JANUARY 6, 2026
Our New Year’s Wish:
A Healthy Democracy
Indivisible Helena (IH) is reflecting on the past year — the challenges and successes — while recommitting for the long-term to our shared democratic values of participation, nonviolence, and accountability.
In 2025, we focused on learning — how to mobilize, engage volunteers, and build community. We are grateful for the many members/volunteers willing to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in this effort to defend and restore a functioning, vibrant democracy. More learning, sustained efforts, and opportunities for connection lie ahead.
At this moment, IH invites you to consider how to engage in this work in a sustainable way, avoiding overwhelm and burnout. Like so many things, Democracy is a practice. It’s not renewed overnight or all at once. It happens day-by-day, choice-by-choice.
With that in mind, IH is prioritizing the following commitments:
- demonstrating our strength in numbers
- deepening our understanding of unity through noncooperation
- protecting voters’ rights
- influencing elections
- building community
- making a measurable local impact.
IH has a strong foundation on which to build, alongside communities across the state and country. What an honor to be in this work together, making good trouble, in 2026!
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Take Action:
Stop Trump’s War in Venezuela
Trump is escalating an unauthorized, oil-driven power grab in Venezuela while bypassing Congress and endangering lives. Indivisible National has created a TAKE ACTION tool to tell our members of Congress they need reassert their constitutional authority and stop another reckless, endless war — now.
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This Week’s To-Do List
Make Good Trouble in Helena!
1. HONK & WAVE
Saturdays, noon to 1 p.m.
11th and Montana Ave.
In true Montana fashion, the Honk & Wave continues weekly, except on days at 10℉ or below, or 0℉ with the wind chill.
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2. ACLU TRAINING AT THE IH MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Thursday, Jan. 22, 6 p.m.
Lewis and Clark Library, Large Conference Room
Know your rights as an activist/protester.
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3. DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS SKILLS CLASS
Sunday, Jan. 25, noon to 1:30 p.m.
Lewis and Clark Library, Large Conference Room
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4. BOYCOTT SPOTIFY
IH member Barbara Barnes recently made a decision many of us have considered but hesitated to act on: she cut ties with Spotify. Her choice grew out of our shared commitment to noncooperation — and a closer look at what our everyday conveniences quietly support.
I admit to being addicted to the ease of Spotify. It took me longer than I would have liked to leave the platform. After learning this was picked as an act of noncompliance, listening to my Spotify playlists, exploring new music, and updating my podcasts became the classic guilty pleasure.
But after a short time, I came to realize that not all guilty pleasures could be laughed off. So, I switched.
I did a deep dive into the ethics of the other platforms, and Quboz became my option of choice, with Overcast becoming my podcast source.
Quboz is a paid app, but I don’t mind some money going to artists and people who work for the company. The sound quality, for those who care, is unbelievably better.
Quboz and most platforms offer a fairly seamless transfer from Spotify. All in all, the transfer took about 25 minutes, mostly of me waiting for it to complete. (Please note, I’m not endorsing this platform. I know choosing a music streaming service is as personal as choosing underwear.) A new platform will have different ways of operating, but I’ve found this one to be fairly easy to adapt to.
The best part was answering the question about why I’m leaving. To Spotify I said, “I will not support a platform that gives ICE a voice for advertising. I will not support AI-driven weapons, and it is not at all hard to wave goodbye to a platform that supports Joe Rogan.”
For further research, here is a great read: Find an ethical music platform. If you want to discuss this further after reading the article, feel free to reach out to me, or consider posting a question on your socials to see what your friends have discovered.
Once you switch, broadcast it! You can inspire more folks to find out how rewarding noncompliance can be.
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Get Your No Kings Yard Signs!
If you don’t have one yet, or if yours blew away in the recent wind event, request by email, and we’ll get them to you. The No Kings sign campaign is here until we are sure there will be NO KINGS, EVER! We will bring you a cool No Kings pin, too!
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Good Reads
GOOD READ #1
Rebecca Solnit
Five Facts of the Attack on Venezuela by the Rogue Nation the US Has Become
Meditationsinanemergency.com
01/03/2026
This piece about Venezuela pulls together facts with receipts as well as the work of other clear thinkers.
GOOD READ #2
Robert Reich
Sunday thought: Even Worse
Substack: Robert Reich Daily Newsletter
01/04/2026
Robert Reich warns that, despite Trump’s legal and political setbacks, the worst may lie ahead. He argues powerful backers see 2026 as a last chance to cash in, accelerating attacks on public institutions and democratic norms, and urges continued vigilance rather than complacency.
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Support Indivisible Helena
If you’d like to support Indivisible Helena in pushing back against fascism, please consider a donation via this link to the Indivisible Helena ActBlue donation portal or use the QR code below. Your information will remain private — neither IH nor ActBlue shares or sells personal data.
Together, we’ll make sure the U.S. has NO KING.
