistance, withholding the payment of taxes as an act of conscience is a very personal and consequential form of resistance. I wrote about my decision to engage in tax resistance last year in a Substack post and I’m feeling even more strongly about it this year.5 More and more people share some of those same concerns and are engaging in this time-honored form of protest according to this Guardian article. I do believe the piece vastly underestimates the percentage of the military budget dedicated to military use. The War Resisters League, calculates that percentage to be 58% for FY 2027. If you are interested in exploring tax resistance, the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee, continues to be the best overall resource.
Active resistance breeds empowerment and solidarity. Right in the midst of the chaos and suffering is where the healing and regeneration is going to happen. It’s our reality now. In heeding the call and rising to the challenge, we solidify the vision, clarify the priorities, and find the needed inspiration.
Notes
1. Ann Wright, “How Minnesota ‘Nice’ Turned Against ICE,” Consortium News, Feb. 20, 2026.
2. “Hegemony: The One Word Explanation for Endless War,” Active Peace, Substack, March 4, 2026.
3. “The Shadow King Enthroned,” Active Peace, Substack, January 30, 2025.
4. “The Great Unravelling,” Active Peace, Substack, Feb. 25, 2026.
5. To the IRS, with Love, Active Peace, Substack, April 15 2025.