Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Organisers: something transformative this way comes

Ever since I joined Friends of the Earth, I've been itching to be involved in developing something transformative.

Of course, you hope that every campaign, every piece of work you do with a local group is the Hail Mary pass, the sudden end-to-end touchdown that every quarterback tries for. But what you more often get are a series of small triumphs, the incremental changes, the quiet treasures which sustain you in your working life.

Not everything can be another Big Ask in spirit or in practice.

But I think this Organisers project could be. 

This might look (and walk, and quack) like a new voluntary role for the grassroots. After all, that's what it ostensibly is.

Yet take a step back, and another one, and I see something else. 

I think this gives us, the grassroots, an opportunity for collective culture change - evolution if you like - towards something really exciting. 

The Organiser as change agent could allow us to combine the best of what we do now, the sheer political savvy which is still our biggest asset, with lessons from the decentralised environmentalisms of the past decade like Transition and Climate Camp.

Plus - I get to plan all of this with some lovely colleagues, and then develop it collaboratively with interested local group people and more. Bliss!

For the official project news, go here. But as Uncle Eric says, feel free to ask me any questions you like here. And stay tuned for further strictly unofficial reflecting on this blog about the best thing I've gotten involved in for a long time.


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