GOAL: Develop shared understanding for how

movement building is different, yet connected to

“power building” - and its critical importance to

the campaign

What do you think of when you think of Movement Building? what made those other

movements, movements? do you feel you are part of a movement? what are some of

those common elements?

- started w/ turning to one person, why they as an individual feel they

are part of a movement or something bigger then them as an

individual. contributing part of something bigger then they are. turn to

find another set of pairs - what does it feel like when you’re part of a

big team... what felt good about it, make you feel welcome..

- flip chart up what people add what they did - why was that important to

them? capture some of those words and draw from the definition.

juxtapose the definition! helping them understand they are already part

of a movement (if they are?)

Bosse

Recognizing that a movement is larger than any organization or individual, we

nevertheless believe that there are ways that organizers and organizations can

contribute to building a movement as they pursue more focused campaign work:

● Vision and Urgency: Communicating a common vision that moves people

from fear to hope and indicates how they contribute to tangible solutions

● Local Victories: Executing campaigns and winning local victories that provide

people with a sense of their own power and contributions to larger outcomes.

● Movement Moments: Seeking out intersections with events or circumstances

in the broader world, and tapping into the energy and enthusiasm of mass

mobilizations.

● Leadership: Cultivating leaders who are capable and willing to take action

when the organization asks, and critically, to identify issues in their community

and self-organize within their networks.

● Relationships: Building relationships with partners who share some core

values in order to strengthen our power as we work toward common goals.

● Vision and Urgency: Communicating a common vision that moves people

from fear to hope and indicates how they contribute to tangible solutions

frame, narrative, not issue specific more vision specific.

MLK did not on March on washington did not say I have an issue, he said I have a

dream/vision. Rooted in narrative. broad base. working towards long term

transformation and power.

● Local Victories: Executing campaigns and winning local victories that provide

people with a sense of their own power and contributions to larger outcomes.

photo: SGMF National Monument signing.

A pragmatic policy package Developing policy is particularly important because

Americans are a practical lot: if something is bad but there is no viable solution, it is

often accepted that this is “just the way things are.” To convince the public that the

poor may not be with us always (at least in their current situation of poverty), one

needs a policy package that looks like it might actually work at alleviating poverty. An

old axiom from famed community organizer Saul Alinsky is that people are more

motivated when they win. While some progressive forces seem to have preferred the

moral high ground of frequent defeat, most new social movement organizations are at

the ready with practical programs to rework job training, use public bonds to build

parks, and/or remake health care to better serve the poor.

● Movement Moments: Seeking out intersections with events or circumstances

in the broader world, and tapping into the energy and enthusiasm of mass

mobilizations.

A willingness to network with other movements No one wins alone. It is critical

that social movements that may be focused on particular issues and particular

constituencies are able to find their way to potential allies in other movements. Too

much diversity can be negative – a cacophony of interest groups produces a laundry

list of demands rather than a narrative of commonality – but the success of the right

was largely due to welcoming a broader range of interests than many realize. Social

movement organizations that are too exclusive or too focused on building their own

group may fail to build the movement; the goal is to find those who seem to view their

own activities as streams flowing into a broader current of social change.

● Leadership: Cultivating leaders who are capable and willing to take action

when the organization asks, and critically, to identify issues in their community

and self-organize within their networks.

Melissa Gutierrez is the Volunteer Leader for the Communications Team in Phoenix. She has been

taking on additional duties since her first action event with Sierra Club at MLK Day in January of

this year. Melissa will be attending the Wildlands and Wilderness Team’s Seattle Training this

month.

● Relationships: Building relationships with partners who share some core

values in order to strengthen our power as we work toward common goals.

this was Brune meeting with Havasupai leader in Summer of 2014 in front of the Canyon Uranium

Mine by their sacred Red Butte Site, which would be within the new proposed monument

On the left is Sondra Young, President of the Denver Branch of the NAACP, and in the middle is

Rosemary Lytle, President of the NAACP State Conference for CO MT and WY.

We worked directly with Rosemary around the Juneteenth Festival and have been making

connections with Sondra to explore work in the Denver metro area.

*****TRANSACTIONAL relationships are no longer acceptable. - Sarah Hodgon

- Breakout: ask people to turn to a partner and take 5 mins to answer what does this mean to you.

- Dan/Lena each share how movement building has applied to their work

- Groups of 3, now discuss how you would apply this to your work

Photo 3: Fall colors at Rock Creek Lake.

Lena - 5 mins to tell the story about Keystone movement

Dan - 5 mins to tell the story about Artic movement

what are the biggest threats to public lands?

threats

what are some of the challenges or hurdles in building a social movement?

Isolation: EX: “thats not an enviro issue” - look at comprehensive immigration reform

examples

Ex: White stallion fight - built leadership remotely, trained leaders, built long term

movement leaders and also Lone Star Chapter by framing the issue around water and

farmers and not talking about SC in these arenas after being told the decision makers

were all unswingable

Creating strategy that effects frontline communities without frontline groups having a

seat at the table

EX: BEA initiative - addressing historical and current inequities in fundraising

between big greens and EJ groups - means SC will get less and we have to be ok

with that.

Disagreement on strategy - many different approaches, strategies

Look at Elements of MB on PPT -

Handouts - 1. Challenges to MB

1. sheet to work through

OR (this might be end breakout q’s)

- Which of these elements do you feel are

missing from your work?

- Which of these elements are present in your

work?

Wrap up - Sierra Club and movement building

1. Focusing internally to build our own base of power by (a) deploying staff and

volunteers to recruit, train, and organize leaders locally, especially in areas that make

the most strategic difference, and (b) engaging our broader network of members and

champions in taking action on and offline;

2. Focus externally to build and use power when collaborating with other

organizations and individuals to implement specific campaign strategies and/or

broader movement goals. The Sierra Club works with a number of partners at

national, state, and local levels to bring together a broad coalition to demonstrate

support for clean energy solutions. When the Club joins in these collaborative

movement-building efforts, the organization contributes the following resources: