Title reads 'One Million Rising's Campaign against Authoritarianism'. Image of people protesting.

Organising your Local Community: One Million Rising’s Campaign against Authoritarianism

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Introduction

Learn how to organise your local community against authoritarianism with resources from One Million Rising in the US.

The One Million Rising goal is to reach one million people by asking everyday people to host in-person community gatherings with their friends and family to continue to bring people into the movement, to step into their power together, and build impactful campaigns to stop authoritarianism in the United States.

One Million Rising sprouted from the No Kings protests that took place across the US in June 2025 where millions of Americans marched peacefully to protest Donald Trump’s policies and actions. No Kings is a coalition of pro-democracy partner organizations including Indivisible, MoveOn and American Civil Liberties Union.

What is One Million Rising?

One Million Rising is training one million people to resist authoritarianism through a series of trainings and local gatherings – their aim is to build strategy, skills and people power to get organised.

“From the No Kings national mobilization to local organizing, millions have already taken defiant action and joined the movement against authoritarianism. Our next step is to direct that momentum into mass, decentralized pressure that compels key institutions to defect from Trumpism. We have to strike while the iron is hot—before the regime locks in even more power.

Fortunately, based on the academic research and analysis of experts of pro-democracy movements, we know the playbook that works. We have examples of powerful, successful campaigns–both in the US historically, and internationally–to bring societies back from dangerous spirals of democratic backsliding. But it’s going to take large numbers of us all taking action, pressuring the key institutions and sources of power that enable an authoritarian to cement their power.”

Event Host Toolkit

This all-in-one host toolkit has everything you need to bring your community together—checklists, sample agendas, facilitation tips, and more. Whether you’re gathering a few friends in your living room or leading a public event in your neighborhood, this guide will walk you through every step.

Event Host Toolkit

The toolkit includes:

Watch Sessions

Session 1: The Moment & Your Mission

Get oriented to making meaning of this moment and the role you can play in coordinated strategic action. The session’s agenda:

  • 1. Big Picture and why we’re here: The moment and our mission
  • 2. Authoritarianism 101: What we’re up against
  • 3. Mass defiance: How we fight back
  • 4. What’s Next: Community resistance gatherings

Session 2: The Moment & Your Mission

Learn how you can lead a discussion with others and get them on board with taking action in your community during the second One Million Rising coordinating call and training. You’ll host your first community resistance gathering after this session, before our next session.

Session 2 Presentation Slides

Session 3: What Now? 

In One Million Rising Session 3 you’ll get plugged into our next national campaign work, and your second community resistance gathering afterward will move this action forward.

What’s Next?

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