Panelist:

Richard Burns, Executive Director, NYC GLBT Community Center – mental health and social services, cultural programs, public policy and social activities. Founder of NY State health and human servicesnetwork

Alan Khazei, Founder and CEO, Be the Change, Inc. – dedicated to strengthening democracy. Driving force of Service Nation. CoFounder of CityYear.

James Koshiba, Director, Kanu Hawaii – community organizer, culture and environmentalism. Prior Principal Consultant Three Point Consulting.

Moderator:

Ann Mosle, Vice President of Programs, W.K. Kellogg Foundation

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Ann: Engagement is the name of the game! New strategies and new approaches! It is important to highlight today and tomorrow, the importance of civic engagement. Firm committment to racial equity.

What is civic engagement 3.0??

Richard: Where it came from and how it evolved….early gay movement in the 1950s with an org call the Madison Society and Daughters of Alidus. Movement divided along gender – parallel but came together when needed. Exploded in 1969 – Stonewall riots.  These riots have taken on symbolic role of beginning of gay rights movement globally.  What happened in 1969 to radicalize the movement?  The foundation that was layed by the black civil rights movement, the anti war movement and the feminist movement – ideology, media coverage and the methods influential.  Glash of sexual liberation and feminism became fierce ideology in the late 60s and early 70s. Movement a series of local movements around the country. It was national only in name. Local movements in local contexts against local oppression. In 1979 – convention of first national march on washington gave the movement a national perspective.

Transition point from local to national when militant black lesnians met white gay democrats from San Diego to hammer out a charter.

AIDS happened and transformed gay liberation movement into a national movement!  It became imperative to come out of the closet. Their friends and lovers were dying. They were dying. This created a large influx of people and money into the movement.

1987 – ACT Up founded. Were able to play the media and create attention. The birth of front page news of gay and AIDS activism. Movement became more mainstream and became less radical. It became assimilation.

How does our movement needs to change? Gay movement has changed on its issues while reproductive rights and anti death penalty movements were working in isolation without much synergy. We must create natural allies because our movement rest on similar legal grounds.

Causes in Common – 135 national and local LGBT and repro rights groups get together for conferences. Gay Center in Palm Beach Florida does escorting to abortion clinics. Coalitions are necessary for building social capital.

Role of money in grass roots activism!

Allen: Talking about overall context of social movements in the 21st century!! We elected the first president in US history who got elected because of a grass roots social movement. Unprecedented tech resources at our disposal. Power of Web 2.0. in terms of empowering citizens. It is a free tool. Author Schlesinger famous about cycles of history – country moves in cycles of public purpose to private interests – conservative action, entrenchment, corruption and the cycle began again! Prop 13 in Cali began this recent cycle and Reagan ran on “are you better off?”  End of Reagan era was Katrina!!

End came just this fall with the economic collapse! THE REAGAN ERA IS OVER!

What do we do next? We have the opportunity for new social change! Crisis for the Chinese is a time of opportunity amidst danger!  Need for transformational change and creativity to deal with crisis and the US is ready due to the level of the crisis. The transformation MUST come from citizen movements.

Social movements in history have supported visionary political leadership. Citizen soldiers made visionaries of the founders possible….suffragists made Wilson accept 19th Amendment. Civil rights leaders and students spearheaded the civil rights movement.

Transformational change requires us all and a stronger social movement.

Turning Point – Save Americorps budget was wiped out overnight. Perfect Storm due to partisan politics. Launch of grass roots campaign (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) on citizen’s movement bringing the movements to DC for round the clock testimony.  Received 1/2 budget back from that year.

Be the Change, Inc. – Service Nation and CityYear…coalition of 125 organizations of 100 million people to engage in service throughout the country.

Lessons:

- have to build coalitions to focus on what you can agree on versus differences. Legislative leaders are attracted to coalitions. Bring in national allies who care about issues but aren’t directly involved. AARP, Amer Jewish Community, UNCF, Red Cross etc. Once you have an agenda to share with allies and friends.

- Grass Tops and Grass Roots combination. Platform for leaders from the top and bottom to engage in platformm. National day of action in conjunction with national conference to put talk into action.

- Take advantage of technology.

- stay active until you succeed.  Persistance wins out.

The  moment we have now is a moment for a new progressive era or a new progressive movement. This will only happen if we build coalitions to work together based on common ground for an agenda for our country. The movement wont just depend on our new president but will be sustainable!

James: Wonderful Presentation!

Aloha (share my space) – airline stuarts come together and touch each other’s foreheads and take a breath to share each other’s space. WOW HOW BEAUTIFUL!!!

Kanu Hawaii (literally to plant)

Island thinking – island perspective is valuabel for local and global communities

- compassion because we cannot run away from each other. we must get along. rich diversity on Hawaii.

- sustainability is at the root of the movement from the environmental movement. Respect of natural resources and that resources are limited – land, water, etc. Being a stuart is the ethic of island life

- resilience economically and the danger of reliance on distant lands for sustainability of life.

These principles are important globally! “The world is becoming more island like day by day.”

Site tools:

- first thing people are asked to do is to declare a personal commitment to change

-articulating a measurable result

- articulating impact

- translate impacts into qualtifiable data, the idea that data will inspire

- the importance of declaring a commitment publicly

- focus on energy, waste and savings

- important of partnerships

Lessons:

- diff between movement and a cause.

- movements are defined by ends and means–ETHIC

- movements tap into themes that are spiritual and universal

- technology can complement organizing and relationships but is not a substitute

- making personal change social can make social change person

Question and Answers

Lessons’s Learned

Clearly at a place of opportunity to work across issues and look at our history and freedom to think about “what if”!

