Blog from Wellstone Action

Green Jobs for All

Mweiss — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:35:37 -0500

At a recent Open Mic night at the Blue Nile, an Ethiopian restaurant in town, I was doing non-partisan voter registration with the League of Young Voters. This young woman, Sabra, was grilling me about how the progressive movement is going to address the issues that matter after the election.

Sabra: "So you all do voter registration and stuff right now. What do you do when the election is over?"

Me: Well, we work on issues that matter to local young people.

"Like what?"

Like Green Jobs -- that's going to be a major focus post-election.

"What's that?"

So you know how all of a sudden everyone and their mom is talking about the environment?

"Uh-huh"

In order to actually protect the environment, and protect ourselves, we've got a whole lot of work to do-we've got to remodel all of our inefficient buildings. We've got to build and install all those solar panels and wind turbines. We've got to design new public transit systems."

"Yeah, that's true."

They say that in order to do this, 500 million new jobs need to be created.

"Damn!"

So who do you think is going to get those jobs?

"Environmentalists?"

Definitely. But maybe not the way you're thinking of it. If they do it right, a whole bunch of those will be jobs for people who don't have jobs right now, or maybe have bad, low-paying jobs with no way to move up. They'll create this incredible way for people to get out of poverty and simultaneously save our earth.

"Damn! That's incredible! I mean, it's like the perfect solution. It takes like our two biggest problems and solves them together! For real?"

For real.

"Girl, I need a green job! You all need volunteers?"

The look in Sabra's eyes was exactly how I had felt when I first heard Van Jones talk about Green Jobs at a conference I attended. His description of "ecological apartheid" and the solution of Green Jobs, made more sense than anything I'd heard in a long time.

Jones has tapped into the growing acknowledgement by the mainstream environmentalist movement that it has historically served the primary interests of the white middle-to-upper class. Warning that communities of color will likely be excluded from new, conservation-oriented jobs created as corporate America and the government rush to "green" the American economy, Jones proposes this burgeoning conservation industry as an opportunity to turn this trend around. The new green-collar economy has the opportunity to give communities of color access to anti-poverty jobs and training, especially as more and more of the traditional living-wage blue-collar jobs head overseas.

Suddenly, this idea made a world that had been feeling really dark lately seem wild with possibilities.

Jones' vision has taken root. With yesterday's release of his new book, The Green Collar Economy (HarperOne), it will start growing branches. My deep hope is that this book, and the idea, will spread like crazy, light up a whole bunch of Sabras and Matties and add some new muscle to the Green Jobs movement.

This book has the potential to be our generation's "Little Green Book." Please read it. Please pass it on. To join the movement for Green Jobs, go to www.GreenForAll.org

Van Jones is the co-founder of the Ella Baker Center, a community development organization in Oakland that works to provide job training and placement for low-income Oakland residents, including at-risk youth or recently incarcerated. The Center has launched a Green Jobs Corps, a training program for skills specific to green-collar jobs in the Bay Area.

Ellie McDonnell contributed research to this post.

High School Students get Proactive and help get out the Vote

hayes — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:18:58 -0500

Whoever thinks high school students and people of young ages are apathetic when it comes to politics, did not see what I saw on Saturday, the 20th of September when I attended Wellstone Action's High School Camp Wellstone with students itching to learn about voting and the political process.

Around 9:30 am, approximately 60 students began to trickle in, several hailing from different high schools, as close as St. Paul Central, and as far as Fergus Falls. Camp Wellstone trainers, Mattie Weiss, Brian Lozensky, Danny Silva-Alvarez, and Maria Schirmer, who provided everyone with a breakfast of bagels with cream cheese and orange juice, welcomed them with a couple of introductory games to get the ball rolling. Once everyone had a comfortable feel for each other, the activities began.

Mattie kicked things off with every high school student's nightmare - a pop-quiz. This quiz challenged the student's pre-existing knowledge of government and politics, teaching them how to be, as she termed it, a political smarty-pants. I was particularly impressed with what transpired in this activity, not only because of several of the student's eagerness to learn the right answers to the questions asked, but because many of them already knew the answers and shared theses valuable insights with the rest of the group. I was quite amazed with much of the information shared that I certainly did not know during my years in high school.

As a Communications major at my school I know that learning how to interact with people on an interpersonal level and impart information is crucial to getting your message across. In the next exercise, the students were split up into three large groups and taught about Class Raps, in which they were instructed how to speak to a large group of potential young voters, perhaps at their own schools, and tell them how they could make their voices heard and have their concerns met. Each group was required to perform a short skit, in which they acted as if they were making a political announcement to a classroom. The energy and willingness to speak out, not to mention the creativity displayed, was indeed very enjoyable to watch.

