Municipalism Learning Series Transitions to the Institute for Social Ecology

Solidarity Research Center (SRC) is pleased to announce that the Municipalism Learning Series (MLS) will be transitioning to the Institute for Social Ecology (ISE), effective February 1, 2026. This transition marks an exciting new chapter for MLS as it continues to grow and deepen its educational work promoting radical municipalism across North America.

Why This Transition

This move reflects three key developments:

• Sustainable Resourcing: The ISE has demonstrated capacity and infrastructure for fundraising that will ensure MLS can expand its reach and impact. With dedicated development staff and an established fundraising base, the ISE is well-positioned to resource MLS’ ambitious programming.
• Organizational Alignment: Key MLS personnel, including Program Co-Director Arthur Pye, have joined the ISE team. This natural evolution reflects the deep programmatic alignment between MLS’ mission and the ISE’s commitment to social ecology and liberatory organizing practice.
• Program Development: The ISE is launching a comprehensive municipalist organizing training program in 2026, including fundamentals of organizing and base-building, neighborhood union development, and municipalist strategy. MLS will serve as the umbrella for this integrated curriculum, creating clear pathways for organizers to develop their skills and deepen their practice.

The ISE is a radical popular education institute that has been advancing the revolutionary transformation of society along democratic and ecological lines for over five decades. Co-founded by Murray Bookchin, the ISE has long helped popularize these ideas among movements around the world. As a new project of the ISE, the Municipalism Learning Series will continue to be a source of radical and visionary programming.

SRC’s Commitment

SRC is proud to have birthed and stewarded the Municipalism Learning Series since its inception in 2022. From the groundbreaking Municipalism Cohort Fellowship that brought together organizers from across the continent, to our public panel series, white papers including the Municipalist Organizing Toolkit, MLS has been a flagship project that reflects our values and vision. We are excited to see how the project will evolve and grow under ISE’s stewardship.

To ensure MLS remains true to its foundational commitments, SRC will work collaboratively with ISE to draft a program charter that centers:

• Racial Justice: Centering the voices and experiences of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and People of Color who are disproportionately impacted by racial capitalism, while actively dismantling systems of racial hierarchy and advancing collective liberation for all
• Pluralism: Welcoming diverse ideological perspectives and drawing from the broad global municipalist tradition beyond Eurocentric frameworks
• Decolonization: Foregrounding Indigenous sovereignty through land return, material repatriation, and the dismantling of settler colonial structures

What This Means for You

If you are currently subscribed to the MLS mailing list, we invite you to opt in to the new list maintained by the ISE to continue receiving updates about upcoming panels, fellowship opportunities, and new resources. Click here to opt in: https://social-ecology.org/wp/municipalism-learning-series/ 

The MLS website, social media accounts, and archives of past programming will continue to be accessible as MLS begins this new phase.

Questions and Feedback

We welcome your questions, concerns, and feedback about this transition. Please reach out to info@solidarityresearch.org and we will be happy to discuss this further. 

We are grateful for your engagement with MLS over the years and look forward to continuing to build radical municipalist power together.