In This Issue:
Court stops sales, planting of genetically engineered alfalfa
Healthy markets lead to healthy communities
House, Senate block liquid coal subsidies
Latest mad cow problems show need for labeling
Legislation would protect landowners
Legislatures move oil and gas reform bills
Legislature, livestock and trade
Holding animal factories accountable
House renewable energy bill introduced
WORC develops biofuel recommendations
Organizing
Nuts & Bolts
Working in Coalitions
A coalition is only as strong as each of the organizations that belong to it. The real world arithmetic of coalitions has been aptly stated by organizer Mike Miller as, “zero plus zero equals zero.” In other words, if you do not have any organized power you cannot join with another organization to create more power – especially if they are weak too! So, until you have built some people power you should focus on building your own organization rather than on forming coalitions.
Some advantages of working in coalitions:
- Winning what couldn’t be won alone
- Building an ongoing power base
- Increasing the impact of individual organization’s efforts
- Developing new leaders
- Increasing resources
- Broadening scope
- Disadvantages of working in coalitions are:
- Distracts from other work
- Weak members can’t deliver
- Too many compromises
- Inequality of power
- Individual organizations may not get credit
- Dull tactics
The advantages can outweigh the disadvantages, but only if you carefully
think through the why, when, who, how and what of coalition relations.
When you do decide to participate in a coalition, some principles to ensure
success are:
- Hire experienced coalition staff.
- Choose unifying issues.
- Develop a realistic coalition budget.
- Understand and respect institutional self interest.
- Agree to disagree
- Play to the center with tactics.
- Recognize that contributions vary.
- Structure decision-making carefully.
- Help each organization achieve its self- interest.
- Achieve significant victories.
- Urge stable, senior board representatives.
- Clarify decision-making procedures.
- Distribute credit fairly.
Coalition work is important, but it’s not easy. You need to go
in with your eyes open, and carefully think through the details. Good
luck.
WORC would like to gratefully acknowledge the following people and
organizations for contributing material to this nuts and bolts column:
Lois Gibbs with the Center for Health, Environment and Justice, Tim Sampson,
and Kim Bobo, Jackie Kendall and Steve Max with the Midwest Academy.