Strategies to Expand our Movement – Rural Organizing Project

Strategies to Expand our Movement for Peace and Justice

Below are strategies that groups organizing for peace and justice are using. As we work here in Oregon to create a multi-racial, multi-ethnic, and multi-cultural peace movement that is grounded in economic and racial justice, we want to think critically about the strategies that we are using. How do they expand or constrict our movement? Use these questions to discuss and evaluate the strategies that your community is currently using as well as the strategies that you could be using.

Which strategies are most relevant to your community? Why? How?
How is this strategy relevant to the current economic crisis?
How is this strategy relevant to U.S. foreign policies?
How does this strategy link the wars at home and abroad?
How does this strategy broaden the traditional peace movement?
What skills and support would you need to take this strategy on?

Strategies for Peace and Justice Organizing

Language and messages that emphasizes the cost of war, opposition to war funding and the military budget versus human needs and job creation, actions on trillion $ mark
Counter Recruitment – working with youth targeted by military recruiters, opt-out
Accountability actions directed towards the Obama administration
Organizing with returning veterans to support their needs and services
Building multi-racial/multi-ethnic leadership and coalitions that reflect our community
Cross race conversations with youth about economic opportunities and alternatives to the military
Music and Arts events – focusing on outreach to youth, for example, public visual displays of Postcards to Obama calling for an end to the wars
Focusing on corporations that militarize the border and profit from wars abroad – making links between war/peace and immigration/migration
Listening sessions with veterans about their perspective on the current wars
Police Accountability – stop violence by the police on our communities, particularly targeting people of color
Anti-nuclear weapons organizing
War Tax Resistance – not paying taxes to support war
Diversifying history panels and education events – sharing other perspectives on the history of wars, for example, the 1st Gulf War
Film nights or speakers with discussions
Grassroots Lobbying and Lobby Days – asking, demanding, putting pressure on our elected officials, call in days, sign on letters
Opposition to military contracts with schools, for example, Starbase Program in Portland Public Schools brings 5th graders to military bases
Peace organizing in 2010 versus the 60s and 70s – for example, taking advantage of new social networking media, Facebook, YouTube
Being a peace community now/peacemaking (versus organizing for peace externally) and integrating justice work into our peace organizing
Engaging with community civic life, for example through joining community boards, partnering with faith community and spiritual fellowships, walking in parades
Department of Peace organizing
Making connections between war and climate change
Civil disobedience and resistance
Learning from community struggles and resistance in the global South
Opposing military presence around the globe in the name of the War on Drugs
Local City or County Resolutions and Signature Ads in local papers calling for the troops to be brought home, supporting Dept. of Peace, or other action

For more information, contact Rural Organizing Project, www.rop.org, 503-543-8417.