Climate organizing must range from global to local levels

This morning I attended Olympia WA’s “Zero Hour” climate rally that was organized by young person.  The main organizer is 13 years old, and she spoke briefly and capably.  All over the world — and in many U.S. locations — young people organized “Zero Hour” rallies and marches to convey the urgency of the climate crisis.  Young people mobilized to demand an end to the abuses that are curtailing their futures — and to demand sustainable solutions.  For more information see www.thisiszerohour.org

–> The climate crisis is a WORLDWIDE crisis.
–> Decades ago Tip O’Neill, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, famously said, “All politics is local.”
Both of these are true!  In order to solve the worldwide crisis, we must organize locally.  This is a great example of the famous advice, “Think globally — and act locally.”

When I spoke briefly at today’s rally, I said that Olympia’s Zero Hour rally was part of a worldwide event with local rallies and marches in many countries and many local communities within the U.S. and a national event in Washington DC.

Solving ANY problem — climate, nuclear weapons, homelessness, income inequality, racial injustice, or anything else — requires ORGANIZING NONVIOLENT GRASSROOTS MOVEMENTS with smart goals and smart strategies.

LOCAL ORGANIZING for meaningful climate progress does not get any better than what a group of volunteers in Thurston County WA have been doing.  The Thurston Climate Action Team (www.thurstonclimateaction.org) has persuaded the local governments of Thurston County and each of the three main cities (Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater) to take specific, bold, meaningful actions to protect the climate.  I interviewed two of TCAT’s volunteers and another savvy person for the November 2017 TV program in the Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation’s TV series.  You can watch the program at the “TV Programs” part of www.olympiafor.org.  Simply scroll down to November 2017 and click the title of this episode to watch the interview or click the “Description” link to the right of the title to read a thorough summary of what we said during the interview.

Politicians will not give us the solutions as gifts from the top down.  Too many politicians are owned by the polluting industries.  Too many are comfortable with the status quo and will not voluntarily change.  Voters must replace them!  In addition to voting, the general public must get informed and get organized so we can BUILD MASSIVE GRASSROOTS PRESSURE to NONVIOLENTLY persuade them to take bold, responsible actions.

I offer a series of 6 workshops with very wise and practical insights and methods of ORGANIZING NONVIOLENT GRASSROOTS MOVEMENTS.  See this flyer:  6 workshops on NV Grassroots Organizing — FLYER

I am looking for opportunities to offer them not only in the greater Olympia WA area, but also elsewhere throughout our region.  If you might be interested in recruiting 5 to 15 persons and finding a location where I could facilitate these workshops, please contact me at (360) 491-9093 or glenanderson@integra.net  I donate my time for free, but I’d like to be reimbursed for printing the many excellent handouts.  If you can’t afford to cover printing costs, that’s OK.

What’s important is reaching a good number of people with the insights and skills so YOU can organize around whatever issue(s) you care about.  It’s OK if the participants all share one issue (e.g., climate) or if they care about a wide range of issues (peace, environment, economics, human rights, etc.).

At today’s rally I gave many people a half-page flyer linking the climate crisis with nuclear weapons.  Both issues have a lot in common.  I’m attaching the flyer here:  Climate crisis and nuclear weapons are two existential threats.docx

 

 

About GlenAnderson 1499 Articles
Since the late 1960s Glen Anderson has devoted his life to working as a volunteer for peace, nonviolence, social justice, and progressive political issues. He has worked through many existing organizations and started several. Over the years he has worked especially for such wide-ranging goals as making peace with Vietnam, eliminating nuclear weapons, converting from a military economy to a peacetime economy, abolishing the death penalty, promoting nonviolence at all levels throughout society, and helping people organize and strategize for grassroots movements to solve many kinds of problems. He writes, speaks, and conducts training workshops on a wide variety of topics. Since 1987 he has produced and hosted a one-hour cable TV interview program on many kinds of issues. Since 2017 he has blogged at https://parallaxperspectives.org He lives in Lacey near Olympia WA. You can reach him at (360) 491-9093 glen@parallaxperspectives.org