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2008 Election Candidate Forum:
The Questions
Question 12: What, if any, are the key differences between 21st century grassroots organizing and 20th century grassroots organizing, and how might the Sierra Club change in response?
Candidate responses were limited to 150 words per question.Lane
Boldman
As referenced above, the younger generations now communicate in different ways than our traditional membership. This means that we need to maintain our traditional ways of organizing yet also add relevant and modern tools. This year the Sierra Club has begun to roll out many structures that support a modern approach to communications by updating their database capabilities. As a member of the Communications and Education Governance Committee, I was an advisor on many of the initiatives to increase our electronic outreach, including new online organizing tools and internal communications improvements such as our Clubhouse intranet.
However while the tools may change, the principles of grassroots organizing are really very much the same now as they were in the 70’s. Therefore we need to not structure parallel channels but instead connect our traditional leaders with these new online-organized activists to share each one’s valuable expertise in a mentoring situation. Joni
Bosh
Questionnaire Not Returned Clark
Buchner
More on line based community elements will be utilized as a form of activism. Presently "Move On" is attempting to go off line and into the living rooms of members as a strategic move to recruit demonstration activists. The methods used by Caesar Chavez are tried and true 20th Century methodology, and those still work very well, however, they will morph into a 21st Century model. The artists generally lead the way in such efforts, and graphic design methodology with computer skills will be necessary for the generations ahead. Artists like William Gibson have a visionary ability to peer into the future and should be consulted for their value in recognition of trends. Jeremy
Doochin
The greatest difference between grassroots organizing is that while people used to have to leave their room to organize, they can now do it at the press of a button. This presents new challenges, but remarkable opportunities. Because there is so much information that is distributed online, organizing is not easy. However, the internet has afforded us the opportunities to reach millions of people like never before. This is particularly advantageous in our political action, conservation, and climate change campaigns. The Sierra Club must take advantage of online resources if it is going to compete in the 21st century. As the age of the average Club member continues to rise, it is crucial for the sustainability of the Club that we market much of our online communications to the younger generation.
*** Please visit www.jeremy2008.com for much more info***
Questions? Comments? Contact Jeremy: jeremy@jeremy2008.com. Jim
Dougherty
While it would be easy to say that we need to be more powerfully on line (which is so), I do not see this as a talismanic solution to our problems. Organizing will require people-to-people connections for the foreseeable future. We are not MoveOn.
I have called for an evaluation of a substantial expansion of our canvass program. It may be that putting hundreds of recruiters in the streets will help up meet the evolving challenge. Larry
Fahn
Questionnaire Not Returned Barbara
Frank
In the 21st Century electronic technology will change how we operate, barring catastrophic social and economic disruptions. Organizing, however it's done, will still continue to be one person reaching out to another. And at the risk of sounding like a luddite, I have to express concern about our technology—the proliferation of towers and electromagnetic wave exposures, the throwaway aspects of it—with limited recycling and very harmful exposures to poor people who do the dismantling and reclamation in distant communities, and for many the isolation from Nature and human society in the pursuit of technological connnections. If sustainability is our goal we need to do this better. David
Scott
The obvious difference is the importance of the internet as an organizing and advocacy tool. The danger is that the ease of “point-and-click activism” might blind us to the continued importance of time-honored advocacy tactics: getting constituents to call, write or visit their legislators, knocking on doors for good candidates, turning people out at rallies. But we need to use the internet well – to use social networking sites and use technology to make it easy for people to join together, to contact legislators and press for change.
We’re seeing more campaigns focused on getting corporations to act responsibly – for example, pressuring mass catalogue mailers to stop cutting Canada’s roadless boreal forests for throwaway products. We need to effectively engage in more of those activities – to broaden our focus beyond traditional lobbying. There’s also a major role for climate action rallies like the recent “Step It Up” events. Jerry
Sutherland
Digital communications is the greatest change in the 21st century. Many grassroots activists, especially younger ones, prefer using it. But we should not abandon face-to-face social interaction. We need to add new tools without eliminating the ones we have in order to offer whichever works best for each individual. The Club moved towards mass media for a while but has wisely returned to reaching out to individuals with campaigns such as Building Environmental Community. The American Environmental Value Survey concludes that "a one-size-fits-all approach won't work" and that we need to "engage specific audiences on the issues that are most likely to resonate with them." The people we know best are our friends, neighbors, associates, relatives, and owners of businesses we frequent. We each need to bring the environment into our communities and show them how the Club is working on their behalf. Matt
Urban
20th century organizing was largely face-to-face. Our current national Club structure reflects this, and our structures follow a very hierarchical form. This form demands a certain degree of central control.
21st century organizing is much quicker, involves more distributed communication. It requires a more nimble responsiveness. It is often self-organizing. At the most basic level, it is networks rather than committees.
The Club has already started to change in response, and the new national model the board has chosen through Project Renewal reflects this, and should empower more 21stcentury organizing models.
But we need to continue to explore new electronic/online organizing and communication tools. We’ve taken some steps so far on updating our communication structures, but this area hasn't gotten the support it needs. Effective internal and external communication is a critical component of what’s needed to improve the Club’s strength, and I'd make that a major board priority. Nathan
Wyeth
Questionnaire Not Returned
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