Richard: we can’t do it alone. The early days of our movement were separatist days. When we came together we saw each other as diff from straight people in diff world. Saw the struggle for lgbt rights one we would fight alone. IN the last decade – realized that is insane! We have to envision lgbt movement as part of a larger progressive movement for social change as a full justice and equality movement for everyone!

Changes evident in NYC with the lgbt alignment with labor and unions. The teamsters are signed on to marriage equality and full trans equality.  Alignment with corporate foundations- Employee Afinity Groups focused on broader training on diversity. Fortune 500/1000 groups ahead with the idea of a diverse workplace is productive.

Allen: Set visionary and measurable goals.  Set attainable goals. Build a coalition and take the time to get agreement on the agenda.  Focus on what can be agreed upon. Stick with it and look at the long term. Maintain core principles and be flexible with the tactics.

James: Importance of managing the brand of movement.  Investment in field work and field organizing. Building relationships between members and members & the organization. Face to face time. Campaign activities. Feel collective power. Importance of one or a few iconic leaders in the movement.

Trebian – Knight Foundation

James’ presentation fundamental and very insightful and fresh – 1) importance spirituality 2) collective passion 3) identify identity and movement 4) differentiating movement and cause

Do you see this took going beyond environmental movement? Should an organization become a movement?

A movement is bigger than ONE organization. The movement is bigger than one person or organization.  Coalition building is essential.

The movement is bigger than environmental. They are already there and are working on spinning it off for other causes and movements while maintaining his movement.

Ben – Case Foundation

Question for Allen. Where is the Stonewall movement in the Service movement? Are we too nice and not radical enough?

“You attract more bees with honey than vinegar.” The moment is here and now. Obama and Binden to Service Nation event over summer. The summer is ready for a new calling. The moment is influenced by top down and bottom up.

Even if we have a President and First Lady committed to service, the challenge will be up to us. The responsibility is ours to spearhead the movement.

Being open to natural allies even if they weren’t initially a part of the cause.

Affiliation with Charlie Rangel (Draft to Service) When it comes to civilian service it is a constitutional issue. It is impossible to implement it. It would require giving up the quality of service.

Kathleen – Californian Endowment

What’s the role of foundations in all of this movement building type activity? Is it funding or funding-minded or is there activist role in connecting groups and mini movements together?

Richard – oh the reproductive side foundations have been great in introducing donors and other allies for repro and lgbt rights. Ford has been great on the micro level. Foundations critical since there was little federal support for service groups. Foundations have the power to ceize the moment. Foundations have to be willing to get behind advocacy if we dont want it to be about top down decision making. Foundations can ensure broader citizen participation on a wide array of issues. There is massive leverage.

James – word of caution is that depending on who the message come from can be disempowering i.e. message coming from CEO of a company versus a non powerful employee. Funders need to become accustomed to funding movement building efforts that have unconventional outcomes. Empowering cannot be quantified on some level but the results can often be profound. It is difficult to raise money for that. We need opportunities to get together with other movement builders.

Anne – different period of engagement for philanthropy. We moved beyond move the money out and its done. How do we engage? Challenging for foundations is a changing point of view. New way of thinking about engagement and point of view. Working with grantees in partnership and listening and engaging in the new power dynamics. i.e. creating learning community focused on diff issues and demographics in civic engagement.

GT Grown – Community Org out of Chicago

This moment is important to address the institutional racism and disparities in our communities. It is important to set the message that things are still not OK! Focus on Purpose and Direction! Respect for identity in social change.  Working together in an atmosphere for justice and cooperation!

Non Profit Congress and Non Profit Work Force Coalition

Creating new leadership but the challenge we have our own issues and missions individually how do we balance the collective within the sector.

Allen: “Social Entrepreneurs Trap” – the pressure of taking care of your organization. Bring practitioners to the table to share knowledge and resources. Pooling resources is the key.

James: every meeting ask every participate to make some kind of commitment and plot the trajectory of those commitment to see where peoples energies are.

Bill – The League

The movement to what purpose? What is the end-game? If everything comes together that we are working towards, how do you measure that?

James – diff for every movement. you want communities to be energy and food secure and embracing diversity.

Richard – lgbt movement full equality and justice. place where the world is safe for lgbt people. but the lgbt movement as part of a larger civil rights movement other larger humanity goals come into play.

Allen – ethic of service become a common expectation from Kgarden to senior living to address pressing problems in society – environment, education, justice, etc. Service reflect the “democracy of the people”

Opposition to movements – strategies for building movements and overcoming effectiveness of oppressive politics.

President who ran on platform of service. Have you approached the new administration? If not, why? What do you do with the millions of volunteers who have been mobilized and what do you do with them? How do you keep momentum of mobilization challenges?

How you best grow movements from small to big? Purposefully or organically or both?

Did any important movement of the history of mankind get any benefit in foundation support?

How have you tapped into social sevices agencies for communtiy building?

Richard – Overcoming opposition and growing is important in lbgt movement. The movement grows with increased opposition. The death of Matthew Shepard resulted in largest gay demonstrations nationally. Supreme Court Boy Scout could discriminate resulted in massive influx of volutneers and money. Prop 8 resulted in small amount of donations across the country creating a national database of donors.  We need to overcome opposition from militant right and we have seeded spirituality to the religious right. We need to engage religious allies in order for our movement to grow.

James: Thinking with the new administration into movements on the local levels. Engaging the mobilized volunteers to go into service.  The danger is that the movement dies and Obama becomes president and stops acting like an organizer.  The energy is in danger of dying.

Allen: This is a moment where everyone needs to weigh in. Harness the opportunity.  Don’t wait for the Obama Administration to call for an engagement. Another movement that is necessary is the commitment to ending poverty in the United States. Poverty is being created in this economic crisis and we have an opportunity to affect change!

Check out Rosetta Thurman at Perspectives From The Pipeline who is also at the IS conference!