How Should a Movement Operate?

Drafting Some Principles for Working Together.

As some of you may remember, I’m in the process of working with others to help launch Third Act, which will focus on progressive organizing among people older than 60. (Those of you who are paying for this newsletter are helping support it, because my share of the subscription revenues heads into its bank account).

Because we’re starting from scratch, we’re trying to figure out what kind of tone to set--how to send a message that will help people build strong chapters, both geographically (ThirdAct Nevada) and by affinity group (ThirdAct Lawyers). Working together is always fun and never easy, so some of us have been working to draft a few principles to guide our work going forward--guardrails, as it were, to make the work easier and more effective. . (Shout out to the wonderful Akaya Windwood). I thought that I might offer up this draft for others to comment on--what would you like to see in a group? Chime in in the comments, no matter your age--youth organizers seem particularly good to me about figuring out these questions. And if it sounds like it might appeal to you, sign up (or sign up your parents/grandparents) for Third Act.

1)    We work for progressive change with conviction and vigor, but without aggression or bitterness. That means all of our work is nonviolent (the nonviolence pioneered by people like Gandhi, King, and the suffragists is one of the great gifts from the 20th century). And that nonviolence extends to the ways we communicate and, hopefully, to the ways we think. In the words of those campaigners who stood up for civil rights in Birmingham in 1963, we will refrain from “violence of the fist, tongue, or heart.” We don’t need to be nice, but we do need to be kind.

2)    We work confidently, but with a certain humility: the partisan and ideological hatreds of recent years are making our country ugly in unfamiliar ways, and we don’t want to add to them. In particular, while we make use of the internet and social media to spread our message, we try to do it in ways that don’t damage what’s left of the social fabric.

3)    We know that there are unhealthy and unjust patterns in our society, and that history may make them especially powerful in our generations—so we strive to make sure that as we do our work, differences of race, gender, or other markers of identity make us stronger. When we find ourselves falling into those old patterns, we make a real effort to get out of them, allowing people of every kind to lead and guide.

4)    We hope we’re past the point where ego and ambition guide our work, but since we’re human we guard against them as best we can. We know it’s not healthy to have the loudest voices dominate our efforts; we try to spread responsibility and leadership.

5)    We know, better than those who are younger, that there’s no time to waste. But we also know that there are limits to our effectiveness. Sometimes we’ll have to work harder and deal with more stress than is healthy—so we will look for opportunities to relax and take care of our health. And we will watch our colleagues to make sure they have the help they need. Part of our work is simply to enjoy the world around us—and so we celebrate victories, lift up effort, offer support.  

6)    We understand that our generations, taken as a whole, have helped create some of the troubles we now face. We think we have important roles to play in dealing with those troubles—but we also know that one of our big and joyful jobs is to support younger people leading movements for environmental and social justice. They often ask for support, not direction, and that’s what we should provide.

7)    We know that it takes financial resources to help power this work, but we also know that many of us live on fixed incomes. No one should give money they can’t afford; everyone should understand that most of all we need volunteer support.

8)    We are all capable people—but we know our effectiveness is multiplied when we work together. We acknowledge that local groups and affinity chapters have a superior sense of what messages will work in their communities, but we also agree to take guidance from the central office of Third Act on campaigns and themes, and to supply that central office with feedback on what works best.

9)    We work, as best we can, in good humor, good faith, and good cheer, recognizing that art and music have a serious role to play in making change. We realize that the problems we work on may not be solved in our lifetimes, but we know that our lives can help move us in the right direction.

10) We know that absolutely everyone has a role to play, all the way through their lives. That’s how a movement works, and it’s what a movement means.