JanPlan Week 1, Class 1_ Intro to Community Organizing

Definition: Grassroots organizing is the process of building collective power to affect social change.
Features:
- Building relationships.
- Mobilizing resources.
- Taking strategic collective actions toward shared visions or goals.
Contrast: It emphasizes large-scale systemic change instead of individual actions (e.g., driving an electric car).
Example of focus: Challenging systems where 100 corporations are responsible for 70% of the climate crisis.
Source: Community Catalyst, Activist Handbook

Power Dynamics: The state wields a monopoly on power that often harms communities.
Need for Organizing: Organizing allows communities to dream of what does not currently exist and to create it collaboratively.
Quote: "Organizing is the work of dreaming new worlds into being." - Kelly Hayes

Labor Organizing: Uniting workers to negotiate rights, conditions, and wages.
Community Organizing: Bringing together individuals from similar geographic locations or shared goals.
Affinity Organizing: Connecting individuals within specific identity groups (e.g. race, faith).
Social Movement Organizing: Uniting people from diverse locations for common goals.
Interconnectivity: These types of organizing inform each other and share tactics.
Source: Tufts University

Types of Tactics:
- Direct Service: Providing immediate assistance (e.g., homeless shelters, food pantries).
- Education: Using teach-ins or workshops to inform the public.
- Advocacy: Legal and institutional challenges, including petitions.
- Civil Disobedience: Non-violent protests and actions against systemic oppression.
- Escalation Tactics: May include property destruction or blockades as forms of resistance.
Examples:
- Protests, strikes, boycotts, public disruptions, and legal testimony.
Source: Waging Non-Violence

Origin: Modeled after the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa.
Focus: Palestinian-led movement aimed at ending complicity in Israeli apartheid and colonialism.
Tactics: Economic boycotts, divestment, and sanctions as forms of non-violent direct action.

Organizing: Builds relationships and capacities for specific goals.
Mobilizing: Uses tools to reach a broad audience already aligned with the goal.
Importance: Both are essential for promoting social change, and understanding when to use each is crucial.
Digital Organizing: Leverages mobilization tools to build trust and relationships.
Source: Stanford Social Innovation Review

Definition: Max Weber's concept of the state as the entity claiming legitimate use of physical force.
Broader Implications: The use of violence extends beyond physical force into various systems affecting life—healthcare, surveillance, etc.
Goal of Organizing: To challenge and shift power dynamics embedded within societal structures.
Source: Politics as a Vocation

Distribution: The state delineates privilege and disposability through resource allocation.
Examples of Power Structures: Police, military, healthcare, immigration, and economic systems that determine worthiness for resources.
Intersectionality: Access to resources is influenced by identity markers—race, class, gender, citizenship, etc.

Broader Context: While discussing the state, this concept applies to all power entities—organizations, individuals, etc.
Reflective Question: Observe and analyze how power manifests in various settings.

Habitus: Socialized behaviors that shape individuals' actions and perceptions.
Influence: The interplay of individual free will and societal structures—people are shaped by their socialization and also contribute to it.

Field: Social contexts with specific rules affecting interactions.
Capital: The social value one holds within a field, influenced by perceived power structures.
Habitus Repercussions: Disturbances to established norms prompt reactions from individuals and systems.

Importance: Trust and emotional intelligence are crucial in building organizational capacities.
Vulnerability and Growth: Relationships take effort and intention; they grow from the willingness to be vulnerable.

Self-Relationship: Cultivating a good relationship with oneself is essential for effective connection with others.
Impact on Organizing: Personal awareness affects participation and effectiveness in organizing spaces.

JanPlan Morning Pages: Reflect on emotions, underlying beliefs, and environmental influences.
Reflective Questions:
- What am I feeling?
- What patterns exist?
- What underlies these emotions?

Self-Awareness: Helps recognize personal strengths and limitations, defining contributions in organizing work.
Identity Considerations: Reflect on how identity and personal history influence presence and perception in organizing.

Engage in conversation about the concepts presented and how they relate to personal experiences and organizing efforts.