Activist Training Institute October 3, 2009

1. Activist Training InstituteOctober 3, 2009 Analysis of Forces And Framing an Issue The People are the Makers of History

2. Agenda • What is a campaign? • Analysis of forces: Parcel C campaign • Framing an issue • Shared leadership/ star team • Where are we going/ how do we get there? • Evaluation • Next steps

3. Learning Objectives Participants will • Identify the components of an organizing campaign • Learn and apply tools to understand the forces involved in a campaign • Learn and practice how to frame an issue • Continue exploring and practicing shared leadership • Identify what it takes to make a better world and make commitments to contributing to that vision • Identify next steps from ATI as a group

4. 9/30/09What Is an Organizing Campaign? A campaign is an intense, sustained and coordinated organizing drive that builds and uses collective power to achieve specific demands. Campaigns seek to redistribute power and/or resources, bring institutional change, and build grassroots leaders.

5. Developing a Campaign The Third World Center at Brown University is a place where Asian American student groups (as well as other groups of color) can gather and work on things important to them. It houses social and educational events, as well as meetings of the various AA student organizations. The Administration has just announced that it is closing the Third World Center due to budget considerations. You are the leadership core of the Asian American Student Association at Brown. You are having a meeting to decide what to do. Assume you decide that the conditions exist to wage a campaign. What steps would you take to plan it? Write your steps on newsprint.

6. The Parcel C Campaign • A campaign in the early 1990s to stop the New England Medical Center from building an 8-story garage next to a daycare center, elderly housing, and an elementary school. • Land was originally slated for a community center • The community conducted an 18-month campaign that stopped the building of the garage, retained the parcel for community use, created important alliances, and involved local residents in key decisions in the campaign.

7. The Parcel C Campaign • In your group, fill out the chart analyzing what the interests of the key players are and how you might impact them. 2. Place the various people, sectors, groups, institutions on the Power Grid, based on their relationship to the issue, and on their power to decide on the issue. 3. Take an hour. Be prepared to share.

8. POWER ANALYSIS GRID OUR AGENDA Competing Agenda, Positions, Policies, etc. CORPORATE/RIGHT-WING AGENDA 10 Decisive Decision making Power or Influence 8 Active Participant in Decision-making Vertical Axis: Amount of Power 6 Power to have Major Influence on decision-making 4 Taken into Account Horizontal Axis: Position or Perspective on competing Agendas 3 Can Get Attention 2 Die Hard Active Support Inclined Towards Inclined Towards Active Support Die Hard Not on Radar AGENDA/SCOPE Environmental & Economic Justice Project Power Analysis Training

9. Framing the Issue = interpreting events to move people to action, building upon the constituency’s or general public’s values and culture. Framing usually connects the event to greater meaning, such as injustice, and calls upon emotion.

10. Practicing Framing an Issue • You are a group of students organizing around an assigned issue (hate speech, immigrant rights, gentrification). A radio station is giving you 2 minutes to make your case on your issue and to appeal for support. • Work together in your group to determine: a. the audience (base, constituency, general public) for your message b. political change you are organizing for c. your message d. your radio presentation • Select a radio spokesperson. Take 20 minutes.

11. What do Leaders Do? (revisited) Leaders accept responsibility for creating the conditions that enable others to achieve shared purposes in the face of uncertainty. • Marshall Gantz Leadership needs to be defined … by the stand that people take in close relationship to their constituency base. - Boston Chinese Progressive Association Leaders are not extraordinary people but rather ordinary people who learn to do extraordinary things and who enable other ordinary people also to do extraordinary things. - Glenn Omatsu

12. Geese Story (revisited) As each goose flaps its wings, it creates an “uplift” for the bird following. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds 71% more flying range than if each bird flew alone. When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies at the point position. The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. When a goose gets sick or wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect him. They stay with the goose until it is either able to fly again or dies. Then they launch out on their own with another formation or catch up with the flock. @ Dudley St. Neighborhood Initiative & & Strategic Interventions

13. Shared Leadership: Teamwork Remember the learnings from the geese story, leadership quotes, and animal attributes in this next activity. Work together to build your ideal community (3-D!) using the supplies provided. Every 5 minutes, 2 people will sit out as observers to assess the process of the team. They will not be able to talk during that time. When they re-enter the group, they may use their observations in any way they see fit.

14. Creating a Star Team Write on the star: • Name • How you practiced leadership in the previous activity. Be specific. • How you experienced another person’s leadership practice. • Place your star on the Big Star

15. Another World Is Possible “The future is not some place we are going to but one we are creating. The paths are not to be found, but made, and the activity of making them changes both the maker and the destination.” – John Schaar

16. Evaluation and Next Steps • Fill out the given evaluation form. • Share some thoughts with a partner. Then we will talk as a large group. • Think about and brainstorm next steps from ATI-- what do you want or need to continue in your work for social change?