We need Community organizing - Folks sharing common problems with a group that acts to solve their shared self-interest.
Supporters of Democracy have found themselves in a difficult situation. Until they can distinguish between what’s true and what’s false, then the marketplace of truths won’t work and our democracy may perish.
There's no "right" answer for organizing. Some movements are completely decentralized without any leadership control at the top. Others balance central power at the top with distributed, local responsibility and decision-making freedom.
Successful movements establish structure, limits on structure, or semi-structured early, and make that a part of their movement identity. Is the group a democracy? Is there a leader or board of directors? Are the leaders elected (and if so, how)? How do decisions get made? Do your best to figure out answers to these questions early.
In our experience, you're most likely to run into problems if you have too much structure slowing decisions and progress, or you have too little structure so no one knows what to do or who's responsible for certain work.
Understanding a vulnerable community, and how the existing social system has created the problem
Developing a shared solution and narrative for how the solve the community's problem
Creating an action plan to achieve the desired solution by winning collective power
Building relationships, bringing people together, and educating them on how to implement the plan
Keeping the plan moving forward toward its intended goal through training, actions, media relations, regenerative support, building solidarity and coalitions, and other movement strategies
Unlike those who promote more consensual community building, community organizers generally assume that social change necessarily involves conflict and social struggle in order to generate collective power for the powerless. Community organizing has as a core goal the generation of durable power for an organization representing the community, allowing it to influence key decision-makers on a range of issues over time. In the ideal, for example, this can get community-organizing groups a place at the table before important decisions are made.
Community organizers work with and develop new local leaders, facilitating coalitions and assisting in the development of campaigns. A central goal of organizing is the development of a robust, organized, local democracy bringing community members together across differences to fight together for the interests of the community
