[Dialogue] Info about faith-based community organizing training

[Marge Philbrook]

Thanks Janice.  Marge Philbrook

On Fri, Jan 8, 2010 at 10:18 AM, Janice Ulangca <aulangca at stny.rr.com> wrote:
> Colleagues - I send this info in the interest of "knowing the field" -
> promising efforts in directions we have worked in and have experience to
> contribute to.  Just in case a personal contact might be fruitful ...
>
> I just got info about DART - Direct Action & Research Training .  At first I
> thought, "Another Alinksky-style training program...  lots of them ... "
> but it seems to be more - involving faith communities in a substantive
> way.  Board and staff people come from varied denominations.  Below are 2
> testimonies from the web site, which has much more info on track record,
> principles, history, what DART groups do and do not do.
>
> Janice Ulangca
>
>
> To learn more about DART's approach to organizing, check out DART's new
> YouTube video: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shv8jeHyn0E>.
>
> Web address:   www.thedartcenter.org
>
> About the training:
> The Direct Action & Research Training (DART) Center will be accepting
> applications until January 15, 2010, from those interested in pursuing a
> career of empowering communities and working for social change.
>
> 2010 marks the 10th year since DART first launched the Organizers Institute.
> After years of research into best practices, experimentation, evaluation,
> and refinement, the Organizers Institute has become a nationally recognized
> field school in the training of grassroots community organizers in the
> country.  The 7-day classroom orientation and 15-week infield training
> starts July 2010. Training locations will include placements in several
> states around the country.
> The DART Organizers Institute combines a 7-day classroom orientation with 15
> weeks of infield training at a DART host organization. This is a paid
> training program that includes: a $7,000 living stipend, transportation to
> the classroom orientation and host city, and mileage reimbursement during
> the infield training. Room, board, and tuition will also be paid by DART
> during the 7-day classroom training. After successful completion of the
> program, DART will work to place graduates into permanent full time salaried
> positions ranging from ($30-33,000/year for Associate Organizers and
> $32-37,000 for Lead Organizers starting salary + health & benefits).
>
> Graduates from the four month DART Organizers Institute have gone onto
> accept Executive Director and Associate Community Organizing positions
> throughout the country.
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Below are 2 testimonies from the DART web site www.thedartcenter.org
> Charles Grant is pastor of Bon Air Presbyterian Church, Richmond, VA.  James
> Proctor, from Jacksonville, FL,  is Presiding Elder of the AME Church.
> Additional testimonies are there from a Catholic priest, a "Full Gospel
> Baptist" church pastor, and a Rabbi.
>
> Rev. R. Charles Grant
>
> When I learned of the effort to organize in Richmond, I was one of the early
> clergy to be involved. Right off the bat, I was personally attracted to
> congregation-based community organizing for several reasons: first, it was a
> faith based and guided program for achieving long term community change;
> second, organizing is concerned with getting to the root causes of the
> problems plaguing our society -- not just another inadequate band aid for an
> insoluble problem; third, congregation-based community organizing, in
> general and DART in particular have a tested and documented track record of
> success -- we didn't have to "invent the wheel" to bring greater justice to
> our community; forth, it provides the structure for establishing real
> relationships across racial and cultural divides; fifth, it gives a focus to
> my faith commitments and my calling as a pastor. Many pastors 'talk the
> talk" of doing justice. Through congregation-based community organizing, I
> have discovered the vehicle for me and my congregation to begin to "walk the
> walk" as well. Finally, I find the skills and power I develop through my
> justice ministry cross over to other facets of my ministry as well. Now I
> cannot imagine being a pastor without doing justice ministry. Our local
> congregation-based community organization is known as RISC (Richmonders
> Involved to Strengthen our Community). RISC has made a tremendous impact on
> my congregation. For years, my suburban Presbyterian congregation has been a
> leader in our area when it comes to community ministry, conversation around
> contemporary social and political issues, and advocacy. We talked about
> justice a lot, but we had not done justice. Now, through RISC and DART our
> people are experiencing a growing sense of empowerment and fulfillment, as
> we work with other people of faith to bring God's justice to our
> metropolitan area: we are getting things done we never even dreamed of
> talking about! At our most recent action meeting, our turnout was twice what
> we had achieved in our five years with RISC -- about a third of our weekly
> average worship attendance. The buzz around our congregation since the
> meeting has really been exciting. Our people feel like the commitments we
> secured in the action meeting were significant. We are already beginning to
> think of turning out for a community action the same number of people we
> turn out for worship.
>
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>
> Dr. James Proctor
>
> My involvement with our local organizing effort, known as ICARE (Interfaith
> Coalition for Action, Reconciliation, and Empowerment), has powerfully
> reinforced my conviction neither that pastor, nor any one else should not do
> for people what they, together, can do for themselves. When people are
> involved in researching, planning and implementing strategies and processes
> to solve problems it is a great source of empowerment for them, the
> congregation and the community. Moreover, it is theologically sound to help
> parishioners to identify their "gifts" and use those "gifts" for the "common
> good." For more than two hundred years, the African Methodist Episcopal
> church has labored to promote justice for its people. My involvement with
> ICARE simply helped strengthen my resolve to work with others in the
> community to accomplish what one congregation alone could not accomplish.
> ....
>
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