The tireless struggle

The organization that I came across through this weeks research is called the climate justice alliance (http://www.ourpowercampaign.org/cja/). Their focus is to combine forces of similar like minded organization working at the very local level on the front lines (or fence line as they like to say) to build on the growing movement around systems change. They are view climate change as the overarching theme that drives many of the major problems within societies i.e. affordable housing shortages, education disparity, wealth inequality, access to reliable infrastructure, equitable pay, and a whole swath of other issues.  Most of these local level fights are rooted in Indigenous, African American, Latino, Asian Pacific Islander, and working-class white communities throughout the U.S. They view the world as facing two interconnected and interrelated systemic crisis; economic and ecological. To address one without the other is impossible. Their belief is that it is possible to make a calculated transition to a more economically just system if local communities are ecologically rooted and committed to power without pollution and energy without injustice.

I think that a lot of their strength comes from this idea of trying to build the political perspective of their alliances.  There are so many organizations across the country that are working on the same issues that need to be working together and use the national cohesiveness as their strength.  People are beginning to see these issues as systemic malfunctions and are willing and able to come up with ideas for alternative practices.  As the problems are all rooted in the same cause, it is healthy to assume that many of the solutions that work in one area may very well work in others.  This network of knowledge/information sharing is essential to the success of a movement like this.  CJA works to connect groups and encourage joint or shared action. From this comes an element of motivation that may not be present otherwise. Liking it to the bonding that takes place between soldiers in war may be extreme, but similarities do exist.  

This organization is definitely looking to transform and entire system to address not only ecological concerns but also economic ones.  I would say that the are bringing it to the forefront the social green theory on how to deal with the current crisis that humanity seems to find itself in.  I get the sense that many of these organizations have been on the fence lines for a very long time.  As the conversation of local economies has moved into the mainstream, I imagine there is some sort of vindication and satisfaction with their years of hard work.  I almost see this organization has not only a driver of that conversation but also a sort of liaison between like minded peoples.  With the effort focused on bringing together these conversations and joining forces, they are helping to ensure that “issue ambassadors” are well prepared and equipped to go back into their communities and spread the word of the “eco gospel.”  The kind of power they’re trying to build across all those different domains is to have these local strategies but [they] are connected across communities through a unified vision, shared strategies and common frames. I read an interview with the organization’s leadership team and one of the most interesting quotes I found was this: “for us it's never just been about the mobilization. It is as important how we build the road to the mobilization, and actually more importantly what happens afterward.”  In terms of a take away, this would probably be the biggest one.  From a practical standpoint this is a much more difficult task than getting 400,000 people to take to the streets.  That is why I think, despite the major efforts being made on the national and international stage (especially in the past few weeks) it is important that local level involvement and sustained action is important, if not more so.  

I know at times, very often in fact, being a part of smaller organizations that address local issues seem small and insignificant.  But knowing that there are others just like you all across the country/world lends a strong sense of purpose to one’s efforts.  It is important to remember and to remind that this is a lifetime effort.  Change will not come in days, weeks, months, years, or even decades.  But rather it will come maybe by the end of one's lifetime if lucky, but most likely this will be a generational struggle that is forced to push the cart up the hill slowly but relentlessly.