Nathan Reynoso 
11 February 2025
We are three weeks into the Trump administration, and trying to cope with the significant and multi-faceted threats it poses to democracy and civil society—both in the US and abroad—in much the same way that we have addressed concerns from authoritarian regimes across Eurasia.
During the past twenty years of working with environmental and human rights defenders in a variety of contexts, there are some common strategies that may be helpful in the coming days and months. We are not offering a blueprint or a workplan or anything remotely like that. These are simply some common truths that have held up for Crude over time.
- Responding to chaos creates more chaos. As difficult as it seems, if we can keep our eye on the ball (our visions, our missions, our objectives), understanding that we will need to shift tactics and ways of being, we have the possibility of maintaining our own organizational and societal integrity even when that is incredibly difficult. Ignore the noise when you can.
- Be proactive in engagement, whether that means continuing programs, protecting resources, or identifying new courses of action. When we are threatened, we go into fight, flight, or freeze mode. This is our human, physical response to threats and is in our DNA. Being proactive ensures that we are setting the agenda, regardless of the course of action (or inaction) we take. This is empowering and can help us stay on track or create a new one if that is what is necessary.
- Take small and achievable steps to reach practical goals. One way to cut back on the feeling of being overwhelmed is to carve out doable tasks, complete them, and move on to the next job. We are in this for the long haul, so being measured and incremental in our approach saves energy.
- Work in coalitions and partnerships when possible. Authoritarians love to isolate their targets. Divide and conquer is not just a phrase, it is a strategy used over and over by repressive regimes. Whether connecting with like-minded groups and individuals or reaching out to unlikely allies, we are stronger–and safer–together.
- Security is important and being proactive is essential. Reviewing security protocols at a time like this is paramount. Policies and practices around digital hygiene, document retention, and personal and organizational security all deserve a refresher. Work with your team and close colleagues to be sure everyone has the same priorities and understanding of the essentials. Hire an expert if you need to, especially someone with nonprofit and/or activist experience.
- Self-care is a radical act; engage in it. Burning ourselves out means we are no good to anyone. Eat well; exercise; sleep enough; do things that make you happy, even if just for a few moments out of every day. Deep breathing can save you—those full breaths send a message to your body that you are physically safe.
- Feeling defeated is normal. So, allow yourselves those moments, too. Grief and rage are part of the emotional landscape we are negotiating these days. We don’t each have to carry the load all of the time. As one of our team members beautifully said, “We are in a choir, singing together. When one of us takes a breath, the others are sustaining the note.” We will sing ourselves out of this mess, one breath, one note, one song at a time. And as Rebecca Solnit recently said, (paraphrasing here), although we cannot save everything, everything we save is worth saving.
Crude Accountability is committed to a just and sustainable future for all of us. We work toward this goal in Eurasia and around the world, including in our own backyard. Reach out if you’re interested in sharing stories, collaborating, partnering, or simply being in touch.
In solidarity,
Kate and the Crude Accountability team
For inquiries, please contact:
Tel: 540.252.2592
kate@nullcrudeaccountability.org