This semester I had the privilege and challenge of
organizing a Healthcare-NOW!
campus group at City University of New York’s Brooklyn College.
This task was much more complex than I anticipated, however I learned
many valuable skills that will help me to organize students and
other community members in the future. I will be discussing the
lessons I learned this semester, while also sharing some tips on
organizing and constituency building.
When organizing a grassroots movement, having a clear
mission statement is critical. Many people overlook the importance
of a mission statement. It can help you set clear and realistic
goals, determine your budget, and both target and build your constituency.
In this case, our mission statement focused on getting relevant
information about the healthcare crisis and solution to the masses
of students at Brooklyn College.
When I initially began to speak to others on campus
about the importance of implementing a universal healthcare system
in the U.S., I quickly realized that many were uninformed or misinformed.
I strongly believe that mobilizing people in a social justice movement
starts with education. Passing out literature, keeping up with current
news, and researching the issues is an effective tool in keeping
your organization and others in the community up to date on current
issues. Having a good educational website helps too, healthcare-now.org,
for example.
Healthcare coverage is a national concern that affects
all communities. I found that two approaches to organizing were
the most successful tactics for us. Using both top-down and bottom-up
strategies together, as an approach to organizing, is the most effective
way, and I think that is a good way to talk about it.
In the Top-down strategy, the organization develops
an approach that reaches out to the top people involved in the issue.
In this case, one could utilize a Congressperson, City Council member,
or a prominent community leader to reach that constituency group.
For this approach, it is important to find multiple authoritative
figures who are well- informed and educated on the subject. They
will become the “face” of your movement. These persons
will act as both spokespersons and significant leaders among the
group. It is important to select a person or persons who are effective
communicators and a revolutionary thinkers.
A Bottom-up approach to organizing is the most effective
strategy Healthcare-NOW! used to mobilize students and inspire them
to get involved in passing a national healthcare system. This approach
encouraged outreach from both within and outside of the organization.
This method of mobilizing the masses is mostly used in grassroots
organizing.
Bottom-up promotes networking and group thinking.
Networking assists the group in building a diverse constituency.
Meeting new people gives one a chance to inform others about your
organization’s existence and goals. Group thinking is critical
in social movements because it generates
useful ideas, helps you set realistic goals and helps to compile
practical tactics to fulfill the group’s objectives. An example
we use at Healthcare-NOW! is the strategy of Healthcare Truth Hearings.
They can be small or large – on every campus and in every
community – until everybody understands that we can achieve
the national healthcare we deserve as a human right. The idea is
that everybody from the very bottom of the economic heap on up can
begin to have a voice by testifying at a Truth Hearing. We are seeking
to have 1,000 such Healthcare Truth Hearings during the coming two
years to make clear to Congress that we mean “business.”
Have a positive approach to solving the problem. Giving
confidence to others in your group increases the likelihood of reaching
your set goals. Avoid conflict between members of the group as much
as possible. Controversy creates tension among members and will
only slow down progress, eventually ruining the ultimate potential
and objectives of the organization.
Hold elections every semester to select active committee
and board members. Electing people into positions is important because
it is a fair way to put people into leadership positions. It also
encourages a democracy and reinforces the importance of the members
reaching a consensus on decisions.
Knowing your campus and faculty well is crucial. Building
good relationships with campus staff will help you in spreading
information about your noble cause. Keeping in contact with them
regularly will make them more willing to assist you in planning
events, increasing membership, and acquiring space for events on
campus. You can also ask them for permission to speak to their students
during their classes. This gives you the chance to showcase your
organization and inform others of upcoming events.
Serving food or refreshments at meetings and events
is always a great way to increase the attendance of people, especially
when dealing with college students. Just adding the words “food
or refreshments will be served” on a flyer can have an enormous
impact on the turnout of your events.
I thoroughly enjoyed organizing the first Healthcare-NOW!
campus group. Throughout the semester, I had the opportunity to
encounter interesting and innovative people, whom I may not have
met if I had not gotten involved with this cause. I have found that
the most essential characteristic of a good organizer is having
passion about your issue and the determination necessary to accomplish
your goal. Whether it is speaking to people, making flyers, or even
cleaning up after an event; it is imperative that you sincerely
take pride in all of your organizing actions and pass your passion
along to others.
We would love to see a dozen or more campuses organizing
a Healthcare Truth Hearing next semester. We are calling on people
on campuses to take up this challenge. Join us as we demand that
Congress take action on this issue. Call our office 800-453-1305
and leave a message if you are up for working with us. You should
also mention that we are calling on the new leadership, Congressmembers
Pelosi, Rangel and Stark, to hold official Congressional hearings
the week of the anniversary of Dr. MLK’s assassination, as
we rededicate ourselves to the justice he called for and his passion
for universal healthcare for all when he said, "Of all the
forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking
and inhumane".
Georgette Kareithi is a member of the Healthcare
NOW! Staff and is a senior at CUNY- Brooklyn College (double
major in Journalism and Women’s Studies). Click
here to contact Ms. Kareithi and Healthcare-NOW.
Click
here to read any of the articles in this special BC
series on Single-Payer Healthcare.
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