Charter

Our Mission and Guiding Principles

The Diaspora Defense League is a non-profit civic-advocacy organization inspired by the principles, strategies, and philosophies of similar community organizations throughout U.S. history.

The United States is undergoing a dramatic and rapid political upheaval leading to the rollback of key social programs and fundamental Constitutional protections. These decisions threaten the physical safety of our communities and leave us vulnerable to coercive actions from the federal government. The DDL’s primary focus is on meeting the needs of our community members, irrespective of their identity or status. The following represent the core operating principles of our organization and serve as the basis for our action.

• Primary Identity

  The DDL operates on a human first basis. We recognize that socially constructed identities reflect the realities of a community’s or individual’s experience. However, failure to recognize the constructed nature of any given identity leads to reductive and divisive manners of thinking. Through the internalization and application of a human first perspective we aim to meet the needs of our diverse community through unified principles.

• Communal Defense

  The DDL understands the principles enshrined by the United States Constitution establish the base for American civil society. Institutions of democratic governance exist to provide the People with avenues of recourse for interpersonal and societal ills. When these institutions are eroded and unable to protect us against violations of our most base and foundational rights, chaos inevitably follows. We know from history and experience that when agents of the State are able to operate with “absolute immunity”, they will act with absolute impunity. We believe that an armed citizenry is an essential final safeguard for a free and fair society; we encourage all those who are willing and able to exercise their second amendment right to bear arms in conjunction with their community.

• Good Faith Cooperation

  The DDL believes in cooperation with organizations, community leaders, and activists with shared goals. We reject compromising on fundamental principles and refuse to engage with zero-sum decision-making that advances shared goals at the expense of any marginalized communities. We do not haggle, barter, or compromise on fundamental civil rights. All actions undertaken by the DDL are done without any expectation of reciprocation, recognition, or compensation.