[Dialogue] [Springboard] Alinsky & Freire and ICA's approach
Len Hockley
lenh at efn.org
Wed Jan 12 13:32:55 CST 2011
Hi Bill
So much for that piece of folklore! I do remember that dumping a load
of garbage on the front lawn of a Chicago councilman was a bit much for us.
One might learn a lot about Alinsky history from the Wikipedia entry on
the IAF at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Areas_Foundation
Please note that credit for moving to a congregation strategy is given
to Alinsky's designated successor Ed Chambers.
Len
On 1/12/2011 11:13 AM, Bill Schlesinger wrote:
>
> The primary difference between our approach and Alinsky's (who did not
> lecture in any early Academy I remember in the 60's) was
> methodological, not an establishment/disestablishment orientation.
> Alinsky's approach depended on a responsive establishment that would
> not simply shoot organizers. It relied -- as did Ghandi's and Dr.
> Martin Luther King, Jr.'s approaches -- on the moral values perceived
> by the establishment system. 'Rub raw the sores of discontent' was
> intended to energize marginalized communities to a level of
> dissatisfaction with the 'status quo' that would then provide the
> emotional strength to make specific demands of the ruling elite, and
> to expose contradictions of normative value within the ruling elite in
> order to create open dissension and a change of practice in that
> elite. That was a basic strategy of the Civil Rights movement.
>
> Our approach -- 'locality development' in social service literature --
> was more focused on organizing available resources within the
> marginalized community ('Every local community can feed itself') and
> creating a partnership with identified elements in the wider society.
> The intent was to develop an approach that did not rely on a specific
> response from the governing elite ('OK, OK, we'll put a stop sign on
> the corner').
>
> Bill Schlesinger
>
> Project Vida
>
> 3607 Rivera Avenue
>
> El Paso, TX 79905
>
> (915) 533-7057 x 207
>
> (915) 533-7158 FAX
>
> pvida at whc.net <mailto:pvida at whc.net>
>
> www.projectvidaelpaso.org
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> *From:* dialogue-bounces at wedgeblade.net
> [mailto:dialogue-bounces at wedgeblade.net] *On Behalf Of *Len Hockley
> *Sent:* Wednesday, January 12, 2011 11:43 AM
> *To:* Colleague Dialogue
> *Cc:* Springboard Dialogue
> *Subject:* Re: [Dialogue] [Springboard] Alinsky & Freire and ICA's
> approach
>
> 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> <mailto:martin at ica-uk.org.uk>/* wrote:
>
>
> From: Martin Gilbraith (ICA:UK) <martin at ica-uk.org.uk>
> <mailto:martin at ica-uk.org.uk>
> Subject: [Springboard] Alinsky & Freire and ICA's approach
> To: Dialogue at wedgeblade.net <mailto:Dialogue at wedgeblade.net>,
> "Springboard Dialogue" <springboard at wedgeblade.net>
> <mailto: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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