After the students wrapped up their raps, they sat down to lunch. This gave me a chance to speak with several of them, as I asked them what issues they believed were most pressing or most important in this upcoming election, or just in general. I received a myriad of answers ranging from the conflict in the Middle East and the Iraq War, to rising gas prices here at home. Lunch was concluded by a reading of a truly moving poem written and read by student, Iris Andrews:

So many things going on in the world today
So many things going wrong in the world today
All of these tests and trials
I've yet today to see somebody smile
Trouble only seems to increase
With half of the world infected with disease
I wanna make it better, Lord knows I try
No tears in my eyes, I just wanna make the poem cry

So many young mothers and the babies they abort
No chance at all because life was cut short
So many of your young men are out selling drugs
Why? Because parents need to provide more hugs
So many of our people are living in poverty
But there's that one Christian praying on his knees
I wanna make it better, Lord knows I try
No tears in my eyes, I just wanna make the poem cry

So many women are constantly hurt and misused
But they're accustomed to it by growing up being abused
So many of our children remain parentless
Because we keep electing presidents without any sense
Elections are coming around, but no one is devoted
But the same people who complained never even voted
I wanna make it better, Lord knows I tried
No tears in my eyes, they've completely died
If you asked me I couldn't tell you why
I guess I just gotta make the poem cry.

Wellstone Action is known for getting the word out to people and educating them on the inner workings of government and politics, and they did just that with their next exercise: Door-knocking practice, teaching and discussing potential strategies on how to go about walking through residential neighborhoods, going door-to-door talking with strangers about voting. One person would be the knocker, the other person would be the resident. Essentially, this practice is very important because it connects with potential voters on the issues they care about on a personal level and helps them to choose a candidate.

As if on cue, a couple of volunteers from Minnesota Powershift, a local political activism group, came in and spoke with the students about potential volunteer opportunities that would further assist them in getting the word out and more importantly, the vote. Now, with their creative juices really flowing, the students were given a chance to express themselves by drawing on one side of a piece of paper, something they were concerned about for post-election results, and something they were hopeful about for the post-election aftermath. Not only were the illustrations impressive, the reasoning and discussions behind them were as well.

With their drawings complete, and their minds a-fire with topical issues, everyone sat down in a large circle, spanning the circumference of the room, and began to discuss their personal concerns. This was an extremely meaningful and powerful discussion not only because of the healthy and quite frankly justified fears expressed, but also because of the messages of hope that so many of them carry with them; hope that they will grow up to see a world that is without poverty, violence or ignorance. Having shared their thoughts, it was time to share their feelings. All hands were joined and each and every person present shared that moment in time with their neighbor and their neighbor's neighbor...the energy shared on that circle could be felt in every corner of the room.

The most inspiring thing about the day was that a majority of the students present would not be able to vote in the coming election, yet still they all came out from different corners of the state, some even new Americans, because they all had at least one thing in common: the desire to live in a world where their voices could be heard.

Who says young people are apathetic?

Check out video taken of the High School Camp:

Class Raps: short skits on voting

Group Discussion (Part I) (Part II)

Check out pictures taken from the Camp

Where is the love?

Mweiss — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:13:05 -0500

Newsweek released a poll on Monday showing Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama in a dead heat.

But not among my generation.

With us, it's not even close. The largest gap in support by age group is among 18-39 year olds, with an astounding 27% lead for Obama. Compare that to the next largest age-based advantage- 10% for McCain among 40 - 59 year olds.

In additional to this latest poll, numbers indicate that 6.5 million people under 30 voted in this year's primaries and caucuses, and the overall youth vote has risen from 9 percent in 2000 to 17 percent in 2008.

These figures prove that young people will be a deciding factor in this election, and in particular, for progressive change. So where is the love?

While the campaigns spend money and time talking to swing voters and "hockey moms", we see very little attention paid to our issues and our organizing strategies. While money is poured into attack ads, there are major opportunities being missed to mobilize huge numbers of young people who will come out in droves for progressive candidates if, as research shows, we are able to have face-to-face conversations with them about how elections relate to their lives and about how to navigate the voting process.

Ever since organizations that target youth and students began putting their voter mobilization plans together last spring there has been a scramble for very scarce resources from very few funders-with most organizations significantly cutting back on their plans as a result of insufficient resources. National organizations, like the League of Young Voters, are depending on an all-volunteer staff in a number of target states. The United States Student Association has been able to raise less than half of the money they need to turn out their goal of 150,000 students. The same is true for the Student Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs), Rock the Vote, and a ton of more regional or local youth voter organizations.

