Solidarity at Scale: Converging Movements for System Change
People from all over are gathering in Denver from October 15th to 18th to continue building the post-capitalist world and forging connections between our resistance movements and alternative institutions, through strategy sessions, workshops, plenaries, and open spaces. The Resist & Build Summit is a space to meet each other in person and build our relationships.
The Critical Moment
In this continuing confrontation with our shared interlocking crises—environmental degradation, deepening inequality, resource extraction from the Global South, fascism, genocide, and U.S.-led corporate imperialism—transformation is more urgent than ever. The historic dominance of the two-party capitalist system just emphasizes the need to strengthen our independent movements for systemic change.
This gathering is a vital opportunity to deepen our networks, sharpen our strategies, and amplify our collective power to build the post-capitalist world. Resist & Build is the people’s network to bridge the gaps between our resistance movements and initiatives to build a transformed system, recognizing that resistance without a clear vision risks becoming mere reform, and building alternatives without roots in our resistance risks leading to more exclusion and co-optation.
The Summit
World Café
Setting: modeling a café, we’ll split into small groups, about four to five, at each table to begin the conversations.
Introductions: the host begins with a warm introduction to the World Café, setting the context, putting participants at ease
Small-Group Rounds: conversations in the small groups at each table; by the end of each round, each group member moves to a new table.
Questions: each round is prefaced with a question about our purpose at the summit, to guide our conversations.
Harvest: once the small group rounds are up, individuals share insights from their conversations with the whole group.
Concurrent Workshops
focused group discussions where we sharpen our analysis into a clear collective strategic orientation
Open Spaces
for much of this summit, we will be in self-organized gatherings to build relationships and center our purposes
Events
See here for confirmed activities.
Concurrent Workshops, Open Spaces, and Plenaries: sharing in a transformative culture of care and connection
- October 15th Location: Rainbow Dome
- October 16th-18th Location: Tivoli Turnhalle
Summit Schedule At-A-Glance
Thursday, October 15
R&B Kick-off Opening Plenary
Friday, October 16
Concurrent Workshops, World Café, Open Spaces, Plenaries, and Tours
Saturday, October 17
Concurrent Workshops, World Café, Open Spaces, Plenaries, and Tours
Sunday, October 18
Concurrent Workshops, Closing Plenary
Organizers
The national Summit Planning Circle includes representatives from the US Solidarity Economy Network, Build & Fight, Art.coop, People’s Network for Land and Liberation, Next System Studies, and The Democracy Collaborative.
Sponsors
The Democracy Collaborative (TDC)
US Solidarity Economy Network (USSEN)
People’s Network for Land and Liberation (PNLL)
Next System Studies (NSS)
Venues
R&B Kick-off at the Rainbow Dome, 1660 Federal Blvd, Denver, Colorado
The kick-off Opening Plenary for the R&B Denver 2026 Summit will take place at the Rainbow Dome, a Denver community space for roller skating, entertainment, and art. Rainbow Dome is at 1660 Federal Blvd, Denver, CO 80204, located on the unceded traditional territory of the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Peoples as well as the 48 contemporary tribal nations that are historically tied to the lands that make up the state of Colorado.
Getting there: The Rainbow Dome is a 30-minute walk from the main venue and a 10-minute walk from the Aurora Metro Center Station.
Main Venue: Tivoli Turnhalle, 900 Auraria Pkwy, Denver, Colorado
Much of the Summit will take place in the Tivoli Turnhalle on the Auraria Campus, on the second floor. The Tivoli Student Union is at the Auraria Campus in downtown Denver, located on the traditional territories and ancestral homelands of the Cheyenne and Arapahoe Nations. The Auraria campus is home to three institutions: the University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver), Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver), and the Community College of Denver (CCD).
Getting there: Public transit options are available for those nearby and can be found here.
Parking: There are lots of parking garage options and details about parking on the online map here.
Health and Accessibility
The Rainbow Dome includes some brightly colored interiors but is an inclusive and welcoming space with bench seating – if you have sensory or other accessibility concerns, please contact the Rainbow Dome ahead of time to check for any particular accommodations you might need. The Auroria Campus building is multi-level with elevators. There are lactation rooms and all-gender restrooms available. The online map also shows accessible entrances highlighted in teal.
