Local and Global Organizing after 9/11
http://www.nologo.org/article.pl?sid/10/26/2350205&mode=nested&threshold
By Autumn Leonard, Tomás Aguilar, Mike Prokosch, and Dara Silverman
From United for a Fair Economy, 10/25/01
"[O]ne part of the deep mourning I feel is for the global justice
movements as they were before those planes crashed into the Twin Towers:
steadily growing in scope and influence, increasingly occupying a central
place on the global stage. We were blown off that stage on September 11,
and the cont ext for our ongoing activism is now utterly transformed." (LA
Kauffman, Free Radical #19, September 17, 2001)
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"Local grassroots organizing is the radical other to globalization. What
is restraining globalization is local activism. It is local people
organizing in defense of place, culture and values against the onslaught
of globalization and it is where we see the most life-affirming activity.
;Often people from the local communities are the targets. I would not
mistake mass protests as the only movement that is challenging
globalization." (Shea Howell, Detroit Summer, Detroit MI)
After September 11, United for a Fair Economy called 49 activists and
organizers across the country and asked them, "What is the state of
organizing now?" We talked to a range of people from direct action
organizers and prison justice activists to labor union members,
immigrants, youth of col or, queer activists and community organizers
dealing with globalization in their front yards. We see a larger movement
emerging that can pull all these movements together.
Overall, we heard that:
* The issues are still there. The partners are still there, so are the
issues that pushed us into action, so are the changes in consciousness
that movements have achieved. Most people we talked to plan to ke ep
working on the issues they were already focused on, though some have added
anti-war mobilizing to their plates as well.
* September 11 "hit the pause button" for some key partnerships, tactics,
and campaigns, but also opened the way to building new ones.
* It is a teachable moment. It is a hard time to oppose official policy
publicly but an excellent time to bring a deeper analysis to mainstream
society.
* Movements need to reframe their work because the new moment highlights
the need to have a race, class, and sexuality analysis. (Gender analysis
is important as well , but we didn't ask specific enough ques tions about
it.) Initiatives based on a broader analysis will help pull together
movement partners and strengthen the alliances that already exist. (see
related article, "Reframing the US globalization movement")
We will summarize what people told us; list some strategies that people
proposed; then finally try to assess where new partnerships are taking
off. For related articles, please see www.globalroots.org. This new
organizers' website will look at race (leadership by people and
organizations of color), "localizing" (building a movement where people
live, work, and organize), and strategies that pull together the partners
for a broader globalization movement.
A. Questions and Answers
Who we talked to: This article is based on 49 interviews with global and
local activists across the country. 31% people of color 11% queer and 55%
women.
1. What moment are we in? How would you and your organization describe it?
"Every person of color is at risk now."
Rep. Byron Rushing, Massachusetts House of Representatives, Boston, MA
"This is one hell of a teachable moment. Globalization is on everyone's
minds now." Jerome Scott, Project South, Atlanta, GA
"I am a little frustrated with the mainstreaming and sudden, popular
interest in public safety, in the sense of vulnerability. That is really a
middle class phenomenonŠto suddenly have a call for safety is a slap in
the face. I have been terrorized for years. Two days after September 11, a
fou rteen year-old kid got shot and killed on his bike. My partner is
coming home, is he going to get shot? This stuff doesn¹t stop for us and
it makes me angry. That is what I think of the political moment."
Kai Lumumba Barrow, Critical Resistance, New York, NY
"Labor is focusing on the recession. There are already a quarter million
layoffs."
Fred Azcarate, Jobs with Justice, Washington, DC
"Clearly Arab-Americans are being victimized and attacked here in Chicago.
They are afraid. They won't go to an anti-war rally or anything like that.
It is a time when they must sit back and let others work because they are
so scrutinized right now. Anyone can be picked up and held for anything.
It has paralyzed our ability to campaign and work on local issues."
Louise Cainkar, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights,
Chicago, IL
"Many [of our staff] are poor and working class, they have people in the
military, there are issues that have to be taken care of."
