Action Framework

The Ruckus Direct Action Manifesto

(Action Framework)

Where we wanna go, who we're going with, and how we're gonna get there

Working Draft: April 2011

Direct action has been central to every societal transformation in history. We at Ruckus recognize the urgent need for direct action at this time; we are also dedicated to facilitating effective direct action that meets frontline groups' tactical needs and contributes to a winning strategy.

Who We Support, What We Want

Ruckus supports frontline, mass-movement and people power organizing committed to composting the current global capitalist economy¹ and growing local economies based on equity, justice, direct democracy and ecological resiliency.

Theory of Change:

Pick a Fight. Break the Rules. Build the New. Change the Game.

Direct Action is absolutely necessary for deep social transformation; however it must be vision-based, confrontational, honor frontline leadership, and be inclusive. We believe that bottom-up organizing and movement-building are central strategies. Our organizing and movements must:

1. Pick a Fight: directly confront injustice

2. Break the Rules: because the rules serve the rulers and they keep changing the rules

3. Build the New: we must build our own organizations, community institutions and projects and we must hold them up as experiments in a better way to live together.

4. Change the Game: our organizing, campaigns, actions and institutions must build power towards a transformation of our economy and an end to empire.

We need direct action led by and accountable to frontline communities² who are connecting the concrete improvements in their daily lives that they are fighting for with a larger transformative vision. This transformative vision is what “frames” our shared struggle and allows us to build a Trans-Local* alliance of Peoples’ Movements (*shared frames, common strategies, deep solidarity, mass-based, locally autonomous) movement. This movement is inclusive, inviting, inspiring, innovative and, of course, invincible.

Our solutions, strategies and actions should be based on:

• Root Cause Remedies – getting to the underlying cause of the problem

• Rights – Protection and advancement of individual and collective rights, including the Rights of Mother Earth

• Reparations – Repairing our Relations, which includes making amends for past harms as well as setting ourselves up for the relationships that we want now and forward going.

• Real Representation through Direct Democracy – communities have control over the decisions that effect their daily lives – and no decisions about us are made without us.

Our Role:

To cultivate a humble and fierce Direct Action Community of Practice committed to disobedience and non-cooperation with the forces of injustice and ecocide. We share and expand skills and experience, inspire innovation in the movement and provide strategic movement support.

How We Work (Our Guiding Principles)

Frontline leadership: Ruckus supports action in which frontline communities lead the strategy, vision and action.

Relationships for the long-haul: Ruckus comes where we're called, respecting local work and building long-term relationships of support.

Visionary and confrontational: Ruckus supports action that builds strength and holds space for a strong community vision. We aspire to actions in which the visions and solutions presented are deeper and more compelling than the injustice and are placed directly in the path of the injustice.

Reflection and action cycle: Ruckus is committed to ongoing organizational evolution to better represent our values, serve the movement and adapt to changing conditions in the world. We believe that we must model the principles we're guided by.