This nonsensical under-resourcing of youth voting efforts is not just among non-partisan organizations. Campaigns are guilty too. At one local Obama office, one single staffer is responsible for all of the college, high school and non-college youth in the entire congressional district. Those groups have completely different needs! Among organizations here in Minnesota doing election work, only one is focusing its attention primarily on college students, and one focusing on neighborhood-based youth.

This is crazy to me. If polls prove youth to be the progressive swing demographic, isn't it in a whole lot of peoples' interest to make sure we get the resources we need to come out as powerful as our potential?

________

Beyond funding, and perhaps more importantly, there's the question about political accountability.

Where will we be on Nov 5^th? Will there be a chair for young people at the table when decisions are made about the very things that are bringing us out to vote in droves: the economy, healthcare, the war, our environment? We're working our butts off to mobilize our peers; if the progressive community understands its own self interest, it will start investing in its future.

Mapping: Wellstone Action Alums Running for Office in 2008

elana — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:15:25 -0500

Check out this interactive map of our alumni candidates running for office this election year!

From the New York Times: The Words They Used

elana — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:42:10 -0500

As a big fan of using data to tell stories about our world, I was fascinated by this graphic by Matthew Ericson of the New York Times. Analyzing transcrips from speeches at both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, you can see some surprising (and some not-so-surprising) themes. Democratic speakers, for instance, mentioned opponent John McCain 3 times as often as the Republicans mentioned Barack Obama. The events of September 11th came up more often at the DNC, while terrorism/terrorists were addressed evenly by both parties. "Change" was the Dems number one word; "God" took first place for Repubs. Fascinating!

Camp Wellstone Alums Working to End Homeless in NC

Jhaut — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:19:31 -0500

In March of 2008, I met Liz, Jerry, Rollon, Stacey, and Humphrey, five individuals from the organization Homeless Helping Homeless who attended Camp Wellstone in Raleigh, NC. I was immediately inspired by their stories and their mission: ending homelessness. No small feat!

Homeless Helping Homeless (HHH), a project of the Urban Ministry Center, operates out of Charlotte, NC. Their primary focus is to: empower change, build bridges, and end homelessness. It should also be noted that the group is made up primarily of individuals who are currently homeless working to end homelessness.

Homeless Helping Homeless does not just give the homeless a voice; rather, it is the voice of the homeless. Since 2001, members of the homeless community in Charlotte have been advocating for their own needs. HHH is the vehicle for their social change by allowing members to take part in conferences (such as Camp Wellstone), advocacy trips, community forums, and fundraising events.

I caught up with Liz Clasen, the Director of Homeless Helping Homeless, and Rollon Washington, a member of their leadership team, after the training to learn more about how they were putting their Camp Wellstone skills to use. Read more about what they've been up to in their alumni profile!

From l-r: Humphrey, Stacey, Jerry, Liz, and Rollon.

Responsibilities of a Community Organizer

elana — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 10:14:20 -0500

Last week in Denver, Democrats highlighted the biography of their party's presidential nominee, Barack Obama, and the fact that he got his start as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago.

One interesting twist this election year has been the nation's exposure to community organizing as a job, and as something that might help prepare an individual to lead. It's not surprising that much of the country hadn't heard of community organizing before now. A good organizer is always in the back of the room, or better yet, outside collecting sign-in sheets.

However, last night here in our great hometown of St. Paul, Republicans gathered for their turn to make their case to voters. And Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin, along with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, openly mocked and derided the job of community organizing.

Comparing her experience to that of Obama's, Palin said "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer - except that you have actual responsibilities".

Now, let me be clear: my interest here is not to defend Barack Obama's experience, but the professional field to which Wellstone Action trains people to devote their lives.

So let me outline, for anyone who may be curious, the responsibilities of a community organizer:

8am -

Wake up, knowing that the day ahead of you will require you to work long hours, for little pay, less thanks, and zero credit.

Sit down at your desk, or pick up your cell phone, and figure out the people in the community you need to talk to to identify the challenges being faced. Set up meetings with leaders and regular people to get buy-in on the proposed solution.

12pm -

Make decisions about how best to proceed with your plan for change in your community. Figure out how you will influence powerful interests without any resources other than your own scrappy resourcefulness and the support of many individuals earned by painstakingly building relationships.

5pm -

Figure out who in your community wields power and influence, who doesn't, and why. Make hundreds of calls, knock on hundreds of doors, and listen to hundreds of stories in order to bring people together in common cause. Convince folks to set aside what makes them different and focus on their shared interest - it's the only way to build common ground and affect change.

8pm -

Learn from those around you and prepare for the next day. Write follow-up notes, make confirmation calls, and thank your volunteers. Remind yourself to be tenacious, because the process of change is long and can be slow in coming.

