Introduction to Community Organizing and Leadership

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Introduction to Community Organizing and
Leadership

• Julie Davids
• Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP)
• jdavids_at_champnetwork.org / 646-431-7525
• Street Outreach Conference, Austin,TX  June 04
• Download at champnetwork.org
• from the CHAMP Academy link

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CHAMP trainings in Austin

• TODAY Intro to organizing
• Objectives
• Understanding the differences between
• -- individual and systemic change
• -- services, advocacy, mobilizing and organizing
• Learning and using the language of organizing to
  plan and use strategy to increase our power to
  win change
• Exploring your current and potential role as a
  leader in activist and systemic change efforts

• TUES Stages of Chang(ing) the World Objectives
• Recognizing the benefits of participation in
  social change activism as providers, leaders, and
  members of service, outreach and harm reduction
  organizations
• Discussing the challenges of working within our
  organizations to mobilize for systemic change
• Applying principles of behavior change to
  increasing organizational involvement in advocacy
• Understanding regulations on non-profit
  involvement in lobbying

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Individual Advocacy, Systemic Advocacy

• Situation Tom is ready to go into detox but he
  cant get a slot because he has already gone 4
  times in the past 2 year
• Individual advocacy a case manager or outreach
  worker calls contacts in the system to explain
  the situation and gets Tom in.
• Systemic advocacy Outreach workers demand that
  the city behavioral health fund stop capping
  number of detox visits, win new funding for slots
  in state budgets, and creates a quick response
  network to call and complain when someone is
  denied a slot
• BOTH ARE IMPORTANT
• Each type takes different but complementary
  skills

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Before you go

• 1 suggestion to leaders and advocates
• -- do what you say you are going to do, and if
  you cant, just tell somebody dont just walk
  away. Its ok.
• 2 suggestion
• -- making people go to meetings to get involved
  means you only get people who like meetings
• 3 suggestion
• -- sitting at a table when everyone walks by and
  ignores you is depressing and doesnt build power
• AWARENESS does not equal ACTION
• MY ONE REQUEST check out aidsvote.org ---gt if
  you agree, endorse!

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Giving people a sense of their own power, while
winning systemic change organizing

• News flash aging houses need repair
• Service approach our organization will fix
  them
• Self-help us neighbors will have a work day
• Advocacy our director will talk to the city
  housing office and arrange repair
• Organizing we will join together to make and use
  a strategy to demand that these problems are
  fixed, and that those responsible ensure that it
  not happen again

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The Little Fish, Being Picked Off One by One
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Building PowerThe little fish can join together
to eat the big fish!
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Why get involved w/ organizing? Were already so
busy!!!
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Thinking like organizers and social change
leaders

• Power is the ability to make things happen.
• Its not enough to be right or correct to win
  change -- we need power
• Its not enough to win change once -- we must
  continue to increase our power so we will not
  then lose ground, and so we can win more for our
  communities!
• Our strongest efforts will be where our path to
  victory is based on the values and vision of the
  world we are trying to create -- when we model
  justice in our fights for justice.

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Education, Awareness, and Support/Counseling are
different than Organizing

• Education seeks to convey information
• Awareness seeks to create understanding of a
  problem and provide resources
• Counseling seeks to help people realize their
  capacity to deal with a challenge
• ORGANIZING seeks to alter the relations of power
  in order to bring about change
• (SECRET BONUS You get to have an opinion and
  tell people in power what to do!)

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Why do we need strategy

• We need to be effective and efficient
• If we plan strategies, we can check in and see
  how well our strategies are working -- its a
  blueprint that we can look to as we are building,
  and then adapt it based on how things are going
• It helps us explain ourselves to those we want to
  join us, and helps them get oriented.
• For more training on organizing strategy, check
  out
• Center for Third World Organizing (CTWO)
• Midwest Academy
• Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP)

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Issues, Goals, Targets and Tactics

• Issues are solutions to problems
• HIV transmission through shared needles is a
  problem
• Needle exchange is an issue that addresses that
  problem
• Goals are the steps towards winning our issue
• The long-term goal of our needle exchange
  campaign is lifting the Federal funding ban
• One medium term goal is getting four new core
  members in the next year
• The target is the person who has power over our
  goal
• Tactics are the things we do to make the target
  give us what we want

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Choosing Issues

• As AIDS activists, theres no shortage of issues
  we could work on. Every group or individual must
  determine their priorities for picking issues.
• It can be very frustrating to not be able to work
  on everything, or even several things, but by
  strategically building our power through ONE
  successful campaign, we can then take more on
• So many factors affect the lives of people with
  HIV and our communities. If you are trying to
  jumpstart AIDS activism in your region, consider
  joining existing non- AIDS specific campaigns for
  housing, prison reform, health care, or other
  issues and bring along your friends.

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Criteria for Choosing Issues

• Midwest Academy believes that issues should
• Result in a real improvement in peoples lives
• Be deeply and widely felt
• Deep some people very very strongly committed
  to this issue
• Wide many people think it is an issue
• Be easy to understand
• Have a clear target
• Be non-divisive sometimes, local issues
  involve competition between our organizations
• Build leadership remember, were building power
  here
• BE WINNABLE

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Criteria for Choosing OUR Issues

• Midwest Academy works on middle class broad
  based issues, like car insurance and schools.
• We must use our own calculus in picking OUR
  issues. What are our criteria?

