Slow and Steady…

One common way parsoc adherents describe their overall agenda is by saying that we’re seeking to answer the question “What do we want and how do we get there?” That’s been my frame of reference for a while now. But recently I’ve shifted that question into more personal terms.

I figure, one, I need to know what I would find worthwhile and something I can commit to, and two, thinking in personal terms can put us in the frame of mind of looking for what people want in organizations and campaigns, which can more directly inform our organizing work than asking on behalf of the entire left.

So recently I’ve been thinking, “What do I want?” and I’ve had some thoughts about it. I’d like to put some of those out on this blog as they come to me, and I’d like to hear what other people think about them and about what you all want in an organization and as part of your organizing work. Maybe we can come up with some common things that we want.

So to kick it off with my most recent thought… I want to be part of something that is bigger than just one group, and that consciously sees itself that way. Which means not just a group that’s doing generally good, progressive stuff and that sees itself as in the general world of other groups doing generally good, progressive stuff. I’m thinking more of a group that is one chapter in a larger network of similar groups, and/or that is affiliated with other similar groups in other places. An example would be an Austin chapter of an organization with chapters in 50 or 100 cities in the U.S., and either other chapters in other countries, or that, at the national level, is in some sort of partnership or in some way connected with other national chapters worldwide.

I think I’d like to feel that I’m doing what I can to strengthen our group here (whatever that group is). We’ll take care of Austin and make progress organizing here, and you all take care of your cities and meet us halfway. That’ll give us progress nationally, and we’ll do our best to strengthen and influence the group’s policies and priorities at the national level. And we’ll do this knowing other countries have similar processes going on in sister groups that see us as an American version of them, and vice versa.

I guess that’s what would give me confidence that what I was doing was part of something bigger that was making tangible progress and gains, and thus was worthwhile. I probably won’t ever completely bail on the left, but I don’t think I can sustain myself and be very active just doing leftist stuff as part of a lifestyle.

So, what are some things that you all want?

This entry was posted on Monday, April 13th, 2009 at 11:10 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.