1959 Highlander Way · New Market, TN 37820 · phone: (865) 933-3443 · fax: (865) 933-3424
e-mail: hrec@highlandercenter.org

The number of resources available related to the topic “globalization” can be daunting. That is why we spent a year looking through the many resources out there in hopes to connect you to the most inspiring and reliable resources that are relevant to organizing in Appalachia.

Almost every resource you will find here must be adapted to the specific needs of your community, organization and organizing goals. Statistics change rapidly, so it is a great idea to always check your data sources for the most up-to-date information before presenting statistics to the public.

Use the resources listed here to build a solid organization, to educate yourself about global issues, and to link the “local” issues you are facing with global policies and global political realities. Be sure to add your own culture and creativity to develop the organizing strategies most suitable and effective for your community.

Below are some strategies for global justice organizers. Many of the resources listed here will help you accomplish these objectives.

1. Build a strong organization.  If your funding is faltering, look to the resources listed in the fundraising section of this guide.  Look to the resources for general organizing support, if you need organization strategies.  Importantly, our organizations must take a critical look at the roles of racism and sexism in the history of corporate globalization, as well as in our current political environment.  We must hold our selves, our organizations, and our networks accountable to eradicate any bias or inequality from our movement.  Look to the resources listed in the general organizing section for assistance with these critical organizing objectives.

2. Share organizing victories.  The Coalition of Immokalee Workers organized a successful boycott of Taco Bell that resulted in increased wages for farm workers.  American Apparel has developed a successful clothing business outside of the sweatshop model; they pay workers living wages in a cooperative business model.  The Landless Workers Movement in Brazil, Movimiento de Trabajadores Rurales Sem Terra, has successfully taken over plots of unused land and transformed them into housing and organic farms while conducting successful media and literacy campaigns throughout Brazil.  These are just a few of the victories you can read about in the resources listed below.  These stories inspire us to keep organizing and remind us that strategic organizing works!

3. Find out if your city counsel has identified a “sister city.”  You may want to raise awareness in your city about the economic and political realities of your “sister city,” or possibly campaign around fair trade and worker solidarity with that city.

4. Organize “think tanks” to study a particular issue.  Examples range from the Institute for Policy Studies, an established research organization, to Across Race and Nation, a series of focus groups learning about cross-race relationship building and collaboration.  You can read about both of these organizing efforts below.

5. Develop alternative funding strategies.  Non-profits are often criticized for their dependence on corporate grants.  You may wish to organize a fundraising co-operative, like the Southern Organizing Co-op, to develop a collective fundraising strategy with other organizations.  You may want to sell fair trade products and other resources, as does Global Exchange, to partially or fully fund your organizing work.  Another idea is to organize a workforce-based funding pool such as Community Shares, an alternative to more mainstream corporate-giving programs like United Way, providing grants for progressive grassroots organizations.  Read more about these efforts in “Funding Your Work” below.

6. Learn about popular and participatory education.  This is a great way to ensure that your work is lead by the experiences and desires of the people affected by the issue you are organizing around.  The basic strategy is to organize a meeting of the affected community, document individual experiences, learn collectively about the issue, develop an organizing strategy, evaluate the organizing strategy as it is completed, then continue this cycle as you continue to organize.  The Highlander Center is a great resource for information and technical assistance related to popular education.

7. Make learning fun!  The Polaris Institute is a great resource for entertaining educational games related to globalization.  You can also check out United for a Fair Economy for creative ideas such as street theatre and educational skits to use with presentations and workshops.

8. Build connections with local educational institutions.  Students, faculty and staff often have great ideas and energy to contribute to an organizing campaign.  University libraries are great resources for researching an issue.  Providing a presentation or workshop for a political science, economics, social work, anthropology, sociology, women’s studies, geography or other departmental class is a great way to connect with students and professors to gain support for your work.  Many educational departments will host or co-sponsor conferences covering the issues you are organizing around.  Be aware, however, that universities may not be desirable meeting places for many working people and others in your community.  Work to make event and meeting spaces as accessible as possible for all individuals and participating parties.  Examples of great work that has originated at educational institutions include the Center for International Education, Project Sensored and United Students Against Sweatshops.

9. Organize alternative forums.  On occasions when decision-makers are meeting in your town or elsewhere and you aren’t invited, organize an alternative forum.  Great examples of this include the Alliance for Responsible Trade’s “People’s Forums” and the World Social Forum, an alternative to the exclusive World Economic Forum.

10. Organize a factory tour.  Particularly if you are organizing around a particular corporation, a factory tour is a great way to meet workers and to learn about the industry you are organizing around.  Factory tours are also great ways to learn about how a company is operating overseas.  For a local factory tour, contact your local AFL-CIO headquarters to find the union of workers from the factory.  Often the union will guide you through a tour.  If there is no affiliated union, contact the company directly for a tour of the facilities.  If you wish to organize a tour of a factory in Mexico, the following organizations may be able to assist you: Witness for Peace, Kentucky Jobs with Justice, the Mexico Solidarity Network or Frente Autentico de Trabajo.  For assistance in other countries, contact the AFL-CIO Solidarity Center or look up other solidarity groups working with that country.  See also the section “Factory Tours” below.

