Fundamentals of Organizing

From George Goehl, a new season of To See Each Other is out on September 24! This season George travels to Merrill, Wisconsin - population 9,000 to get to know a group of small town folks fighting for community and dignity for the elderly - and a better future for us all. A beloved public nursing home is unexpectedly up for sale and a group of locals thinks there’s something fishy going...

In this special bonus story of The Fundamentals of Community Organizing audiobook, George Goehl shares why “Having A Practice” is essential to being a good organizer. The Fundamentals of Community Organizing is George Goehl’s bedrock principles of organizing — the modern organizer’s bible, much as Shel Trapp’s Basics of Organizing was for George 30 years ago. Use these fundamentals to hone yo...

In this special bonus story of The Fundamentals of Community Organizing audiobook, George Goehl details the importance (and occasional misunderstanding!) of one of the key tools of organizing, “The One on One.”  The Fundamentals of Community Organizing is George Goehl’s bedrock principles of organizing — the modern organizer’s bible, much as Shel Trapp’s Basics of Organizing was for Geor...

In this special bonus story of The Fundamentals of Community Organizing audiobook, George Goehl expands on one of the key fundamentals: “Question the Be Nice Rule.”  The Fundamentals of Community Organizing is George Goehl’s bedrock principles of organizing — the modern organizer’s bible, much as Shel Trapp’s Basics of Organizing was for George 30 years ago. Use these fundamentals to hon...

The Fundamentals of Community Organizing is George Goehl’s bedrock principles of organizing — the modern organizer’s bible, much as Shel Trapp’s Basics of Organizing was for George 30 years ago. Use these fundamentals to hone your craft and become a more effective organizer. The book is available for sale on fundamentalsoforganizing.org, and now, available for listening as an audiobook in thi...

In the final episode of the season, George talks directly to young organizers today - with the weight of the world on your shoulders, what can each of us do and learn? He shares wisdom and clarifying frameworks on how to win.   We live in a time that is so humbling. A world that sometimes feels full of possibility, but just as often appears to be unraveling before our eyes. As someone wh...

What do we need to train the leaders of the future? How can we meet the complex and quickly shifting needs of the political and economic landscape in front of us? Pamela Twiss is a longtime organizer and expert trainer who challenges us to get out of our comfort zone and imagine what we could become if we are willing to move past our fears. In our conversation we discuss some of the experiences th...

Sulma Arias takes us back to the basics of organizing by focusing on what matters. No matter the context, Sulma reminds us that the fundamentals require us to invest in people, to listen more than we speak to guide our actions and to sustain ourselves and others for the long-term work. In this episode, George talks with Sulma as she begins a new role as the Executive Director of People’s Action an...

For the past few years, we have been steeped in the language of crisis, of upheaval. At times it can be difficult to orient ourselves to slow, transformative work while also being responsive to the moment. Saket Soni is the exact person to help us through this moment. On this episode, Saket and I dig into how to build vibrant, resilient organizing networks on a foundation of strong, reciprocal rel...

So much of organizing is about radical imagination; in order to struggle for change, we must believe that another way of living is possible. In this episode, George talks with Scott Reed, whose own work reminds us that this radical imagining must start within and spread outward. Join us as we discuss the transformative power of agency, what power can look like, the role of faith-based organization...

What is the future we can't yet imagine? How can we center equity and dignity in our organizing? Erica Smiley is a long-time labor organizer with a vision for addressing some of today’s most urgent challenges in the ongoing struggle for multi-racial democracy. During this episode, she and George talk about what we can learn from the past in order to build what we need for the future. Smiley p...

In this season of Fundamentals of Organizing , host George Goehl is talking to fellow organizers about their organizing journey, and what they see as the essentials we most need to center in the months and years to come.  As organizers it can feel like we have the weight of the world on our shoulders. This makes sense since these are heavy times and we know that we can make a difference. But...

