Showing posts with label Rural Organizing Project. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rural Organizing Project. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

expanding... resources

On-Line Accessible Literature on the Theory of Organizing

COMM-ORG Papers, Readings and Archives Collection
Theory and practice of community organizing, movements and organizers (a whole lot! :)

COMM-ORG Syllabi Collection
A vast amount of reading lists from scholars and practitioners on community development, community infrastructure, community organizing, community organizing & education, community organizing & globalization, community-based rehabilitation & service learning, community organizing & social work, participation and planning, environment & food, social movements, urban issues, and others
http://comm-org.wisc.edu/co/?q=node/6

COMM-ORG Action Research&Data
Community Intervention Strategies
Action Research, Participatory Evaluation, Popular Education, Community-Campus Partnerships, Researching Corporations, Action Data - Geographic Info Systems, Action Data - Databases
http://comm-org.wisc.edu/co/?q=node/20

David Harvey Papers, lectures: leftist perspective and the city
Organizing for the Anti-Capitalist Transition - http://davidharvey.org/2009/12/organizing-for-the-anti-capitalist-transition/
Reading Marx's Capital - http://davidharvey.org/

Joshua Kahn Russell blog Articles Collection: Privilege, Power, Race, Environmental Justice & Climate Justice, Class, and Gender

Community Organisers Publications and Articles Collection


Organizing Toolbox

Shell Trapp: Basics of Organizing (book)
Nuts and bolts from the founding member of National People's Action

Joshua Kahn Russell Collection of Activists Tools
Non-violent Direct Action and Civil Disobedience, Tactical How-To, Strategy Tools, Facilitation, Organizing, Media, Outreach

Virginia Organizing Organizing Toolbox
Tips for writing effective letters to the editor, tips on talking with your legislator, how to organize a living wage campaign, tips on chairing a meeting, etc. 

Virginia Organizing Holding House Meetings

Rural Organizing Project Starting, Nurturing and Structuring a Group
Capacity Building, Growing, Leadership Teams, Database, Capacity Assessment, Democracy Grid, Living Room Conversations

Rural Organizing Project Building Welcoming Communities

Rural Organizing Project Living Room Conversations

The 99% Spring Media Toolkit
Good tips on how-to-use the media in general

Journal of New Organizing Webinars
Webinars on Organizing and Leadership, Voter Contact, Online Organizing, Campaign Management, Data Management, Voter Registration, from GOTV Center, from NGP VAN, Training for Trainers

The 99% Spring Campaign Toolkits for Occupy organizers
Toolkits on Banks and the Economy, Corporate Tax Dodging, Money in Politics, Right to Education
Media talking points

The 99% Spring Non-Violent Direct Action Planning Toolkit for Occupy organizers

Rural Organizing Project Resources for Small Town Occupations for Occupy organizers
http://www.rop.org/files/Resources%20for%20Small%20Town%20Occupations.pdf


On-Line Accessible Training Manuals and Training Tools

COMM-ORG Online Training Manuals Collection - Tons of webinars, handbooks, tips for activities

Training For Change Training Tools - Training tools & activities based on direct education approach, rooted in popular education

Southern Echo Pathways Out of Poverty
Structural causes of poverty, changing policies, strategic planning, building the organization

Southern Echo Dismantling the Achievement Gap: Education
A selection of studies and exercises on education for children at-risk

ECON Training Guide for involving young people
Training for involving young people in community organizing activities

The 99% Spring Full-Day Trainings Trainer's Notes & Presentation for Occupy organizers

The 99% Spring Half-Day Trainings Trainer's Notes & Presentation for Occupy organizers


Blogs

COMM-ORG Bloggers Collection - http://comm-org.wisc.edu/co/?q=node/13
Homeless people and their allies organize for the right to housing


Periodicals, magazines

COMM-ORG Collection
AhoraNow, City Limits, GEO (Grassroots Economic Organizing) Newsletter, Journal of New Organizing, Making Waves Magazine, Shelterforce, Social Policy - The Magazine about Movements, ColorLines Magazine