Si Kahn, Grassroots Leadership, Charlotte, NC
"In three or four weeks the recession will supplant terrorism as a
national issue."
Tim Costello, Campaign on Contingent Work, Boston, MA
"I hear people saying everything is different now, but I see that there is
a lot that is not so different."
Gabriel Sayegh, Prisoner Within, Olympia, WA
2. What issues are you working on now? Whom are you working with? What has
happened to existing coalitions and what new coalitions are forming?
"The organizing [that our members are doing] is documentation [of] civil
rights and human rights abuse by police, civilians and immigration [the
Immigration and Naturalization Service]." Eunice Cho, National Network of
Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Oakland, CA
"The war is not going to divide us at all because we're really still
focused on the reason that brought us together. It's not disintegrating,
not at all. But it has definitely added to the discussion. People here are
more excited than ever about working on globalization. It's kind of like
afte r the World War [II] when people said if we don't start to equalize
power, we're going to see more of this happen."
Kristi Disney, Tennessee Industrial Renewal Network, Knoxville, TN
"Work on state-level issues like the budget hasn't been affected much. But
work on national issues like Fast Track, Social Security privatization,
and the mobilization for global justice is pretty derailed. We were trying
to get people moving in North Carolina for the first time [on global
justice issues]. Now that didn't go anywhere."
Cathy Howell, AFL-CIO NC and SC, Wilmington, NC
"September 11th has actually made it pretty clear that our organization [a
multi-issue queer group] is not involved in the same communities as the
white queer communities and made it clear who we want to be working with.
It has strengthened [our] connections with low-income organizations and o
ther social justice groups led by folks of color."
-Shawn Luby, NC Lambda Youth Network, Durham, NC
3. What openings do you see for organizing in the short-term?
"The opportunity for global economy work is there more than ever but now
there's a temporary gap between education and action. The opportunity for
education is greater but for action less."
Jeff Crosby, North Shore Labor Council, Lynn, MA
"We have been called by law enforcement asking us where we stand,
threatening our funding, employers stop giving us orders for employment.
We have also been contacted by funders saying they want to help with the
educational process. We have been at the epicenter because we are the most
well-known."
Ismael Ahmed, Arabic Community Center for Economic and Social Services
(ACCESS), Dearborn, MI
"Racial targeting is a huge inroad. Among people of color, it makes this
our issue."
Jerome Scott
"We can¹t just be protesting any longer. Have to think about how we can
develop programs, to bring people back to the community."
Grace Boggs, Boggs Center, Detroit, MI
September 11 was a setback for the global protest and immigrant rights
movements in the US and it is particularly a time of danger for
immigrants, prisoners, people of color, organized and unorganized workers.
B. What is happening for each wing of the movement?
Organized labor. Russ Davis, a labor organizer with Massachusetts Jobs
with Justice, said a week after September 11, "The labor movement's
pulling out, students will go off to form a new antiwar movement, and
community-based groups will go back to local organizing. I don't know if
there is a movement now." The AFL-CIO and some member unions were joining
forces with other wings of the movement and planning to participate in
fall IMF-World Bank protests. They pulled out, but reaffirmed their
commitment to long-term collaboration on the global economy. Service
unions are preocc upied with disaster relief and with supporting their New
York members who have lost jobs. In the medium term, all unions will have
to deal with the recession as it hits their members. There is little space
for discussing the war within unions.
Youth of Color have linked opposition to the war to the assault on low
income communities and communities of color in the U.S. Strong coalitions
led by African-Americans and Latinos have helped frame the issues, chosen
the tactics and re-focused the nascent anti-war efforts into an urban
peace movement. There is no way this could have happened without the
long-term institution building that has developed a base of active
leadership, and a global and local analysis. Young people, especially
young people of color, do not necessarily identify with the traditional
symbols of the U.S. peace movement and are creating new ways to express
opposition to the war through art, culture, and dialogue.
