Strategy
modified: 07/May/2003

The Need For A New National Organization

By Wade Hudson

Before it's too late, American progressives must build a new, large, multi-issue, member-controlled, truly diverse, national organization focused on promoting majority positions.

Now is the time to energize those people, a majority nationwide, who already agree with us on key issues. We need a comprehensive longer-term program, an effective short-term strategy, and a viable structure that can spread nationwide quickly.

To accomplish major reforms, progressives will have to mobilize consistently, month after month, enormous numbers of people, at least a million or more, in a unified fashion. We simply cannot ignore this reality.

Waiting for some major catastrophe to activate people would be irresponsible. Single-issue campaigns and local organizing will never coalesce magically into a coordinated, national project. Concentrated effort will be necessary to craft ongoing unity.

A new national organization need not compete with existing organizations, but rather could strengthen those organizations by supporting their campaigns. Individuals and individual organizations can maintain their priorities. But each component of the progressive community needs to provide more effective support to one another in a timely manner. Without mutual support of this sort, major progress will be impossible.

By concentrating on proposals that the American people already support, progressives in this country could win victories and build momentum toward fundamental reforms.

If public policy reflected public opinion, this country would be dramatically different and greatly improved. For example, strong majorities believe that the federal government should:

* Guarantee health insurance coverage for every American.

* Support affirmative action programs for women and minorities.

* Increase enforcement of equal pay laws relating to women in the workplace.

* Increase the minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $8.00 per hour.

* Create temporary government work programs for the unemployed.

* Adopt trade policies that protect workers, the environment, and human rights - even if this may mean slowing the growth of trade and the economy.

* Enact stricter laws and regulations to protect the environment.

* Regulate publicly traded corporations more closely.

* Take neither Israel's nor the Palestinian's side.

The new organization could adopt progressive Points of Unity that have strong support from the American people, without being compelled to automatically follow public opinion. Some room could be left open for adopting minority positions on key principles.

Building coalitions of organizations is notoriously difficult. Building a coalition that lasts is even more difficult. Building coalitions that are accountable to the grassroots is next to impossible. Consequently, we need a member-controlled organization. Democratic control of the organization by its members could generate great enthusiasm.

Fortunately, the Internet offers efficient tools for large-scale participation in decision-making. By using these new tools (in addition to Postal Service mail) to facilitate monthly membership votes, a new national organization could enable its members to direct the organization with a careful, deliberate decision-making process.

Throughout the country, ballot measures could be discussed at monthly membership meetings held in member's homes and community centers, as well as by means of Internet chat rooms, email lists, and/or conference calls.

Meeting places could include a computer with Internet access so that members could vote at the end of the meeting (using methods to prevent fraud). Members could also vote by mail.

If and when members felt that their concerns were not being adequately addressed, they could circulate a petition to place their proposal on the monthly agenda for a vote.

By embracing comprehensive goals, the new organization could attract members with a wide variety of pressing concerns.

By practicing affirmative action diligently, we could be a fully inclusive community.

Vigorous recruitment would be key. Members would have to recruit new members constantly, especially by inviting friends to members' homes for the monthly meeting.

By minimizing voting requirements, we could enable members to participate fully without disrupting their personal lives. In addition to voting monthly and recruiting new members, members could merely be asked to call or write Congress (or the President) once a month to urge specific actions. If a million people lobbied in unison monthly, the impact would be considerable.

During the first phase of its growth, the organization could concentrate on those three activities: recruitment, conducting monthly membership votes, and consistent lobbying. Once goals in these areas were achieved, the new organization could engage in other political, educational, cultural, social, and recreational activities that would expand and deepen its efforts.

A logical first step toward building this organization would be the formation of a solid, diverse organizing committee rooted in a specific region (to enable face-to-face meetings). This organizing committee could draft Interim Points of Unity, adopt an organizing plan, and recruit nationally prominent progressive spokespersons to serve on an Interim Board of Directors.

The second step could be circulating a Pledge Form. Signers of this form would promise to join the new organization once a specific number of people sign the form. This threshold might be 50,000. People would not be asked to pay dues until then. By establishing a required goal prior to launching the organization, organizers would minimize the risk of wasting people's time and money.

For the same reason, the organizers might also establish another target, such as 200,000 members, before beginning to lobby. At that point, members would know that their lobbying was part of a major effort. 

The strategy proposed here is unique. No organization has utilized these methods in this manner. Though the need for such an organization is compelling, none currently exist.

No doubt the plan presented here is not complete. Even if it were adopted as a starting point, modifications would be needed and great care would be required at each step along the way.

There is an enormous vacuum on the national political landscape. For the sake of the planet and people throughout the world who deserve a better life, we need to fill that vacuum, mobilize millions of progressive Americans regularly, and steadily transform this society by making it truly caring, democratic, sustainable, and peaceful.

+++++

Wade Hudson is co-editor of Inlet.org <http://inlet.org>. He welcomes feedback at wadeATinletDOTorg.

 

copyleft 2002