Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Wondering what we mean by "organizing"?
If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you probably already know what “organizing” means in a community context. But if you’re someone who imagines color-coded filing systems or photo-ready closet space when you hear the title “organizer” –- this is what I thought until a couple of years ago -- check out the July 7 New York Times article “Obama’s Organizing Years, Guiding Others and Finding Himself.”
The article paints a clear picture of what a community organizer does.
Some of the main points are in the following excerpt.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Building a relationship in an unlikely place
In a recent blog post, Joe Szakos, co-author of We Make Change: Community Organizers Talk About What They Do — And Why, argues that movements are built on relationships. He says the following: "...great organizing is done one by one by one by one, being intentionally diverse, helping people learn leadership skills, and having everyone learning from each other about how everything is interconnected."
The story of the relationship between Dennis Donovan, a Research Fellow at the Center for Democracy and Citizenship (CDC), and Megan Kadrmas, an undergraduate studying journalism at the University of Minnesota, is a story of how fruitful public relationships can be initiated anywhere.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
The Citizen Solution: How YOU Can Make a Difference
Join us on July 28, 7:30 p.m., at Magers and Quinn booksellers in Minneapolis for the launch of Harry Boyte's new book, The Citizen Solution.
The book, a hands-on guide to effecting change in America by taking action in your community, urges a change in paradigm about the meaning of democracy. Democracy is not something we choose people to do for us through election. Democracy is a society that all of us build every day.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Neighborhood-based public work in Saint Paul
School may be out, but the learning goes on for East Side youth in Saint Paul this summer. Through the collaborative efforts of the East Side Learning Collaborative (ESLC), a network of more than 15 organizations – including libraries, nonprofits, churches, park and recreation centers, and schools, along with residents – young people in the Dayton’s Bluff and Payne Phalen neighborhoods have access to an abundance of high quality learning opportunities that keep them safe, engaged, and learning all summer long.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
How often are you able to be a true partner in your health?
In his new book, The Citizen Solution, Harry Boyte includes a chapter on citizen professionals. "Citizen professionals," he says, "are proud of their knowledge and the craft of their discipline, but they also know their limits...They recognize that solving complex problems requires many sources and kinds of knowledge."
Recently, I scheduled an appointment with the University of Minnesota's Allergy and Asthma clinic. I wanted to determine the causes of a sharp increase in breathing problems related to the asthma I've had since childhood.
All of my previous experiences with doctors have followed the same general pattern. The doctor does an examination, asks a few questions, and writes a prescription for either medication or a course of action. Most appointments last fifteen to twenty minutes at most.
I therefore walked into the Allergy and Asthma clinic expecting to hear the doctor - the expert - solve my problem. But this appointment was different.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Design refresh
By the People has received a design refresh. As the first blog created under the Humphrey blogging initiative, By the People was starting to get a little long in the tooth compared to its sister sites. Over the summer, I will be updating the other blogs and launching a couple of new ones, so if you enjoy reading about the civic engagement work of the Center for Democracy and Citizenship, you should also give the other blogs a read as well.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
A view from South Africa
Tonight, Harry Boyte will participate in a discussion of the Obama campaign at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. Xolela Mangcu, convener of the Platform for Public Deliberation, provides observations from South Africa on America's democracy, the possibility of an Obama presidency, and its implications for South Africa.
US poll a model of democracy in action June 12, Business Day
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Kosovo: A New Way of Working
Gandhi once said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” This statement rings true everyday for Public Achievement participant and organizer, Genta Gola.
Although Genta is only 15 years old, she has a solid belief in the role that community and public work can play in creating a democratic culture. Since her introduction to Public Achievement several years ago, she and her classmates have tackled issues such HIV, drug use, and poverty through their school community.
Genta lives in Kosovo and recently celebrated as, after nine years of struggling for statehood, the Kosovar Assembly declared its independence from Serbia. The territory of Kosovo has always been a part of various empires, including the country of Yugoslavia and the Soviet Bloc of the USSR. Because of this, Kosovo has had a history strewn with nationalistic, ethic, and religious conflicts with its neighbors. Even now, the newly independent country of Kosovo is still opposed by some countries, including its neighbor, Serbia.
image from Washingon Post, February 18, 2008
Given the political turmoil and violent history of Kosovo, it is no surprise that young people in the country have struggled to have hope about the future. They have had little opportunity to develop public problem solving skills such as community organizing, group decision making, and deliberative discussion. These skills, usually learned through living in a democratic culture, are new to many citizens of the Republic of Kosovo.
Monday, June 9, 2008
From Gugulethu, South Africa
Over the past several weeks, waves of violence have broken out across South Africa, directed at political refugees who have fled across the border from Zimbabwe and immigrants from other African countries. In the desperately poor squatters settlements of the Abahali movement, where many refugees have settled, leaders recognized signs of growing anti-immigrant sentiment months ago and moved rapidly to quell and prevent violence. “No human being is illegal,” read their statement. “Only actions can be illegal.” They determined that people already see squatters in negative terms – “even township people look down on us” – and that they could not afford to further damage their reputations through violence.
The viewpoint and efforts of the squatters testify to their ingenuity and talent. But how did these marginalized people develop the kind of leadership skills that could stop violent demonstrations in a poor township?
Photo posted by Sokwanele on the Democracy News blog.
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Policy and a Pint: The Minnesota-China Connection
Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 6:00pmVarsity TheaterRe-inspiring Citizenship in the 2008 Election
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