Last fall a group of gamers joined up for an event in the wildly popular online video game Fortnite. (If you’re not familiar, just ask your kids.) The purpose of the event was to train players on how to respond to real-life encounters with ICE agents, followed by role-playing encounters within the safety of the game world. This is just one of the many ways the group known as New Save Collective is organizing players and events in an attempt to create a kinder, more progressive environment for the more than 60% of people in the US who regularly play video games (as well as gamers beyond US borders).

New Save Collective organizes events like these as well as supportive ways for progressive-minded gamers to find each other and play together on their Discord server, which includes over 800 members. While not perfect, Discord is a powerful social app, popular among gamers. It is rapidly growing as an online organizing tool because it allows communities to moderate and curate both their members and the content members engage with. Think of it a bit like Slack for gamers and hobbyists.

We're joined this episode by New Save Collective’s founder, Sijal Nasralla, as well as one of its Discord moderators, known by her screen name Magick Mayhem. They talk about how and why they are building this digital organizing space centered around gaming. They also discuss why the mission of their work is centered around creating a culture of kindness in gaming.

Connect with New Save Collective

• Discord
• Instagram
• kindgamers.com

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Last fall, Managing Editor Akin Olla began piloting a concept for how Convergence can grow as a space which can develop the voice of organizers trying to communicate big strategic ideas. The result was the Max Elbaum Resident Writers Program (named after our longtime board chair). We received an amazing batch of applications from over 60 organizers from all over the country and chose two to join us for the next 12 months to work on honing their craft as writers and refining their ideas about movement strategy.

Each resident writer has a big question they will be exploring across multiple articles they’ll be publishing with us over the coming months. I’m excited to introduce the 2026 Elbaum Resident Writers: Delaney Vandergrift and Whitney Washington. In this episode, both join in back-to-back interviews to discuss what their organizing background and more details about what they'll be publishing with Convergence this year.

• Submit your article proposals to Convergence
• Enrich your media diet: Movement Media Alliance
• Contact us: mailbag@convergencemag.com
• Subscribe to Convergence Magazine’s YouTube to catch the video premiere of each episode: Mondays at 7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT
• Have we made a difference in your life? Help us keep it going. convergencemag.com/membership

This is our 100th episode of Block & Build! We wanted to do something unique to mark this milestone. We jokingly discussed doing a musical episode. While we don’t have the time or the money to write 55 minutes of original songs about the Supreme Court gutting the Voting Rights Act once and for all and what we’re going to do about it, we thought we’d take some time to share some of our favorite movement music with you.

In this episode Convergence Print Editor, Akin Olla and Producer, Josh Elstro join to discuss some of our favorite movement music, as well as the state of movement music and counterculture as they see it in our evolving landscape of corporate streaming content.

Every song discussed, along with other favorites from the Convergence team, are available to listen to as a YouTube playlist we've built for listeners.

• Dead Prez - Lets Get Free
• Dillinger Four - Like Sprewells on a Wheelchair
• Phil Ochs - Love me I'm a Liberal
• Shostakovich
• Le Tigre
• Bikini Kill
• Miley Cyrus - Party in the USA
• Vince Staples - Blackberry Marmalade
• Which Side Are You On?
• Propagandhi - Night Letters
• Leftöver Crack - Born to Die
• Eminem - Square Dance
• Bruce Springsteen - Streets of Minneapolis
• Massive Attack / Tom Waits - Boots on the Ground
• Anohni - 4 Degrees
• Run the Jewels - Lie, Cheat, Steal
• Dead Prez - Happiness
• Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come
• Hurray for the Riff Ra...