Being an organizer means putting the needs of the community above yourself and your ego. Your task is to influence the powerful with little more than the common will, and do so while developing the leadership of those around you. A good organizer is always working to put themselves out of a job, because many others should be prepared to step up and take their place. You listen and learn, coordinate and plan, arrive early and stay late, and do the real work that improves people's lives.

It's easy to laugh at something unfamiliar, or mock something you don't understand. But community organizers have been the ones that moved our country forward during times of crisis and great change. They are ordinary people working to improve their communities - that doesn't sound very elitist, does it?

For more information on what community organizing is, check out the writings of Harvard professor (and community organizer) Marshall Ganz.

Strategy Memo: Organizing for Green Jobs

elana — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:17:16 -0500

In 2008 and 2009, Wellstone Action will work with our great partners - from youth coalitions to labor unions and anti-poverty organizations - and train thousands of people to organize for an economy that invests in clean, renewable energy and creates millions of green-collar jobs.

Here at Wellstone Action HQ, we work with many different kinds of organizations and individuals from across the progressive movement. And what we've been seeing, clear as a smog-free day, is that many factors are coming together to create a political environment where innovative solutions to climate change and economic woes are gaining traction. The call for "green jobs" -- both skilled and entry-level opportunities that help build America's sustainable infrastructure -- is coming from many quarters, many of which are gaining power this election cycle.

We're hearing this call from young people, who see their employment opportunities diminishing while also confronting a future with sky-high energy prices and communities threatened by the effects of global warming.

We're hearing this call from union members, who have witnessed decades of an economy that ships jobs overseas to countries without labor or environmental standards, who see an opportunity for skilled manufacturing jobs here at home.

We're hearing this call from low-income communities, who are disproportionately affected by environmental degradation and have a great need for economic development opportunities.

There is incredible potential in this political year when young people are becoming engaged in very high numbers, labor unions are mobilized, and more and more people from communities across the economic spectrum are registering to vote. The organizations Wellstone Action works with are not only mobilizing their folks to vote on this issue of climate change and a green economy -- they have plans for leveraging that electoral power to translate into policy changes come 2009.

Keep an eye out for more information on our green economy training initiatives and for this issue to play a major role in the election and beyond.

Alumni Candidates in their own words

elana — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:31:22 -0500

We surveyed our alums to find out how many were running for office this year. Even we were stunned at the response.

Turns out, over 250 Wellstone Action alumni are running for office this year, in states across the country and in all kinds of races, from school board to U.S. Senate. We're still compiling the data, so look for more info in the days and weeks to come. But first, hear a little bit about these amazing candidates in their own words.

Check out the gallery of quotes!

Organizing in the Southwest

Jhaut — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:13:32 -0500

This past weekend in Albuquerque, the buzz was generating around a certain presidential candidate who was heading into town. At Wellstone Action we wouldn't disagree that this presidential election year is exciting, but for us, this work continues presidential year or not, which is why our New Mexico Camp Wellstone training was the real buzz circulating.

For Wellstone Action, this was a return trip to Albuquerque after a successful Advanced Campaign Management and Candidate School this past winter. In partnership with the Center for Civic Action, close to 40 candidates, campaign managers, and volunteers were trained.

We may not have rubbed shoulders with the possible next president, but we met Carl Zaragoza, a former teacher in the Teach for America program, running for school board in Phoenix. And Ellen Wedum, who "should be retired" as she put it, but hasn't let her activism stop her in pursuit of state representative in Cloudcroft, New Mexico. There was also Michelle Beltran and Shannon Steffes, thinking of running for school boards in the future, and Eldred Bowekaty, who has his sights set on governor of the Zuni Tribe in 2010, as well as a handful of other potential candidates.

Camp Wellstone was rounded out with two dozen or so campaign workers, volunteers, and folks interested in making their community better. They gathered from across New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, and even New York and Pennsylvania. And they came to make sure their candidate takes office next year, because they want to effectively organize on campus or work with youth, and to take action on issues affecting their lives in the southwest.

For two long, jam-packed days, participants dove into working on campaign plans and setting budgets, creating fundraising goals, writing effective phone scripts, talking about a winning message, and writing stump speeches (some of the best, by the way).

Sure, we'll be paying attention to the presidential nominee on November 4^th, too, but we'll also be watching out for Carl and Ellen as well as thousands of other candidates we've trained over the years. We'll be keeping our fingers crossed for the other potential candidates, like Shannon, who told us, "I never would have imagined actually going through with a campaign for elected office. Now I am inspired and I believe this is something that I can do." We believe she can, too.