11. Create alternative policies.  We spend so much of our time as organizers fighting against bad policies that we often fail to put energy into developing positive alternative policies.  Some examples of alternative policies are suggested in the “Alternatives for the Americas” document listed below.  The Citizen’s Trade Campaign also has resources for passing city-level resolutions related to trade and globalization.

12. Use positive terminology.  People want to hear about a better world and how they can contribute to make it happen; they want to hear about what we are for and learn about concrete alternatives to the policies we are fighting.  When organizers paint a clear picture of the world we are trying to create, who can help but jump on board?  There is so much negative news thrown at us on a daily basis that some people tune out when they hear the bad new of globalization.  Paint a clear picture of the alternatives to corporate globalization and refer to positive values every time you talk about the issue you are organizing around.  For ideas, go to Yes! magazine and “Alternatives for the Americas.”

13. Form partnerships with people of faith.  This can be critical, particularly in Bible-belt communities.  If you are not sure where to start, look at national websites for faith-based communities.  Many have developed progressive position statements on globalization issues that can be referred to when interacting with local communities.  Center of Concern is a great source of information for organizing with people of faith.  Many faith-based communities are more accepting of offers to participate in “charity” than of appeals to work towards political change.  A great way to approach these communities about policy issues is to start with a discussion around a fair trade product like coffee or chocolate, which may be promoted in a church or synagogue.  These discussions can then lead into deeper issues around what fair trade really means and what policies can be identified as unfair.  For resources along these lines, go to the Equal Exchange website below.

14. Talk about values.  This is a great approach for all communities, but particularly for communities of faith.  Religion is based in ideals of equality, justice and love for others.  These are some of the many values that can be highlighted when talking about economic justice.

15. Send a group of activists abroad to learn more about a global issue.  When small groups of members from your organization have the opportunity to travel across the nation or across borders to learn more about the issue they are organizing around, they not only build closer relationships with each other, but also build international relationships and gain confidence in their abilities to speak out about international issues.  As groups return from conferences, international forums and solidarity events, they bring new energy, ideas and excitement to your local group.  You may want to organize an exchange or participate in a meeting like the World Social Forum.  For ideas and resources, contact Kentucky Jobs with Justice, Witness for Peace, Global Exchange, the Mexico Solidarity Network or Grassroots Global Justice.  For tips on ecologically friendly travel, contact Witness for Peace or Global Exchange.

16. Network!  A global movement requires global communication and cross-border solidarity.  Participating in a network of global justice organizers will help you stay informed on current issues of global concern while providing opportunities for your organization to participate in global justice actions.  Some examples listed below include Grassroots Global Justice, Jobs with Justice, and the Alliance for Responsible Trade. 

17. Build your personal and organizational language capacity.  Building relationships with immigrants in your community and with organizations across borders doesn’t require speaking a common language, but it certainly helps!  Many organizations, such at STITCH, Global Exchange, and the Mexico Solidarity Network, organize opportunities to study Spanish abroad.  Contact Global Exchange and other solidarity organizations to learn about opportunities to study other languages.  For assistance with translation and building your organization’s language capacity, contact the Highlander Center or check out the resources listed in “Multilingual Capacity Building” below.

18. Organize a speaking tour.  People love to hear from an international guest, a nationally renowned “expert” on global issues, or a worker from a group struggle for justice with a company.  You may wish to organize a speaker yourself, or coordinate with organizations like 50 Years is Enough, Witness for Peace, Global Exchange or the Mexican Solidarity Network to organize a local stop for their fall speaking tours. These events often require a lot of energy and resources from your organization and from you personally as an organizer, so chose to participate in events that are part of your campaign strategy and build your movement.  A poorly planned event reflects negatively on your organization, but a well-planned event will leave you with a closer relationship with the speaker, positive press coverage and at least a few new campaign volunteers.

19. Learn about what “the other side” is thinking.  Check out the official websites for trade organizations such as the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.  This is a great way to find out when future “official” meetings are planned and to stay abreast of new rounds of negotiations and new development strategies.  Check out the resources in “Understanding Corporate Globalization” and “Perspectives from the Corporate World” below.

20. Be creative!  Use photography, music, drama, art, costumes, cartoons and other visual tools to communicate your message.  Images often communicate our message in a way that statistics and even story-telling cannot.  People often respond to photographs of sweatshops or a cartoon about globalization.  Images are crucial to any successful workshop and will help you garner attention at public and media events.  For more ideas, go to United for a Fair Economy or Art and Revolution.

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