White Youth. Many white youth have thrown themselves into creating an
antiwar movement, or an antiwar-antiracist movement. That has taken some
of the youth base away from anti-corporate and globalization campaigns.
Some white youth have taken on " double duty," adding antiwar work to
their global or labor activism. Students are continuing anti-sweatshop
campaigns, living wage campaigns, and other campus-based economic justice
campaigns which bring them together with organized labor and, potentially,
community-based organizations.
Faith Based Organizing. While we did not talk to as many people working in
religious communities as we would have liked, a few themes emerged. We
heard stories of antiwar pastors clashing with their congregations. We
heard Rev. Dr. A.J. Pointer say, "those people who are openly haters need
to be dealt with in America." We heard about mosques opening their doors
open for educational events. The American mainstream has demonized or
ignored Islam for a long time, making this a unique opportunity to educate
people about the basics of the religion. People of faith are coming
togethe r to give solace and support to their communities.
Community-based organizations. "People are still getting kicked out of
their houses and people are still getting kicked off welfare," said Galen
Tyler of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union. Community groups reacted in
different ways to 9/11. Some paused, adjusted, and moved on. Depending on
which issues people were focused on, their work had to adjust in different
ways (see immigrant organizing). When global organizers start to build
connections with local organizing, they will see that there are a lot of
people who have been fighting globalization locally for a very long time.
But many local organizations led by folks of color are being undermined by
the fallout from 9/11. Foundations and nonprofits are channeling funds
toward New York and DC, leaving local groups' budgets in doubts. Even in
New York and DC, community organizations are asking whether any of the re
lief money will go their communities.
Immigrants. Immigrant amnesty was on the political agenda because U.S.
business needed immigrant labor, unions needed to organize them, and
immigrant voters could swing an election. September 11 "set us back five
to ten years," said several organizers. Racial attacks and new laws
restricting immigrant rights hit this sector harder than any other.
Immigrant day laborers are being cheated of their wages, but are afraid to
organize for fear of deportation. Some immigrant communities have decided
to protect themselves by expressing fervently that they ar e Americans.
Two well-publicized polls found a majority of African-Americans supporting
racial profiling of Middle Easterners. These polls capitalize on
legitimate fears in the Black community and are used to divide people of
color. Coalitions of young African-Americans and Latinos are opposing the
targ eting of immigrants, but their partnerships with Middle Eastern and
South Asian communities is limited.
Border Communities. The Border patrol has gained support since 9/11. They
have become even more aggressive and organizing is challenging under these
conditions. In border towns like Laredo and El Paso, many workers from
Mexico cross daily to work in US-owned companies (at lower wages than US
wor kers). Since 9/11, they cannot cross as freely and often not at all.
Mexican workers have lost jobs and local US businesses are forced to
either close down or hire US workers at higher wages.
Queer Organizing. Scapegoating, harassment, verbal and physical abuse are
nothing new for queer organizers, but now many are working much harder to
make connections with low-income communities and communities of color.
Some organizers said that in order to defea t anti-gay legislation you
need to have the support of communities of color.
Prison Activists. Activists described the swift, severe crackdown on
prisoners, the most socially controlled population in the US. Many
prisoners lost visitation rights and their mail was even more carefully
searched. Inmates in one prison told Angela Davis that they fear all
prisoners will be l eft alone to die slowly in their cells. Prison
activists are worried about the effect of a stronger police state on
people opposing racial profiling, unequal sentencing, and other forms of
criminal injustice. Some groups are examining possible alliances with
people in the new antiwar movement, yet stayi ng focused on prisons.
Environmentalists. Many environmentalists thought their work would grind
to a halt. After a short recovery period, their activists are clamoring to
keep at their corporate targets, like CitiGroup and Staples. Many
environmentalists' focus is to act bio-regionally, within their local
area. As one activist said, "trees are still going to get cut down," and
Congress is trying to use "united we stand" sentiments to push through
anti-environmental legislation like drilling in the Alaskan National
Wildlife Refugee.
