Community Organizing: Things I Try Not to Forget

There are probably dozens of blogs out there claiming to have the answers to community organizing. I don’t want to claim that I have any answers, but I would like to share with you a few things I’ve found useful over the years.

1. Learn to Facilitate My road of facilitation is a very personal one. Many people might not be able to guess that about 10 years ago a group of my peers told me I was a terrible group member. I didn’t listen. I spoke to soon, shutting other people down. And I was even at times condescending. Thinking about the moment they decided to confront me still brings tears to my eyes. But I could not be more grateful. Since that moment, I have worked tirelessly in trainings and in practice to be a good group member and an even better facilitator. It’s a path of constant self-reflection and it takes a tremendous amount of energy. As you’ve probably already experienced, just because a group of people are passionate about an issue, it doesn’t mean they agree on the path. It is an invaluable skill to be able to pull this group together to focus, act, and move forward.

2. Seek Partnerships

3. Don’t Quit When They Say No, There’s Always Another Way

When I started writing this, it was going to be a blog about how to create successful community events. Sort of a 1, 2, 3 guide to success. I guess I will have to just do that next time.

#facilitation #communityorganizing #partnerships #OutrageCampaign #PaulFreedman #Darfur #team #SeekPartnerships #Sudan