Reflecting back on my experiences over the last year, I think I have recognized a key lesson that strikes at the heart of why so many grassroots organizations are struggling to not only exist, but exist in a form that grows their capacity for affecting change:
The only way any free-association of individuals can succeed at making deep reaching and fundamental changes to the way power flows in our society is if everyone who chooses to participate in those spaces is openly committed to making it grow and providing space for everyone else to participate meaningfully.
This lesson might seem rather obvious to some, but from my own experience it has been a lesson hard learned from the many challenges and difficulties that have arisen over the course of attempting to create inclusive, non-hierarchical spaces in which folks from different backgrounds, experiences, cultures and social positions can meaningfully participate. To that end, I would like to offer reflections on my experiences and what I have learned from them after looking back on my involvement in several different groups and organizations over the last couple of years and most recently from Occupy Chattanooga:
We Must Cultivate Communities of Care
The dominant society is highly abusive and degrading. Everyday we are hit with a barrage of messages, actions and experiences that attack our own inherent value and dignity. It is absolutely critical that folks committed to the work of justice create open and inclusive spaces that are free from the abuse of the dominant culture. We must begin creating the future society within shell of the present, that means changing how we relate to one another, identify with ourselves, and how we work together to structure the spaces we are creating on the basis of values and principles that we as a group collectively chose to uphold. When others break these commitments, when they step out of line and act in ways that do not reflect the values of the community we are trying to build, then we must correct with kindness and patience. Accountability is essential, but so is forgiveness.
If you consistently leave meetings feeling disturbed, upset, anxious, frustrated and hurt, then something is terribly wrong. Any meeting with others who are committed to the work of justice should replenish us, fill us up and leave us feeling more deeply committed to the work ahead (maybe not every time, but most of the time). If we don't take care of ourselves and each other in the spaces we create then we should ask ourselves what it is we are really doing.
Don't Make Assumptions - Commit to a Process & Principles
Many groups and community organizations form on the basis of everyone sharing some basic commitments. Folks come together to protest a politician or corporation. They work to create a community garden or participate in a workshop. Many came together due to the excitement surrounding the global Occupy movement. Whatever the initial impetus, when a group starts working consistently on shared goals, it is easy to fall into the trap of believing that everyone agrees on most things, especially on basic bedrock principles. Slowly, over time, serious disagreements, challenges and concerns begin to crop up. If the space is not structured in a way where everyone can voice their concerns and feelings (and have them actually heard), then often times individuals who do not agree with the direction of the group simply leave. If the group is pretty active or engaged in long-term campaigns, then it can also easily fall into the trap of believing that taking the time to come to consensus on the shared principles of the group, the explicit mission of the organization, or even something as simple as an explicit explanation of the process by which decisions are made, are all somehow detrimental to the work they are already doing because it takes focus away from "actual action". A consequence of this is that the personalities and relationships that currently dominate the space will continue to exert a greater influence over the group and the capacity of the organization will continue to diminish or remain stagnant as others are effectively blocked from participating meaningfully and taking a greater degree of responsibility for the organization.
I know it can be really difficult to see the trade off between slowing down and being publicly and intentionally committed to a process, but it is incredibly important that we make time to take time, for the sake of everyone involved and everyone who could be involved. It is absolutely essential to the health and viability of grassroots organizations that they don't fall into a "do-ocracy" mindset - that those with the most time & commitment get to make the most decisions - because this creates a whole series of barriers for others to participate and fosters a cliquish mentality that breeds resentment & mistrust, and actually lowers the groups capacity to do real work because fewer people can be empowered to take ownership over the process and take responsibility for the organization and its actions.
Make It Explicit
If everyone is open, honest and explicit with how the decision making process works and about the principles of unity that we hold in common, then it builds trust and shows everyone how they can be included and creates an expectation of how they are to treat others and in turn be treated. Making our shared principles and process open and public is a sign of respect we show one another by intentionally creating space for each of us to make meaningful contributions. By explaining the process openly we commit ourselves to it and create the basis for holding one another personally accountable to it.
Create Space for Struggle
Many groups fall into the trap of conflating principled and respectful struggle and disagreement with "divisiveness". Folks who share their concerns and thoughts are then attacked for "creating problems" or for trying to break apart group cohesion. This attitude, in my experience, typically arises from white males who interpret criticisms of the group process as a challenge and direct threat to the de facto position of leadership they have been capable of acquiring and feel entitled to.
One of the most dangerous traps an organization can fall into is to openly claim that critical self-reflection and open and honest struggle around issues of concern should be abandoned for the sake of focusing exclusively on issues that everyone agrees to (sometimes this is called focusing on "alignment" rather than "agreement"). What this means in consequence is that the concerns of the dominating personalities will dominate. This is especially dangerous when the criticisms being raised come from people of color and other folks from other marginalized communities, because when they are told that they need to subordinate their criticisms for the sake of group cohesion we are again structuring the space and organizing our decision making process in ways that reflect the white supremacist culture that prioritizes the interests and concerns and even emotional sensitivity of white folks over folks of color, men over women, and heterosexuals over queer folks.
It is absolutely critical to our personal growth as activists and organizers and to the health of the groups we work with that we take the time to critically reflect on our experiences and to discuss with one another these reflections, concerns and critiques.
Don't Replicate the Culture of Corporations and the State
A society is democratic to the extent that everyday, grassroots folk have meaningful opportunities to participate in the decisions that affect us. There is a direct relationship between democracy and our ability to determine the conditions of our own communities, rather than having decisions and choices made for us. In our attempts to create spaces based on the values of a radical democracy we must not replicate the abusive and exclusionary organizational structures of the society around us. If folks are committed to the organization then every decision made in that organization directly affects them. That means that everyone deserves to have a meaningful stake through an explicit process that is adopted by the consent of everyone involved or to the greatest extent possible. Getting to this point can be very difficult, and for good reason. Our dominant society has made no attempt to provide us with skills, knowledge and experience to foster a committed community of individuals working for justice. Every attempt to create these spaces is going to be messy, difficult, and challenging. If we are to be successful, we must learn from them. This requires that we intentionally engage others in the act of reflecting critically on our shared experiences. None of us were born with this knowledge and we will only gain it through trial and error, which brings me to another important lesson I have learned:
We Make the Road by Walking: Learn as we Lead, Teach as we Fight, Educate as we Organize