Building a Movement

The path forward for Solidarity

In the cacophony of voices we call “public discourse,” there are a variety of viewpoints out there. There are lone individuals. There are individual groups and organizations. There are social trends.

And then there are movements.

Movements go beyond mere individual opinions. They go beyond the influence of an individual group or organization. They are more than just a passing trend. They define the shape and direction of a culture. Any political philosophy that aspires to become more than just an outlier, any political viewpoint that aims to actually benefit the culture rather than simply criticize it, needs to become a movement.

If the Solidarian Option is going to be anything more than just the perspective of a small third party, if it’s going to be anything more than an idea thrown around in a few random corners of the internet, if it’s going to be anything more than a set of ideals held by a few people, then it needs to become a movement.

The Call for a Movement

The American Solidarity Party has grown rapidly in its first few years of existence, and it has arisen at an opportune time in American history. The two-party system is increasingly failing, and more and more people are seeing the need for an alternative. While the duopoly hasn’t fallen yet, the time for third-parties to prepare for that day is now. When the two parties finally fail, the third parties that are best situated strategically will rise to fill the void. The third parties that have the strongest voices in the culture will be the places people go when they finally abandon two-party thinking.

Which leads to the need to become a movement.

One small political party will not have the strength by itself to change the face of American culture and politics. It will need support from a lot of different sectors. It will need support from lots of other people besides its own party leadership. Up until now, the cause of Solidarity has mostly been the purview of the Solidarity Party itself, as well as various media more or less officially related to it.

While this is a good (and necessary) place to start, the Solidarian perspective needs to grow beyond that. The Solidarian perspective needs to be able to have weight in American society far beyond what a few party leaders can do. It needs to become a truly grassroots phenomenon—involving people from all walks and areas of life. Large numbers of people pushing for a change in culture and politics from a vast array of other sectors—media, news, music, pop culture, think tanks—will transform the Solidarian vision for America from a minor political campaign to a culture-changing movement.

Not every supporter or member of the American Solidarity Party will be able to run for office or be involved in party leadership. But every supporter and every member of the ASP is a member of a community, and their unique place in life—their talents, jobs, hobbies, etc—provides each and every Solidarian with a platform to help transform the ideals of Christian Democracy into the lived reality of thousands of Americans.

Places to Start

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and a movement can’t be grown overnight. The steps to transform the Solidarian Option from an idea to a cultural phenomenon are initially small and incremental; no one thing will change the entire culture. But the good news is that small actions on the part of ordinary individuals can help the Solidarian Option grow larger than any one institution. Every Solidarian, no matter their place in life, can make a difference in building the Solidarian movement.

In future articles we will explore concrete strategies and methods to help the ASP’s message grow beyond the party itself. For the moment, however, here are a few suggestions and ideas to get peoples’ minds going:

• News sources telling news from a Solidarian perspective. The current news cycle is based on sensationalism and partisanship. A fair and balanced news source with an emphasis on the common good would stand out from the rest.

• Works of culture (books, movies, plays, poetry) can reinforce Solidarian values. For instance, filmmakers make documentaries about issues of interest to Solidarians.

• Alternative financial institutions based upon cooperative advantage rather than exploitation. For example, some of the types of financial industries developed under Islamic Finance avoid interest and turn loans into a cooperative endeavor rather than a means of trapping people in debt.

• Co-ops and worker-owned businesses as an alternative to large LLCs and big-box corporations. Distributism will only become widely accepted if people see that it’s viable, which will require entrepreneurship and out-of-the-box thinking on the part of people who want to implement it.

• Bloggers and YouTubers can help spread Solidarian ideas, values, policy solutions, and ways of thinking. Most recently, YouTube shorts and TikToks have emerged as a popular way of spreading new trends and ideas; it would behoove Solidarians to make use of these tools.

• Podcasts on politics from a Solidarian perspective can help those interested in learning more and diving deeper to grow in their knowledge and to articulate their ideas.

• Policy think tanks could help form concrete strategies for implementing Solidarian ideas and spreading them.

These are just a few of many places to start. But even if you can’t specifically start something new, build an institution, or foster a social media presence, you can still help spread the message. Be proud to call yourself a Solidarian rather than a Conservative or Progressive. Tell people you vote for the Solidarity Party rather than the Democrats or Republicans. Share your story with other people. Tell them how you found the ASP, and explain why you found it so compelling. When it comes to building a movement, there is no one who doesn’t have a way to serve.

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In future articles, Advocates for Solidarity will begin to explore the practical dimensions of movement-building and spreading Christian Democracy and the ideas of the ASP into broader American society. In the meantime, let’s brainstorm! What are some ways and strategies that Solidarians can use to grow into a movement rather than an institution? Let us know in the comments below!