Community Community Organizing Organizing

Training SeriesTraining Series

Part 1: Relational PowerPart 1: Relational Power

Part 2: Building Part 2: Building Powerful Powerful

OrganizationsOrganizations

Part 3: Initiating Public Part 3: Initiating Public RelationshipsRelationships

Definition of Definition of PowerPower

““To be ableTo be able”” The ability to actThe ability to act

Ways of Ways of Understanding Understanding

PowerPower Dominant PowerDominant Power

Unilateral (one-way)Unilateral (one-way) Zero-sumZero-sum Power Power ““overover””

Relational PowerRelational Power Multi-lateralMulti-lateral IncreasingIncreasing Power Power ““withwith””

Sources of Sources of Power in a Power in a DemocracyDemocracy

PositionPosition Organized MoneyOrganized Money Organized PeopleOrganized People

Context for Community OrganizingContext for Community Organizing

Public Sector•Elected officials

(national, state, and local)•Government Agencies

Civic Sector•Families

•Religious Congregations•Labor Unions

•Civic associations•Advocacy Groups

Private Sector•Financial Services•Energy companies

•Real Estate/Construction•Health Care/Insurance

•Manufacturing

Contracts/grants/

regulationsCampaignDonations

Workers/ConsumersVoters/Taxpayers

Values: administration/controlPower: Position

Values: ProfitPower: Organized $

Values: All other motivesPower: Organized People and organized $

Three Levels of Three Levels of PowerPower

1.1. Get to the tableGet to the table

2.2. Make a dealMake a deal

3.3. Keep a dealKeep a deal

Our Purpose: Our Purpose: Relational Relational Power for Power for

JusticeJustice Ability to get to the Ability to get to the

decision making table decision making table and negotiate on behalf and negotiate on behalf of our interests and of our interests and valuesvalues

Make and keep dealsMake and keep deals Organizing our people Organizing our people

and our moneyand our money

Context for Community OrganizingContext for Community Organizing

Public Sector•Elected officials

(national, state, and local)•Government Agencies

Civic Sector•Families

•Religious Congregations•Labor Unions

•Civic associations•Advocacy Groups

Private Sector•Financial Services•Energy companies

•Real Estate/Construction•Health Care/Insurance

•Manufacturing

Contracts/grants/

regulationsCampaignDonations

Workers/ConsumersVoters/Taxpayers

Values: administration/controlPower: Position

Values: ProfitPower: Organized $

Values: All other motivesPower: Organized People and organized $

Living Between Two Living Between Two WorldsWorlds

World as it World as it IsIs

PowerPower Self Self

InterestInterest RelationshiRelationshi

psps

World as it World as it Should BeShould Be

LoveLove Do good/AltruismDo good/Altruism Recognition of Recognition of

common common humanityhumanity

Engine:Engine:

MotivatioMotivation:n:

Glue:Glue:

Self InterestSelf Interest Selfishness (me only)Selfishness (me only)

Self interest (Self interest (inter-esse:inter-esse: me amongst others) me amongst others)

Selflessness (others only)Selflessness (others only)

Rabbi Hillel Rabbi Hillel Says:Says:

““If I am not for myself, If I am not for myself, who will be for me? who will be for me?

““If I am only for myself, If I am only for myself, what am I?what am I?

““If not now, when?If not now, when?””

Spectrum of Spectrum of Self-InterestSelf-Interest

Self PreservationSelf Preservation

Self RealizationSelf Realization

Context for Community OrganizingContext for Community Organizing

Public Sector•Elected officials

(national, state, and local)•Government Agencies

Civic Sector•Families

•Religious Congregations•Labor Unions

•Civic associations•Advocacy Groups

Private Sector•Financial Services•Energy companies

•Real Estate/Construction•Health Care/Insurance

•Manufacturing

Contracts/grants/

regulationsCampaignDonations

Workers/ConsumersVoters/Taxpayers

Values: administration/controlPower: Position

Values: ProfitPower: Organized $

Values: All other motivesPower: Organized People and organized $

Discuss with Discuss with PartnerPartner

What self-interest What self-interest brought you here brought you here tonight?tonight?

10 minutes10 minutes

Malcolm Malcolm Gladwell Gladwell

DiscussionDiscussion What key points did you What key points did you

take from this article?take from this article? What were the self-What were the self-

interests of the students interests of the students who initiated the sit-ins?who initiated the sit-ins?

Why these students?Why these students?

15 minutes15 minutes

Context for Community OrganizingContext for Community Organizing

Public Sector•Elected officials

(national, state, and local)•Government Agencies

Civic Sector•Families

•Religious Congregations•Labor Unions

•Civic associations•Advocacy Groups

Private Sector•Financial Services•Energy companies

•Real Estate/Construction•Health Care/Insurance

•Manufacturing

Contracts/grants/

regulationsCampaignDonations

Workers/ConsumersVoters/Taxpayers

Values: administration/controlPower: Position

Values: ProfitPower: Organized $

Values: All other motivesPower: Organized People and organized $

Joseph McNeil Joseph McNeil and the and the

ChickensChickens Self-interestsSelf-interests

RelationshipsRelationships

Tension/agitationTension/agitation

Action/ReactionAction/Reaction

How will we How will we build power in build power in

thethe Civic Sector? Civic Sector?

Identifying common Identifying common self interests we can self interests we can only realize togetheronly realize together

Intentionally building Intentionally building relationships necessary relationships necessary to motivate and sustain to motivate and sustain actionaction

Two Organizing Two Organizing Tools to Identify Tools to Identify

Interests and Build Interests and Build RelationshipsRelationships

1.1. Individual meetings Individual meetings (next week)(next week)

2.2. House meetings House meetings (January training)(January training)

Definition of Definition of LeadershipLeadership

Someone who has Someone who has followersfollowers

How many followers do How many followers do you have?you have?

How do you How do you build your build your

Leadership?Leadership? Intentionally expand your Intentionally expand your

network of relationships.network of relationships. Members of your Members of your

congregationcongregation Members of other Members of other

congregations and congregations and organizationsorganizations

Other community leaders.Other community leaders.

SummarySummary

We build powerful We build powerful organizations by building organizations by building relationships between civic relationships between civic sector institutions that have sector institutions that have common self interests.common self interests.

We unlock the power of We unlock the power of organized people by developing organized people by developing leaders with a following.leaders with a following.

Next TrainingNext Training

Homework: Malcolm Gladwell Homework: Malcolm Gladwell ArticleArticle

““Six Degrees of Lois WeinbergSix Degrees of Lois Weinberg””

October 21, 7-9 pmOctober 21, 7-9 pmTrinity CathedralTrinity Cathedral

Theme: Initiating Public Relationships