Month: December 2021

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Links to very smart articles to help us communicate more effectively about the climate — and other issues too

December 26, 2021 GlenAnderson 0

Smarter ways to communicate — instead of “the seven deadly sins of politi-speak”: https://www.nationofchange.org/2021/06/30/the-seven-deadly-sins-of-politi-speak/     Users’ Guide: Climate Messaging 1. Start with people, stay with people. Say why it matters (to you and your audience). Connect with values—family, community, working together for good. 2. Use facts wisely. Talk facts not science. You lose people with jargon and too many numbers. A memorable fact from a trusted source is far more powerful.  3. Make it concrete. Keep language vivid (wind and solar, not “alternative energy”). Start with personal (what we see at home), scale up to global. 4. Focus on […]

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Good news! Chile’s voters elected a young, very progressive president!

December 26, 2021 GlenAnderson 0

Since the 1840s Chile had Latin America’s oldest and longest-running democracy — until President Nixon, Henry Kissinger, the CIA, and Chile’s military and mining companies overthrew it on September 11, 1973.  They installed General Pinochet, an EXTREMELY BRUTAL dictator who murdered and “disappeared” thousands of Chile’s people and ran the nation in a fascist way to serve big business and the military.  A 1998 referendum restored democracy in 1990 after 17 years of dictatorship. In recent years several South American nations have flexed between right-wing leaders and left-wing leaders. On December 19, 2021, Chile’s voters elected 35-year-old Gabriel Boric, a […]

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Christmas Eve & New Year’s Eve: Yes, Olympia’s peace vigils occur as usual both Fridays!

December 23, 2021 GlenAnderson 0

Olympia’s weekly peace vigils occur all year around, regardless of holidays and regardless of weather!   We warmly (!) invite you to join us FRI DEC 24 and FRI DEC 31 (and every Friday) from 4:30 to 6:00 (or as much of that time as you can spare) at the SW corner of 4th & Water downtown (across the street south from the Kissing Statue).  (This is for 2021, and our vigils will continue every week in the future too.) I’ll bring a good, varied selections of signs, or you may bring your own.  We support peace, human rights, nonviolence, […]

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Smart insights for strengthening our organizing for the climate

December 23, 2021 GlenAnderson 0

My notes here summarize some main points of the article I’ve linked below – and add some of my own thoughts:   The article I’ve linked below says that – although 70% of the public is worried about the climate – this has not translated into real organizing.  Instead of playing politics (nice words and political wheeling-dealing, but falling short of making the bold changes that are necessary, the article says we need to deepen the public’s concern with a profound “change of heart.” Instead of “transactional” politics, we need “transformative” politics.  Without a profound change of heart we’ll be […]

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Poem about different treatments for rich vs. poor

December 18, 2021 GlenAnderson 0

They hang the man and flog the woman Who steal the goose from off the common But let the greater villain loose Who steals the common from the goose     The law demands that we atone When we take things we do not own But leaves the lords and ladies fine Who take things that are yours and mine     (17th century English?)

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MORE GOOD NEWS: New York City joined ICAN’s appeal for cities to oppose nuclear weapons!

December 18, 2021 GlenAnderson 0

The main international non-profit organization promoting the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is educating people worldwide.  ICAN — besides urging national governments to ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) — is also urging state/provincial/local governments to pass resolutions supporting the Treaty. New York City has joined this effort.  See this great news: https://worldbeyondwar.org/new-york-city-joins-ican-cities-appeal/?link_id=33&can_id=1d662460c0abb8939c5044c82927552b&source=email-wbw-news-action-we-took-over-a-pipeline-company-office&email_referrer=email_1383052&email_subject=wbw-news-action-solidarity                      

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In early December 2021, the 57th and 58th nations ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons!

December 18, 2021 GlenAnderson 0

The movement is growing to PROHIBIT NUCLEAR WEAPONS worldwide. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) was ratified by the 50th nation in October 2020.  Since then, several more nations have ratified the Treaty.  The 57th and 58th nations ratified it in early December 2021. See information about the TPNW at www.icanw.org Mainstream news media in the U.S. are ALMOST TOTALLY IGNORING this bold, historic effort for peace, so “WE THE PEOPLE” must educate the American people and organize skillfully to promote the Treaty!          

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Nuclear Weapons — Good Sources of Information

December 18, 2021 GlenAnderson 0

See this list of VERY GOOD sources of information about nuclear weapons. Some of these entities focus SPECIFICALLY on nuclear weapons, and some include nuclear weapons among their range of issues (including nuclear power, honest science, etc.). SEE THIS:  Nuclear Weapons — Good Sources of Information          

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Sign up NOW for FREE, PRACTICAL ONLINE WORKSHOPS to help you make more progress on issues YOU care about

December 18, 2021 GlenAnderson 0

ALL OF US — new people, experienced organizers, and everybody in between — can STRENGTHEN OUR SKILLS and add resources to our “toolboxes” so we can make more progress in working on our issues. That’s why I’m offering my 6 FREE ONLINE WORKSHOPS. Please see information on the flyer I posted at this link – and SIGN UP NOW! 6 practical workshops on Grassroots Organizing — 2022 JAN-FEB — FLYER.docx Let’s build strong nonviolent grassroots movements that will significantly move public opinion — and change the dominant paradigms — and push governments, big businesses, mainstream media, and other entrenched entities to do […]

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Let’s use more HUMOR in our political organizing! It’s a creative way to overcome people’s barriers to fresh ideas!

December 14, 2021 GlenAnderson 0

All of our progressive movements (for peace, the environment and climate, for human rights and social justice, etc., etc., etc.) need smart ways to reach out to other people with messages that they will be able to hear and understand. Creativity, the arts, and humor can be more powerful than hard logic and facts, because they go over and around and under the barriers that prevent some people from hearing and absorbing new ideas. Here are some examples and resources:   Watch this excellent 7-minute video: Why it is best to listen to political satire.  Mainstream news media have legitimized […]

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COP26: Information, Analyses, Successes, Shortcomings

December 14, 2021 GlenAnderson 0

The November 2021 global climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, generated a lot of news.  Some news sources thought COP26 made progress.  Other news sources criticized it from several perspectives.  Here — in no particular sequence — are a variety of reports about what COP26 did and did not accomplish, and what we need to do now: (I have a few more articles, but this is enough for now.)   COP26 Brought progress but also disappointment:  The United States released a slew of new climate commitments at COP26, last month’s international climate conference in Glasgow. Climate advocates view the results of […]

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Nonviolent Grassroots Organizing Creates Light and Progress

December 9, 2021 GlenAnderson 0

Nonviolent Grassroots Organizing Creates Light and Progress Glen Anderson (360) 491-9093 glenanderson@integra.net The January 2022 theme for the Olympia-based publication Works In Progress (www.olywip.org) – “Where do we find light” – is a smart question to ask.  I recommend finding light in two places:  in ourselves and in the world around us. Contrary to the cynical assumption that human beings are inherently competitive and cruel (and contrary to the religious assumption that we’re doomed by “original sin”), powerful research affirms humans inherently want to cooperate and be good to each other.  I read the book Humankind: A Hopeful History written […]