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Effective Grass Roots Activism — Registration Open Now

Fees include notebook and course materials, checklists, and templates

Bitterroot College

SCHEDULE - 8 Weeks - Rm 119

Jan 28 Tue: 10:30-12:00

Feb   4  Tue: 10:30-12:00

Feb 11  Tue: 10:30-12:00

Feb 18  Tue: 10:30-12:00

Feb 25  Tue: 10:30-12:00

Mar   3  Tue: 10:30-12:00

Mar 10  Tue: 10:30-12:00

Mar 17  Tue: 10:30-12:00

We will learn through...

Theory • Practice • Case Studies

• Theory of Non-Violent Activism

• How to organize a group

• How to plan an effective campaign

   - Local and National

• How to do effective media

• Participate in Public Meetings

• Organize your own events

• Effectively participate & make substantive inputs to NEPA & other government public processes.

• Be pro-active and respond on behalf of the  government or institution on a controversial project

• Effectively collaborate with "opponents" while holding onto your values and mission

• The difference between civility and respect — and why it is hard work

You will leave this class with a notebook of checklists and reminders

You will leave this class with tools that have been effective in the Bitterroot Valley

You will see how people like you have made significant changes in Ravalli County

Stay tuned for more details: Course Units and Case Studies we will use

 

MORE - Updated Monday, Jan 20, 2020 

When you arrive at our first session you will get a notebook - a three-ring binder for aides and course material that will be yours at the end of the course. At each session, you will get aides and material that goes with the subjects we are discussing.

 

SESSION UNITS - Updated Monday, Jan 20, 2020

Please indicate three of the Lettered Options you would like to see added in more detail by ranking three of them 1, 2, and 3.  For example, if you wanted E  Managing Large Campaigns, then C The Insider PART II, then A Fundraising you would email your preferences as: E-1, C-2, A-3.
 

Any options not included in our time together will be summarized in the appropriate place and aides for your notebook will be provided.

 

Please respond to Jim@JamesROlsen.com by Friday, January 25. 

Session   Subjects (~25 min each)

1               Forces and Pressure - Who, What, Why, and Where

1               Theory and Practice of Nonviolence - Turning anger and fear on its head

1               Introduction and Introductions

2               Non-violent grassroots activism - All about respect

2               Citizen Expert Part I - NEPA, MEPA, Regulations, and Sources

2               OPTIONAL SLOT

3                Toward an Authentic Dialog - The emotional cycle of activism

3                Organizing Part I - The Circle of Engagement 

3                Organizing Part II - Types of organizations and governance

4                Campaign Leadership - Herding Cats and getting inside the decision loop

4                OPTIONAL SLOT

4                OPTIONAL SLOT

 

5                Coalition building - Ven Diagram of mutual Interests

5                Effective Collaboration - Keeping your values while reaching consensus on an action

5                Case Study Scenarios

6                News Cycle - Traditional media, cable news and its relationship to social media

6                The effective message - The undeniable essence when the act tells the message

6                Case Study Scenarios

7                Making Your own public square

7                The Public Square - Where opposing views meet - the hearing and the street

7                Case Study Scenarios

8                Occams razor - A Business for social change

8                The Insider - Government and institutional response to controversy

8                Summary and Feedback

OPTIONS

A               Fundraising - Institutions and the Zealots, the rich and the crowd, paid and volunteer

B               Occams Razor PART II - Organizing a business for a double bottom line

C               The Insider PART II - Creating a culture within an institutional culture.

D               Citizen Expert PART II  - Building a Record for Litigation and facts for media

E                Managing Large Campaigns

F                Managing Sensitive Sources

 

THIS IS STRICTLY NON-PARTISAN. NO DISCUSSION OF THE MERITS OF ANY ISSUE OR POLICIAL PARTY OR CANDIDATE WILL BE CONDUCTED EXCEPT FOR THE THOSE IN OUR CASE STUDIES AND EXAMPLES - AND THEN ONLY FOR ILLUSTRATION OF EFFECTIVE ACTIVISM.

 

While the course is based on the instructor's experience, he will pick subjects so that you will very, very likely be dealing with advocacy examples for at least some positions with which you do not agree. One tenet you will learn is that you cannot be an effective advocate unless you can articulate the opposing view as well as anyone else can — the purpose is to allow you to turn the experience around for your benefit.

 

Of course, when you walk out the door we hope you will be more effective at whatever your passion may be.

Female Presenter

This course is strictly 

about the Process

not the Issues

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