WeROC Meeting of The Whole 2-2-17

WeROC Meeting of the Whole Thursday, Feb 2, 5:30-7:15, First Congregational UCC, 218 N. Adams, Ypsi, 48197, between Washtenaw and Emmet.  Light food provided.  We’ll continue our focus on relationship-building for the long haul, and planning a major local community organizing training in March/April.

Dear WeROC Colleagues…so glad that we’re together at a time like this…

 Using our WeROC/MOSES/Gamaliel way of thinking about the challenges facing us, we can see that the power of organized money is up against the power of organized people, especially those among us who were already hurting before the latest wave of attacks on working and lower-income families. Nothing new there, really, right? But it does feel different right now. The people that control huge and growing hoards of organized dollars are getting people who will do their bidding elected to office at all levels. It seems they are beefing up their old techniques and coming up with alarming new ones to try to get what they want — especially trying to keep voters fragmented, discouraged, and weak. And they are more “in our face” than we’ve seen in many, many years.

So what a wonderful blessing that, rather than roll over and wait 4 or 8 years, historic numbers of Americans who care about each other and our country are ALSO brushing up old organizing techniques and inventing new ones. And more quickly and in larger numbers and with more solidarity than most of us have seen, maybe ever. We are beginning to take powerful action together that is nationally coordinated, but also very local — even before the other side can settle in and fully get their footing,

Many of us are participating in these historic, ongoing democratic actions. Among the most important are:  The emerging next local action steps after the inspiring and record-breaking Women’s Marches in DC and 600+(!!) other places.  “Our First Stand” rally in Macomb County and 70 other communities 2 Sundays ago, to save health care (6000+ in the cold in Michigan alone).  The viral downloading of the brand new “Indivisible Guide” handbook, and the 1500+ local Indivisible groups that have already formed to put effective and constant pressure on Members of Congress in every District, Republican and Democratic.  And Rev. William Barber II’s “Restoring the Breach” coalition, building on the experience of the “Moral Mondays” movement in North Carolina, fusing together progressive movements for racial and economic and social justice in powerful new ways in many states. All of these have online portals for plugging in.

And we need you, and all of us, to be a part of figuring out how WeROC and MOSES can play our special roles as things quickly develop. Nobody has all the answers, but we in WeROC have some collective know-how. We exercise a disciplined focus on relationship-building, on building healthy grassroots power, on training ourselves and new partners in techniques shown to work (so we don’t waste that precious volunteer time and energy), and on taking powerful, strategic, smart action together around thoughtful local issues with larger connections.

Next Thursday’s monthly meeting will be our next chance together to “be the grownups in the room.”  We’ll keep fine-tuning our current plans to 1) continue our Listening Campaign to complete “One-on-Ones” with targeted new folks and potential leaders within our organizations and networks and 2) Schedule a major, in depth community organization training event for ourselves and our new and potential allies. Please try to be a part of this major new movement for justice and equality.

Blessings and Solidarity — Tad Wysor, Volunteer WeROC Organizer