As we move from the holidays into an uncertain New Year, let’s keep building human relationships, and some healthy strength in numbers, for the serious storms we’re likely to face together. WeROC monthly Meeting of the Whole, Thursday Jan 5, 5:30-7:15pm, Church of the Good Shepherd UCC, 2145 Independence Blvd, Ann Arbor, between Packard and Manchester.
Also, consider joining the WeROC table(s) at our “big sister” organization MOSES’ 20th annual Martin Luther King Jr Banquet — always a good program, always important for us to show our support for MOSES. Sign up on Eventbrite here .
Those of you who have participated in WeROC (or MOSES or Gamailiel) trainings will remember this simple, but often overlooked observation: that power comes either from organized money or from organized people. We’re so used to thinking about power in terms of money that we can forget that second part — that WE have power, too — very substantial power if our numbers are large enough and our unity is strong enough.
Of course the difference is, when we build healthy collective power as grassroots people and institutions, it’s not power based on greed and division, disrespect, hate and fear — no, it’s power based on our best human values. Values of community. Of caring. Of “we’re all in this together.” Values including — but broader than — our own personal interests. And looking beyond the immediate present to a longer-term vision for the future. Although there are always those who try to paint these values as signs of weakness, we know that healthy, collective power based on these values and built on solid human relationships is actually the strongest force for human progress and development throughout history.
That’s why the congregations, organizations, and individuals who are joining together as WeROC, and others who consider becoming a part of WeROC, represent one of the true lights at this gravely uncertain time in our country’s and our state’s history. Organizing people is in our name! We can expect the representatives of “organized money” to try to do what they have said they will do with the new powers they now find themselves with: That is, try to shift even more income and wealth upward, defund programs lower income people depend on, privatize public schools and other democratic institutions, create fear and divide us as working people, damage unions. Overall, they seem hell-bent on just making it harder for the majority of people who don’t share their values to get organized and stand in their way.
There’s no sugar coating it… the economic and social threats to ordinary people may be worse than at any time in a generation. But we come from traditions of faith and solidarity, and we already have a head start on working together. Come help us apply the tools of state-of-the-art community organizing to whatever we need to defend against… and, yes, to win positive victories whenever we can.