Building an open web that protects us from harm

It’s not enough to be neutral. We must be allies.

We live in a world where right-wing nationalism is on the rise and many governments, including the incoming Trump administration, are promising mass deportations. Trump in particular has discussed building camps as part of mass deportations. This question used to feel more hypothetical than it does today.

Faced with this reality, it’s worth asking: who would stand by you if this kind of authoritarianism took hold in your life?

You can break allyship down into several key areas of life:

• Who in your personal life is an ally? (Your friends, acquaintances, and extended family.)
• Who in your professional life is an ally? (People you work with, people in partner organizations, and your industry.)
• Who in civic life is an ally? (Your representatives, government workers, individual members of law enforcement, healthcare workers, and so on.)
• Which service providers are allies? (The people you depend on for goods and services — including stores, delivery services, and internet services.)

And in turn, can be broken down further:

• Who will actively help you evade an authoritarian regime?