I carry around a quote with me about organizing. I don’t know where it came from, but it says: Ultimately, organizing is about the development of people. If you see that support it. Organizing elevates people…I believe in myself and I can make a difference. This is the type of confidence organizers strive to build and support in the leaders we work with. Many people in U.S. society have extraordinarily low confidence, particularly if they are oppressed by race, class, gender, nationality or religion. Yet even for people with privilege, the domination of everyday life by corporate, economic and cultural forces keep us from believing we can make change happen. Dominant culture continually reinforces the need for experts to break down any political problem or situation. But when given the opportunity most people have tons of great ideas. Asking people what they would like to see change is a great first step. After that, it is a matter of helping people create, or plug in to a tangible plan where they can see short-term gains, work with others to build power and see themselves as having an important role in making change happen.
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