As organizers, we know that some of the best organizing in the U.S. has historically happened in a church context. We all know about the Black Church and the civil rights movement, churches and the new sanctuary movement protecting refugees, New York churches and homelessness and AIDS. (And while churches are usually predominant, you can include synagogues and mosques as well.)
That's why we're putting on Congregations 2.0, a day long training in online organizing for the progressive faith community.
Unfortunately, we cannot say that religious institutions are at the forefront of using technology - not by a long shot. But so many of the congregations involved in CBCO - Congregation Based Community Organizing - are poor, run by an older and less wired cohort, or rely on the communications infrastructure that lies outside their community instead of creating one that they can control. |
| To address these challenges in New York City, Organizing 2.0 has teamed up with (historic) Judson Memorial Church for a day long training workshop aimed squarely at the churches, synagogues and mosques that take social justice concerns seriously. Part of the hook is that urban congregations are struggling with technology in the first place, wishing they could do better outreach for the diversity and financial health of what are often shrinking communities. Many churches fit this profile: fewer families, emptier pews, but even greater investment in service and social justice work to address the economic crisis.
Glen Beck isn't entirely wrong to focus on 'social justice' as a form of theology to take root among the faithful. Unfortunately, the desire to perform social justice is rarely matched with the skills, training and tools that nonprofits and political campaigners have at their disposal.
The team putting on this event has experience presenting at Netroots Nation, NTEN's Nonprofit Technology Conference, SocialChange Camp, NOI's Rootscamp, Neighborworks Training Institute, the US Social Forum and many other hubs of progressive change. We'd like to see our friends and allies from nexus of community organizing, progressive congregations and engagement politics help by serving as trainers, 15 minute speed-consultants, attendees and promoters.
Want to help? Visit www.congregations20.org. |
