Indian Grinding Rock S.P., Amador County
Saul Alinsky — founder of the Industrial Areas Foundation, one of today’s leading organizing networks — is considered the godparent of modern community organizing. In his landmark book Reveille for Radicals, written in 1946, revised in 1969 and still influential long after his death, Alinsky discussed organizing and democracy:
“There should not be too much concern with specifics or details of people’s program. The program items are not too significant when one considers the enormous importance of getting people interested and participating in a democratic way. After all, the real democratic program is a democratically minded people — a healthy, active, participating, interested, self-confident people who, through their participation and interest, become informed, educated, and above all develop faith in themselves, their fellow men, and the future. The people themselves are the future. The people themselves will solve each problem that will arise out of a changing world. They will, if they, the people, have the opportunity and the power to make and enforce the decision instead of seeing that power vested in just a few. No clique, or caste, power group or benevolent administration can have the people’s interest at heart as much as the people themselves.”
tentative agenda
- Problematic of local organizing, what we are doing in Santa Clara County. Parallel history in Sonoma County and the way it reflects on Santa Clara County.
- Local organizing initiative, how to link local struggles based on overcoming rage barriers. Promotion of a new ‘client psychology’ agenda based on a radical critique of the Alinsky habit.
- Introduction to Accountability Program, solicitation of support for our <cinmhc> post. Framework of this action, including [1] <s-acc> [2] recruitment [3] democracy in state clients movement.
- Plan for A.C. table at CIMH Partnership Conference, end of April, Santa Clara venue. This is where we will take the issue of trauma head on. With civility.
