Community Organising

This past weekend in Baltimore I attended a 3 day training session for work put on by the Industrial Areas Foundation (http://www.industrialareasfoundation.org) which is a broad-based organisation whose primary goal is to build power. Some very interesting and relevant ideas. A lot of time was spent defining, discussing and cleaning up the word power. The argument was made that power is necessary in order to effect change within a community. So, if we want power (and we do) then we must organise people and organise money. What I found most interesting is that the IAF does not organise people around an issue. Instead, they network people within a community who are concerned for the well-being of their community. In other words, organise first, pick issues later. It's all about picking out and developing leaders within a community. The organising process is very much based upon face-to-face meetings with people and developing personal yet public relationships. The IAF argues that people are self-interested (I won't deny it) and therefore people usually do not get involved unless their self-interests are involved (also true I would argue). That is why the IAF is about helping people see that their self-interests are shared by others and that our self-interests, although personal, are often public as well. In sum, it's about connecting concerned citizens together so that they can build power and then make change in their community. Very thought provoking and concrete ideas. I'm obviously still trying to sift through them. The IAF has affiliates across the United States (eg. WIN in Washington, DC, BUILD in Baltimore, and AIM in Montgomery County - that's me!), the UK and Canada (Edmonton!). I actually get to go to my first AIM meeting this Wednesday and I'm looking forward to seeing these ideas in practise. They definitely have longevity in their favour (the IAF was started in Chicago in the 1940s) and they've made some real differences in some communities. Anyways, it was an exciting weekend for me. It helped me see a positive and concrete way to stream my anger about social injustices into action and not merely criticism. Any thoughts or comments would be welcome.


On a similar note, a notice for all you concerned Reginans:

Committee for a Citizen Friendly ReginaDear Citizen of Regina,
Many people in Regina are concerned about the direction in which the current city government is leading us. Even more frustrating is the lack of opportunities for citizens to have a say in many significant issues including:
1. Urban and commercial sprawl;
2. No plan for creating sustainable neighborhoods including social housing, recreation, and libraries;
3. Lack of a long-term plan to deal with racism and its results, such as the disappearance of Aboriginal women;
4. No commitment to publicly financed, publicly controlled, and publicly delivered services.

Some citizens organized a meeting of city residents on May 1, 2005, to see if groups and individuals were interested in trying to revive democracy in city governance. As a result of decisions made at that gathering, a meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 19, 7:00 p.m., Holy Rosary Cathedral Hall, 2104 Garnet Street, to formally create a citizens’ organization to work for a citizens’ voice in city government. This founding meeting will discuss a statement of principles, basic operating procedures, and name, and will begin to discuss the role this new organization can play in the 2006 civic election. Please consider this your invitation to attend and have a voice at this founding meeting. Also enclosed for your further information is the organization’s draft set of principles. We encourage you to share this invitation with other concerned citizens and with any community organizations you belong to.