COVID Safety Guidelines:
- masks indoors strongly encouraged
- mask while traveling required
- vaccinations expected; please do not attend if you are unvaccinated
Accommodations
There will be a discount code provided for those who wish to book their stays at the Sonesta Denver Downtown hotel, once they have completed registration for the summit. The Sonesta is located at 1450 Glenarm Place and can be reached at (303)-573-1450 for any questions. There are other options available in the downtown area but participants must make their own arrangements.
Solidarity Housing
Participants are encouraged to explore solidarity housing with trusted comrades, friends, or community hosts in Denver as a way to share resources and build connections. In the interest of safety, we cannot facilitate direct connections for housing.
Strategic Objectives
Movement Priorities and Goals
In the current context, our priorities are to:
- Strengthen networks and trust across the solidarity economy and systems change movements,
- Enrich and expand our movements, making them irresistible by fostering broad alignment around systemic change,
- Build alliances that overcome fragmentation moving together on common ground to scale up transformative change,
- Deepen our vision and liberation strategies from the interlocking systems of oppression, extraction, and domination, by cultivating shared strategies to address capitalist colonialism, ecological harm, and inequality, for systemic transformation,
- Respect and draw from BIPOC traditions to fight for freedom, create community-driven solutions, and reconnect with the land and our nonhuman kin,
- Foster joyful, regenerative cultures that embody justice, interdependence, and ecological restoration, emphasizing care, mutual aid, and collective healing, and
- Draw insights from feminism, disability justice, and solidarity frameworks for ongoing individual & collective well-being
Collaborative Planning Approach
The joint effort between the registration circle and the national Backbone Circle focuses on key areas:
- venue selection and logistics
- local outreach and attendee engagement
- program development
- volunteer and vendor coordination
Detailed Summit Schedule
Plenaries, Workshops, Open Spaces, and Events
Thursday
8:00am-10:00am — Breakfast on your own
10am-6:30pm — Travel Check-ins, Registration
Throughout the day folks will be arriving, settling in, and communing together. Dinner can be on your own or with small groups autonomously organized, as travelers settle and check in to lodging before the kick-off plenary at 6:30pm.
6:30pm-9pm — Opening Plenary: R&B Summit Kick-off at the Rainbow Dome
Location: Rainbow Dome, 1660 Federal Blvd, Denver, CO 80204
Resist & Build Summit’s opening plenary to ground ourselves in Denver’s vibrant ecosystem of resistance and organizing and introduce ourselves, as we kick-off a weekend of shared strategy and solidarity to connect, learn, and continue the struggle.
Friday
8:00am-8:30am — Registration and Breakfast on your own
8:30am-10:30am — Plenary: World Café at the Tivoli Turnhalle
Location: the Tivoli Turnhalle (Room 250, second floor) at the Auraria Campus, 900 Auraria Parkway, Denver
10:30am-11:00am — Break
11:00am-12:00pm — Plenary: World Café at the Tivoli Turnhalle
Location: the Tivoli Turnhalle (Room 250, second floor) at the Auraria Campus, 900 Auraria Parkway, Denver
12:00pm-1:30pm — Lunch
1:30pm-3:00pm Concurrent Workshops at the Tivoli Turnhalle
3:00pm-3:30pm — Break
3:30pm-5:00pm Concurrent Workshops at the Tivoli Turnhalle
5:00pm-6:00pm — Dinner on your own
6:00pm-8:00pm Social Time
Saturday
9:00am-12:00pm — Tours
Detailed information about optional tours coming soon. Stay tuned.
12:00pm-1:30pm — Lunch
1:30pm-3:00pm Concurrent Workshops at the Tivoli Turnhalle
3:00pm-3:30pm — Break
3:30pm-5:30pm Concurrent Workshops at the Tivoli Turnhalle
5:30pm-6:30pm — Dinner on your own
6:30pm-8:30pm — Social Time
Time for social gatherings. Specific options for activities coming soon. Stay tuned.
Sunday
8:30am-10:30am — Open Spaces
Detailed information about Open Spaces coming soon. Stay tuned.
10:30am-11:00am — Break
11:00am-12:30pm — Plenary, Strategy Sessions
Detailed information about this plenary and strategy sessions coming soon. Stay tuned.
12:30pm-1:00pm — Box Lunch
1:00pm-2:00pm — Closing Plenary, Next Steps!
Detailed information about the closing plenary and next steps coming soon. Stay tuned.