The Horizons Project

10/14/2026

The greatest peril companies face today is not the risk of speaking up—it is the risk of staying silent amid democratic backsliding. Hardy Merriman and Maria J. Stephan explore what the research tells us about where we are, the stakes for business, and why it is urgent to change course. Link in comments.

10/14/2026

Defending the upcoming election from authoritarian capture will require massive turnout, and we all have roles to play. Read Daniel Hunter's latest: https://wagingnonviolence.org/2026/10/midterm-election-defense-through-turnout/

10/09/2026

Broad, diverse movements are what beat authoritarianism. But bringing together veterans, faith leaders, artists, union reps, youth activists and others also means bringing together hundreds of different narratives or world views about identity, belonging, conflict, what's worth fighting for, and how change happens.

In our latest Substack post, we dig into why that's actually an asset for movements, not a liability — and what it takes to engage across all those different narratives in order to build collective power.

Link in comments.

10/09/2026

Danny Miller and Steve Silverman, organizers of Justice in Motion, discuss why they took judges on the road to connect with the communities they serve.

10/07/2026

Our democracy depends on every eligible voter being free to participate without intimidation, interference, or barriers.

But across the country, there are growing efforts to undermine trust in our elections, weaken voting rights, and make it harder for people to be heard.

Say it loud: HANDS OFF OUR VOTE.

Make your plan. Vote early. Bring friends and family. If you need help or face barriers at the polls, call or text 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683).

10/02/2026

10/01/2026

Ever notice how two people can see the exact same event and come away with totally different takes on what it means and what should happen next?

That's narratives at work — and learning to recognize it is one of the most useful skills for organizing across difference AND building real collective power within diverse movements.

Our new video, "Beyond the Map," and companion practice guide walk through three ways thinking narratively helps: noticing the narratives shaping how we see a situation, examining how dominant narratives decide what's visible and legitimate, and engaging difference with more curiosity.

Watch the video and download the guide (it's free). Link in comments.

09/29/2026

Inside this month's Vista: an updated Hold the Line guide, a toolkit for hosting your own Dinners for Democracy, new Narrative Engagement Across Difference (NEAD) tools, plus podcasts, videos, and articles to feed your mind and your movements.

Read the full roundup. Link in comments.

09/29/2026

We can’t beat authoritarianism and win over new pro-democracy allies with the “right words.” We need real organizing across difference, and to do that we need to have skills in narrative engagement.

Narratives are the underlying stories we hold about who belongs, who’s to blame, and what’s possible and worth pursuing. Our narratives can shape whether we trust each other enough to organize together in the first place, which is why engaging with narratives is so essential.

Over the last four years, our Narrative Engagement Across Difference (NEAD) project has been building these skills and tools with partners around the world.

Here are three tools from that work:

🗺️ Thinking Narratively — a video + practice guide, built for self-study or group reflection

🎙️ Narrative Landscape Mapping — our podcast episode and guide on locating yourself in the story you’re operating inside

📖 A compendium of strategies for countering authoritarianism through narrative engagement

Find all three via the link in our bio. We’re genuinely curious about what’s useful here — tell us what’s helping you organize across difference.

09/25/2026

Faith communities have long been the soul of successful pro-democracy and freedom movements in the US and around the world. Here's why - Link in comments.