The Antidote to Authoritarianism with Jiva Manske

Today’s episode welcomes The 22nd Century Initiative’s Director of Strategic Initiatives, Jiva Manske. Koki and Jiva lay out key ways that the Left can and must build a shared vision of democracy, all while the pro-democracy movement is in a moment of extreme crisis. They talk through the “what is to be done?” about this moment, drawing inspiration from key strategies such as mobilizing, non-compliance, non-violent direct action, and alternative institutions like mutual aid, collective care, and infrastructures of solidarity. In discussing a range of accessible, non-violent actions both historic and current—from the 1930 Salt March across India to the street theater of 1970s Chile to the recent veterans D-Day protest in D.C. in June 2025—Jiva describes why we need to look to our past to build up resilience for our present, and in turn, seed the global democratic future we need and desire.

Jiva Manske is an organizer, strategist, partner, and dad who is connected to people around the world who are dedicated to building powerful, transformational movements. As Director of Strategic Initiatives for the 22nd Century Initiative, his work focuses on building a more resilient, innovative, and aligned pro-democracy field. His approach to change is grounded in a commitment to accountability through collective action, organizing led by those most impacted by injustice, and healing-centered practice. He has facilitated strategy, training, and change with youth, elders, activists, incarcerated people, educators, and government officials in Afghanistan, Australia, Austria, Canada, Costa Rica, England, Iran, Ireland, Mexico, Peru, Romania, and throughout the United States.

Resources:

• The 22nd Century Initiative, www.22ci.org (2025)
• Grace Lee Boggs, Living for Change: An Autobiography By Grace Lee Boggs, Minneapolis: UMN Press (2016)
• Chancie Calliham, ”Calling In Author Q&A with Loretta Ross,” Political Research Associates (2025)
• End Political Violence, endpoliticalviolence.org (2025)
• Freedom Trainers, freedomtrainers.net (2025)
• Jean Hardisty, “The Resurgent Right Why Now?,” Political Research Associates (1995)
• Lauren Jacobs, Worker Power in the Fight Against Authoritarianism, a conversation with PowerSwitch Action's Lauren Jacobs, Inform Your Resistance (podcast) (2023)
• Political Research Associates, “Ground Rules and Tips for Challenging the Right,” Political Research Associates (2016)
• Scot Nakagawa, The Anti-Authoritarian Playbook, antiauthoritarianplaybook.substack.com (2025) 
• Urvashi Vaid, with eds. Jyotsna Vaid and Amy Hoffman. The Dream of a Common Movement Selected Writings of Urvashi Vaid, Durham: Duke University Press (2025)