WADE RATHKE is the founder of ACORN, Chief Organizer at ACORN International, and Author of "Nuts & Bolts", "Citizen Wealth", "Global Grassroots", and "The Battle for the 9th Ward".
New Orleans There’s no question. A dues-based organizing model for community organizations and informal worker associations is a tough road to follow, even if all of the other variables are great. Members pay for the organization; therefore, it’s theirs in ownership, participation, and governance. This was the path that ACORN has travelled for …
New Orleans The Anthropocene Alliance, or more easily stated, A2, as we’ve discussed in the past is a national coalition of more than 400 frontline groups brought together largely because of their experiences being on the brunt end of climate change, whether hurricanes, floods, fires, or the like. A2’s annual staff retreat was …
Heerlen Sometimes, it’s worth wondering, what were we thinking? Sure, it was the right time for our international organizers’ meeting. We had met two years in a row in the Yorkshire area of northern England. It was time for a change. The Netherlands made sense on some counts, so let’s go there. There would be …