According to the World Book Encyclopedia, one of democracy’s four basic principles is a reasonable standard of living. Today, Oregon has both more millionaires and more people struggling with food and housing insecurity than ever before. Rural county governments have been in a funding crisis for decades and are often unable to pay for basic services, like 911 dispatch and firefighters, when our communities need them most. Human dignity groups have pushed the state and US governments to prioritize public dollars for people who are struggling the most.
The Democracy Grid
Developed in the mid-1990’s, the “Democracy Grid” is one of ROP’s cornerstone organizing tools. Using the World Book Encyclopedia’s definition of democracy, it supports human dignity groups in asking: does this issue help advance the core tenets of democracy?
The Democracy Grid
Developed in the mid-1990’s, the “Democracy Grid” is one of ROP’s cornerstone organizing tools. Using the World Book Encyclopedia’s definition of democracy, it supports human dignity groups in asking: does this issue help advance the core tenets of democracy?
Rural Ruckus at the Capitol
At the 2003 Barnyard Ruckus for Justice, more than 300 rural people representing human dignity groups from across Oregon convened at the state capitol in Salem.
Dressed as farm animals, they used theater to demonstrate rural Oregon’s funding priorities and delivered legislative “report cards” to demand our legislators support funding for schools and services, not endless wars and tax breaks for corporations.
300 rural people from across Oregon gathered at the state capitol in Salem for the 2003 Barnyard Ruckus for Justice.
Taking Action to Address Hunger
In 1999, Oregon had the highest rate of hunger in the United States. The image below shows a “power map” of the people with the decision-making power to expand food assistance programs. By identifying who from this list could be convinced into changing their vote, ROP worked with PCUN (Oregon’s farmworker union), the Oregon Center for Public Policy, Oregon Action, and other organizations to push the state to make food assistance easier to access for everyday Oregonians.
Human dignity groups mailed hundreds of paper plates representing those going hungry in Oregon to the chair of the Interagency Coordinating Council on Hunger. Timing themselves, community leaders realized that it took hours to fill out the 14-page food assistance application. Together, we won! Oregon shortened the application to two pages so it could be filled out over a lunch break and reduced the eligibility requirements to qualify! Five years later, Oregon’s hunger rate had dropped by more than 60%.
60% drop in Oregon’s hunger rate five years after human dignity groups took action!
Power Mapping
The Power Mapping Tool is one way to assess how we can strategically make change.
The tool allows us to analyze who holds power, how much influence (power) they have, and where they are located on the spectrum of agreement for a particular issue. We can then use this information to strategically plan our organizing to allow us to build power and grow the movement for justice, peace and democracy in our communities.
Power Mapping
The Power Mapping Tool is one way to assess how we can strategically make change.
The tool allows us to analyze who holds power, how much influence (power) they have, and where they are located on the spectrum of agreement for a particular issue. We can then use this information to strategically plan our organizing to allow us to build power and grow the movement for justice, peace and democracy in our communities.
This happens on the local level too. When Katie Cook’s first child was born, she began noticing the differences in access to childcare for the haves versus the have-nots In Gilliam County. She then worked with her friend to create the first public child care option in town, Condon Child Care, still going strong almost 20 years later!
From “Rural Community Building,” Rural Roots Rising
Caring for One Another
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, rural Oregonians have supported their neighbors. In September 2020, Central Oregon Diversity Project coordinated a supply drop-off in Redmond (pictured below) for people in Warm Springs, which faced boil-water notices due to broken facilities.
Central Oregon Peacekeepers, Indigenous Helpers, Deschutes Democratic Socialists of America, and Redmond Collective Action have also collaborated to build relationships with their unhoused neighbors and provide food, water, a mobile shower, garbage collection, and vaccine clinics. This coalition of human dignity groups pressured Redmond government officials to stop “sweeps” where police evict people from camps and destroy their belongings. Rural people sharing resources is a powerful testament to the possibility of a healthier and safer world for everyone.
Sharing Strategies Across Communities
When we couldn’t get together in person during the COVID-19 pandemic, ROP gathered folks from across the state on Zoom for a series of statewide strategy sessions to brainstorm and support each other’s organizing in our new reality. Here are just a few of the powerful stories human dignity leaders shared in these meetings:
A Community Center Distributes Internet
As school, work, health care, and more went virtual, human dignity leaders like Janie Hanthorn used the resources they had to make internet accessible to those who didn’t have it.
From “Better Broadband, Basically,” Pandemic Strategy Session
Removing Barriers for Unhoused People
Human dignity leaders like Allison Hobgood quickly problem-solved around the new barriers limiting access to pandemic relief programs, like stimulus checks and COVID vaccinations for unhoused community members as well as folks with disabilities.
From “Affordable, Available, Accessible: A Rural Housing Strategy Session,” Pandemic Strategy Session
Safe Working Conditions for Farmworkers
Farmworkers also needed vaccines and basic information about COVID, so many rural organizers pushed the state legislature to support safe living and working conditions, access to information, and more for farmworkers and others left behind by the initial pandemic response.
From “Affordable, Available, Accessible: A Rural Housing Strategy Session,” Pandemic Strategy Session
Wildfires Add Another Hurdle
Six months into the pandemic, many communities in Oregon were hit by record-breaking wildfires. Human dignity leaders redoubled their efforts to support those impacted, as well as tamp down the misinformation around who was to blame for the catastrophe.
From “Rural Mutual Aid and Wildfire Response,” Pandemic Strategy Session
ROP in Action!
Ready to connect with others and organize for strong and viable rural communities?
