Sara Blazevic
Template:TOCnestleft Sara Blazevic is a co-founder of Sunrise, a youth movement working to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process. She is currently focused on leading the Sunrise training program nationally, and building Sunrise NYC's organizing capacity. She is also a member and strategist at IfNotNow. She worked for a year and a half as a campaign coach and strategic adviser at the Divestment Student Network, which trained students to run campaigns to divest their campuses from the fossil fuel industry. After first encountering Momentum in spring of 2014, Sara experimented with momentum-based organizing in her campus campaign and in her national movement work, and feels honored to be able to contribute to this growing community of practice. [1]
Occupy to Sunrise
Sara Blazevic, 26, draws a direct line between Occupy Wall Street and the Sunrise Movement, the youth-led environmental organization she cofounded and now helps lead as managing director. Last year the group put the Green New Deal (GND) on the political map by embracing bold and visionary tactics. Sunrise engages in civil disobedience to push Democrats to promote solutions that actually match the scale of the climate crisis (it didn’t hurt when AOC dropped by their sit-in at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office to offer her support) and backs political candidates who are already onboard with the cause. They call this dual approach building “people power” and “political power.”
Blazevic grew up in Manhattan, and had just left for her first semester at Swarthmore College when Occupy erupted. She recalled sitting glued to the livestream, and visited Occupy Wall Street during her October break. Blazevic eventually became involved in Occupy Philadelphia and the Occupy group on her campus.
“Occupy gave me this sense of limitless possibility around scale and decentralization, and this sense that it is really possible for social movements to go viral in this way and to penetrate everyone’s lives and consciousness,” Blazevic told Teen Vogue. It also showed her that people want to be part of a cause and feel that they are part of something meaningful.
Blazevic had her criticisms of Occupy too. The movement’s lack of concrete demands and radical openness (which wasn’t always effective, and could be downright chaotic) made her crave a more disciplined, strategic form of organizing. But now that Sunrise has gone through its own viral moment and is strategizing for the year ahead, she and her collaborators find themselves thinking about Occupy more and more. No matter who wins the White House in 2020, Sunrise knows there will need to be a nationwide popular revolt. The masses will need to take to the streets demanding a GND or it will never happen. Blazevic, for one, thinks there’s something still to be learned from Occupy’s simplicity and how it galvanized all kinds of people to take action.[2]
Momentum trainers
Momentum trainers, as of April 2, 2018 included Sara Blazevic;[3]
Also arrested
Sunrise Movement August 8 2018:
Just hours ago, these 8 brave youth were released from NY 7th Precinct after Governor Cuomo had them arrested. Today was his last chance to pledge #NoFossilFuelMoney and he's made his choice clear: he will protect Big Oil over our futures once again. Donate today to help us take on politicians like Cuomo in 2018. http://bit.ly/cuomo-reject-fossil-fuel-money — with Gabriel Reichler, Elise Ferguson, Sara Blazevic, Victoria Fernandez and Miles Goodrich.
Sunrise originals
Sunrise Movement June 21, 2017:
This past weekend, 38 young people came together from across the country to launch Sunrise Movement at the first ever Sunrise Orientation Training.
We are building an army of young people to stop climate change and create millions of good-paying jobs in the process. ... See More — with September Sky Porras, Sophie Lasoff, Kyle Lambing, Jabari Mickles, Gunther Melander, Victoria Fernandez, Griffin Sinclair-Wingate, Evan Weber, Aru Shiney-Ajay, Akilah Sanders-Reed, Michaela Mujica-Steiner, Varshini Prakash, Erin Bridges, Morissa Zuckerman, Miles Goodrich, Dinaz Kureishy, Matt Meyers, Sara Blazevic, Lauren Mill Lehr, Emma Schurink, Stephen O'Hanlon, Anthony Torres, Charlie Jiang, David Caicedo, Shana Herman, Jessie Thornton and Survival Media Agency.
Sunrise Fellows, 2018
Sunrise Movement June 12 2018:
We did it! We just wrapped a powerful, inspiring week together with seventy new #SunriseSemester2018 fellows. We shared stories, learned the skills and craft of organizing, and built relationships that will serve us for years to come. Now, fellows are off to Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Minnesota to build the youth army in 2018.
We're still working to make sure each one of these incredible humans can go all-in on the elections through November. Can you pitch in? http://bit.ly/f-make-the-sunrise — with Howie Stanger, Sam Quigley, Drew Magnolia Arnum, Emerson Michael Skufca, Cormac Martinez del Rio, Gabby Chihiro, Dyanna Jaye, Jillian Hanson, Sara Blazevic, Stephen O'Hanlon, Cody Purchase, Cody Jay Purchase, Olivia Freiwald, Jeremy Ornstein, Nicholas Jansen, Felton Pierre, Jerrica Jackman, Madison Daisy, September Sky Porras, Izzi Graj, Nicole Catania, Lauren Maunus, Miles Goodrich, Victoria Fernandez, Phillip Brown, Marian Michaels, Elizabeth Gilbert, Jordan Mudd, Christian Huerta, Claire Morrison, Renata Leighton, Will Lawrence, Raven Geiger, Arjun Jayaraman, Vanessa Harris, Sam Taylor, Varshini Prakash, Gunther Melander, Erin Bridges, Haley Maurice, Aru Shiney-Ajay, Christian Galo, Marcela Mulholland, Emily Grace LaShelle, Sophia Elan Zaia, Emma Walker, Evan Weber and Brian Stilwell.
Pennsylvania activists
Stephen O'Hanlon December 7, 2014:
With Sophia Elan Zaia, Christopher Malafronti, Sara Blazevic, Erika Weiskopf, Nathan Graf and Guido Girgenti.
IfNotNow Philly
Pele IL May 23, 2016 ·
This weekend, an amazing group of young Philly Jews came together to begin building a Jewish community that lives out our values. Drawing on millennia-old Jewish traditions of resilience, learning, and healing, our community will stand up for a future of freedom and dignity—for ourselves, and for all Israelis and Palestinians.
We will build this world with love, Join us! IfNotNow IfNotNow Philly
Sign up for a training here: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/sign-up-to-attend-an-ifnotnow-philadelphia-training?&source=philadelphia
Not in philly? find your city here: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/sign-up-to-attend-an-if-not-now-training — with Roman Kay, RC RC, Girard Dopkins, Sara Blazevic, Adam Bleiman, Morriah Kaplan, Susan Rauscher, Ian Gavigan, Matt Karlin, Janet Rauscher, Jesse Kudler, Milo Giovanniello, Sarah Giskin and Emily Mayer.