Secular Student Alliance has begun a campaign to raise money to create a Rapid Response Organizer position within its organization. Part organizer, part crisis manager, part mediator, and part journalist, the Rapid Response Organizer (RRO) will travel anywhere in the country on short notice to support and aid secular students speaking out against unconstitutional religious infringement on their rights. "Too many secular students are facing their battles alone,” says SSA communications director Jesse Galef. “For every Jessica Ahlquist who comes to the secular community's attention and gets our support, ten more brave students feel isolated. We need a rapid response organizer to connect those students with the larger community and inspire others to stand up for secular values. There are hundreds of supporters waiting to help––but they can only take action if they know who needs it and how."
Secular Woman is excited about this campaign and happy to see SSA grow its resources for supporting secular students who need to know that the movement stands with them.
“Secular Woman and Secular Student Alliance have an ongoing strategic partnership because both organizations have a mission-driven interest in protecting our youth and young adults,” says SW president Kim Rippere. “The RRO will be a vital component of outreach, support, and connection.”
The Rapid Response organizer will connect students with relevant organizations and support who can help them and work on the ground with students, available to them for questions, concerns, and solidarity. The RRO will also be serve as a crisis manager to help students whose freedom from religion is being undermined and who may be suffering backlash from their communities, their schools, or even their families. Finally, the RRO will be a journalist for the secular movement, documenting instances of establishment violation and sharing this documentation with the wider media. To learn more about the position and make a donation, visit the campaign site.