🙏 Spiritual & Moral Support Micro-Badge

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Why It Matters

During high-stress events, people often need spiritual or moral grounding.
Volunteers in this role can calm tensions, help individuals feel supported, and build trust without escalating conflict or imposing beliefs.

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What This Role IS and IS NOT

This role involves:

• Offering calm, centering practices like breathwork, silence, song, or prayer (by request)
• Listening and providing moral presence during stressful or emotional moments
• Supporting aftercare or healing circles post-action

This role does NOT involve:

• Proselytizing, evangelizing, or imposing personal beliefs
• Providing therapy or trauma counseling
• Mediating violent conflicts or replacing trained crisis responders

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What You'll Learn

1. Grounding Practices – Leading calm, centering activities (breathwork, silence, song, optional prayer) during actions.
2. Non-Denominational Presence – Offering support that is inclusive and consent-based.
3. Conflict Softening – Serving as a calm, neutral presence when tensions rise.
4. Aftercare & Debrief – Supporting pods post-action with healing circles or simple grounding rituals.
5. Safety Awareness – Recognizing when to step back if your presence escalates tension.

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Sample Scripts

• "Would you like a moment of silence or grounding together?"
• "I’m here to listen if you’d like to share anything."
• "Would breathwork, prayer, or holding space help right now?"

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Quick Action Steps

1. Identify yourself as neutral spiritual or moral support to pods and dispatch.
2. Carry simple grounding tools (water, stress balls, journaling paper, small comfort items, printed breathwork guides).
3. Wear neutral identifiers (e.g., a plain purple armband) if appropriate for your pod.
4. Always keep interactions consent-based and non-proselytizing.
5. Be ready to assist in debrief or aftercare sessions post-action.

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Risks & Things to Watch

• Overly religious or forceful behavior can alienate or trigger others.
• May become a symbolic target in hostile or polarized spaces.
• Must step back if tensions rise due to your presence.

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Case Study

"During a tense vigil, a pod member begins dissociating. As a Spiritual & Moral Support volunteer, you:

1. Ask if they would like company or grounding.
2. Offer a brief breathing exercise.
3. Stay nearby until they stabilize, and signal for medical or mental health support if needed."

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Certification Checklist

• Can provide grounding practices (silence, breathwork, song, optional prayer) when appropriate.
• Understands how to offer inclusive, non-imposing support.
• Knows how to stay neutral and step back if tension escalates.
• Can assist in debrief or healing spaces after actions.
• Has reviewed at least one foundational resource (e.g., Trauma Stewardship by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky).

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Further Support

• Connect with interfaith or community solidarity networks like Faith for Black Lives or Clergy Climate Alliance.
• Join or create mutual aid care circles for ongoing peer support.