Organizecatalyst1977.Pdf

"'- INTRODUCTION After the May 9th sit-in that resulted we have learned is of value to other in 294 arrests at Stanford University, campuses ; not just the technical aspects the Stanford Committee for Responsible of political work but, more importantly, Investment Policy (SCRIP), which had what we have learned politically about organized the sit-in, was beseiged with building a mass movement on a college calls from California campuses asking campus. for technical and political information Don ' t take this booklet too seriously. on South Africa and on campus organizing You probably won ' t agree with a lot of it in general . Looking around, we found since we consciously take a strong stance that there was no current organizing on certain organizational issues, on handbook for campus political work, nor political style, and on such perennial was there a complete radical analysis leftist questions as sectarians and of the role of U .S ./multinational corp- non-violence . Use what you can and think orations in the apartheid system . about the rest--that ' s all we ask. A number of us who had been active in Something that has struck us as we ' ve SCRIP from the beginning formed the been putting this together is how often South Africa Catalyst Project and ap- we don ' t follow our own advice . We run plied to various progressive foundations out of time, or energy, or people, or for funding . money and cut corners . What we have We have worked for six months on put down here is the ideal that we al- this organizing handbook and the analysis ways strive for . It may not be possible of U .S ./multinationals in South Africa . to deal with the media, for example, We have not only drawn on our own ex- in as systematic a way as advised here, perience, and the experience of activists but the more you do, the better the press at Berkeley, Santa Cruz and Santa Bar- you ' ll get. bara, but we ' ve also tried to read as Some of our advice might seem simplis- much about organizing as possible. tic . For example, we include a line on What we felt was applicable we ripped having all leaflets double-checked by off without compunction . A listing different people . Now how obvious of works consulted appears on the can you get? But, believe it or not, inside back cover. we think everything in here could be Still our experience has, for the important . You should see the stuff most part, been organizing at Stanford we left out. University . While Stanford is an elite The leaflet advice comes out of private university, and therefore some- two experiences we had last year with what atypical, we feel that much of what not doulble-checking . For a big solidar- ity dance the leaflet came down to one tendencies are still with us today; person who put a great deal of care into and we feel they stand in the way of an the copy (which was approved by a number effective and powerful student movement. of people), the graphics and the lay-out . Everyone who organizes must ask Only after five thousand leaflets had come themselves what they are trying to back from the printer was it realized accomplish . For themselves and for the that there was no date, time, or place movement . Are you trying to drown on the whole leaflet . your alienation in confrontation? Are A more serious mistake took p lace you interested in power? Are you seeking early in Stanford ' s South Africa campaign . community? Are you trying to fuck over A collective wrote the first major leaf- your parents? Are you trying to build a let and another one laid it out . The world you can feel good in? Are you fight- second collective was under the impression ing against what you see as your own that SCRIP had no stand on divestment oppression? Are you full of love? Or and was open to submitting its own prox- hate? Or both? ies . So they changed the text . The Many of us have laid out our goals first collective didn ' t agree . Anger for the movement in terms of 1) radical- was intense and it left scars . This izing more people, 2) building a stable incident brings us another bit of advice : student left and 3) exercising real know what you have decided at your power in terms of at least limiting meetings . U .S . options in areas such as South We have tried to draw from the ex- Africa. perience of the sixties . So much of We believe that all this--and more-- what we do comes directly from that can be done in America today--1978. movement : especially the insights from It is not impossible that a revised feminism . But we also feel that many edition of this booklet will come out soon. mistakes were made . No one can deny that In any event we would appreciate your the American student left had some pretty comments and advice . Feel free to write basic flaws : it was obsessed with us at: ideological purity, impatient for c/o Chris Gray " instant " revolution and so arrogant 570 Oxford St . #E and guilt ridden that it often saw its Palo Alto, California main role as organizing the rest of 94306 America while it had seldom even organized the rest of the campus . These Good Luck TABLE OF CONTENTS What It Means To Be An Organizer ., . 4 I. Laying the Foundation 5 So You Want to Start a Movement . 5 Style 7 Goals/Ideology/Analysis 7 Problems? 8 Co-optation/Repression/Apathy/Transience 9 Rhetoric 10 Demands/Negotiations 11 II. The Organization 12 The Contribution of Feminism to Socialism 12 Non-Violence 13 Meeting People ' s Needs 15 Group Dynamics 15 Decision Making 16 Leadership/Organizational Structure 18 Large Organizations 21 Affinity Groups 21 Chairing a Meeting 22 Roads to Radicalization 24 III. Building the Campaign 29 Tactics 30 Research 31 Leaflets and Leafleting 32 Petitions 34 Dorm Discussions 35 Teach-ins 35 Outreach and Canvassing 36 Guerrilla Theatre 37 2 Rallies 39 Pickets 41 Vigils 42 Fasts 42 Marches 43 Boycotts 45 Sit-ins 46 Strikes 48 IV. Skills 50 The Day of the Action 50 Fundraising 51 Publicity 52 Reproduction s e e • a . • e o s e o . • s s • a • a e • • . • • ♦ • • • 52 Media 53 Monitors 55 Role Playing 55 Equipment 57 Security 58 Getting Busted 60 Getting Beaten 62 V. Relations With Other Groups 64 VI . Appendices 67 Sectarians 67 Progressive Labor Party 70 Revolutionary Communist Party 71 Communist Party of the United States of America 72 Socialist Workers Party 73 Other Assorted Sectarians 74 Suggested Reading 77 Anarchism 79 3 WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AN ORGANIZER By CAIR of UC Santa Cruz An organizer is a person who loves people and is willing to put up with pettiness, ego tripping and rudeness, and especially is able to identify these moments in her/himself . To be an organizer means to be able to integrate school, personal relations, family, etc ., with one ' s commitment to organizing . It is difficult . It is time consuming . And at times it is dis- appointing . But it can also give mean- ing and existence to life. Many organizers burn themselves out in two weeks, or two months, or a bit more in a kamikaze effort to change the world . Organizing has a high fatality rate and many ex-organizers become cynics and drunkards . But others can pick up and continue to organize someplace else. The best organizers can organize any- where . They are people who make organizing their lives and sometimes their li- ving . .. Organizing means you must truly love and respect people . .. As an organizer you must understand human nature--what compels and motivates people . The only way to tell if this is your calling is to get into it and do it. SAUL ALINSKY ' S NINE TRAITS OF AN ORGANIZER Curiosity Irreverence Imagination Sense of humor A bit of a blurred vision of a better world An organized personality A well-integrated political schizoid Ego A free and open mind 4 I. LAYING THE FOUNDATION --v- &3OU warty ~o sfal'r a First you need a relatively homoge- Coalitions are good once things reach nous core--either an already established a certain level, but often effective mass groups or one or two people who could re- canvassing is best done issue by issue by cruit others . Don ' t rely entirely on your a group that knows what it ' s trying to do friends or other active leftists . They ' re and has a high level of unity . You might always busy . There are hundreds of an- consider having separate groups build xious radicals and liberals out there their bases and then unite for major ac- begging to do political work . But you tions. must jolly them into it . Just what does "build your base " Show a movie that blows people ' s mean? It ' s winning over people--lots of minds or get a speaker who does the same . them--one by one, door to door, class to While their minds are still blown, get class, dorm by dorm . There is no other them to sign a phone list . One or two of way . If your issue is real, your litera- them might actually get involved . Three ture non-rhetorical and substantial, and is a triumph . you canvass well--then you will have mass If there are people that are hard to support . Generally any failure to build work with, talk about it as a group .

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