Mass movements abroad. Two days after President Bush's address to
Congress, the militaries of Mexico and Central America met and declared a
war against terrorism, with the #1 target "ethnic groups." The
militarization of Chiapas has returned to its highest levels, while
indigenous and grassroots organizations have been threatened in other
countries. But sister movements abroad are not pulling back now, and are
horrified that the US globalization movement would even consider it. "They
have always called us terrorists because we fight for land and bread,"
said Berta Caceres of Honduras. Many countries see similarities between
the World Trade Center attacks and what they encounter regularly.
C. Recommendations for movements
"It's good you're in a listening mode and not falling into the white male
culture of having an answer."
Shea Howell
*Listen. Right now it is more important than ever to listen to the people.
For example, the 911 Solidarity Committee Against War and Racism in the
Bay Area has been listening to how people in their member groups are
reacting politically and spiritually, and working from there. It¹s a time
not to preach, but to learn together.
*Don't overreact. Many campaigns were putting effective pressure on the
driving institutions of the global economy before September 11. Organizers
do not need to invent a whole new set of campaigns, because they already
exist.
* Refocus the work. The focus on "globalization" as an abstract theme has
been blown off the stage. People and communities need to find new ways to
put everyday economic issues at the center of public consciousness.
Activists need to take the spotlight off of tactics and move on to
long-term strategy that will build a popular movement for justice.
* Pay attention. The events of September 11 sent many activists into a
tailspin. White protesters were among the most disoriented; one youth
organizer described the "hollowness" of their experience and their "need
for leadership." At the same time, many activists of color rapidly in
tegrated September 11 into their analysis, summed up a strategy, and took
action. Maybe it is time for the movement to recognize their leadership.
It doesn't come naturally. The work of middle-class white folks often gets
more media attention which allows them to jump in, take charge, and not
look around to ask, "is anyone here more qualified than me?" That behavior
pattern is defining the new peace movement in many places, and it will
keep that movement from broadening.
White activists have enormous contributions to make to movements: passion,
brains, resources... but please, don't just take charge and assume you
have a corner on the market. Form alliances with community-based groups.
Listen, learn, and support. Build relationships, build trust, and become
accountable . Help build a movement where those most affected by
globalization are framing analysis and solutions.
D. What strategies can the movement best pursue?
It should pick strategies that build partnerships -- which pull together
the forces that belong in the movement. Often they will already be working
on a given issue. If not, it's in their interest to work on it. Here are
some examples.
* Now is an extraordinary time for global, community, and labor activists
to build cross-race alliances and to work for immigrant rights. More
established communities of color need to support their brothers and sis
ters facing prejudice, violence, and loss of economic security.
* Privatization is a particular way to deal with the recession and build
coalitions. Community, labor, and youths' interests overlap when services
and jobs are threatened. The recession will cut tax revenues; citie s,
counties, and states will try to privatize or cut services to economize.
Opposing budget cuts and privatization here connects to the mass movements
that are opposing IMF-World Bank structural adjustment policies, the Free
Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), and the General Agreement on Trade in
Servic es (GATS).
* Last year, the AFL-CIO took a big step and started supporting amnesty
for all immigrants. That position becomes harder in recession and war, but
this is when the alliance becomes really crucial for both partners.
* The recession will be the context for everybody's work. Labor unions and
community groups are already getting hit with layoffs and the threat of
service cuts. Both need allies, but the recession cuts into unions'
bargaining power against management. Allies can help unions organize new
members and increase their bargaining power particularly in a sharp
recession. Labor unions can help community groups push for better funding
in these hard economic times. To defend their members' interests as
workers and as commu nity members, labor unions need to act as a social
movement.
* "Localizing" global issues and "globalizing" local issues is still a key
strategy for bringing partners together. Indigenous and environmental
justice activists have pioneered this strategy and also have built
alliances across borders.
* Sister movements abroad aren't stopping. Now is a good time the US
movement to recognize their leadership and start making concrete alliances
that actually support each others' battles, the way unions in differen t
countries sometimes join forces against a common employer. Some official
spokespeople have started labeling "anti-globalization" organizations as
"terrorists." This is a crucial moment for US activists not to isolate
themselves, but to reach across borders and establish mutual supp ort.
