Welcome back! It’s been a while.
Good news: Acter is expanding. Over the last few months the Acter team has expanded and evolved. Welcome Nalishebo, Jo, Oliver and Anisha! This means we also have more resources for developing the app further, as wells resuming some of our Community Team activities again, like this Newsletter, and other exciting stuff we are cooking. Read forward to find out what!
Bad news: authoritarianism is on the rise, faster than we expected. You probably are aware what the US Broligarchy is up to. Therefore, the threat level has drastically changed for activists since US presidential elections. As safe and alternative technology tools for activists have become even more critical, we see the need for Acter growing this year. Digital colonialism is threat to all of us, and there has never been a more urgent time to start seriously divesting from Big Tech and invest in alternative, open and decentralized platforms.
On that note, if you still are not sure if you are 'Trump ready', go and read our article on how you can evaluate your threat level here.
What else?
Improving SoMe & overall communications 💻
We recognize that is hard to keep updated on all Acter App developments. As we are a small team, it's been also time consuming for us to reach out to individual partners, activists and movements to communicate about the latest changes. Now that the community is constantly growing, we need to expand on our efforts to communicate more effectively. That's why we decided to expand and improve few things; 1. broader public communications 2. SoMe presence and 3. the Acter Community Space.
Acter Newsletter will drops once a month. The purpose is to summarize most relevant updates, and keep the community informed on other monthly happenings; such as upcoming events, webinars and so on.
Acter SoMe has been quiet for a while. Part of this was due to changes in staff and resources, part was lack of communications strategy. In upcoming months you will see increased SoMe presence, and therefore, we’re officially on Bluesky—a platform designed for open engagement and decentralization. Make sure to follow us!
The Acter Community Space (you can find the public space in the App) will serve as a place where you can get more timely developments and updates. Make sure you have joined it and stay tuned for check out the weekly boosts. The Acter Community Space will continue as a place where you can always ask questions, share feedback etc.
Also...
We’re resuming our Podcast 🎙️
The Digital Activism Podcast will be back, connecting you with practical tips, ideas, and discussing driving your digital activism forward.
We are starting with miniseries called "Shit hit the fan", where Ben (CTO and Product Lead) and Jo (Community Lead) will discuss what activists can do now to stay safe online. You can now listen to the trailer and subscribe, share and stay tuned in anywhere you listen to your podcast. Plus, we’re excited invite some inspiring guests who will share their experiences and insights from the front lines of activism. If that's you, please reach out via email (news@acter.global) or over Acter! 🤩 Additionally, if you have anything you would like to hear us to discuss about, please send over your wishes to us.
Lastly...
No matter how messy the world feels right now, hope is something we can actively practice. Keep showing up, keep speaking out for democracy, and don’t forget to take care of yourself along the way. We’re in this for the long haul, and every small act of resistance matters.
Until next time, stay hopeful and keep pushing forward.