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Setting Goals

• Goal setting is a yardstick we use to see how we
  are doing.
• Thus, goals must be realistic and measurable.
• By using short and medium term goals, we can keep
  up spirits in the long haul to winning campaigns.
• Remember internal goals to keep track of building
  power in your group
• A new group or small group can benefit from
  appropriate goal-setting to realize you are
  making progress!
• Words are not the same as action this counts
  for our allies as well as our opponents -- make
  goals based on verifiable actions so we can
  really tell how we are doing

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Recognizing Resources

• Resources are anything we can use to get to our
  goals!
• People power a car or two  friends in high
  places space to meet free internet acces
  bi-lingual translators  the restaurant that
  always donates the fried chicken the pastor
  that will always let us come address the
  congregation you get the idea
• LIST 5 RESOURCES IN YOUR COMMUNITY THAT HAVE
  NOTHING TO DO WITH MONEY
• SHARE YOUR LIST WITH THE PERSON NEXT TO YOU ANY
  NEW IDEAS?

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Constituents, Allies, and Coalitions

• Constituents are people directly affected by an
  issue
• Allies are people who agree with you and who will
  actually help
• Coalitions bring together organizations to fight
  for a common cause, even if they disagree on
  other things.

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Constituents

• Make it easy to join your group transportation,
  food, fun
• Keep gently asking it took ACT UP Philly 5
  years to gain our current strong and new
  membership
• Speak clearly and truthfully, but not
  desperately, about your issues and campaigns
• Recognize peoples strengths and utilize them
  right away
• Craft non-disclosing ways to participate, like
  phone calls
• Offer training so people can participate
  meaningfully in planning
• Our society discourages us from speaking out we
  need to educate our folks on the importance, and
  safety, of taking a stand and give them time to
  grow into it. Choose tactics that feel safe but
  speak the truth.
• DONT MAKE PEOPLE HAVE TO GO TO MEETING TO JOIN
  OUR EFFORT!

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Targets

• Sometimes we need to do research to identify the
  right target. Someone can make the final call
  about our goal.
• Secondary targets are people who tell our targets
  what to do, or who get us closer to our targets.
• For example, the mayor may be a secondary target
  for the health commissioner, if she appoints the
  commissioners.
• Recognizing someone as a target does not mean we
  will be hostile towards them, unless that is
  strategically important.
• Targets are vulnerable in different ways. What is
  your target more worried about than giving in to
  your demands?

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Tactics

• Tactics are what we do to reach our goals.
  Theres a lot of tactics to choose from!
• Tactics should be within the experience of our
  members and allies, and outside the experience of
  our target (even a letter or meeting can have an
  edge)
• Another way of saying that is that tactics should
  be fun or feel successful to our folks, and
  demonstrate real power to our opponents.
• Tactics can escalate over time. Dont bring out
  the big guns (so to speak) unless you have to
• GIVE US SOME EXAMPLES.
• OR LETS MAKE SOME UP!

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Thoughts on Tactics

• Look for the mobilizable moment. Is there an
  event or occasion coming up thats ready-made for
  a tactic?
• Meetings require pre-meetings in order to be
  successful
• Boycotts are a lot of work and hard to fake
• Our society discourages us from speaking out we
  need to educate our folks on the importance, and
  safety, of taking a stand and give them time to
  grow into it.
• Participating in community planning, from an
  organizing perspective, is a tactic, not an end
  into itself -- be clear what your goals are, and
  the pros and cons of involvement more on this in
  tomorrows session
• We love talking about tactics! Give us a call!

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Effective tactics with small numbers

• Think small spaces, not big yards or stadiums.
• A few people somewhere they are not supposed to
  be can have quite an impact
• Be clever, and be clear wear your message, or
  hang a banner.
• Dread can be better than surprise consider
  publicizing your plans to your opponents unless
  there is a strategic reason not to.
• Issuing reports with exciting or controversial
  news, or big graphs and charts, can spice up a
  small event but choose a small location!
• Politicize social events, such as World AIDS Day
  commemorations, with challenging signs, stickers
  and quotes for the press
• Dont re-invent wheels get info from national
  or local groups, and do your share to further the
  campaign.

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Turn Out

• If your tactic involves any sort of event, turn
  out is your biggest job.
• The rule of 3 always applies people must hear
  about something 3 times before they come!
• Some folks may have gate-keepers program
  directors or group leaders that need to be sold
  first or no one goes

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Teach-Ins and Follow-up

• Teach-ins are a great way to practice talking
  about your issue and educate constituents about
  issues and tactics dont be afraid to talk a
  lot about the event, and answer any questions
  they may have.
• Even your friends need reminder calls.
• Why people DONT come is as important as why they
  do. Ask and learn.
• Check in with folks that you recruited, and thank
  them for coming!
• The internet is not all that for turn-out. Its
  just one tool

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Allies

• If someone agrees with us but wont help, they
  are not an ally. Move on.
• Who is an ally can change with every issue, so
  think broadly about who may be interested and
  seek their input and assistance
• Dont rely on the General Public it is
  appropriate that people should act out of
  self-interest and we need to know who they are
  rather than making global appeals to everyone.
• Think carefully about what we want allies to DO.
  They may not want to participate in our tactics,
  but will support us in other ways.
• Dont tell allies they get to impact strategy or
  tactics if they dont just let them know they
  are welcome to join your efforts.