There are also some elements that belong in any strategy:
* Build an alternative economic vision that will feed six billion people
and do it fairly. The discussion has to happen across race, class, gender,
and borders.
* Education can help people place themselves and corporations within the
current economic system. This builds understanding and moves people to
action.
* Analysis can identify the common interests of people that are the basis
for long lasting partnerships. White activists can learn from the analysis
of organizers of color who have been fighting oppression for a long time.
* Discussion about what our movements are for can create a common vision
-- provided that people of color and of different faiths are at the table
from the beginning, framing the discussion, putting out their
perspectives, leading the project.
Who we talked to:
Ismael Ahmed, Arabic Community Center
for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS),
2651 Saulino Court Dearborn, MI 48126
(313) 842-8380 access@accesscommunity.org
Jennifer Allen, SW Alliance to Resist Militarization (SWARM)
PO Box 384 Tucson AZ 85702
520-320-9436 jennifer@resistmilitarization.org
Francisco ŒPancho¹ Arguelles, National Organizers Alliance 2002 San
Sebastian Ct #1311 Houston, TX 77058 281-615-9759 pazypuente@mailcity.com
Betty Ahrens, Iowa Citizen Action Network
506 Kimball Road
Iowa City IA 52245
319-354-8116 bettyahrens@iowacan.org
Tim Atwater, Jubilee USA
222 East Capitol Street
Washington, DC 20003-1036
202-783-3566 timatwater@juno.com
Fred Azcarate, National Jobs with Justice
501 3rd St Washington, DC 20001
202-434-1421 fazcarate@cwa-union.org
Kai Lumumba Barrow, Critical Resistance,
460 W. 128th St, New York, NY
917-493-9795 kailumumbabarrow@hotmail.com
Juliette Beck, Global Exchange,
2017 Mission Street, room 303 San Francisco, CA 94110
415-558-9486 x254 juliette@globalexchange.org
Grace Boggs, James & Grace Lee Boggs Center
3061 Field Street, Detroit MI 48214
313-832-1371 glbg@aol.com
Carolyn Bninski, Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center,
3210 Darley Avenue Boulder, CO 80305
303-554-1445 rmpjc@earthlink.net
Kim Burden,
Cincinnati, OH
burdenk@hotmail.com
Louise Cainker, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
36 S. Wabash Suite 1425 Chicago, IL 60603
312-332-7360 louise@icirr.org
Lois Canright, Puget United for a Fair Economy
1712 32nd Ave. S Seattle, WA
206-322-1517 loisufe@aol.com
Candace Carpenter, Texas Observer
307 W. 7th St Austin, TX 78701
Carpenter@texasobserver.org
Josefina Castillo, AFSC
1304 East Sixth Street, #3 Austin TX 78702-3355
B. jcastillo@afsc.org
Eunice Cho, National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
310 8th St Suite 303 Oakland, CA 94607
510-465-1984 echo@nnirr.org
Laura Close, STARC Alliance
831 N. Watts Portland OR, 97217
503-247-5995, radkid2@yahoo.com
Jeff Crosby, IUE/CWA Local 201 and North Shore Labor Council
100 Bennett St Lynn, MA 01905
781-598-2760, kroz12@aol.com
Tim Costello, Campaign on Contingent Work
33 Harrison St. 4th floor, Boston, MA 02111
617-338-9966, ccw@igc.org
Russ Davis, Massachusetts Jobs with Justice,
3353 Washington St Boston, MA 02130
617-524-8778, bostonjwj@mindspring.com
