[Dialogue] Towards a Real Living Legacy

[David Walters]

The very idea of a Living Legacy event staged managed by a dying cadre (or is it cabal) in charge of the ICA/EI is beyond ironic. 

 

The current morass on North Sheridan Drive in Chicago has its roots in the  paralysis brought on by a financial crisis. Which is very interesting given ICA/EI/CE history of one financial crisis another. The tragic decision last fall to fire the entire program staff while retaining the accounting and janitorial staff is indicative of this paralysis. 

 

 

Loss of Common Memory. Marshall's posting of the error on the ICA website re: the Living legacy event is indicative of the loss of common memory by the ICA/EI board members. Margaret's comments reflect a deep sense of pain and anger of this loss. 

  

Lack of Methodological Prowess. There is proof positive that the members of the board have walked away from all of their methodological training. They decided to employ an outside consultant to help find away out of he financial situation that they themselves were responsible for. Their consultant it said to have been exposed somewhat to ICA methods. But if you read her resume' you learn that her background is in child welfare organizations. She had no experience with a revolutionary socio-economic-political change organization . Her assertion that, were it not for the real properties in Chicago and Phoenix, she would have recommended that ICA/EI be shut down completely.  In one sentence she reduced the mission down to the economic value of real property. 

 

Absence of Collegiality. The manner in which the Board decided to inform the staffed members being terminated demonstrated a total lack of collegiality. They adopted the practice common among human resource departments of Fortune 500 corporations.

 

What we are left is an organization with unique set of products and service unequaled in the marketplace led by an ineffective paralyzed board, managed by individuals who are clueless about its products and services and how to market them.

It is sad to read comments from Margaret. Her remarks about being a permeator are especially chilling. Permeators ( my spell checker does nor recognize this word, either Margaret) were ones who enabled the rest to all the fun.

 

I believe that the Living Legacy event will be  the appropriate time and place for someone or some-ones to standup and demand that

:

1.    That the ICA/EI board convene itself, before all those assembled, and allow those board members unwilling to act out of legacy of Joe Mathews and all those who laid down their lives with him for sake of the mission to resign on the 

 

2.    That among the colleagues present, who express a commitment to act out of our revolutionary principles and methodological precepts,  a new board  be elected to replace the departed.   

3.    That the board commit to employing staff trained in ICA/EI methods. 

4.    That the board create bands of colleagues to advise them in  carrying out the mission  similar the ones in our previous model. (Given the current financial situation, the first one I would want is a development band.) 

      

 

If this is done, we will all be able to see a real Living Legacy



David Walters

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