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Putting yourself in the action

• self-knowledge is a key skill of any community
  leader
• We can bring our selves to issues that involve
  our work directly (Outreach funding. Access to
  treatment. Etc.)
• We can also work on issues that are allied with
  our work, or that speak to our values (Housing
  Living wage campaigns immigrant rights the war
  in Iraq)
• when we bring our whole selves (street
  outreachers, people with HIV, people with a
  commitment to justice, etc) to any organizing
  project on any issue, we reduce stigma, create
  awareness and commitment in others, and can learn
  new skill and issues from them.

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Qualities and Skills

• Qualities are parts of us that really speak to
  who were are, the things people notice right
  away
• Julie is loud. Paola is patient. John is shy
• Skills are things we have learned or can learn
• Lisa can cook. Marisol is a computer whiz. Isaac
  writes a great speech.

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What are the qualities of Outreach Workers?What
are the skills?
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Write 3 qualities and 3 skills you show and use
in your personal life, your community life
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And we need to remember

• Many of us have developed skills or used our
  qualities in ways we now may not be proud of ,
  or wish we could take back.
• One way to give back is to realize that these
  qualities and skills can be turned around, used
  in the fight for justice and systemic change.
• Some examples

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Share your lists with the person on the other
side of you

• Anything you want to add?
• The goal of the organizer (and maybe thats you!)
  is to make sure your skills and qualities are
  used as resources in our campaign
• Remember, activism might be an opportunity to
  highlight other skills and qualities that are not
  a part of outreach work -- and your
  outreach-related skills and qualities can be a
  wonderful addition to a strategy campaign!

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Meetings and Media

• Two key areas of skills useful to many leaders
  are
• -- how to have good meetings
• -- dealing with the media
• And there are resources for both areas!
• look for facilitation training in your city
• check out spinproject.org for media skills!

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Key Points for Meetings

• Productive, decision-making meetings require
  facilitation -- a person who midwifes the
  process can be insider or outsider
• Most meetings follow a diamond format -- when we
  understand this, we can recognize that
  disagreement can be good!
• Topic introduced / ideas diverge / THE GROAN
  ZONE / decision making /

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Key points for the Media

• Reporters have jobs. We can get better coverage
  if we work in a way that helps them get work
  done.
• We have to plan and DO our media work -- press
  spin (how do we present our ideas to the media
  that is interesting to them AND us), press
  releases, press calls, press packets
• Soundbites --
• In 30 seconds or less Problem / obstacle /
  solution
• Check out ACT UP Phillys grassroots media guide
  at healthgap.org in the resources section

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Putting it all together, pt 1

• THE ISSUE 100 million in additional state funds
  would fill the funding gap in outreach and drug
  treatment services
• THE TARGET Governor Takeback was a friend to
  harm reduction and drug treatment when he was a
  mayor in our city.
• But now, 6 months after his election to the
  state, he has promised to balance the state
  budget, and is proposing 50 million in cuts to
  outreach and drug treatment.

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Putting it all together, pt 2

• THE CAMPAIGN GOALS, External
• External, short term
• Our coalition of providers and community groups
  wants to stop the funding cut
• External, long term
• We need 200 million a year to meet the need for
  outreach and drug treatment, and want to work up
  to this amount in the time of the governors
  administration (3 more years)

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Putting it all together, pt 3

• THE CAMPAIGN GOALS, Internal to your group, the
  Street Outreach Power Alliance (SOPA!)
• Internal, short term
• Have a tactic that will introduce our issue to
  our communities, and create ways for folks to get
  involved, while targeting the governor
• Internal, medium term
• Work together as a team of 5-8 people over the
  next 2-3 years to increase our skills and power.

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Putting it all together, pt 4

• Opportunity Gov. Takeback is coming back to our
  city as the featured speaker at a conference of
  city business leaders in 3 weeks One of you has
  also been invited to present a workshop at the
  conference on community issues
• Your challengePlan a tactic that will meet your
  short term goals, and bring you closer to your
  longer-term goals.
• EVERYONES SKILLS AND QUALITIES MUST BE USED in
  the next 3 week to pull this off

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Next steps

• Remember that your skills and qualities are
  needed in struggles for systemic change!
• How can we choose actions today that will be
  helpful today AND in building efforts in the next
  5, 10, 20 years?
• Joining other issue campaigns check out
• Jobs with Justice / ACORN / United for Peace and
  Justice
• You can be the experts we need
• AIDS treatment research and access atac-usa.org
• What about vaccines and microbicides? contact
  CHAMP!
• How can participation in activism honor your
  aspirations? What do you want to learn, do, be?