Kristi Disney, Tennessee Industrial Renewal Network (TIRN)
1515 E. Magnolia, Suite 403 Knoxville, TN 37917
865-637-1576 trade@tirn.org
Joleen Garcia, Xicana/Xicano Education Project
131 Adams #2 San Antonio, TX
210-226-263 joleen@ifairtrade.net
Cathy Howell, AFL-CIO North Carolina and South Carolina
Wilmington, NC
919-833-7624, cathync@compuserve.com
Shea Howell, Detroit Summer
4605 Cass Ave Detroit, MI 48201
313-832-2904 detroitsummer@hotmail.com
Minsun Ji, Colorado American Friends Service Committee
901 West 14th Avenue, #7 Denver, CO 80214
303-623-3464 mji@afsc.org
Si Kahn, Grassroots Leadership
1515 Elizabeth Avenue, PO Box 36006 Charlotte, NC 28236
704-376-9206 skahn00000@aol.com
Susan Knight, Coalition for a Humane Economy
1506 Elm St. Cincinnati, OH 45210
513-421-7803 susieknight@juno.com
Shawn Luby, North Carolina Lambda Network,
115 Market Street Durham, NC 27705
919-683-3037 SNCLambda@aol.com
Doralina Luna, Coalición De Derechos Humanos
PO Box 1286 Tuscon, AZ 85702
520-770-1373 Azbrp@azstarnet.com
Rebekah Lusk, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights,
36 S. Wabash Suite 1425 Chicago, IL 60603
312-332-7360 rlusk@icirr.org
Will MacAdams, City Kids
560 Ella T. Grasso Blvd New Haven, CT 06510
i) willblaze333@yahoo.com
Alma Lilia Nava Maquitico, Immigration Law Enforcement Monitoring Project,
715 Myrtle El Paso TX 79901
915-544-9483
maquitico@yahoo.com
Jeff Milchen, Reclaim Democracy
PO Box 532 Boulder, CO 80306
303-402-105 jeff@reclaimdemocracy.org
Ethan Miller, Maine Global Action Network
217 South Mountain Rd Greene, ME 04236
207-946-4478 emiller4@justice.com
Wendi O¹Neal, Highlander Center
1959 Highlander Way New Market, TN 37820
865-933-3443 wao@highlandercenter.org
Rev. Dr. A.J. Pointer, Metropolitan Baptist Tabernacle
930 E. Myrtle Ave Flint, MI 48505
810-787-9731
JP Pluecker, Ada Edwards Campaign
PO Box 667307 Houston, TX 77266
713-528-8037
Patrick Reinsborough, Rainforest Action Network
221 Pine St. Suite 500 San Francisco, CA 94104
415-398-4404 x315 organize@ran.org
Molly Rooke, Campaign ExxonMobil
6139 Stichter Ave Dallas, TX 75230
214-369-6667 Molly@LaRosa-Ranch.com
Rev. Charles Roots, Cannon Baptist Church
910 E. Galespie St Flint, MI 48505
810-785-1781
Gabriel Sayegh, Prisoner Within
Olympia, WA
Prisonerwithin@lycos.com
Jeremy Simer, global justice activist
PO Box 12421 Seattle, WA 98101
206-329-0790 jeremy@riseup.net
David Solnit, Freedom Rising Affinity Group
POB 18773 Oakland, CA 94619
info@freedomrising.org
Rev. Susan Starr, Applied Research Center
37 81 Broadway Oakland, CA 94611
510-653-3415 x 319 sstarr@arc.org
Jerome Scott, Project South
9 Gammon Ave. SW Atlanta GA 30315
404-622-602 projectsouth@igc.org
Alex Tapia, Campaign ExxonMobil
611 Congress, Suite 200 Austin, TX 78704
512-479-7744 alex@campaignexxonmobil.org
Felicia Trevor, Stepstone Center
1119 Woody Creek Rd- POB 336
Woody Creek CO 81656
970-963-3483 flash@discovercompass.org
Galen Tyler, Kensington Welfare Rights Union,
POB 50678 Philadelphia, PA 19132
215-203-1945 kwru@kwru.org
Mary Zerkel, Praxis Project, American Friends Service Committee
637 S. Dearborn, 3d floor Chicago, IL 60605
312-427-2533 x 15 praxisafsc@igc.org
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