RSFIC is a private operating foundation building long-term, systemic resilience in Iowa City. We say "rizz-fick!"
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We had a great time at the launch party last night. Great music on our new stage, good food with friends, and so many people working on growing solidarity and relocalizing power in one spot. Thanks to everyone who came and lent their energy to the event, and special thanks to folks who helped us welcome guests, guide folks across the street, clean and clean and clean and clean, set up tents, re-set-up tents, haul asphalt, prepare food, and haul stuff back to where it goes after the party. The Ahmeds, Allison, Amjad, Audrey & Kate, Colleen, Wangui, Deanna, Elaf, Michal, Salomé, Rowan, Elio, Max, Zane, John, Kellee, Lance & Rhonda, Lisa, Matt, Malaz, Maria, Nahid, Roger, Sam, Haitham, Hamid, Thanh, Mazahir & the IWN crew, and many more folks who pitched in. Thank you for making this idea of solidarity a reality with us!
Major props to Denise Pérez, RSFIC's Event Creator, for guiding all the logistics and executing the party! The whole RSFIC staff pitched in as well. It was an energizing event for us all!
And finally, thanks to the five groups who have been helping us develop the program we announced last night. It felt great to elevate them in front of so many powerful people and validate their goals and their power to pursue them as important. But it's a bit counter-cultural and I am grateful they were willing to help us shift the culture by standing up for their visions!
Over the last several years, RSFIC has helped neighbors with over 200 projects they designed to grow solidarity & relocalize power in their neighborhoods. I'm really proud of this work and we will continue to help people in this way. But over all that time, we saw some definite trends, and we realized there were opportunities for RSFIC to be a stronger partner to some groups.
So, for the last 18 months, RSFIC has been quietly developing the next evolution of our programming. We've spoken with hundreds of leaders, created several prototypes, interviewed a dozen prospective pilot partners, and for the last several months have been working with a select group to kick off the program.
The result is what we're calling "Neighborhood Resilience Groups." The idea is that when a group of neighbors wants to work towards a long-term vision, RSFIC won't be limited to helping with individual projects. With our NRG program, we can partner up with groups for the long haul, help them build organizational strength, connect with others for skill- and resource-sharing, and document their progress over time with our stories of community program.
We picture an Iowa City in right relationship to nature, with resilient access to water, food, shelter, energy, and community, and the NRG program represents an attempt to foster diverse set of folks who want to help carry out the transition in diverse and modular ways. Our theory is that when there are dozens or hundreds of NRGs across Iowa City, each working hyper-locally where their power is strongest, our town will be in a much stronger position to handle climate change, AI, food and housing insecurity, authoritarianism, clean water, and all the other calamities bearing down on us!
Note: because of a programming mixup we accidentally cut short a presentation from the Wonderful Westside last night - so sorry folks :( The Wonderful Westside NRG also happens to be a Neighborhood Association and they are focused on housing quality and fairness, communal and grassroots leadership, integenerational and intercultural gaps, family wellness, and community health. They're working on many things (it's a large, well-organized group) including a solid neighborhood communication system. We are glad they are working so hard in so many ways and grateful they are helping us develop our programming!
Our first NRG skill-share is June 24th from 6-8 PM. A panel of NRG leaders will be sharing skills they've used to plan successful events - everything from choosing who to invite, how to invite them, what they actually do at the event itself, following up, and the other hundreds of little skills that go into a successful gathering. Afterwards, we'll have an open conversation around how to proceed when we plan an event that no one comes to. It's happened to all of us, it's embarrassing and frustrating - particularly when people who SAID they were going to be there ghost us! This skill share is open to the public (some will be private to NRG leaders) so come on by!
We've also got a "Rizz-curious" event coming up on Thursday, just to learn more about what RSFIC is, how we work, and, if you like, ways you can pitch in and help us. Check out rsfic.org/events for a fuller list of RSFIC events and also events from some of our partners and neighbors.
And of course, next Saturday, June 13th, is Bike-in Beats!
Peace,
Riley
Cofounder of RSFIC
RSFIC is a private operating foundation building long-term, systemic resilience in Iowa City. We say "rizz-fick!"
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