Cats Herding Cats
The Do-ocracy of Indivisible Action Coalition
By Lisa Ferino
“It’s like cats herding cats.”
Though the phrase came from a meeting for a nationwide group most people haven’t heard of — Indivisible Action Coalition (IAC) — “herding cats” comes close to describing who we at IAC are.
IAC is a loose amalgamation of hundreds of Indivisible groups from across the country, mostly working independently, but sometimes converging on a single “prey.” IAC mobilizes Individible groups for urgent action. This might include a new “ask” for members of Congress, a voter outreach effort, a burgeoning “Project 2029,” or some under-the-radar issue that we work to bring quickly to the forefront.
Not to belabor the cat analogy – but IAC offers many analogies to grassroots leaders. Like cats, grassroots volunteers do not always listen to orders. They won’t always eat the food you’re serving. They’ll sometimes even bite your hand when you’re trying to get something done. On the other hand, they appreciate it when you set up inviting spaces for them to play. In a sense, that’s what Indivisible Action Coalition is, a Slack channel and a series of Zoom meetings where various group leaders “play” together.
Photo by Lisa Ferino
Left to their own devices, Indivisible groups (like cats) will never fit into one particular mold. Each is unique. Some concentrate on rallies and voter registration; others focus on education and meeting members of Congress. Still other drill down on two or three issues of particular concern. Some hold meetings and write postcards. Some host phone banks and canvasses. Others try to prevent ICE raids, or support local immigrant communities. Some groups do all those things, and also hold food drives for their neighbors who can’t make ends meet in a brutal economy. Some have thousands of members; some, just two or three.
And they all get the work done.
At Indivisible Action Coalition, we’ve learned to fit into this nationwide mosaic of Indivisibles loosely. We let all chapters function as fully independent groups, while also finding new ways for people to temporarily come together for various projects. And by remaining nimble and flexible, we can launch new projects with remarkable speed.
How to focus cats on one issue? We use our Slack channel, a monthly emailed newsletter, and our biweekly group leader Zoom meetings featuring guest speakers from “the outside,” including Congresspersons and leaders of large organizations. Zoom meetings also highlight exceptional projects taken on by one or two Indivisible groups and their local partners.
We currently have five action teams started by seasoned leaders within our coalition. The five are: Federal Advocacy Coalition, Voting Rights / Voter Outreach Team, Messaging group, Protect The Ballot Project, and a Crypto Corruption Team.
An example of an IAC project is our most recent letter to Congress. More than 60 Indivisible groups signed on, urging action against Trump’s tyranny — NOW!
We, the undersigned Indivisible and related groups from across the United States (and abroad), ask you to issue an official condemnation of the Trump administration’s unlawful invasion of Venezuela, its extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean and its covert or explicit threats of invasion, domination or coercion directed at several countries in the Western Hemisphere. We also ask that you immediately conduct hearings looking into the above-mentioned actions. . .
Read the full letter here.
We’re are gearing up for the midterms by turning our focus to key races in swing districts and states, as well as on threats to free and fair elections.
We have over 700 group leaders on our member list, and perhaps more in our Slack channel. We have established rules for communication but we don’t assign roles to people. Most find a niche and a function by exploring the options and seeing what clicks for them.
And so, back to “cats herding cats.” By allowing our individual groups the freedom to do what they do best, we also allow the best projects from within our ranks to emerge and spread rapidly. This enables a sort of “do-ocracy” featuring new, innovative ideas that, if pursued with enough energy and clarity, will often become coalition-wide projects. If someone raises a hand to ask,“Why aren’t we doing THIS,” we might say, “Hey, you’re right – we SHOULD do that; can you assemble a team and start working on it?”
Our country was founded on several important ideas, and on local gatherings – the town hall and town square – as well as sudden clarion calls from writers like Tom Paine that spread rapidly through the American colonies via the Committees of Correspondence. Like it or not, we have entered a similarly historic time. There’s a need for new gathering places, and new programs for reshaping our country. Exposed to the "oxygen" of the rapid exchange of ideas—a new vision will emerge, and spread like wildfire. Indivisible Action Coalition provides one such platform for that to happen.
“Cats herding cats?” It has worked for us so far.
To join Indivisible Action Coalition, submit a request here:
Lisa Ferino and her cat are based in Montana. Lisa is active in local politics as well as with Indivisible Action Coalition.
Finally a piece that articulates how grassroots groups really work. Recognizing that within our broader coalition each group is a community with its own authentic focus is one of our super powers.
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