Community Organizing Community Organizing

“The Three Radical Truths of Community Organizing:1. Heart work is hard work.2. You have to keep dancing even when you can’t hear the music.3. The path that makes you afraid is the path to take.” – FACE

Activity: How Activity: How Organizing Impacts Our Organizing Impacts Our

LivesLives

Definition Definition Community organizing is

a process where people who live in proximity to each other come together into an organization that acts in their shared self-interest.

"bringing together the talents, resources and skills of people in the community in order to increase their collective power and work for social change” (Family Violence Prevention Fund, 2002)."What is community organizing?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flXHRxc9q1k

POWERPOWER

What are the words and images you think when you hear the word power?

Key themes in organizing: Key themes in organizing: POWERPOWERThe capacity to

controlcircumstances

2 kinds of power◦ Institutional power◦ People power

Institution: an influential organization or structure that helps to establish and maintain norms ands rules in society◦ Institutional power – the

control that institutions have over the way society is constructed and maintained

Power of the people- the power that all of us have as everyday people to collectively make change in the world

Activity: Pyramid of PowerActivity: Pyramid of Power

Other Ways to Understand Other Ways to Understand PowerPower

Dominant Power◦ Unilateral (one

way)◦ power over

Relational Power ◦ Multilateral◦ power with

Activity: Tell a story in your life when you were acted on by dominant power, and what, if anything, you did about it.

Sources of Power in a Sources of Power in a DemocracyDemocracy

Position

Organized money

Organized people

Key themes in organizing Key themes in organizing

Keep self-interests in mind “Where do you want to go, and how is what

you are doing now going to get you there?”

For an organizer, understanding a person’s self-interest –

as they themselves see it – helps us engage and involve

leaders- , understand the self-interest of an institution, and

understand the self-interest of our targets

Key Themes in Organizing- Key Themes in Organizing- RelationshipsRelationships

Reciprocal Build strong relationships

Characteristics community Characteristics community organizingorganizingCommunity-based participatory processesDevelopment and expansion of community

ownershipCommunity empowerment and inclusivenessCollaboration and partnershipAccountability to and an opportunity for

empowerment through action by those impacted by the issues

Development of traditional and non-traditional leadership

Expansion of community participation (beyond the “usual suspects”)

Emphasis on social justice and social change that can be connected back to the founding

From the grassroots- Understanding From the grassroots- Understanding community organizing - CSMottFoundationcommunity organizing - CSMottFoundation

Build Democracyhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJsSfZvPjMg Current Statehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0Ep4GFjIiw

Toolshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbfb6B7WjEM

Key Challengeshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NJlWd5-lkA Rewards of a Career in Community Organizinghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qeAnv9sIa8

Components of Community Components of Community OrganizingOrganizing

• Why we organize• Roles of leaders and staff• Membership recruitment• Developing an issue campaign• Planning and taking actions• Healthy organizations• Leadership development• Building strong relationships• Working with the media (Communcations)• Running good meetings• Grassroots fundraising

Campaign Strategy Campaign Strategy DevelopmentDevelopment

• Campaign overview• Issue ID and Research• Power Analysis• Developing a strategy• Tactics

Activity: What is organizing?Activity: What is organizing?“Raining Rocks”“Raining Rocks”

MODELS OF MODELS OF COMMUNITY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONORGANIZATION

Practice in Action

Wellstone Triangle Wellstone Triangle

Midwest Academy

MAIZ (local)

Models of PracticeModels of Practice

The following models are also used in CO practice”Social ActionSocial PlanningCommunity DevelopmentTransformative

FeministMulticultural/Diversity

ResourcesResources

Building Power, Sharpening Minds:The Political Education Workshop Manual 2007. SOUL

Cho, E. H., Arguelles Paz y Puente, F., Yoon Louie, M.C. & Khokha, S. 2004 Bridge, A Popular Education Resource for Immigrant & Refugees Community Organizers. NNIRR