[Springboard] [Dialogue] Alinsky & Freire and ICA's approach

Wed Jan 12 12:43:15 CST 2011

For what it is worth, it has been noted that Alinski was a lecturer a 
one of the early Academys.  Also, he did early work in Detroit where we 
had his people come and talk with us.  As I remember it he was a bit too 
disestablishment for the likes of us.

I looked up the IAF in Portland (OR) within the last 15yrs were they 
were still active in parishes.
Len

On 1/11/2011 8:28 AM, R Williams wrote:
> Martin,
> There are those who will be able to address your questions much more 
> directly than I, but here's one strand you might pursue.  If you 
> Google "Industrial Areas Foundation" (IAF) and go to the Wikipedia 
> page you will find reference to Ernesto Cortes, Jr. as the Alinski 
> protege who took Alinsky's approach from the 1940s and in San Antonio, 
> TX made it a congregation-based process.
> Ernesto (Ernie) Cortes went to RS-1 in the late 60s or early 70s and 
> at one time was a part of the San Antonio cadre.  When I was in the 
> Houston house I remember him from various meetings in San Antonio.  If 
> you could find a way to get in touch with him you might get some 
> answers to your question as far as Alinsky is concerned.  I expect 
> what he may be able to share with you ways in which EI/RS-1, etc. 
> influenced his work in deciding to be congregation-based as well as 
> that of IAF in general.
> As for Freire, his book /Education for Critical Consciousness/ must 
> have had an influence in our development of imaginal education, not 
> just the course but the process used in our whole educational 
> approach, although we referred more to Kenneth Boulding and /The 
> Image/.  His later book, /Pedagogy of the Oppressed/, although I 
> believe not published at the time, is consistent with, but in some 
> ways clearer than, his earlier book.
> Randy
>
> --- On *Tue, 1/11/11, Martin Gilbraith (ICA:UK) 
> /<martin at ica-uk.org.uk>/* wrote:
>
>
>     From: Martin Gilbraith (ICA:UK) <martin at ica-uk.org.uk>
>     Subject: [Springboard] Alinsky & Freire and ICA's approach
>     To: Dialogue at wedgeblade.net, "Springboard Dialogue"
>     <springboard at wedgeblade.net>
>     Date: Tuesday, January 11, 2011, 9:46 AM
>
>     Hi everyone, I am hoping that colleagues with longer memories
>     might be able to help me with some history please...
>
>     The 'big idea' of the UK's new coalition government is Big Society
>     - variously, applauded as empowering the people, and/or derided as
>     a cynical cover for devastating public spending cuts - see
>     http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/policy-campaigns-research/big-society/big-society
>
>     A major initiative within this agenda is a forthcoming
>     Government-funded programme to train and support a cadre of 5,000
>     Community Organisers, explicitly based on the principles of Saul
>     Alinsky and Paulo Friere - see
>     http://www.urbanforum.org.uk/briefings/community-organisers-briefing
>
>     I beleive that Friere was an influence on the early development of
>     EI/ICA's methods and approach, and I understand that Alinsky was
>     developing Community Organising in Chicago around the same time as
>     EI/ICA was in Fifth City.
>
>     What I would really like to learn more about is *to what extent
>     and how did Friere and/or Alinsky influence the develpment of
>     EI/ICA and our methods and approach; and **to what extent and how
>     might our methods and approach have influenced the development of
>     Community Organising?
>     *
>     My partner Derek put this same question, more or less, to George
>     Packard several years ago when he was here in the UK just after
>     Derek had taken a course in Faith-based Community Organising
>     through his local Unitarian church - but I don't much remember
>     what he said, and I'd love to have any more specific recollections
>     and (better still) any documents that might be relevant.
>
>     I am hoping this might inform how we seek to position ICA:UK in
>     relation to this emerging new agenda, and that I might draft an
>     article (for ICA:UK Network News if not also elsewhere) based on
>     what I receive.
>
>     many thanks for any recollections or insights you can offer, best
>     wishes,
>     Martin
>
>
>     -- 
>
>     *Martin Gilbraith* <martin at ica-uk.org.uk
>     <http://us.mc593.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=martin@ica-uk.org.uk>>
>
>     connect with me at _http://uk.linkedin.com/in/martingilbraith _
>
>     *Chief Executive, ICA:UK*
>     registered charity #1090745 & company limited by guarantee #3970365
>     registered in England & Wales, at 41 Old Birley Street, Manchester
>     M15 5RF
>     tel/fax: 0845 450 0305 or 0161 232 8444 - _www.ica-uk.org.uk
>     <http://www.ica-uk.org.uk/>_
>
>     The Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA) - a global network of
>     autonomous not-for-profit organisations in 30 countries
>     /"concerned with  the  human  factor  in  world development"/
>
>     *IAF Certified Professional Facilitator* & Chair
>     The International Association of Facilitators – _www.iaf-world.org
>     <http://www.iaf-world.org/>_
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