Community Organizing 101

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TheChattery.org

human development Eventbrite

Community Organizing 101

You can be the catalyst for building strong public organizations that create real change.

There is no shortage of issues that communities face, yet the difficulty in getting people to work together to solve them can often be the biggest stumbling block. People come with their own values, interests and personal pressures, and they're often conflicting. Community organizing is a skill set and practice that begins at the level of public relationships, understanding what drives a person as well as what is impacting their lives.

This workshop explains how community organizing is different from other forms of advocacy, examines what really moves people to action, and discusses how to begin to foster the kinds of relationships that can bring a community together effectively while challenging them to think critically about behaviors or attitudes that may be holding them back.

About the instructor:

Michael Gilliland is the Organizing Director for CALEB, a nonprofit coalition including faith groups, labor unions and community organizations. CALEB's goal is to build the capacity of its members to affect change in issues ranging from criminal justice and economic mobility to education. A lifelong Chattanoogan, Michael brings over a decade of experience in organizing and social justice work including affordable housing advocacy, research regarding local bank lending and equitable development, as well as co-creating "The People's History of Chattanooga" Project.