Download - Community Organizing Training Series
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