How I Built Resilience: Varshini Prakash of Sunrise Movement

Movement Origins

The Sunrise Movement began as a response to political inaction on climate change, spearheaded by Varshini Prakash and a group of young activists. They were motivated by the lack of urgency from politicians and the need for a forceful response to the climate crisis. Varshini and her peers studied various social movements to understand how to build a mass movement, combining social organizing with political power to create long-term change.

We were just young people who were fed up with seeing politicians kicking the can down the road, sweeping what is the greatest threat facing our generation under the rug.

--- Varshini Prakash

Their efforts culminated in the launch of the Sunrise Movement in 2017, aiming to build a critical mass of support for climate action 1.

   

Scaling Up

Scaling the Sunrise Movement from a small group to a national force required strategic planning and grassroots organizing. Varshini Prakash and her team focused on training leaders and establishing local chapters to push for climate policies. They recognized the need for a movement of millions to exert pressure on political systems and bring about significant legislative change.

We are going to have to create a movement that has millions of people that can quite literally bring business as usual to a halt in this country.

--- Varshini Prakash

Their approach involved direct action and building a network of activists across the country, emphasizing the importance of both internal and external pressure on political institutions 2 3.

   

Direct Action

Direct actions, such as the sit-in at Nancy Pelosi's office, played a crucial role in gaining media attention and expanding the Sunrise Movement. These actions were designed to create viral moments that would attract new supporters and highlight the urgency of the climate crisis. Varshini Prakash explains that these tactics were inspired by historical movements like the civil rights movement, aiming to force national dialogue on pressing issues.

Many of these tactics that were used really, we learned from studying the civil rights movement who were expert strategists, amazing organizers.

--- Varshini Prakash

The combination of high-profile actions and grassroots organizing helped the movement grow rapidly, establishing over 400 chapters in just six months 4 5.