Documentary Films, Videos, Audio, Music

Eyes on the Prize - America's Civil Rights Movement 1954-1985
Comprehensive history of the African American Civil Rights Movement. America's Civil Rights Years (Episode 1-6). America at the Crossroads (Episode 1-8).
Henry Hampton and Blackside, available on YouTube

Freedom Riders
Documentary about one of the non-violent direct actions of the African American Civil Rights Movement from 1961 which challenged the racial segregation of South in the U.S.
Stanley Nelson, Firelight Media and PBS, available on YouTube-on

Chicano! History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement
Quest for a Homeland, The Struggle in the Fields, Taking Back the Schools, Fighting for Political Power (Episode 1-4, 1966-1972)
National Latino Communications Center and PBS, available on YouTube

Interview with Saul Alinsky
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UrZ_mVdhzZ0#!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ9Si5pkAqg (1967)

COMM-ORG Collection
ClipArt, Music, Video, Media in Action
http://comm-org.wisc.edu/co/?q=node/22 (several links do not work in the video section)


Issue Organizing

Hungarian community-led groups, community development and capacity building projects:
Art, creating and the Roma - http://cseppgyerek.blog.hu/ (Van Helyed Alapítvány, hétesi modellprogram)
Art, creating and the Roma - http://www.bodvalenke.eu/ (Bódvalenke Freskófalu)
City, women, family - http://www.ferencvarosiszuletes.gportal.hu/ (Írisz Családi Kör)
Education, economic justice and the Roma - http://www.jaibhim.hu/ (Dzsaj Bhím Közösség, Sajókazai Asszonygyülekezet) - in English
Environment and health - http://cmm.hu/, http://www.istenkut.hu/indexx.php (Civilek a Mecsekért Mozgalom)
Housing, homelessness, the city - http://avarosmindenkie.blog.hu/tags/english (The City Is For All) - in English
Identity and the Roma - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uW2qiNJqFng&feature=related, http://www.sosinet.hu/2011/06/13/a-het-kerdese-nepszamlalas-vallalod-e-a-szarmazasod/ (Ide tartozunk! Népszámlálás 2011)
Legal aid, legal education and the Roma - http://tasz.hu/en/roma-program (Hungarian Civil Liberties Union) - in English
Media and the Roma - http://cicsero.net/en (Cicsero News Agency) - in English
Occupy and economic justice - https://www.facebook.com/occupy.blaha?fref=ts, https://www.facebook.com/OccupyPecs?fref=ts (Occupy Blaha, Occupy Pécs)
Welfare work assignment and economic justice - http://www.mszeh.hu/ (Magyar Szegénységellenes Hálózat)

American community organizations' thematic resources:
Coal, Water & Environmental Justice - http://kftc.org/issues/coal-and-water/resources (Kentuckians for the Commonwealth)
Economic Justice & Jobs Creation - http://www.campusactivism.org/server-new/uploads/acjc%20replication%20manual.pdf (Center for Community Change & Alameda Corridor Jobs Coalition)
Economic Justice & Tax Justice - http://kftc.org/issues/economic-justice/resources (Kentuckians for the Commonwealth)
Education Organizing - http://comm-org.wisc.edu/co/?q=node/17 (COMM-ORG collection)
Farming & Environmental Justice - http://www.northernplains.org/fact-sheets/ (Northern Plains Resource Council)
Food Organizing - http://comm-org.wisc.edu/co/?q=node/14 (COMM-ORG collection)
Health Organizing - http://comm-org.wisc.edu/co/?q=node/16 (COMM-ORG collection)
Homelessness & Housing - http://picturethehomeless.org/publications.html (Picture the Homeless)
Immigrants & Farmworkers - http://cllas.uoregon.edu/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/PCUN_story_WEB.pdf (PCUN Oregon's Farmworker Union)
Immigrant Fairness - http://www.rop.org/category/immigrant-fairness/ (Rural Organizing Project)
Immigrant Organizing - http://comm-org.wisc.edu/co/?q=node/19 (COMM-ORG collection)
New Energy & Transition - http://kftc.org/issues/new-energy-and-transition/resources (Kentuckians for the Commonwealth)
Participatory Budgeting - http://www.cvhaction.org/PBbriefing-April2012 (Community Voices Heard)
Youth Organizing - http://comm-org.wisc.edu/co/?q=node/18 (COMM-ORG collection)


