In moments when the world feels shadowed by uncertainty and division, we ask ourselves: What brings me light? What clarifies my vision and renews my hope?

One source of deep inspiration for us is our partnership at the Soul of Money Institute with the Nobel Women’s Initiative—a powerful collective of eight women who have each received the Nobel Peace Prize for their courageous leadership in ending violence and injustice. These extraordinary women dedicate their lives to amplifying the voices of women and girls who endure violence and oppression, and to advancing peace through truth and compassion.

Recently, we had the privilege of attending a retreat with this remarkable group and some supporters. Three of the laureates—Leymah Gbowee, Tawakkol Karman, and Maria Ressa—spoke with piercing honesty about the political climate in the United States today. Their words landed with the authority of lived experience. Each of them had faced authoritarian rule, organized movements that transformed their nations, and paid a personal price for their actions.

Leymah Gbowee of Liberia, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, united thousands of women—Christian and Muslim alike—to end one of Africa’s most brutal civil wars. That same year, Tawakkol Karman became the youngest laureate and the first woman from the Arab world to receive the prize. She helped spark the Arab Spring in Yemen, enduring imprisonment, and she is continuing her nonviolent advocacy for justice and equality there now. Maria Ressa, the Filipino journalist who received the Nobel Prize in 2021, risked her life and freedom to expose the corruption of the Duterte regime. Her steadfast truth-telling contributed to Duterte’s removal from power. Currently, he is in prison at the Hague awaiting sentencing for crimes against humanity.

When these women turned their gaze toward the United States, their message was sobering. They warned that the manipulation of social media, disinformation, and the corrosion of truth are eroding civil society and weakening the foundations of democracy. Maria Ressa described our collective response as that of “a deer in the headlights”—frozen, stunned, and unsure of how to act while authoritarianism quickly advances.

Their challenge to us was clear and urgent: We must awaken from our trance of helplessness. We must find the courage to respond—to stand, speak, and act with integrity to keep democracy alive and thriving.

The question that arises for so many of us now is: What can we do?

Just this past weekend, the No Kings demonstrations, with more than seven million people gathering in over 2,700 locations, showed that a movement for truth, justice, and decency is rising. As Jon Stewart said so eloquently, we are searching for “the scaffolding and the processes that can be a ladder out of this hole.”

Each of us has a part to play. Each of us can refuse to be numbed by fear or apathy. Whether through civic engagement, honest conversation, or acts of compassion and solidarity, we can help turn the tide.

We may not yet have a complete playbook for resisting authoritarianism—but we can begin by listening to those who have walked that road before us. Below are resources we recommend for deepening your understanding and finding your own way into meaningful action.

With faith and love,

Lynne and Sara