So many of us are actively engaged in protesting government and corporate devastation of our environment and the planet, but what’s the relationship of our movement to actual political power? Our March Sierra Club and Root Beer speaker has been studying this problem for years. Join Mark Rudd, retired CNM instructor and life-long organizer, in a discussion of the problem of The Relationship Between the Environmental Movement and Political Power, at the next Sierra Club and Root Beer, Friday, March 2, at the Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice.
Ever wonder how change happens? Mark will be talking about the difference between momentum-driven mass movements, such as ours, and more structured movements for political power. Though the two are related, they have distinctly different strategies, tactics and structures. Have you ever heard of Erica Chenoweth’s 3.5% rule – that mass movements win when they mobilize only 3.5% of the population? These and related concepts are taken from a 2016 book, “This is an Uprising: How Nonviolent Revolt is Shaping the Twenty-first Century,” by authors Mark and Paul Engler.
Let’s look together deeply at what we’re already engaged in.
Mark serves on the Sierra Club Central Group’s Executive Committee and the Bosque Action Team. He also works with the NM Progressive Coalition leadership training team where he’s developed his passion for teaching organizing. He’s learned that “Organizing is an act of leadership to enable a constituency (those who stand together) to achieve power to make needed changes.” Come join the discussion.
Light refreshments (including root-beer floats) will be provided.
Where: Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice, 202 Harvard Drive SE
RSVP/questions (630) 809-4234 or fjhoudek@gmail.com.
Root beer float image from Flickr.
You must be logged in to post a comment.