As the forces of extremism advance a dangerous political agenda, more and more people are being thrown into life-or-death crisis. Communities across the country are on the frontlines against widespread and deepening poverty, emboldened white supremacy, climate breakdown and increasingly militarized violence. These injustices are being fueled by the broad reach and influence of Christian nationalism and a regressive, authoritarian political movement on the rise.
Amid the social, political and economic turmoil unleashed by these forces, communities across the country are finding creative and collective ways to survive and assert their full humanity. In fact, these “projects of survival” are a form of protest and resistance to injustice and a demand that society be organized to meet all of our needs, here and now.
In the Spring of 2026, the Kairos Center will visit communities organizing for housing, food, water, land, immigrant rights, bodily autonomy, peace and belonging. Using music, art, storytelling, ritual and more, the Survival Revival will share lessons from these communities and connect them to a long history of struggle and renewal.
During the Survival Revival, we will:
- receive training on how to meet unmet needs, build long-term power and more
- study and pray together, drawing on lessons from our faith traditions and movements for peace, equity and justice
- create and express our values through storytelling, song, art and ritual
- strengthen our relationships from community to community and across our networks towards building a movement for these times
Sign up here to receive updates about the 2026 Survival Revival
Read this: A Matter of Survival: Meeting Unmet Needs and Building Power in Times of Crisis, by Shailly Gupta Barnes and Jarvis Benson
- This bold and urgent report unearths the extraordinary networks of care that have sustained communities through the pandemic and beyond. Drawing on insights from more than 40 leaders and 35 grassroots organizations, the report offers a framework for “projects of survival,” as well as recommendations for activism, organizing, social justice ministry and philanthropy today. Both a roadmap and a rallying cry, the report reveals how survival organizing can transform into a powerful movement for systemic change.