Historic Moment Workshop at US Social Forum in Detroit: The DataCenter and the National Organizers Alliance released a report at the U.S. Social Forum in Detroit entitled: Sustaining Organizing: A Survey of Organizations During the Economic Downturn (download pdf). The report was presented at the end of a workshop called Historic Moment for Funding Social Justice Organizing in the 21st Century (Sponsored by the Funders Network on Transforming the Global Economy - FNTG and the GGJ Alliance with collaborators DataCenter and the National Organizers Alliance).   140 funder and grassroots participants explored the current movement landscape and the broader “social justice ecosystem” within the context of events ranging from the election of Barak Obama to increased organizing on the grassroots Left (as seen, for example, within the USSF process) and through right wing populism (as exemplified by tea partyism). Different strategies and initiatives within philanthropy were examined with regard to social justice and transformative change, and explored what it takes to sustain organizations that benefit our communities.

Four hours were packed with a combination of presentations, panels, role plays and small group discussions, participants explored ways of strengthening the social justice ecosystem that can inform ongoing discussions beyond the USSF in Detroit.  This session made the case that we are in a critical moment for increasing financial support to base-building and organizing, to achieve progressive political victories in the coming years. 

Write to us for a hard copy at info@Noacentral.org. You can still post here in our blog.