query: short engaging film about organizing

[colist at comm-org.wisc.edu]

[ed:  thanks to Yahonnes, Richard, Leslie, Arthur, George, and Al for 
replying to James' query.]

From: "Yahonnes Cleary" <ycleary at NJISJ.ORG>


The Prison Moratorium Project in Bklyn has a good film on their website
about their organizing (http://www.nomoreprisons.org/ click video link
on the left). I think you can also request a longer video from them
directly.


Best,

Yahonnes Cleary
Lowenstein Community Development Fellow
New Jersey Institute for Social Justice
60 Park Place, Suite 511
Newark, NJ 07102
(973) 624-9400 x27
www.njisj.org

****************************

From: Richard Layman <rlaymandc at yahoo.com>

it's not short and it's not just about youth, but I think that "Holding 
Ground," about the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative in Boston 
(companion book = _Streets of Hope_ by Sklar and Medoff) is very good 
and inspiring.  A number of pieces in the film show involved youth.  And 
the organization has a youth committee I think and there are now 
designated spots on the board for students.
  
  Richard Layman
  Washington, DC

******************************

From: "Leslie Belay" <leslie.belay at verizon.net>

Dear James,

I recently saw a short, engaging film about organizing that might interest
your organization. It's called Hineini, which translates from Hebrew roughly
as "Here I am". It is a new film, about 1 hour long, which documents the
organizing initiative at a small private Jewish day school in suburban
Boston on creating a "Gay-Straight Alliance" at the school. It is produced
by a local GLBT advocacy organization in Boston called Keshet. The film is a
youth accessible primer in basic community organizing techniques with a
narrative that lends itself to debriefing on organizing issues including
power analysis (identifying assets within the group, allies, and key power
actors), sustainability, incremental vs. systemic change, etc.

You can get more details at the Keshet website:
http://www.boston-keshet.org/hineini/


Leslie Belay
43 Peter Parley Road
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
617/522-5417
leslie.belay at verizon.net

***************************
From: Arthur Keene <keene at anthro.umass.edu>

Try the HBO film Walkout (2006).  It's not short but it's a nice
introduction to campaigns strategy,  tactics and constituencies and
really resonates with young people.  Here's the blurb from IMDB.

 > Based on a true story, student activist and Mexican-American Paula
 > Crisostomo, tired of being treated unequally, decides to take action
 > and stage a walkout at five East Los Angeles high schools in 1968, to
 > protest educational conditions and complain of anti-Mexican
 > educational bias along with some 10,000 students

Arthur S. Keene
Professor of Anthropology
Terrence Murray Professor in Commonwealth College

Department of Anthropology
Machmer Hall
240 Hicks Way
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA 01003-9278

keene at anthro.umasss.edu
http://www.people.umass.edu/akeene

***********************************
From: "George Carns" <carnsg at landcdc.org>

There is a really exciting older documentary of a neighborhood campaign to
keep open a local fire station in Brooklyn in 1975 (I think...) called "The
People's Firehouse".  I think I first saw it at Organizer Training at the
Midwest Academy a few decades ago - but it's excellent and the
Polish-American neighborhood residents in the film are passionate about
power organizing and the lesson for your young folks is that organizing has
a long history.  Check with the Midwest Academy about a copy of the film 
and
check out http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=195411 
for a
short summary of the flick - or Google The People's Firehouse.

George Carns
Washington Park Partners
Program Manager
Lisbon Avenue Neighborhood Development
3701 W Lisbon Avenue
Milwaukee WI 53208
carnsg at landcdc.org

*********************

From: Al Boss <alboss at sisypheans.org>

Well, although neither one is short, Matewan and Norma Rae are certainly
engaging. (Both are movies about union organizing.) Perhaps some sleep
will help me recall some others that come closer to what you're after.

Best,

Al Boss



>
>
> From: James Mumm <james.mumm at nwbccc.net>
>
> I really need to find a short, engaging film that explains organizing and
> is accessible to youth.  Any ideas?
>
> James Mumm
> Executive Director
> Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition
> 103 East 196th Street
> Bronx, NY 10468
> (718) 584-0515 (main office)
> (718) 733-6922 (fax)
> (917) 865-0162 (mobile)
> James.Mumm at nwbccc.net
> www.nwbccc.net
>
>
>