Grassroots Organizing - Building A Green Party Local
Grassroots Organizing - Building A Green Party Local
Grassroots Organizing - Building A Green Party Local
The Green local chapter has been the mainstay of Green organizing in most parts of the country since before there were Green Parties. Combining day-in, day-out issue organizing of a local chapter and the occasional hyperactivity of an electoral campaign has been one of the great challenges for Greens, but also one of the great keys to our success. While all towns are different and have differing political cultures, there are many things that overlap, and many common tools and strategies. Because of these differences, organizers must read any guide with caution. But we cannot all reinvent the organizing wheel and we have much knowledge to share. While local members can take on various tasks, it usually works best to have people focus on one of the below areas, and have a coordinator see that the task is getting performed. It can help to save the more exciting tasks for newcomers. I tell people that organizing is 80% hard work, 10% luck and 10% creativity. You do the hard work so that you are ready to take advantage of lucky breaks and maximize the advantage with some creativity. Fundamental Elements of a Green Party Local The fundamental elements have a fair amount of overlap, but do represent key components of a healthy, growing local. Foundation These are the tasks that keep things going underneath: scheduling meetings, managing lists and any red tape with city or state bureaucracies. They arent exciting, but there may not be anything to build on without it. Party/Organization Building Getting the word out about your organization using basic techniques like tabling and registration drives in states that have party-based registration are straightforward actions that build an organization and political party without the ongoing focus of issue organizing. Issue Organizing The bread and butter of most political organizing: choose an issue and change something. Convince your city to dedicate a community garden, oppose police brutality, work for affordable housing. Related to this is institution building: starting a food coop or a local currency. Issue organizing shows that Greens are really doing things and builds visibility and credibility. Electoral Campaigns Campaigns take hold of all the work done above in a relatively short-term effort when the less politicized public pays attention to politics. Then comes the Green Synergy using general organizing to give you electoral opportunities, and using elections to build the Green Party.
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