query: examples of organizations that successfully combine bricks and mortar community development work with confrontational organizing tactics

[Discussion list for COMM-ORG]

[ed:  thanks to John and Andy for replying to James' query.]

From: <jkrinsky at ccny.cuny.edu>


James,

I don't know what Fifth Avenue Committee is up to now, but in the 1990s, it
could be fairly confrontational about workfare, even while maintaining 
housing
development relationships with the City. ACORN, too, and I believe they 
even
lost a contract with the City over some demonstration that embarrassed 
Giuliani
or the Parks Commissioner (the incomparable) Henry Stern.  Housing Works 
also
fit this description, too.

I think one of the things that's really interesting about this question 
is the
relational aspect: i.e., it's not just what the organizations do, it's 
what the
response is, and how it unfolds. One thing with the examples above, is 
that by
and large, the protest activity was "about" an issue that was different 
than
community or housing development (in the way that we tend to partition 
out our
policy spheres) and so the tension you indicate with your query could be 
held in
balance, so to speak. Except for when Giuliani lost his balance...

Anyhow, I know you know the work Sarah Hovde and I did in the early-mid-
1990s on Mutual Housing Associations, but most of them--as I think you 
point
out in your book--kind of lost their initial edge, too.

Good luck,

John

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

From: "Andrew Mott" <andymott at communitylearningproject.org>


There are two publications and a paper on my website
www.communitylearningpartnership.org which are directly on the issue of
combining community organizing and community development. 

Moving to Scale is a study I did drawing lessons from two approaches --
organizing groups tackling development projects, and development groups
using coalitions and other devices to influence public policy. 

The Making of a movement is a report from the Association for Neighborhood
Housing and Development, New York City's citywide housing coalition, on the
phenomenal successes they had when funders formed a collaborative and gave
16 member groups funds to expand their organizing.

The paper examines the experience of ANHD, Massachusetts Assn of CDCs and
New Jersey Housing Network in expanding organizing by CDCs and helping
groups combine organizing and development

Andy Mott


Andrew Mott, Director
Community Learning Partnership
1301 Connecticut Avenue, NW--Suite 500
Washington, DC 20036

202/822-6006
andymott at communitylearningproject.org
www.communitylearningproject.org


Discussion list for COMM-ORG wrote:
> --------
> This is a COMM-ORG 'colist' message.
> All replies to this message come to COMM-ORG only.
> --------
>  
> [ed:  please feel welcomed to copy COMM-ORG with replies to James' 
> query.  A bit from me below.]
>
> From: James DeFilippis <jdefilip at rci.rutgers.edu>
>
>
> Hi all,
>
> I am looking for good examples of organizations that successfully 
> combine bricks and mortar community development work with 
> confrontational organizing tactics.
> A lot of CDCs rediscovered "organizing" about 10 years ago or so, but 
> many people (myself included) would argue that much of that organizing 
> had lost the critical and confrontational politics focused on social and 
> economic justice that had marked earlier periods of organizing.  I'm 
> looking for examples of groups that either never lost a focus on such 
> politicized organizing or got it back, while they have maintained their 
> work as developers (and/or service providers).
>
> thanks a lot, James
>
>