From 2001 through 2003 Catalyst Project worked closely with the Ruckus Society.  Ruckus is a leading direct action training center.  Working primarily in the environmental and social justice movements through the late 1990s, Ruckus trained hundreds of mostly white activists in the skills of non-violent direct action: blockades, media, legal, campaign design, banner hanging and more.  Ruckus provided major support to the Direct Action Network that successfully organized the mass convergence of Seattle against the WTO in 1999. 

The Ruckus week long action training camps became a key site in the global justice movement for debates on white supremacy, white privilege and anti-racism in the movement.  The debates were led primarily by activists of color and Ruckus agreed to make anti-racist training a priority.  Catalyst Project led the anti-racism trainings and we were asked to support the anti-racist transformation of Ruckus to became a multiracial training program providing direct action skills to grassroots organizations led by people of color.  Ruckus is currently a multiracial staff that primarily works with Indigenous organizations and working class organizations in communities of color to advance environmental and social justice.  

To read more: The Ruckus Society at a Crossroads , in Z Magazine