No new interview this week, but we wanted to tell you about the new column George is writing all about the Fundamentals of Organizing. You'll find highlights from the interviews this season, full transcripts and new pieces all about the craft. Check it out at georgegoehl.substack.com . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not...

If organizing starts with deep listening, and is sustained by enduring relationships, how do organizers stay the course? Miya Yoshitani, Executive Director of Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) and long at the vanguard of the environmental justice movement, talks with George about the importance of articulating what we fight for. They also discuss showing up authentically as an organizer;...

How do you build enough power to change the governing framework of a place? For Gerald Taylor, whose organizing career has spanned four decades, it starts with reveling in people’s genius. In this episode, George learns from Gerald’s experiences as the lone Black man organizing in 1970s Brooklyn’s white ethnic enclave. They discuss the mutual respect it takes not just to gain trust, but to build o...

Change can be exhilarating. But it can also be hard. In this episode, Caroline Murray talks with George about asking the difficult, vulnerable questions so that we can relate meaningfully to those with whom we organize. Speaking from decades of experience -- as a leader in the New Economy movement and former Executive Director of the Alliance to Develop Power -- Caroline describes why “why” is the...

Power: Who has it? How do you get it?  How do you use it to move institutions? And what does it have to do with building politics? Doran Schrantz, Executive Director of ISAIAH and Faith in Minnesota, describes for George how building relationships is key to power-building. From supporting neighbors as they move from victimhood to agency to building teams and identifying alignment with powerfu...

Huge rallies and worldwide platforms can be transformational, not only for the causes we believe in but for participants themselves. But how do we get there? For Jess Morales Rocketto, Civic Engagement Director at the National Domestic Workers Alliance and Executive Director of Care in Action, it starts with the basics of community organizing: knowing organizing is about power; listening to people...

What will it take to depolarize our politics? At the heart of organizing is investing in deep relationships -- ones that help people develop their own power and potential. No one can describe what that takes like Stephen Roberson, Director of Organizing at Community Voices Heard. During this episode, he and George talk about the curiosity and compassion it takes to dismantle division at the most m...

Progressives have been making major inroads over the past decade, but as we face the fight of our lives -- and for our lives -- how do we find the courage to lead? Alicia Garza, founder of the Black Futures Lab and co-founder of Black Lives Matter, points the way toward wielding power strategically by looking into differences and weaving alliances that upend expected patterns. You can find Alicia...

In Season 2 of The Next Move , we’re talking about applying the craft of organizing to build the future we want. Host George Goehl, one of the nation’s leading progressive organizers, interviews trailblazers who have defined the vanguard of the field--innovators who are taking organizing fundamentals to uncharted territory. Each episode connects to one of eight key principles of organizing, explor...

Today George is reflecting on what he has learned over the course of this season. Between the impacts of COVID on the US and the racial justice reckoning that is so deeply intertwined with the disproportionate impact of COVID on Black and Brown Americans, George is feeling challenged and hopeful for a better future. This is the biggest moment to advance justice for Black Lives in America in a gene...

We are becoming an America we’ve never been. Marisa Franco, director and co-founder of Mijente, talks with George about organizing infrastructure to support progressive leadership in the immigrant rights and broader Latinx and Chicanx community. This brutal moment of recovering, unlearning, and remembering is teaching us that we are only as safe and healthy as the most vulnerable among us -- and t...

Because the pandemic has intensified the unequal, dangerous structure of our healthcare system, we need to establish healthcare as a guaranteed right for everyone. Which means now is the time for bold mandates and the creation of a new common sense that centers on a coalitional government. George talks with Robert Kraig, Executive Director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin, about lessons we’ve learne...

What role can our government play in making our lives better? And what role can we play in our government? Heather McGhee, Distinguished Senior Fellow and former President of Demos, is just the person to answer these questions. In this episode, George talks to Heather about building on our gut-level interconnectivity towards a more inclusive future, and about what learnings they have from being on...