Autonomous Organizer Training Toolkit

Members of Unity & Struggle have been working to develop new methods of community organizing, reflecting on the big picture of what a (pre-)revolutionary moment asks of us. Part one in our series on organizing, “New Tools Needed: Community Organizing,” argues that existing organizing models, such as Alinksyite-style community organizing, are hegemonic and invasive. Carving up the class into distinct interest groups, community organizing fights for winnable demands and immediate interests, abandoning the goal of larger social transformation. While we may be critical of these models and their theoretical underpinnings, these are often the only models available to us.

If a primary goal of organizing is to help the class realize its power through collective action, then we need a model that foregrounds building power through confrontation. Drawing on existing workshops and wisdom, such as the Industrial Workers of the World’s (IWW) Organizer Training 101 (OT101), the IWW General Defense Committee’s picket training, Stan Weir’s method of talking politics, as well as our own experiences in organizing, we sought to create a workshop that could accomplish two things. First, it seeks to put forward a clear theory and vision for organizing: a model that emphasizes building community power, using networks and infrastructure independent of and seeking to confront outside influences such as the police, the state, the bosses, the landlords, and sometimes non-profit organizations. Second, the training provides practical tools for developing this model of organizing.

We hope this training can be a valuable tool for organizers, and that people feel empowered to use it as needed. The training is designed to last around 6 hours, work for small and large groups, and help both experienced and brand new organizers improve their organizing.

If you’d like to organize, attend, or facilitate a training, please get in touch. We can offer online trainings and potentially send trainers to your city.