Taos spirit of community, sharing alive and well
The Taos spirit of community and sharing is alive and well in the dozens of local nonprofits working to support our children, families and seniors, and our environment, schools and cultures. Taoseños pitch in and help in whatever ways they can, through volunteering and donating, and sharing their skills and knowledge. Visitors may not see this side of Taos, but for those of us who live here, it is one of the finest aspects of our town.
The 2016 election shocked many of us into realizing we needed one more nonprofit – this one to promote and support civic activism. Taos United/ Taoseños Unidos was born in that moment. In the two and half long years since, TU has grown and evolved into a nonpartisan nonprofit of more than 500 friends, neighbors and activists working together to promote human rights, environmental stewardship and a fair and just democracy, so that all in our town, our state and our country may thrive.
Taos United/Taoseños Unidos is best known for our monthly Community Forum at which anyone may speak for three minutes about their concerns and causes. That sounds awfully brief, but the point is, these short presentations are aimed at informing and activating engagement in issues rather than persuading anyone of anything. We welcome diverse points of view and we always keep it civil.
If you’re wondering how well it works, the Progressive Voters Alliance in Las Cruces pioneered this format in 2004 and is still going strong with an even stricter time limit of two minutes!
Each forum also presents one or two special guest speakers discussing a hot topic or important issue in greater depth and answering questions for about 15 minutes. And always, the forum’s last half-hour is reserved for informal discussion and deeper conversations among attendees and speakers.
TU invites and encourages other nonprofits, activist groups and public officials to attend and use the forum as a megaphone to find allies, spread your message and ignite activism in kindred spirits.
At recent TU forums our guest speakers were Rep. Susan Herrera, who talked about her first New Mexico legislative session; a panel on local and state immigration issues; and Siena Sanderson of Las Cumbres, who spoke about efforts to offset the negative impacts of incarcerated parents on children and families. Attendees spoke about a wide range of issues from Guardians of Taos Water, the asphalt plant on the mesa, the Environmental Film Festival and LANL’s stalled nuclear cleanup and unsafe plutonium storage. The informal final half-hours of conversation were quite lively.
TU is more than the monthly forum. With the goal of strengthening our community, state and nation, we encourage civic participation at all levels. Action Alerts inform members of local, state and national developments about which they may want to make themselves heard. The Legislative Action Committee followed state legislation and helped individuals engage with our legislators. We’re also proud of having contributed to the formation of several new activist groups such as Taos Immigrant Allies, Taos United for Gun Sense, Taos Youth Votes and the Postcard Posse.
Several of us testified before the New Mexico secretary of state in support of making public the names of donors to dark money campaigns. We conducted a forum for city election candidates and developed and distributed factual comparisons of 2018 candidates for governor and land commissioner. Before the 2018 election, Taos Youth Votes partnered with Common Grounds and the Unitarian Congregation to register new young voters. Other members registered voters at the Farmers Market, Cid’s and the Paseo, canvassed house to house and wrote hundreds of postcards in the weeks before the election to get out the vote. And yes, that was us, waving signs on the street corners urging you to vote.
TU sponsored and organized a big Pecha Kucha to bring together Taos’ diverse communities to celebrate the “Things That Matter.” Many of us marched to end gun violence and oppose federal immigration policy. You may also have seen our banner and marchers in the Fiesta and Pride parades.
Come to a TU Community Forum and hear for yourself how well your neighbors present the causes closest to their hearts. You just might find the inspiration to act.
The TU Community Forum is held every month on the third Tuesday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Kit Carson Electric Coop boardroom. It’s free and open to everyone.
Terry Surguine is a member of Taos United/Taoseños Unidos and regularly emcees the Community Forum.