When Donald J. Trump was the surprise winner of the American presidential election earlier this month, it was a line in the sand for progressives. With his electoral college win and a Republican majority in both the House and the Senate, Trump will be well positioned to push forward his conservative agenda in the next four years.
With the election and its aftermath, Negotiation and Conflict Resolution faculty Peter T. Coleman, and the Director of the Morton Deutsch International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution at Columbia University, has some constructive ideas for how progressives must go forward.
As he put it in a blog on The Huffington Post, "For those of us still traumatized by, or feeling particularly vulnerable in, this emerging political reality – please allow yourself time to recover. But when you feel ready to get back to work, here is a nine-point strategy to help guide your efforts."
Coleman's points provide some clarity in overwhelming times: progressives must "clarify their aspirations and bottom line," figuring out why they're working for a particular outcome and what they want, and they need to know their rights as Americans following the Constitution.
Most importantly, "it is time for those of us who can to stand with those who are particularly at risk."
