Organizing for a Better World

Book Review: We Make Change: Community Organizers Talk About What They Do – and Why, by Kristin Layng Szakos and Joe Szakos. (Joe is Executive Director of the Virginia Organizing Project.)

I just saw a job announcement from an environmental group in a far away state. They want to hire someone who will learn the facts on the group’s issues, and then will be the group’s spokesperson to tell those facts to politicians and other important people. The assumption seems to be that this is what the group needs to do to win their issues; that once politicians hear the well-documented facts, they will change their positions and vote the right way.

It’s not for me to judge whether this approach will work in that far away state, but it sure doesn’t work here. If getting the documented facts out were the way to win, then there would be no more mountaintop removal permits granted. A full scale move to putting miners to work reclaiming abandoned mines would be underway. There would be no more active coal sludge dams or sludge injections. Instead, a much safer dry press method of disposing of coal wastes would be widely used – as it is in other countries. Increased energy efficiency and use of renewable energies would be the obsession of our political leaders.

Yes, we do need to have the facts, backed up by solid evidence. But politicians and regulators can easily ignore or distort the facts; it is much harder for them to ignore the power of many well-publicized, organized people working together to force reasonable, responsible changes.

In the upcoming documentary film, Under the Grid, OVEC member Billy Sammons of Mingo County says, "It’s amazing what you can do as a group. This water tank is proof that if you stick together, you can get things done."

The new book We Make Change: Community Organizers Talk About What They Do – and Why, by Kristin Layng Szakos and Joe Szakos, uses community organizers’ own words to discuss how they bring people together and help them become a stronger force for change. In the case of the Mingo County water victory mentioned above, it was the people in the affected communities who won clean water in their homes – water that’s not contaminated with toxic coal sludge. But leaders of this effort are upfront about how OVEC’s community organizers helped to make their group stronger so that their voices were heard and acted upon.

In Szakos’ book, Lisa Abbott says that organizers need a balance "of caring enough about the details to make sure there’s a key to the building when you need it to have a community meeting, and caring enough about the big picture to really be able to talk to somebody effectively about a different vision for the world."

Like good organizers, the Szakos’ listened carefully. They compiled the stories of dozens of organizers. Here are some of those organizers’ words:

"I think organizing is important, where it comes out of community discussions and community effort to solve shared problems. You want things to happen, and you have to influence the power structure to make it happen. You don’t have dollars, but you definitely have people. To have people you have to organize. I wanted to see some real change happen that would affect the things that I think are important. Other people think those things are important too, and we can come together to make it happen." – Julie Jones, then the Director of the Virginia Health and Environmental Project.

Organizer after organizer talks about what a tough job it is – everywhere – when unchecked power oppresses people and/or damages the environment, those who are doing the oppressing do not give in easily.

But the rewards of this work are often even greater than the difficulties.

"Individual transformations happen when people find power in working together on issues that affect their lives. Sometimes those transformations are sudden and life changing," the Szakos’ wrote.

Organizing often includes seeing people you care about who develop their abilities and become stronger, more fulfilled people; people who are making a visible difference.

For an organizer who truly loves people, what can be more rewarding than that? Well, maybe seeing clean water flow out of faucets that formerly ran black.

I wholeheartedly recommend the Szakos’ book to all who are interested in working for a better community, a better state, a better world. (And OVEC is always looking for people willing to become volunteer organizers – let us know if you’re interested – we can help make that happen!)

For more info, including how to order the book, visit www.wemakechange.org/change/ or call the Virginia Organizing Project at (434) 984-4655.