Barack Obama team using OS. How about that?

douglas germann 76066.515 at compuserve.com
Wed Aug 13 15:07:25 PDT 2008


Pat and Kerry--

I have read two of Alinsky's books and found them fun and informative. I
like the way both of you describe how Alinsky worked.

Yet the things I have seen and heard from people who come out of the
Industrial Areas Foundation seem somehow at odds with the picture you
paint. One was a speaker out of Texas who got her issues from the
established leadership of churches and other groups in the community. It
was central to her way of organizing. There was very little said about
involving the rank and file, the grass roots "little" people.

The second experience I have had is with a local group who do use, I am
told, a lot of interviewing of people to find the issues. But then their
"meetings" are dominated with inviting, say, the school superintendent
to the front of the group, reading a list of demands, and exact his or
her signature to an agreement to meet those demands. Seems a little ways
from self organization if you consider the superintendent to be a member
of the community.

So can you give me some idea of how the Alinsky model has gone from
coming from "inside the community" to working outside of self
organizing? (Realizing that Alinsky was just a little iconoclastic.)

Thanks!

			:- Doug.

On Tue, 2008-08-12 at 10:53 -0500, Pat Black wrote:
> Pavel
> Obama comes from the Saul Alinsky school of organizing.  Alinsky
> worked with the stockyard workers in Chicago in I think the 1930's or
> 1940's.  His model is one that believes that change is defined and
> comes from inside the community.  
> Many grassroots movements in the United States in the 60's and 70's,
> especially the anti-nuclear movement were modeled after his
> experiences. Clinton also studied Alinsky but unlike Obama who was an
> Alinsky style organizer Clinton believed that you could change the
> system from within its bowels.  Obama follows the Alinsky model and
> allows the community itself to form the agenda and provide the
> expertise.
> Pat Black
> 
> On Tue, Aug 12, 2008 at 8:32 AM, Pavel Tsarkov <ptsarkov at hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>         I knew, that it will be the answer, Michael. It is not OS, of
>         course. But here they trying to do smth different from others,
>         they want to hear people, instead of saying them what to do,
>         that s what I m trying to say)). May be someone from US can
>         offer to provide OS for this election campaighn.
>         We used OS for election campaighns several times in Russia,
>         and it was always very usefull...for candidates, for partyes,
>         for comunity.
>         Thank you.
>         
>         
>         Yours sincerely,
>         Pavel Tsarkov
>         Business Open Space Communication Agency
>         Managing Director
>         
>         Mob.+7-926-296-62-74
>         Website: www.jordantravel.ru 
>         Skype: pavel_tsarkov
>         
>         
>         
>         
>         
>         > Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:20:10 +0200
>         > From: mmpanne at boscop.org
>         > Subject: Re: Barack Obama team using OS. How about that?
>         > To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>         > 
>         > Dear Pavel,
>         > where do you see the Open Space events ?
>         > Greetings from Berlin
>         > mmp
>         > 
>         > Pavel Tsarkov wrote:
>         > > Hi everyone,Just before coming to Russia next day from New
>         York, decided to look at Barack Obama web-site. His team using
>         OS. Who is facilitator?)))Thats the text from there: 
>         > > Colorado: Solutions for America
>         > > by State NewsMonday, August 11, 2008 at 12:37 AM
>         > >>From Jenn Prosser, on the ground in Colorado . . . From
>         his days as a community organizer on, Barack has strongly
>         believed that the best policies come from the people -- their
>         experiences, stories and ideas can shape the most efficient
>         solutions for our country. In the spirit of this philosophy,
>         the Colorado Campaign for Change has organized a series of
>         Solutions for Colorado forums that will be going on across the
>         state from now through October.
>         > > The first event was in Pueblo, where Rep. John Salazar
>         joined National Deputy Policy Director Carlos Monje and
>         Colorado Policy Director Joy Silvern to talk about the
>         economy.The room was packed with nearly 200 people from Pueblo
>         and the surrounding area. Rep. Salazar spoke to the group
>         about the economic problems he's seen in the past eight years,
>         from the huge rise in diesel costs to the sky-rocketing
>         national debt....Link:
>         http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/hqblog#topYours
>         sincerely,Pavel TsarkovBusiness Open Space Communication
>         AgencyManaging DirectorMob.+7-926-296-62-74Website:
>         www.jordantravel.ru Skype: pavel_tsarkov
>         > >
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