You are an expert!!
Did you know that?

...and we can all use our expertise to take care of each other
 but if you can't do that right now for any reason,

I would love to understand the causes you care about and spread love to those involved for you!

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...but first, a quick introduction to me and my hopes for Kater Craftivism:​

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I'm Lauren Kater (she/her), a PhD candidate in Justice Studies at ASU with a lot of ideas in my head, care in my heart, and recyclables to use for craft supplies at home. With my formal education at community college and ASU, and growing up online with access to global perspectives, videos, communication, etc. along with the inspiration of activists across history and fellow GenZ "social justice warriors", I refuse to do nothing about current attacks on human rights and democracy. ​Through dark mental times, the bright lights from my community and education have illuminated new ways for me to support social causes I care about and inspired me to dedicate more time to this passion project that has been brewing in my mind for years. The creation of an entity like Kater Craftivism is my systemic effort to encourage more of the "good trouble" that Civil Rights leader and student activist Rep. John Lewis advocated for, by spending my own capital (human, social, financial, natural, manufactured) on efforts to spread love, fight for justice, spread evidenced-based practices, redistribute resources, and eventually pay myself and others a living wage,  in a capitalist system that prefers efficiency and profit over all.

Based on an epistemic justice framework, I want to elicit perspectives from communities with different experiences from mine. This term can describe a variety of unequal information dynamics where people who have been marginalized or oppressed do not have equal oppotunity to create or access knowledge that is equally accessible and valued by powerful institutions and society (Okoroji et al., 2023). This results in distorted "truths" and widely accepted norms that are harmful, allowing those in power to perpetuate oppression without a blatant "ism" being evident (i.e. overt racism, sexism). Especially because this powerful system creates, validates, and maintains its control based on the views it teaches to its people, individuals may not be aware of injustices. This is a strategic tool and an intentional outcome of the actions of dominating groups. For example, this theory can be applied to: 1) the erasure of any/accurate Black history in school curricula (aka "whitewashing"), 2) digital access gaps in lower-income or rural communities, 3) incomplete sex education curricula based on cisgender, white, heterosexual, conservative religious views, 4) the devaluing of perspectives and experiences of youth (especially BIPOC, female, queer, disabled, low-income, less formally educated youth, etc.), 5) restrictive labor practices, 6) medical diagrams/research with white as the "default" or only option for learning examples, 6) the school-to-prison pipeline (i.e. the way punishment and discipline in school systems creates a tight pathway toward future incarceration) and 7) restrictive policies on learning while incarcerated (i.e. book bans), 8) limited options for translation across languages and accessibility needs, and I could go on and on...I will in an article later, but I think you get the point for now. 

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If you feel so inclined, I welcome your suggestions for ways to work toward my initial goals to grow an inclusive community of resource redistribution and love. ​​​I want to emphasize I do not expect free research & development labor from anyone here, but while I keep working on this project and finishing my dissertation, I would love to hear any of your thoughts on what community resources, education materials, self-care strategies, community connections, services, or products would be helpful to YOU at this time in your life. Below are initial goals for Kater Craftivism based on my skills and capacity, but feel free to suggest other ways to work toward these goals in the suggestion box that follows.

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1. Platform existing community solutions, advocates, and organizations doing the work, especially resources and expertise from historically underrepresented groups and those most impacted by systemic injustices. I plan to do this by...

   • Connecting and building capacity with local and digitally accessible organizations across the world that have aligned values

   • Creating and maintaining a curated resource repository with options to give and receive community care within (nonprofits, schools, voter education, taxes, public libraries, government resources/grants, legal resources), and outside the system (mutual aid, community education groups, barter/free trade organizations, sustainability practices)
      

2. Build a platform to spread love, advocate for causes I care about, and use the skills and knowledge I gained from my PhD program for good. I plan to do this by...

   • Creating more understandable explanations of complex sociopolitical issues in multimedia formats by exploring public debates, controversies, or current events, translating research and theory to practice without unnecessary academic or legal jargon (and clearly defined when used), collecting archives of webpages and other resources in pursuit of justice that have been removed or otherwise de-platformed (including government webpages on DEI, health guidance, LGBTQIA+ rights, disability resources, etc.) with my own descriptions of changes made and when in plain terms

   • Editing and distributing a free newsletter, Community Chatter, centering love and community care through thoughts on current issues and solutions with resources to share support or receive support. This newsletter will be delivered to your email inbox monthly after launch, free forever (subscribe below) or to your physical mailbox for a low cost with 'scholarships' available. 

   • Engaging in continuous, personal connections with folx across the globe through handwritten cards for motivation and support and fun plus digital pen pals​​

3. Grow capacity as a business working toward sustainable (environmental, financial, personal) practices and support others in their own pursuits to do the same, including engagement in mutual aid, direct resource redistribution, and grant writing. I plan to do this by...​

   • Offering items (physical and digital) for free, purchase, or donation, that would make you happier or feel more seen or loved (you are!)​. In an effort to commit to affordability, I will not offer anything for sale over $100 and all shipping will be conducted solely through USPS (dropped off by me to the postal workers with a smile). The initial launch will include a commissioned collection from my personal community and calls for future commissions (paid!) will be distributed in Community Chatter

   • Developing or compiling free resources for small business owners or inspiring entrepreneurs, including connections to funders with justice-oriented missions, highlighting free and helpful software or tools I have tested, and introductions to a variety of professional business development coaches based on your individual goals and preferences. I hope to do so in clear terms with vetted, credible references (as I am not an accountant or attorney or medical professional and do not want my title/expertise elsewhere/positionality to overshadow my lack of specific training) so others can more safely navigate these complex economic and legal mazes that are built to benefit only those with the time, information, power, and money to make use of them

   • Including a financial accountability page where spending/donation reports will begin to be published on a regular schedule, regardless of the formal structure of the entity. These reports will be created by me personally in efforts to increase transparency within Kater Craftivism, and include tips for small businesses to cause"good trouble" within capitalism, including strategies that big businesses and billionaires have been using to widen the income inequality gap for decades like tax write-offs

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Until I can establish a framework for fair compensation for your intellectual labor, please share only as many thoughts as your capacity allows and your heart wants, and I will do further work to research details, outcomes, resources, history, definitions, etc. for sharing (but encourage you to include specifics that are crucial to your perspective). I will not use your name or other identifiers in any content that comes from these submissions unless directly requested.​​