Groups and Networks

European Community Organizing Network (ECON)

Hungarian network of community organizers

Case studies and groups in Central and Eastern Europe and Germany
ECON Handbook on Citizen Participation

Locality - UK network for community-led organisations
& its affiliate
Community Organisers

COMM-ORG Community Organizing Groups & Networks Collection
All around the world - http://comm-org.wisc.edu/co/?q=node/8


Fundraising

International Human Rights Funders Group Funds Database
COMM-ORG Funds Collection

Joshua Kahn Russell Grassroots Fundraising How-To (Grassroots Fundraising section)
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Location: Charlottesville, VA, USA

Monday, August 6, 2012

We support our neighbors and protect one another from foreclosure!

Don't move out!
We support our neighbors.
I was heading to the bus stop the other day when I recognized this sign on the left: "Don't move out! We support our neighbors". Seemingly, residents of this neighborhood in Portland, Oregon came round to the fact that the value of their property is inherently affected by the foreclosure of their neighbors' house - when the number of vacant buildings with boarded-up windows starts to increase, it will eventually lead to the devaluation of property in the neighborhood. There are lots of examples for such neighborhoods in big cities as well as smaller towns in the U.S. But what makes this sign genuine?

 I spent the last few days with the Rural Organizing Project (ROP). It has democracy and civic participation, immigration fairness, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) justice, economic justice and the cost of war on its agenda. ROP is not primarily campaign-driven but focuses instead on building the infrastructure of the organization through engaging people in different ways. Its organizing model builds on neighborhood networks, and its primary target is to build trust among community members and make them more and more politicized.

One of its main tools is peer-learning about issues which are crucial to the community. In order to do this, for example, community members hold regular get-togethers in their homes to discuss social issues (living room conversations, kitchen table activism). The invitation to the event comes from a neighbor instead of the organization, and it is just icing on the cake when, in the end, participants get involved in at least a low-stake action (calling a legislator, signing a petition, etc.). Mobilization is not the ultimate goal of a living room conversation, but it is definitely done to help people problem solve a tough topic of the moment and talk about it in a political context. The role of ROP is to build the capacity of - and strengthen - these communities. These autonomous community groups work with the issues of the organization and may also get involved in ROP campaigns or in the activities of ROP allies. The primary focus of the organization, however, is trust and relationship-building in the community and at the same time, their politicization.

A lot of thoughts came into my mind when I was pondering this model. First of all, the heart of my organization model is campaigning. Real change usually requires a series of consistent, creative actions which challenges the decision-maker and makes it straightforward that people, even with different social statuses, are ready to move together and implement all available democratic tools to achieve their goals. Based on my experience, people learn most and get politicized more easily by participating in an action: when preparation takes into account how to frame the issue, how people have a specific role, and what is at stake.

And then I was thinking how many times I heard how important personal relationships are in organizing. Trust is also essential for a consistent campaign, because without a strong and inspiring community, people will be reluctant to step out of their comfort zones, that is, use tactics which they were reluctant to use earlier. Or in other words, their understanding and anger reach a level which makes them ready to increase the stakes. To be able to fundamentally challenge decision-makers (to escalate a campaign), this is a must.

For a campaign-driven organization, however, it is often challenging to focus on base-building. Base-building requires a totally different type of work and attention, where the emphasis is on agitating and building relationships with more and more people. The model of ROP, which focuses on base-building through political education and low-stake actions instead of campaigning, links up a supporter and activist base with organizations working with the same issues. Maybe members of the neighborhood in the picture above, where the community promises support to those whose homes have been foreclosed, entered the public arena after they had been for long talking about social issues more honestly and in a more organized manner.

Thanks for the conversations for Marcy Westerling, Amanda Aguilar Shank, Sarah Loose and Cara Shufelt.

Read it in Hungarian.

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Location: Portland, OR, USA
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