Locally organized. Locally supported.
Start a meeting.
You don’t need to be a political expert. You need a room and a willingness to protect the purpose of the meeting.
Begin with the principles.
Read the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions. A meeting is for examining our own relationship with politics. It must not become a debate club, campaign event, or recruitment opportunity.
Find a simple place to meet.
Look for a quiet, accessible space with enough privacy for personal sharing. A library or community room can keep costs low. If you meet online, use a private meeting link and turn recording off.
Invite a few people.
Explain the purpose and sharing rules up front. Welcome different beliefs without requiring anyone to disclose an affiliation. Share only the contact details needed to attend.
Prepare the first hour.
Print the Steps, Traditions, and suggested meeting format. Choose one Step and one question. Agree on a time limit for shares, and remind everyone that passing is welcome.
Facilitate without becoming the authority.
Welcome newcomers, keep time, and protect the no-debate rule. Don’t decide whose political beliefs are correct. If the discussion turns outward, bring it back to the person sharing.
Let the group support itself.
Make contributions voluntary and use them for local expenses. No one should be required to pay to attend. Make practical decisions together and share service responsibilities.
A useful redirect
“Let’s bring this back to your own experience. What did you notice in yourself?”
“We don’t respond to another person’s share.”
“This meeting isn’t here to resolve that political question.”
Suggested opening reading
Keep the purpose in the room.
Politics Anonymous is a fellowship for people who want politics to occupy a healthier place in their lives. We do not ask members to change their political beliefs. We ask only that they examine the relationship between those beliefs and their identity.
We share experience. We do not debate, correct, or persuade. We examine our own contradictions, not each other’s.
A closing reflection
Truth above tribe.
We accept that no political tribe is the highest authority.
Our party is not truth. Our movement is not morality. Our side is not synonymous with the good.
There are principles beyond our affiliations, facts beyond our preferences, and people beyond our categories.
We seek the humility to place truth above tribe, conscience above conformity, and humanity above politics.
Ready to begin?
Contact Mike C. at mikec@politicsanonymous.com to talk through starting a meeting.
If useful, include your general area, whether you’re considering an online or in-person meeting, and any questions. Share only what you’re comfortable sharing.