| Calling All Radicals: How Grassroots Organizers Can Save Our Democracy Contributor(s): Thompson, Gabriel (Author) |
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ISBN: 1568583672 ISBN-13: 9781568583679 Publisher: Bold Type Books OUR PRICE: $18.99 Product Type: Paperback Published: September 2007 Annotation: American democracy is seemingly in retreat. Voting rates are at an all-time low, citizens are disillusioned, and inequality continues to soar. But there is also a belief that change is possible. Calling All Radicals argues that we can reclaim our democracy in the old fashioned way--through grassroots organizing. Gabriel Thompson draws upon his own experience of working within local communities to demonstrate its immediate impact. Some examples: When a brother and sister were being evicted from their home of 73 years, the community responded by staging a protest in front of the landlord's home--gaining media attention and forcing the owner to allow them to stay. With children in Central Brooklyn suffering from lead poisoning, Thompson designed a campaign that trained inner-city high school students to test neighborhood homes and found that one in three were dangerous--forcing NYC officials to act by pushing through citywide legislation that held landlords responsible for implementing more proactive steps to fix hazards. Calling All Radicals argues that everyone of capable of community organizing. It explains the key tactics of organizing, leadership development, conducting research, and working effectively with the media. The final chapter outlines a broad and daring initiative--Organize for America--that seeks to recruit and train thousands of activists each year to work to deepen American democracy at the grassroots level. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Political Science | Political Process - Political Advocacy - Political Science | Civics & Citizenship - Political Science | American Government - General |
| Dewey: 323.042 |
| LCCN: 2009278339 |
| Physical Information: 0.56" H x 6.39" W x 8.27" (0.47 lbs) 256 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: American democracy is seemingly in retreat. Voting rates are at an all time low, citizens are disillusioned, and inequality continues to soar. But there is also a belief that change is possible. Calling All Radicals argues that we can reclaim our democracy in the old fashioned way -- through grassroots organizing. Gabriel Thompson draws upon his own experience of working within local communities to demonstrate its immediate impact. Some examples: When a brother and sister were being evicted from their home of 73 years, the community responded by staging a protest in front of the landlord's home -- gaining media attention and forcing the owner to allow them to stay. With children in Central Brooklyn suffering from lead poisoning, Thompson designed a campaign that trained inner-city high school students to test neighborhood homes and found that 1 in 3 were dangerous -- forcing NYC officials to act by pushing through citywide legislation that held landlords responsible for implementing more proactive steps to fix hazards. Calling All Radicals argues that everyone is capable of community organizing. It explains the key tactics of organizing, leadership development, conducting research, and working effectively with the media. |