Reading Practicing New Worlds Abolition and Emergent Strategies by Andrea J. Ritchie was an insightful yet dense endeavor into alternative methods of governance that prioritize community, social justice, and moving at the speed of trust. Seeking a smooth transition to self-governance, this novel breaks down traditional top-down organizing in favor of “decentralized networks, strong communities, and transformative movements.” 
 
Drawing from past and current social justice movements, Ritchie invites the reader on a journey to dismantle systems of oppression, including top-down organizing to ignite real institutional change. Emergent strategies are defined as “leverage relatively simple interactions to affect complex patterns, systems, and transformation using principles of adaptation, interdependence, and decentralization, fractal awareness, resilience, nonlinear and iterative change, creating possibilities.” 
 
Ritchie emphasizes the importance of micro-interactions made in good faith to undermine oppressive systems. Much like the Network, we join together in good faith and shared principles that foster community and resilience; without it, we wouldn’t be having a conversation on how to sustain the Network once funding sunsets.