About Industrial Areas Foundation: Who are We?
This is a social capital approach to organizing centering around people building relationships in their communities. It grows out of Saul Alinksy's idea that reform is best achieved when people organized for themselves instead of having other people do things for them, which he thought was a kind of welfare colonialism. These groups do not endorse or oppose candidates and work with whoever they can to achieve their goals.
Hmm. This approach means you'd have to be nonpartisan. NN is obviously influenced by this model, but they opted for endorsements. Is NN in a nowhere's land somewhere between a moveon type model and this model?
About Industrial Areas Foundation: Who are We?
posted by Victor Laszlo @ 6/14/2005
2 comments
2 Comments:
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Nice shot! However, I wouldn't say it's a foregone conclusion that NN will adopt a policy of overt endorsement of candidates. If it does choose to adopt such a policy, I feel reasonably assured that it will happen through open discussion about its relative merits. On the other hand, I'm not fully convinced that the decision will be made with sufficient consideration of the points Rep. Cohen makes, or the perspective you raise in this post. My sense is that among the folks who are immediately empowered to evaluate policy formation, endorsements is likely a primary focus. So, I would suggest that you contact your NN Ward Leader directly to discuss the issue and to make sure that s/he is aware of your perspective. Further, any NN member can be a part of the sub-committees of the Steering Commitee that will make recommendations on issues such as this one. Give it a shot. The outcome on this decision could be a good indicator of just how "bottom-up" NN will turn out to be.
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